Aromatic essential oils extracted from herbs, flowers, resin, wood and roots have long been a source of healing since ancient times, aiding in relaxation, circulation and wound healing. However, the use of these medicinal oils declined as the modern pharmaceutical industry developed. In 1928, French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse revived the use of essential oils and developed the art and science of utilizing naturally extracted aromatic essences from botanicals to balance and harmonize the health of body, mind and spirit. Gattefosse coined the practice and named it “aromatherapy“.
Interest in the therapeutic effects of essential oils continues to grow. Essential oils are being pumped into offices, stores, and even some hospitals to make the atmosphere more relaxing. Large corporations are turning to fragrance to keep their workers alert, and more content, on the job. Inhaling certain essential oils has even been shown to lower blood pressure.
Because aromatherapy's affect on emotional health, many massage therapists and bodywork practitioners incorporate this noninvasive treatment into their practices. Dispensers or diffusers filled with aromatic essences may be used to scent the massage room, and specific essential oils are used on the client's skin during the massage. Because each oil has unique characteristics and benefits, the choice of oil or oils can be customized to the client's needs and emotional state. Whether inhaled or applied topically, aromatherapy requires an understanding of how each essential oil interacts with the body, as well as the mind.
Many pure essential oils need to be diluted, as they can cause irritation when applied directly to the skin. To guarantee safe and correct usage, consult a trained herbalist or practitioner.
The emotions listed below can be gently eased by one or a combination of the following essential oils:
Anxiety: bergamot, cedarwood, clary sage, frankincense, lavender, patchouli, Roman chamomile, rose, sandalwood.
Fatigue, Burnout: basil, ginger, grapefruit, jasmine, lemon, peppermint, rosemary, sandalwood.
Stress: bergamot, frankincense, geranium, lavender, mandarin, neroli, patchouli, Roman chamomile, ylang ylang.
Anger: jasmine, neroli, orange, patchouli, petitgrain, Roman chamomile, rose, vetiver, ylang ylang.
The beauty of aromatherapy is that you can take advantage of both its physical and emotional applications in the same treatment. For example, you can blend a combination of essential oils that will not only stop indigestion but also calm you down and reduce the nervous condition that led to the indigestion, and you can design an aromatherapy body lotion that will not only improve your complexion but also relieve depression.
I invite you to explore the healing power of essential oils. I am a Certified Aromatherapist and can provide you with advice on pragmatic fixes for everyday challenges. Stop by my office today or go online to my website for more information.
Devada Rammell is a Holistic Health Practitioner, licensed Massage Therapist, and Certified Aromatherapist who owns La Vida Sana Wellness, located in the Escondido Hills shopping plaza. More information about her services can be found online at www.LaVidaSanaWellness.com.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Fibromyalgia Demystified: Massage Therapy Brings Relief
Fibromyalgia, which literally means "connective tissue muscle pain," causes severe tenderness in multiple points throughout the body as well as persistent fatigue, morning stiffness, and non-refreshing sleep. Fibromyalgia is found in about 2 percent of the adult population, and women are five to seven times more likely to have it than men.
Theories about the cause of fibromyalgia include thyroid imbalance, sleep disorders, genetic predisposition, allergies, trauma--especially whiplash injuries--and possibly even viruses. Many who have fibromyalgia syndrome have other conditions as well, including chronic fatigue, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, chemical sensitivities, intolerance to exercise, restless legs syndrome, extreme sensitivity to cold, and seasonal affective disorder.
Jay Goldstein, MD, a leading researcher and clinician, identified three common factors in people who are susceptible to fibromyalgia. It's helpful to consider these factors when planning a treatment approach:
1. Biochemical factors, such as hormonal disturbances, allergies, frequent colds and viruses, and nutritional deficiencies.
2. Biomechanical factors, such as congenital deformities (one leg longer than the other or scoliosis, curvature of the spine) or functional conditions (poor posture, overuse syndromes, or poor breathing patterns).
3. Psychosocial factors, like depression, anxiety, or difficulty coping with stress.
Fibromyalgia is best treated using a multidisciplinary approach, and massage can be a key part of healing, recovery, and management. More common types of massage for fibromyalgia include Swedish and Lymphatic, which are more gentle approaches to massage therapy. Other, more intense, methods include Rolfing and Trigger-Point Therapy.
Sensitivity to touch varies greatly for fibromyalgia patients. Some people prefer very deep work, while others are sensitive to the lightest pressure. It's important that you establish good communications with your massage therapist so you can explain what feels comfortable to you and what doesn't.
When you're in an acute flare-up, limit your bodywork to more gentle techniques. When you're feeling better, deeper work intended to eliminate trigger points or work on posture may be more appropriate. Partner with your therapist to find the best approach.
You may be sore after a session. A moderate level of soreness can be expected, but should only last about forty-eight hours as your body adapts to the changes. If it lasts longer or is more severe, bodywork may be too aggressive or the session may be too long. Start out slowly, learn what works best for you, and let your therapist increase the time or intensity as you progress.
Fibromyalgia is a soft tissue condition, and bodyworkers are experts at working with soft tissues. By including massage in your care, you can expect to manage and improve your fibromyalgia.
Devada Rammell is a Holistic Health Practitioner and licensed Massage Therapist who owns her own wellness practice, La Vida Sana Wellness, located in the Escondido Hills shopping plaza. More information about her and her services can be found online at www.LaVidaSanaWellness.com.
Theories about the cause of fibromyalgia include thyroid imbalance, sleep disorders, genetic predisposition, allergies, trauma--especially whiplash injuries--and possibly even viruses. Many who have fibromyalgia syndrome have other conditions as well, including chronic fatigue, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, chemical sensitivities, intolerance to exercise, restless legs syndrome, extreme sensitivity to cold, and seasonal affective disorder.
Jay Goldstein, MD, a leading researcher and clinician, identified three common factors in people who are susceptible to fibromyalgia. It's helpful to consider these factors when planning a treatment approach:
1. Biochemical factors, such as hormonal disturbances, allergies, frequent colds and viruses, and nutritional deficiencies.
2. Biomechanical factors, such as congenital deformities (one leg longer than the other or scoliosis, curvature of the spine) or functional conditions (poor posture, overuse syndromes, or poor breathing patterns).
3. Psychosocial factors, like depression, anxiety, or difficulty coping with stress.
Fibromyalgia is best treated using a multidisciplinary approach, and massage can be a key part of healing, recovery, and management. More common types of massage for fibromyalgia include Swedish and Lymphatic, which are more gentle approaches to massage therapy. Other, more intense, methods include Rolfing and Trigger-Point Therapy.
Sensitivity to touch varies greatly for fibromyalgia patients. Some people prefer very deep work, while others are sensitive to the lightest pressure. It's important that you establish good communications with your massage therapist so you can explain what feels comfortable to you and what doesn't.
When you're in an acute flare-up, limit your bodywork to more gentle techniques. When you're feeling better, deeper work intended to eliminate trigger points or work on posture may be more appropriate. Partner with your therapist to find the best approach.
You may be sore after a session. A moderate level of soreness can be expected, but should only last about forty-eight hours as your body adapts to the changes. If it lasts longer or is more severe, bodywork may be too aggressive or the session may be too long. Start out slowly, learn what works best for you, and let your therapist increase the time or intensity as you progress.
Fibromyalgia is a soft tissue condition, and bodyworkers are experts at working with soft tissues. By including massage in your care, you can expect to manage and improve your fibromyalgia.
Devada Rammell is a Holistic Health Practitioner and licensed Massage Therapist who owns her own wellness practice, La Vida Sana Wellness, located in the Escondido Hills shopping plaza. More information about her and her services can be found online at www.LaVidaSanaWellness.com.
Managing Arthritis: Exercise and Massage Keep Joint Pain at Bay
The word arthritis strikes fear in the hearts of older adults. It often signifies aging, pain, inactivity, and disability. Data from 2005 released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicated that one in five American adults received a doctor diagnosis of some form of arthritis. Arthritis is recognized as a leading cause of disability in the United States.
Understanding Arthritis
The most common form of arthritis--osteoarthritis, or also known as degenerative arthritis--affects more than twenty million Americans. Osteoarthritis (literally meaning "bone-joint inflammation") is the most common type of arthritis and it occurs when the cartilage in the joints breaks down. It typically affects the knees, hips, spine, and hands. Key contributors to osteoarthritis are injury to a joint, wear and tear that comes with aging, and being overweight because it puts extra pressure on the joints. More than half of people over sixty-five have some evidence of osteoarthritis on X-rays, although it doesn't always manifest as symptoms.
Do you know what arthritis, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, asthma, Alzheimer’s, bowel disorders, and even obesity have in common? Inflammation. The body’s inflammatory response is a primary component of arthritis and most chronic diseases. Acute, chronic internal inflammation can be linked to a wide range of health conditions and overall poor health. If you’re looking for a natural herbal supplement to alleviate arthritis and other conditions linked to inflammation, there is amazing research available on the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of curcumin, the active compound found in the spice turmeric.
Many problems also arise from a sedentary lifestyle. Joints lose flexibility and muscles lose strength, feeding the cycle of pain, inactivity, and more pain.
Exercise Offers Sweet Relief
Vigorous walking, swimming, and bicycling boosts the release of powerful endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. When done four to five days a week, these aerobic activities improve general cardiovascular health and aid in weight management (obesity is the single biggest risk factor for osteoarthritis).
Strengthening and stretching exercises targeted at maintaining joint flexibility and muscle strength--especially for at-risk joints--slow the progression of degenerative arthritis. Yoga classes and moderate weight lifting programs are excellent ways to improve strength and flexibility. Massage therapy can also provide relief.
If arthritis is slowing you down, get serious with your exercise plan. Consult your physician, work with a professional trainer, physical therapist, yoga instructor, or massage therapist, and start a gentle, progressive exercise program. Your joints will reward you for it, and you'll free yourself from arthritic pain.
For a free 32-page booklet on inflammation and the healing power of curcumin, stop by my office or give me a call.
Devada Rammell is a Holistic Health Practitioner and licensed Massage Therapist who owns her own wellness practice, La Vida Sana Wellness, located in the Escondido Hills shopping plaza between 7-11 and Round Table Pizza, near the Post Office. More information about her and her services can be found online at www.LaVidaSanaWellness.com.
Understanding Arthritis
The most common form of arthritis--osteoarthritis, or also known as degenerative arthritis--affects more than twenty million Americans. Osteoarthritis (literally meaning "bone-joint inflammation") is the most common type of arthritis and it occurs when the cartilage in the joints breaks down. It typically affects the knees, hips, spine, and hands. Key contributors to osteoarthritis are injury to a joint, wear and tear that comes with aging, and being overweight because it puts extra pressure on the joints. More than half of people over sixty-five have some evidence of osteoarthritis on X-rays, although it doesn't always manifest as symptoms.
Do you know what arthritis, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, asthma, Alzheimer’s, bowel disorders, and even obesity have in common? Inflammation. The body’s inflammatory response is a primary component of arthritis and most chronic diseases. Acute, chronic internal inflammation can be linked to a wide range of health conditions and overall poor health. If you’re looking for a natural herbal supplement to alleviate arthritis and other conditions linked to inflammation, there is amazing research available on the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of curcumin, the active compound found in the spice turmeric.
Many problems also arise from a sedentary lifestyle. Joints lose flexibility and muscles lose strength, feeding the cycle of pain, inactivity, and more pain.
Exercise Offers Sweet Relief
Vigorous walking, swimming, and bicycling boosts the release of powerful endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. When done four to five days a week, these aerobic activities improve general cardiovascular health and aid in weight management (obesity is the single biggest risk factor for osteoarthritis).
Strengthening and stretching exercises targeted at maintaining joint flexibility and muscle strength--especially for at-risk joints--slow the progression of degenerative arthritis. Yoga classes and moderate weight lifting programs are excellent ways to improve strength and flexibility. Massage therapy can also provide relief.
If arthritis is slowing you down, get serious with your exercise plan. Consult your physician, work with a professional trainer, physical therapist, yoga instructor, or massage therapist, and start a gentle, progressive exercise program. Your joints will reward you for it, and you'll free yourself from arthritic pain.
For a free 32-page booklet on inflammation and the healing power of curcumin, stop by my office or give me a call.
Devada Rammell is a Holistic Health Practitioner and licensed Massage Therapist who owns her own wellness practice, La Vida Sana Wellness, located in the Escondido Hills shopping plaza between 7-11 and Round Table Pizza, near the Post Office. More information about her and her services can be found online at www.LaVidaSanaWellness.com.
Sound Healing Therapy For Improved Health
Sound Healing is a relatively new discipline in the healing world, yet transformation through sound has been part of human life from the beginning. Nature sounds, song, voice, chants, pounding two rocks together, hitting a hollow log with a stick are all ways in which our ancestors used sound to create ceremony and transformation. In modern society, music as a part of ceremony is commonplace. For example, religious services, presidential inaugurations, sporting events, and ribbon-cutting ceremonies all incorporate music as part of their event to either bring spectators into the feel of the moment or to reflect on and absorb what they just saw or heard.
According to sound healer Kenny Parker in Austin, Texas “Sound is primal. Quantum physics and science are only now discovering what the mystics and ancient cultures knew long ago: the matrix for the Universe is a seamless super-conscious energy field, composed of light, sound and celestial harmonics. Plato called this sound "the Music of the Spheres." Eastern cultures refer to it as the "Divine Melody" or "Sacred Sound." In Christian teachings, it is called ‘the Word.’”
Research has shown that when we are deprived of certain light frequencies we can become sick. One of the most fascinating scientific facts to emerge recently is that sound behaves in a similar fashion to light. In other words, sound and light act like vitamins and minerals in our body. Most people are deficient in certain tones and this is traced when the human voice is recorded and monitored. We need a certain balance of sound frequencies, which may vary from one individual to another, in order to maintain our bodies in a healthy state.
Sound healers use a variety of instruments to bring a state of resonance to the client. Instruments include the voice, tuning forks, rattles, Tibetan and crystal bowls, drums, flutes, didgeridoos, harps, piano and gongs. As a sound healer dis-ease is seen as lack of balance and harmony. Paul Hubbert says “certain tones represent perfect health or balance. When our body is in dis-ease, we are literally out of tune, or vibrating off key. Disharmony can manifest mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically.
I use tuning forks in my wellness practice along with chakra balancing music which resonates on and over certain parts of the body that are out of tune. An assessment before and after the session validates the improvement made and leaves my clients with never a doubt that the sound healing session was a success. Sound healing is a powerful and enjoyable tool for bringing harmony to all aspects of health-spiritual, mental, emotional and physical.
Devada Rammell is a Holistic Health Practitioner and licensed Massage Therapist who owns a clinic, La Vida Sana Wellness, located in the Escondido Hills shopping plaza. More information about her and her services can be found online at www.LaVidaSanaWellness.com.
According to sound healer Kenny Parker in Austin, Texas “Sound is primal. Quantum physics and science are only now discovering what the mystics and ancient cultures knew long ago: the matrix for the Universe is a seamless super-conscious energy field, composed of light, sound and celestial harmonics. Plato called this sound "the Music of the Spheres." Eastern cultures refer to it as the "Divine Melody" or "Sacred Sound." In Christian teachings, it is called ‘the Word.’”
Research has shown that when we are deprived of certain light frequencies we can become sick. One of the most fascinating scientific facts to emerge recently is that sound behaves in a similar fashion to light. In other words, sound and light act like vitamins and minerals in our body. Most people are deficient in certain tones and this is traced when the human voice is recorded and monitored. We need a certain balance of sound frequencies, which may vary from one individual to another, in order to maintain our bodies in a healthy state.
Sound healers use a variety of instruments to bring a state of resonance to the client. Instruments include the voice, tuning forks, rattles, Tibetan and crystal bowls, drums, flutes, didgeridoos, harps, piano and gongs. As a sound healer dis-ease is seen as lack of balance and harmony. Paul Hubbert says “certain tones represent perfect health or balance. When our body is in dis-ease, we are literally out of tune, or vibrating off key. Disharmony can manifest mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically.
I use tuning forks in my wellness practice along with chakra balancing music which resonates on and over certain parts of the body that are out of tune. An assessment before and after the session validates the improvement made and leaves my clients with never a doubt that the sound healing session was a success. Sound healing is a powerful and enjoyable tool for bringing harmony to all aspects of health-spiritual, mental, emotional and physical.
Devada Rammell is a Holistic Health Practitioner and licensed Massage Therapist who owns a clinic, La Vida Sana Wellness, located in the Escondido Hills shopping plaza. More information about her and her services can be found online at www.LaVidaSanaWellness.com.
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