6.17.2010

8 Risk Factors of Low Back Pain

Low back pain is an extremely common problem suffered by 70% of people at some point in time. This common problem can be extremely debilitating and is the second most common reason to seek medical attention. Although low back pain can strike anyone at any time, there are some things that increase your risk of developing the condition. Risk factors include:

~ Being overweight
~ Poor body posture
~ Occupations with lots of lifting or prolonged sitting
~ Smoking
~ Increased age
~ Poor fitness
~ History of low back pain
~ Pregnancy


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6.11.2010

Could Your Posture Help You Relax?

Did you know that better posture can help you relax? According to two University of Wisconsin-Stout psychology students, they have found evidence that this is true. The students conducted a research project and found that "anxiety levels dropped 10-15 points after a massage." Well, duh, lol. But the cooler thing is the test subjects got taller. According to the survey, "the subjects stood from about four-tenths to half-inch taller after each treatment." Of course there has been a lot of studies that massage reduces anxiety, but none that connected posture with the reduced anxiety. For the full article, please read it at https://www2.uwstout.edu/news/index.asp?event=news.get&ID=2007
For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

6.09.2010

Complimentary Therapies Are on the Rise

Back pain is common in the U.S., affecting 8 out of 10 people at some point in their lives, according to Medline Plus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, with research proving that massage therapy has been shown to improve back pain. In new research, investigators from the Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Harvard Medical School Osher Research Center set out to examine the associations between the perceived helpfulness of various complementary and alternative therapies (CAM), of which massage is one, for back pain. Other CAM therapies include chiropractic, herbs, tai chi, yoga and meditation. The investigators used data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey, according to a press release published on www.pubmed.gov. Among the results:

• Approximately 6 percent of the U.S. population used CAM to treat their back pain in 2002. Sixty percent of respondents who used CAM for back pain perceived a "great deal" of benefit.

• The factor associated with perceived benefit from CAM modalities was reporting that a reason for using CAM was that "conventional medical treatment would not help."

• The two factors associated with less perceived benefit from CAM modalities were fair-to-poor self-reported health status and referral by a conventional medical practitioner for CAM. "The majority of respondents who used CAM for back pain perceived benefit," the investigators noted. "Specific factors and therapies associated with perceived benefit warrant further investigation." The article ran in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

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6.02.2010

Natural Relief for Headaches

Many structures in and around the head are capable of producing headaches.  Headaches are a very common problem and are experienced by nine out of ten people.  Headaches are categorized into many different types such as migraines, stress, tension and cluster, which are based primarily on the symptoms they produce.  Because many headaches are caused by tension and dysfunction of the muscles and joints around the head, massage is an effective source of relief for many headache sufferers. They are also one of the many reasons people seek out regular massage.  Massage treatment of headaches uses gentle and natural methods as opposed to medication. 

A few ways to prevent headaches are:
   -   Drink water regularly as dehydration can cause headaches.
   -   Avoid foods that may trigger headaches such as caffeine, alcohol or chocolate and/or your own food allergies that you know can cause your headaches.
   -   Maintain good posture while sitting, standing and even sleeping.
   -   Avoid prolonged postures by taking a break or stretching.
   -   Exercise regularly to reduce stress and maintain overall wellness.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.