A Simple Guide to Types of Massage Therapy

from Inada
The art of massage has been practiced throughout the world for centuries. There are many different types of massage that are found to be the most commonly practiced, especially in the United States.

Most people think that a massage is something luxurious that is only sought after when they want to indulge themselves or “treat” someone else for a special occasion.

More recently, massage therapy has actually been proven to be a legitimate medical practice that aids in the healing of injuries, back pain, headaches, osteoarthritis, and even cancer. Massage has also been proven to help lower heart rate, blood pressure, and reduce stress.
 
Popular Types Of Massage Therapy:
In the United States alone, there are a number of popular massage techniques and styles. What follows is a little bit of information about some of the approaches to massage that are popular in the U.S.

SWEDISH MASSAGE
Swedish Massage is frequently what we mean when we talk generically about “massage therapy,” and is the most basic type of massage performed by trained therapists.
 
The massage therapist uses specific massage oils or lotions while creating long smooth strokes, kneading, and circular movements on superficial layers of muscle.  

4 common strokes of Swedish massage are: Effleurage, Petrissage, Friction, and Tapotement.

Effleurage relaxes the soft tissue of the body by using a smooth, gliding stroke.

Petrissage is the squeezing, rolling, and kneading of the body that follows the effleurage stroke.

Friction is used throughout the massage by creating deep, circular movements causing layers of muscle tissue to rub against each other. This helps to increase blood flow and break down scar tissue.
Finally, the use of a short, alternating tap done with cupped hands, fingers or the edge of the hand is called Tapotement. This is done on the topmost layers of the muscles.

This is all combined with movement of the joints, resulting in the relief of muscle tension. This enables Swedish massage therapy to be both relaxing and energizing. The techniques used in Swedish massage also make it a common therapy to be used after an injury in order to help quicken the healing process and breakdown scar tissue. 

For the specific type of massage you're looking for, please continue reading . . . .

"Turmeric contains polyphenols [with] . . . 600 health benefits."

I am beginning to believe all of the online buzz about the health benefits of turmeric, even the regenerative capacity of this spice.

So what's in turmeric that makes it so special and, quite frankly, so powerful?  Those compounds are curcumin, the main active ingredient in turmeric. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory and a very strong antioxidant; however, "the curcumin content of turmeric is not that high… it’s around 3%, by weight."  Despite its power, curcumin, the compound that most of the studies done on turmeric are based, does not absorb well.  IF you system is in some form of disrepair, you will definitely benefit from any amounts of turmeric your first time using the spice as a medicinal.  Kris Gunners insists that

. . . curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. It helps to consume black pepper with it, which contains piperine… a natural substance that enhances the absorption of curcumin by 2000% (3).

Gunners gives us a tip on how to consume turmeric so as to get higher absorption:

I personally prefer to swallow a few whole peppercorns along with my curcumin supplement, in order to enhance absorption.  Curcumin is also fat soluble, so it may be a good idea to take it with a fatty meal.

One article from Alma Sommer claims that turmeric is "more effective at fighting headaches than Ibuprofen."  She explains that the patients in the study that compared Ibuprofen to turmeric that the patients "showed greater performance and claimed they had a higher level of satisfaction then that of the ibuprofen group."  And this point kind of brings home the advantages and disadvantages:

While Turmeric has been known as a safe and natural pain killer for centuries, Ibuprofen has been found to be very damaging.  Turmeric contains polyphenol which has been shown to have over 600 health benefits. “The Lancet review has found ibuprofen to be as toxic to the heart as Vioxx, a banned anti-inflammatory drug that caused thousands of deaths from cardiovascular diseases.” Turmeric is also very affordable and according to this study, it is definitely the better choice when it comes to remedying what ails you.

Turmeric is an excellent anti-inflammatory, but so are a lot of other foods, spices, minerals, etc.  Garlic is anti-inflammatory.  So are fish oils, one that Dr. Barry Sears called miraculous.  With so many choices of effective anti-inflammatory medicines available, it makes sense to select the ones that don't cost and arm and a leg, ones that we can take on a regular basis, part of our daily meals perhaps, and ones that have the least amount of unpleasant side effects. 

Okay, so we know that turmeric is an excellent anti-inflammatory.  Gunners tells us that it prevents cancer, that it lowers the risk of heart disease, that it prevents and treats Alzheimer's disease, works as a great arthritis medicine, fights depression, delays aging and fights age-related chronic disease, that it improves brain function and lowers risk of brain diseases, and increases the anti-oxidant capability of your body.  So it does a lot. 

One benefit I've seen and read over and over again are turmeric's benefits on the brain.  Gunners explains that it improves brain function, but what kind of function, suffering from what conditions?  He explains:

The neurons are capable of forming new connections, but in certain areas of the brain, they can also multiply and increase in number.  One of the main drivers of this process is Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which is a type of growth hormone that functions in the brain (20).  Many common brain disorders have been linked to decreased levels of this hormone. This includes depression and Alzheimer’s disease (21, 22).  Interestingly, curcumin can increase brain levels of BDNF (23, 24).  By doing this, it may be effective at delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-related decreases in brain function (25).  There is also the possibility that it could help improve memory and make you smarter. Makes sense given its effects on BDNF levels, but this definitely needs to be tested in human controlled trials (26).

Another article by BioMed Central says that turmeric "boosts the regeneration of brain stem cells."  That's stem cells; not brainstem cells.   "The [subventricular zone (SVZ)] and hippocampus are the two sites in adult mammalian brains where neurogenesis, the growth of neurons, is known to occur."

My advice, my unprofessional, anecdotal advice?  Put two teaspoons of turmeric into a smoothie.  You can make the smoothie using your favorite kind of milk or yogurt.  Be sure to add the black pepper kernels for greater absorption.  Some folks will add pineapple or papaya or their favorite fruit.  Coconut is a great addition too.  A couple of folks at YouTube have suggested using orange juice as the base of your smoothie instead of milk or yogurt.  Okay.  

Further benefits of turmeric here.

MAGNESIUM HELPS FIX CALCIUM PROPERLY

"Magnesium helps to fix calcium properly"

One of the supplements that I love, one in which there are no adverse side effects, is magnesium.  When I do have a bout of high blood pressure, I take magnesium, and it is gone and managed for the next several months.  And because this mineral is so important in managing this condition and has benefits overall for everything else, I do prefer to take this nutrient in supplement form instead of a food.  Why?  Because some of the foods that are high in magnesium I have a mild allergy to.  Not allergic to bananas, but the sugar content does not help me.  I am, however, mildly allergic to brown rice.  I like brown rice.  I eat it on rare, rare occasions because I like the taste and like how I can doctor it up with vegetables, spices, meats, and so forth.  But I can only tolerate this on rare, rare occasions.  

The particular kind of magnesium that I take is Life Extension's, Magnesium L-Threonate.  This stuff produces amazing dreams when you sleep.  Talk about waking up refreshed and cogent.  Love this stuff.  Though truth be told I do like GABA for relaxation and focus.  But there are other benefits one obtains from magnesium, and I've lifted them from this article by Marcus Julian Felicetti and listed them below.  I thought that they were worth a gander.  

Though I am not a big advocate of high doses of anything or of everything, and not using the nutrient or soil deficiency argument but instead pointing to a diet that is inconsistent, I do believe that taking a little extra for a short time does right the ship so to speak.  Like a cold, for example.  It doesn't hurt to take high doses of Vitamin C with the sole and exclusive purpose of diminishing the viral load, particularly if you're living with other people whose immunity might be vulnerable during the winter months from being inside more hours of the day than, say, in the summer.  It's not nice to get other people sick.  Try it some time, and you'll see what it does to long-standing friendships.

Felicetti points to insufficient nutrients in our foods:

If you think that the amount of Magnesium you obtain from your food is sufficient without supplementation, then I would say thinking is for people who don't know. Be sure by having it tested. And when you do have it tested, aim to have optimum levels of Magnesium, not just meeting the minimum.

Then he reminds us that our soil is deficient, even on farms where organic products are grown:

Remember that even organic soils are depleted of minerals. And non-organic farming has virtually no nutrients in it. Furthermore, there are many ways in which Magnesium is lost from the body, e.g. alcohol, coffee, black tea, grains, soy, most pharmaceutical drugs, calcium supplements.

He adds that

Regular supplementation is a reliable way to boost your magnesium levels. For more information on what kinds of magnesium supplements are well absorbed and utilized, see my website.

Here is his list of benefits of Magnesium:

1. Better sleep - The sleep-regulating hormone melatonin is disturbed when Magnesium is deficient. Furthermore, Magnesium brings balance and controls stress hormones. Stress and tension are often reasons why people suffer from insomnia in the first place.

2. Relaxes the nervous system - Serotonin, which relaxes the nervous system and elevates mood, is dependent on Magnesium.

3. Bigger, stronger muscles - Magnesium allows the body to produce more Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1), which is a major contributor to the growth and strength of muscles. Furthermore, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the cell's energy store and is created with help from Magnesium.

4. Better flexibility -Magnesium loosens tight muscles. Without Magnesium, muscles do not relax properly and cramps occur. Magnesium is important for flexibility, because of low Magnesium results in a buildup of lactic acid, causing pain and tightness.

5. Bone integrity and strength - Magnesium helps to fix calcium properly. It may blow some people's minds that the calcium supplements they're taking are not only useless but are actually contributing to osteoporosis! There are actually about eighteen essential nutrients that contribute to bone health; Magnesium is definitely one of the most essential because it stimulates a particular hormone called calcitonin. And, it also suppresses a hormone called parathyroid that breaks down bone.

6. Remineralizes teeth -Magnesium deficiency causes an unhealthy balance of phosphorous and calcium in saliva, which damages teeth.

7. Alkalizes the body -Magnesium helps return the body’s pH balance. Magnesium reduces lactic acid, which is partly responsible for post-exercise pain (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).

8. Hydrates -Magnesium is a necessary electrolyte essential for proper hydration.

9. Helps to relieve constipation -Magnesium can be used to cleanse the bowels of toxins.

10. Enzyme function -Enzymes are protein molecules that stimulate every chemical reaction in the body. Magnesium is required to make hundreds of these enzymes work and assists with thousands of others.

11. Diabetes -Magnesium enhances insulin secretion, which facilitates sugar metabolism. Without Magnesium, glucose is not able to transfer into cells. Glucose and insulin build up in the blood, causing various types of tissue damage, including the nerves in the eyes.

There are many other benefits of Magnesium: It helps prevent stroke, heart disease, period pain, and more. You can check out my website for further information on Magnesium and how exactly to increase magnesium levels effectively.

[Coconut Oil] Kills Cancer Cells And Treats Alzheimer’s

My unprofessional and wholly anecdotal opinion?  Start consuming it today.

from MyFitMagazine article dated 12/4/2015

 

Coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat, which is a higher percentage than butter (about 64% saturated fat), beef fat (40%), or even lard (also 40%). Too much saturated fat in the diet is unhealthy because it raises “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of heart disease. So it would seem that coconut oil would be bad news for our hearts. But what’s interesting about coconut oil is that it also gives “good” HDL cholesterol a boost. Back in the day, coconut oil was victimized during that era of erroneous dogma that demonized saturated fats. They’ve created the unhealthy trans-fatty acid hydrogenated unsaturated fat industry, which included margarine as well.

Now, when it’s all clear and understandable, more and more people are finding saturated fats, especially coconut oil, to be more than just safe. They are very healthy and have medical properties as well. Few studies, which have been published, but not publicized, are in progress to show the coconut oil’s medicinal properties. One of the studies you probably haven’t heard of involves cancer research. This study was conducted by Australian researchers and it was published in the Chemotherapy Journal, in January 2014, under “experimental chemotherapy”. This study was an in vitro study on human colon or colorectal cancer cells. The lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is about 1 in 20 (5%). This risk is slightly lower in women than in men. Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States when men and women are considered separately, and the second leading cause when both sexes are combined.

The researchers of this study were more concerned about finding a good add-on for the chemotherapy, than finding another solution. In their study, the researchers compared the effect of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid or SCFA, which is derived from the fermentation in the gut to lauric acid – a medium-chain fatty acid or MCFA. You can find MCFA in palm and coconut oil. Almost 50% of MCFA palm or coconut oil is lauric acid. Lauric acid has shown great results in promoting oxidative stress and apoptosis in colon cancer cells and killing them over 90% in just few hours. You should remember this – cancer cells can’t handle oxygen. So, this is another reason to include coconut oil in your daily diet.

Coconut Oil vs. Alzheimer’s

A doctor’s husband had suffered from a serious case of Alzheimer’s and his case was only getting worse from pharmaceuticals that were also creating unwelcome side effects. Steve’s, Dr. Mary Newport’s husband, case was quite advanced, forgetting what spoons where spoons were, not remembering friends and relatives, and walking with a weird gait. Steve also failed a test of drawing a clock from memory. He wasn’t even close, and it had nothing to do with artistic rendering.

Dr. Mary Newport’s last hopes were into a new human trial at Big Pharma’s last attempt to curb Alzheimer’s progress. According to the latest statistics, Alzheimer’s disease affects over 5 million people in the USA, and it ranks seventh in deaths from diseases. It was unexpected for them that they missed the deadline for getting into that pharmaceutical trial. The trial went the way of others, providing ineffective or lethal. But, Dr. Mary Newport didn’t give up. She found out that the trial they had missed was using a synthetic medium chain triglyceride or MCT. The medium-chain triglycerides are more specific labels for MCFA. That’s what lauric acid is all about, and it’s naturally abundant in coconut oil. A high amount of LCT or long-chain triglyceride can be bad for your health. The medium-chain triglycerides are easily and quickly transformed and used into energy by the liver into energy ketones, instead of being stored as fat. The ketones cross the blood-brain barrier easily and provide glucose for the starved brain cells, which is the fuel they need to furnish neuron communication. Some medical experts are beginning to consider dementia as diabetes type 3.

Dr. Mary Newport started to add 1-2 tablespoons of raw coconut oil to her husband’s meals. Steve started to make some real progress rapidly. His health condition reversed to the point where Steve began remembering his friends and relatives and conversed with them easily. He also began taking long walks and his weird gate has disappeared. He could finish projects once started that he couldn’t before. She even wrote a book about their coconut oil experience. The book title was Alzheimer’s disease: What If There Was a Cure?: The Story of Ketones. So, judging from other’s successful experiences with coconut oil, it’s better to start dosing those MCTs at the earliest onset or hint of dementia or Alzheimer’s. But, it’s very important for you to know that not everyone who has progressed to the Alzheimer’s phase that Steve had experienced will have the same exact results.

Besides that, the unrefined cold-pressed coconut oil has many other benefits as well. It kills viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites without disrupting beneficial gut bacteria. Coconut oil also improves digestion and liver metabolism and reduces inflammation. When the coconut oil is applied topically, it promotes healthier skin and hair. And, another surprising thing is that coconut oil promotes weight loss. It may even help reverse diabetes type 2. You can use it for cooking because it has a high smoke point. Smoke point is that point during cooking or frying when the oil starts smoking (burning), causing the oil to go rancid and toxic. Add coconut oil to your healthy diet, you won’t regret it, we promise.

 

"Tea and coffee contain naturally-occurring fluoride . . ."

On the heels of my recent post of "Toothhealth is dependent on gum health, and gum health is . . . related to vitaminC . . ." I was reading Sarah C. Corriher's article How to Cure Cavities at Twitter. And I thought I would comment on it a bit.

And I will start with a caveat.  This applies only to teeth that do not already have fillings, amalgam or otherwise.  Once your tooth has an amalgam filling inside your tooth, your tooth's movement is greatly restricted.  And if your tooth's movement is restricted, healing seems rather difficult.  In fact, one of the reasons why a filling might pop or fall out is because your tooth might be trying to regrow.  Sounds crazy, I know.  But this is what happens.  As long as bone is in your mouth and connected to roots that are connected to your jawbone that is connected to other bone structures, it means that your bones are being fed from somewhere.  And if they're being fed from somewhere, likely they are moving.  And by moving I don't mean they are doing somersaults or spinning like whirling dervishes.  I mean they move around.  So as they grow upward, they move upward or outward or to the side.  If they grow, they move. 

So there's that.  

Let's see what Ms. Corriher says about curing cavities.  I always learn something from the Corrihers.  When I first came across their site in 2014, I spent way too many hours combing through all of the different and helpful articles.  

WESTON A. PRICE

Anyone old enough to fly through cyberspace for more than a decade or so knows--boy do we know--how extensive all of the health information is.  And the one shining light in all of this information, the light on which so many other have launched blogging efforts is Weston A. Price's Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, 1939.  Corriher opens her essay by citing Weston A. Price and conclusions he reached from his travels and studies that conflict with prevailing information that was accepted as knowledge.  

While traveling to some of the most remote regions and cultures of the world, Dr. Weston A. Price discovered that some groups which had no access to traditional medicine had extremely low incidences of cavities. He discovered that the cultures which consumed foods that were high in fats and minerals had the best dental health. Some of those groups did not even brush their teeth.

So, wait, ". . .some groups which had no access to traditional medicine had extremely low incidences of cavities"?  That in itself is remarkable.  Foods high in fat and minerals provided people with the best dental health.  Good to know.  But what stunned me was that last statement in that paragraph, "Some of those groups did not even brush their teeth."  How can that be?  My guess is that these groups did not consume large amounts of sugar that kids in more advanced, modern societies did. 

It's funny how things work.  My mom and dad were of the WWII generation.  For dates my dad would buy her a Snickers or Powerhouse candy bar, and they would split it.  And a Coke.  Very little concern, if any, given to the destructive effects of concentrated sugar consumption.  And if any concern was given, it was probably brushed away as something that the dentist would take care of.  There was so much trust in this and other medical professions.  I don't know why.  Actually, I do.  She explains here:

When people are malnourished, dental problems are often the first indicator. Most people from the Western world believe that teeth naturally decay with age, so everyone will inevitably get cavities. Popular consensus is that teeth self-destruct. However, a person’s diet primarily determines his dental health. The myth that people have no control over the deterioration of the teeth is one of the justifications for the fluoridation of water supplies, because it is tacitly contended that human teeth disintegrate without help from the chemical industry. In truth, cavities and dental malformations occur as a result of malnutrition, which is actually exaggerated by chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals and fluoride. Western foods are not only deficient in vitamins and minerals, but they also contain chemicals which impair the utilization of nutrients in the body. Tooth decay is more common in pregnant and nursing women, because these women have greater nutritional needs.

Ah, so it's the municipal monsters who wanted to put fluouride in the water supply and tell gullible citizens that it is good for your health.  Don't worry.  Be happy. 

But it wasn't just the municipal authorities.  It was the chemical industry that forced it or bribed it on them.  And we've been paying the price ever since.  Though I must say that I see many kids today with large, healthy, full teeth.  And that is excellent.  It's a sign that at least awareness on the topic is alive. 

Yet there are things that people continue to consume that ain't so good for them.  Yes, the fluouride in the water supply is one.  People still eat sugar--donuts, cereals, candy, cakes, you name it.  So we still need to be careful.  Me?  Rarely, if at all.  Heck, I don't even eat breads. 

On fluouride, she explains the how and the why it is such a terrible chemical not only on bone, tooth enamel but also on brain tissue.  Ever heard how bad fluouride is on brain tissue?

Fluoride, in particular, pulls calcium and phosphorus into areas of the body that they would not normally travel, such as the pineal gland and the arteries, so these minerals are not properly used for strengthening the bones. Teeth too are bones. Fluoride can prevent the healing of cavities, because it disrupts the proper mineral usage of the human body.

“It is most remarkable and should be one of the most challenging facts that can come to our modern civilization that such primitive races as the Aborigines of Australia, have reproduced for generation after generation through many centuries — no one knows for how many thousands of years — without the development of a conspicuous number of irregularities of the dental arches. Yet, in the next generation after these people adopt the foods of the white man, a large percentage of the children developed irregularities of the dental arches with conspicuous facial deformities. The deformity patterns are similar to those seen in white civilizations.” – Dr. Weston Price, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, 1939

One of the most demoralizing aspects to this fluouride problem are the lies.  Advised by their corporate masters deep within the pharmaceutical industrial-war complex is the instruction to peddle repeatedly the lie that fluouride is good for you.  So the city lies with impunity.  It's tradition.

   

HEALING CAVITIES

On healing cavities, she starts off like this:

When provided with the right diet, cavities can heal. This healing process is known as remineralization, because it is a process of giving the teeth the minerals that are needed to repair them. The two minerals that are most important for dental health are calcium and phosphorus. To use calcium properly, the human body also needs adequate amounts of vitamin D from sunlight or fish (not the chemical type found in milk), and the body also needs magnesium from vegetables and nuts. In addition, the fat-soluble vitamins are invaluable. Fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, E and K. These vitamins can be found in butter, eggs, dairy products, and meats. A healthy diet that heals cavities is the opposite of the low-fat diets that are most often promoted by the media, and the ideal diet is reminiscent of the Atkins Diet.

Ah, yes, diet.  Diet seems to be implicated in almost every ailment.  Her opening statement goes "When provided with the right diet, cavities can heal."