Health and Fitness Oasis

Trager Approach is a type of movement of the body that has been proven to remove neuromuscular pain from the body.  This method was created by Milton Trager, MD, over the course of his 65 year career. You can gain the benefits of his knowledge by finding a Trager practitioner in your area.

The Trager Approach was developed by a young man who had his own physical obstacles to overcome. Milton Trager overcame spinal deformities as a child to become a gymnast and dancer. One of his first success stories was his boxing trainer. The Trager Approach has two phases: the passive phase called table work and the active face trademarked as Mentastics™. Both phases combine to create easier movement within your body.

Who can benefit from the Trager Approach? Milton worked on anyone who would let him demonstrate his techniques on them. He even worked on his father who suffered from sciatica and a childhood friend who suffered from paralysis due to polio. All sorts of neuromuscular conditions that have been the result of accidents, physical or emotional trauma or stress are within the realms of the technique according to the founder. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a fact that we will all get older, though aging doesn’t have to be the specter looming on the horizon that many fear. You can keep your body healthy through exercise. Combined with diet, excercise is one way to age gracefully. As we age, we lose muscle strength. It is a condition known as sarcopenia. Loss of muscle mass as well as strength can be a fatal combination in the aging population. Strength contributes to one’s balance and flexibility. Without it, a fall can result in a broken hip or arm instead of a possible sprain from catching yourself.

There are no quick fixes to getting into shape. But, you can begin an exercise program at any age and reap the rewards. For seniors, implementing an exercise program may help to reverse the effects of time on your joints, muscles and bones. For women especially, osteoporosis is a threat as you age. So, what types of exercises can you perform? Don’t worry – you won’t be doing any PT training any time soon. You can strive for that but not right away. When choosing your exercise, use these tips.

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Juvenile arthritis was previously called Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) and was described in children 16 and under. In the last 10 years the word “rheumatoid” was dropped from the name because it gave people the idea that the disease process is the same as the adult form of rheumatoid arthritis. Which it is not.
Juvenile arthritis has several other names such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis, juvenile chronic Arthritis and childhood arthritis. Actually, juvenile arthritis is a combination of 3 different diseases that are arthritic in their nature.

This disease condition will affect one in every 1000 children in the United States. Children suffer from pain, stiffness and swelling that will last longer than six weeks and is not caused by an injury or any other illness. Although the arthritis will initially present itself after an injury researchers have found that these are not the causes, only a trigger.

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These days more people are choosing natural home remedies and alternative treatments to treat various ailments. Alternative Cures is a resource book for your home library that will provide you with information and natural cures for 160 different types medical conditions. Bill Gottlieb, the author, is well known in the alternative health field and has written best selling books on healing and health. He publishes as well in many magazines, including Reader’s Digest, Health, Men’s Health, Runner’s World and others.

The author lists 160 different ailments, from how to deal with acne, canker sores, poison ivy, athlete’s foot, headaches, sprains, dry skin, to more serious diseases like breast cancer, high blood pressure, endometriosis, prostate cancer, bronchitis, AIDS, high cholesterol, asthma and more. He also describes mental ailments such as shyness, burnout, post-traumatic stress disorder, seasonal affective disorder and anxiety and gives treatment options. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s hard to believe that cigarette smoke contains chemicals like Butane, Carbon Monoxide, DDT (insecticide), Lead, even Polonium-210 (radioactive fallout), just to name a few. You know these toxins are killing your lungs  so why can’t you quit smoking?

To quit smoking, you need all the help you can get!  SMOKE DETER has natural herbal homeopathy to relieve the  multiple symptoms that plague your body when trying to break the smoking habit.

Smoke Deter offers you a Free lifetime membership access to their results-based online Stop Smoking Program.This is a preparation program that teaches you why you smoke before you attempt to quit, so you will be able to easily stop smoking for life. Read the rest of this entry »

Both children and adults can be affected by ADHD, a chemical imbalance in the brain. There are many treatments that are currently in use for the condition. Another way to manage symptoms involves the diet. Researchers have not found a link between eating sugary snacks and developing ADHD. While this is true, changing what you eat can help to lessen the symptoms your child experiences on a daily basis.

What has been recommended for ADHD sufferers is to try and eat a proper diet. Proper nutrition is nothing new. It involves eating the right mix of proteins, carbohydrates and fats each day so that the body can function with optimal results. Read the rest of this entry »

Although osteoarthritis usually accompanies old age, researchers have found that cartilage in the joint becomes chemically different than a joint that does not have the disease.

Researchers have also found that there are usually a series of events which lead to the development of the condition and that, while it is often associated with old age, that association isn’t enough to trigger osteoarthritis.

These particular events involve both the use and breakdown of the cartilage as well as the production and maintenance in the joints.  The joints which are affected are usually the larger weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips.  These provide the majority of the cushion when we are doing any weight-bearing exercise such as walking or running. Read the rest of this entry »

Weightlifting is more than just bulking up and winning contests.  It’s about strength training and getting into the best possible shape you can.  Have you been contemplating weightlifting?  Then here are ten good reasons why weightlifting is a worthwhile activity.  As we get older, our bodies lose muscle mass.  It is that muscle that gives us strength when lifting, carrying and performing other activities.  Strength may even help you avoid dangerous falls.
 
1. Lifting weights burns fat.  Muscle burns more calories than fat.  To work and build muscle means that your body is still in the fat-burning zone long after the workout has finished.  To shed weight, the amount of fat that we already have has to be reduced.
 
2. Weights change the look of your body.  You may not be going for the muscle-bound look, but lifting weights results in a more sculpted shape to your body.  It is that definition that helps you to look fabulous in your clothes, especially the ones you thought that you’d never fit into again. Read the rest of this entry »

There are over 100 different forms of arthritis.  Due to the variety and different ways in which the disease presents itself, there are conclusive tests to determine that an individual suffers from arthritis.  Arthritic conditions can affect the joints, bones, soft tissue and organ systems depending upon which condition is present.  When doctors piece together a diagnoses, they may use blood tests, imaging studies, a thorough history and a physical in order to determine an accurate diagnosis.
 
Arthritis does not usually exist in a vacuum.  This means that patients often have more than one medical condition or disease process going on at the same time.  Therefore, tests are used not only to identify the disease but to rule out other issues which may be causing the same symptoms.  Sometimes doctors have to use a diagnosis of exclusion.  This means the doctor will exclude everything else that the condition could be and will be left with the most probable diagnosis.

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A variety of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals keep you feeling your best and provides optimal body function.   Vitamin E is one vitamin that’s good for your overall health and is especially mentioned in relation to the skin.

 This vitamin is an antioxidant, which are substances in the body that fight the effects of free radicals.   Free radicals are produced from the environment through pollution, smoking, the foods we eat, chemicals we ingest and the simple process of aging.  Antioxidants neutralize these free radicals before they can do damage.    Free radicals can wreak havoc on your body, playing a role in various conditions like heart disease and cancer.
 
You can get vitamin E in lotions and cream for direct contact with the skin.  Supplements give you concentrated vitamin E to benefit the entire body.  Vitamin E is also found in foods like nuts, seeds, wheat germ and vegetable oils.  The best form of vitamin E to get is alpha-tocopherol in its alcohol form and not as acetate. The best source for vitamin E is food. Read the rest of this entry »