Massage News Alert - June 2007
Dear Therapists,
Online videos have now a great collection for massage therapists. We reported it a couple months ago and seems the number of online videos on massage techniques have grown. Check out Youtube and you can find videos of Ida Rolf talking about Structural Integration, and John Upledger on Craniosacral Therapy. Here are some websites where great videos can be found at:
* World Massage Forum : great sites, articles, online videos
* MassageNerd Videos Collection from various sites
* MassageVideo CEU by Doug Alexander at Metacafe
Last month we have an article on school peer massage to calm students and reduce bullying in the UK. I also found it done in other countries in Europe and probably started in Sweden back in 1995 as suggested by this site.
This newsletter is our attempt to bring you what's happening in the latest research and news on massage related issues. We sell massage videos and books so the little adver is at the end of this page. Archive of our past news is at: http://www.terrarosa.com.au/news.htm
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Happy reading and stay healthy… from us at www.terrarosa.com.au
Inside this issue:
Naprapathy Eases Back and Neck Pain
Aromatherapy: The Scent of Dispute
Arthritis pain change with the weather
Added Treatment Won't Speed Whiplash Recovery
Eccentric contraction of deltoids and biceps may boost flu shot
Two clinicians from
Brisbane have tested how well Google makes difficult diagnoses. They were
prompted to do it by the father of a 16 year old boy with a rare set of symptoms
which were perplexing the doctors. The boy's dad trotted out the correct
diagnosis and treatment saying he'd just Googled his son's symptoms.
The doctors did a trial to see how accurate Google actually was. They took case
studies from the New England Journal of Medicine which are published as lessons
and brain teasers for doctors. Using carefully selected search terms, they got
the right diagnosis in nearly 60% of cases.
So it was a bit better than tossing a coin and it's likely that it works best
for unusual combinations of symptoms where the numbers of possible diagnoses are
limited. It also seemed to depend on selecting the most specific words to put
into the search engine.
So by all means try Googling your illness but I wouldn't stake your life on it.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/health/minutes/stories/s1922971.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6132856.stm
Naprapathy Eases Back and Neck Pain
A manual therapy called naprapathy -- which involves massage, stretching and manipulation of the spine and other joints -- is more effective at treating neck and back pain than some conventional methods, according to a Swedish study of 409 patients. Naprapathy was founded in the early 1900s by Dr. Oakley Smith as an alternative to chiropractic. Naprapaths working with the spine emphasize the underlying ligaments. Naprapath comes from the Czech word "naprapravit" (to correct) and the Greek word "pathos" (suffering). Naprapathy "corrects suffering" through manual manipulation of connective tissue which may be irritating the nervous system and causing pain. Dr. Oakley Smith, a US chiropractor, founded Naprapathy in 1907 after devising a systematic treatment method of evaluating and healing damaged connective tissues. He discovered that structural imbalances (often situated in the spine) were sources of pain which can build slowly and spread throughout the body. See a video demo here: http://www.streamio.se/Play?projectId=1827
Eva Skillgate from the Department of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, has compared the efficacy of naprapathy with that of medical advice in accordance with the guidelines that had previously proved most effective against back and neck pain. 409 patients were divided into two groups. One group received naprapathy while the other group received support and advice from doctors, which included the common approach of encouraging patients to move and live normally despite their back and neck pain. After 12 weeks, 57 percent of the patients who received naprapathy said they felt much better, compared with 13 percent of patients in the other group. The study also found that 69 percent of those in the naprapathy group said they had noticeably less pain, compared with 42 percent in the control group. By the end of the study, 19 percent of naprapathy patients had totally recovered from their back and neck pain, compared with seven percent of those in the control group.
This trial suggests that combined manual therapy, like naprapathy, might be an alternative to consider for back and neck pain patients.
Reference: Naprapathic Manual Therapy or Evidence-Based Care for Back and Neck Pain; A Randomized, Controlled Trial" Eva Skillgate, Eva Vingard, Lars Alfredsson Clinical Journal of Pain, May 2007, 23:431-439
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=72149
Aromatherapy is an affordable, accessible natural path to relief for a variety of health problems, ranging from arthritis pain to nausea to drowsiness, supporters insist. But skeptics dismiss any claims that the use of essential oils from flowers, herbs and trees can promote health in any way. And both sides are unlikely to relinquish their positions anytime soon.
Aromatherapy "works for so many different things, it is amazing," said Kelly Holland Azzaro, a registered aromatherapist in Banner Elk, N.C., and vice president of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA), an industry trade group. "You can experience aromatherapy by inhalation by putting one drop of an essential oil on a tissue and inhaling," she said.
According to the NAHA, aromatherapy is the "art and science of utilizing naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to balance, harmonize and promote the health of body, mind and spirit." These essences are then distilled into "essential oils" -- highly concentrated aromatic extracts -- that are derived from a "variety of aromatic plant material, including grasses, leaves, flowers, needles and twigs, peels of fruit, wood and roots."
Among the most popular essential oils, which are widely sold at health-food stores and over the Internet, are eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, lemon, peppermint, rosemary, and tea tree, and according to the NAHA. "Uplifting scents such as citrus can keep you awake at work," Azarro said. "To help increase alertness, use rosemary and lemon." And to combat nausea, try essence of peppermint, ginger and orange, she added. While research into aromatherapy's benefits is limited, there are some studies that suggest certain treatments can help ease some symptoms.
For instance, in a 2005 study published in the journal Chronobiology International, researchers reported that lavender aromatherapy helped all 31 men and women feel more "vigor" the next morning, compared to the night they breathed in distilled water, an exercise that served as the control setting.
A study in the March-April 2006 issue of the Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health said that aromatherapy, combined with massage, helped new mothers feel less "blue" and anxious, compared to mothers of newborns who didn't get the treatment.
And a review published in Holistic Nurse Practitioner found that patients with postoperative nausea and vomiting can be helped by aromatherapy as well as acupressure and acupuncture.
But critics find little of value with scent therapy -- or even label it as therapy. "It's not a therapy, it's a set of products with odors," said Dr. Stephen Barrett, board chairman of Quackwatch Inc., an Allentown, Pa.-based organization that says it fights health fraud and quackery. "If people like the odors and want to pay for them, I would have no objection," Barrett said. However, he added, don't expect much. "There is no evidence that aromatherapy can alter the course of any disease. There is no logical reason to believe that any such evidence will ever be found," he said. As for potential risks, Barrett said: "Some people find certain odors irritating. People who use aromatherapy with the hope that it will cure what ails them will waste money." Azzaro said that, currently, aromatherapy is unregulated in the United States. "And that's part of the issue," she said. People don't understand exactly what it is, either. "People think it's potpourri or a smelly candle."
http://health.yahoo.com/news/168442;_ylt=AmU8_BNV6RXQeLd7Jb26SpFLvs8F
In 1961, a famous arthritis specialist, J. Hollander M.D., conducted a study in which he built a climate chamber and demonstrated that high humidity combined with low barometric pressure were associated with increased joint pain and stiffness. Neither weather factor by itself seemed to influence joint symptoms. The study has been criticized because of the limited number of patients evaluated (12 patients). The theory of the study is that inflamed joints swell as the barometric pressure drops. This swelling irritates the nerves around the joints that sense pain and causes more stiffness.
One problem is that, given many people's strong convictions about the effects of weather on their pain, it's difficult to get unbiased reports of pain flare-ups.
To get around this problem, researchers at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston used data from an earlier study that investigated glucosamine for knee arthritis. FYI: The clinical results showed that glucosamine is no more effective than placebo in treating the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis.
The 200 adults in that study reported on their pain levels at several points over three months. The Tufts researchers took that data and compared it with meteorological information obtained from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration on the same days in each patient's local area. Overall, they found, patients' pain tended to worsen when the temperature dropped or when the barometric pressure increased.
"Our data corroborate the general assertions by people with osteoarthritis that weather conditions influence their pain," Dr. Tim McAlindon and his colleagues report. Even the 19th century notion that arthritis sufferers fare better in climates that are warm and sunny year-round may be "partly correct," the researchers write.
It's not fully clear why temperature and barometric pressure might influence arthritis pain. Cold temperatures may, for instance, affect joint range of motion, or the flow of the synovial fluid that lubricates the joints, McAlindon's team suggests.
Barometric pressure refers to the weight of the surrounding air, and it fluctuates with changes in altitude or weather. Some research, McAlindon and his colleagues note, suggests that atmospheric pressure plays a role in the stabilization of the body's joints.
SOURCE: American Journal of Medicine, May 2007. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2006.07.036
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=14686
Aggressive treatment of patients with whiplash doesn't speed their recovery, Canadian research suggests. University of Toronto researchers examined the treatment received by almost 1,700 whiplash patients. They found that increasing the intensity of care to more than two visits to a general practitioner, or adding chiropractic care to general practitioner care, was actually associated with slower recovery. The results, published in the June issue of the journal Arthritis Care & Research, reaffirmed earlier findings by the same research team.
Whiplash is a common traffic crash-related injury that causes neck pain, headaches and other symptoms that can lead to significant disability and use of the health care system. The study authors noted that practice guidelines recommend treatment shortly after a patients suffers whiplash and that effective care, if medically needed, can improve patient prognosis.
However, the researchers noted that doctors, under pressure from patients, often provide treatment, schedule follow-up visits, and refer patients to specialists when such actions are not medically needed. "This in turn may lead to adverse outcomes and even prolong recovery by legitimizing patients' fears and creating unnecessary anxiety," the study authors wrote. Early aggressive treatment may also delay recovery by encouraging the use of passive coping strategies on the part of patients.
"Reliance on frequent clinical care, a form of passive coping strategy, may have a negative effect on recovery by reinforcing the patients' belief that whiplash injuries often lead to disability," the authors wrote.
Eccentric contraction of deltoids and biceps may boost flu shot
Now with cold winter cold and flu is our biggest enemy, but what's the relation with muscle contraction? Recent research shows that contacting your biceps and deltoids before your flu shot can boost your immune system. As flu vaccination is injected on the deltoid muscle, contraction of this muscle seems to affect its efficacy.
Eccentric muscle contraction (muscle actively lengthening) before a flu shot boosts the body's immune system. But men and women have a different response. Exercising the muscle where your flu shot is injected may improve the immune system's response to the vaccine, UK researchers report. "We're trying to find something that could be very simple to do, which would benefit your vaccine response," says Dr Kate Edwards, from the University of Birmingham. In an earlier study, Edwards' team showed that exercise can enhance the body's production of antibodies. In the researchers' latest work, reported in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, they studied the impact of exercise on immune responses to influenza vaccination in 60 young, healthy adults.
Six hours before the vaccination, the participants either rested quietly or performed eccentric contractions of the deltoid and biceps muscles. Eccentric exercise involves resisting the force of gravity while lowering a weight. This exercise was associated with enhanced interferon production, an indicator of the so-called cell-mediated immune response to the vaccine, in men. The extent of the interferon response was directly related to the increase in arm circumference gained with exercise. In women, exercise improved levels of anti-flu antibodies. But further studies are needed to see if the enhanced immune responses make any difference, clinically.
Still, Edwards concludes, "If you manage to fit in doing some exercises before you get your flu shot, that certainly could benefit you in many ways and might well benefit your vaccination response."
Trail Guide to the Body 3rd Edition
Before you can assess or treat a muscle, you first must be able to locate it on the body. This acclaimed book, used in more than 1,700 manual therapy schools, is designed as a hands-on tour that will teach you to palpate the body's structure with ease and precision. With 420 pages and 1,100 illustrations covering more than 144 muscles, 206 bones, 30 ligaments and 110 bony landmarks, this text provides an invaluable map of the body. Whether you are a massage therapist, physical therapist, sports trainer or student in any bodywork modality, Trail Guide to the Body is for you! http://www.terrarosa.com.au/book/trail.htm
Anatomy and Asana: Preventing Yoga Injuries by Susi Hately Aldous
Anatomy and Asana offers an easy and successful method to learn anatomy and its relationship to yoga in a way that helps prevent injuries. It is written by a certified yoga teacher with a diverse background in kinesiology, ergonomics, and physical rehabilitation. Anatomy and Asana answers many practical questions that are often asked by yoga students – about back pain, knee pain, and shoulder pain; about clenching the butt in back bends, and how to release the hamstrings or prevent hamstring tearing in forward bends. The book combines hands-on information with illuminating drawings, stories, and helpful tips to show you how to practice yoga with less pain. It informs without overwhelming the reader with too much information. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/real/anatomy.htm#asana
Chi Nei Tsang. Chi Massage for the Vital Organs By Mantak Chia
The techniques of Chi Nei Tsang evolved in Asia during an era when few physicians were available and people had to know how to heal themselves. Many people today have symptoms that modern medicine is not able to cure because a physical source for the problem is not easily found. The energies of negative emotions, stress, and tension--all common in modern life--and the weight of past illness accumulate in the abdominal center, causing energy blockages and congestion. When this occurs, all vital functions stagnate and myriad problems arise. By practicing the techniques of Chi Nei Tsang, this stagnation is removed and the vital organs surrounding the navel center are detoxified and rejuvenated.
Master Chia teaches readers how to avoid absorbing negative energies from others and take full charge of their health through the self-healing techniques of Chi Nei Tsang. He offers fully illustrated exercises that show how to detoxify the internal organs and clear the energy (chi) channels throughout the body. He also presents methods for balancing emotions, managing stress, and observing the body in order to recognize, ameliorate, and prevent maladies before they become a problem.
Introduction to Ortho-Bionomy
Ortho-Bionomy is a non-invasive, body therapy which is highly effective in treating chronic stress, injuries, pain and problems associated with postural and structural imbalances. Similar to Positional Release, practitioner uses gentle, comfortable movements and positions to facilitate change in stress and pain patterns and to re-educate the body’s ability to function more efficiently. This 2 hrs DVD present the theory and demonstration of Ortho-Bionomy by Bruce Stark. Highlights · Release positions for all major joints in the body · Cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine and pelvis imbalances · Shoulder and arm pain and restrictions · Knee pain and dysfunction and ankle and feet imbalances. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/dvd/position.htm#ortho
Autopsy: Life and Death
Following on from Anatomy for Beginners which concentrated on the anatomy of life, anatomist Dr Gunther von Hagens and pathologist Professor John Lee now turn to the process of understanding death. They get right under the skin to reveal the processes in life that tie us to our ultimate fate in death. The two scientists perform a series of autopsy demonstrations in which they demonstrate the process of finding a cause of death. With the aid of human dissection, live models and scientific models they are able to reveal what disease really looks like and how it works. Four episodes explaining circulation, cancer, poisoning and aging, each centering on a live public autopsy. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/dvd/autopsy/autopsy.htm
Craniosacral & Unwinding Therapy
This DVD gives you all the basics of Craniosacral Therapy and fascia Unwinding. This DVD explains and shows you various cranial and sacrum holds and goes in depth of an unwinding sequence. Running time: 77 mins http://www.terrarosa.com.au/dvd/cranio_nerd.htm
Fascia Strecth
This DVD gives you all the myofascia stretching techniques you need. There are many different kind of techniques demonstrated: from light to deep. You will learn 100+ techniques in this DVD with Ryan Hoyme, the creator of MassageNerd. This DVD demonstrates fascia techniques for most parts of the body. Running time: 85 mins. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/dvd/stretch_nerd.htm
Trail Guide to the Body DVD
The new 3-disc Trail Guide to the Body DVD set, is an outstanding resource for students, instructors and practicing massage therapists. Students and instructors will accelerate the learning process by using this tool for previewing and reviewing lessons. Using the DVDs, manual therapists can refine their palpation skills, resulting in improved accuracy of technique application and better treatment outcomes. This 4-hour series closely parallels the presentation of muscles and related structures in the 3rd Edition of Trail Guide to the Body. Clint Chandler, 2002 American Massage Therapy Association National Teacher of Year leads the learner in specific palpation techniques to locate, identify and palpate more than 80 muscles. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/book/trail.htm
Chinese Acupressure Massage
Acupressure is the 'manual therapy' aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine that has a five thousand-year history proving its effectiveness. This ancient healing touch is based on Taoist philosophy of working with the the concept of 'Chi' (vital energy) and 'Yin-Yang' (dynamic balance). This DVD shows the complete set of Traditional Chinese Acupressure Massage by Master Zhang Hao to revitalize the entire body's 'Chi' energy and restore a state of total balance and well-being. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/dvd/oriental.htm
Comprehensive Reflexology & Massage: The Hand & Feet
Learn the healing art of hand and feet reflexology and massage from expert massage therapist, Meade Steadman, in this award-winning video. Meade provides hands-on instruction, demonstrating the strokes and techniques on both the right and left hands and on different models: young and old, male and female. For the reflexology section, Meade discusses the body’s physiology, contraindications (particularly geriatric concerns), history, and how the anatomy of the hand & feet map to each part of the body. Meade’s demonstrations show how to warm up the hands, feet work the “whole body” for balance, and focus on specific areas of concern. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/reflexology/reflex.htm
Beauty Treatment DVDs
Terra Rosa is going aesthetic...We have Professional Instructional DVDs for Facials, Spa Massage, Peels, Manicure, Pedicure, Waxing, Brazilian, Paraffin, Makeup, Eyebrows & Eyelashes... and more.. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/beauty/beauty.htm