Health and Fitness Oasis

If you suffer from chronic tension and contracted areas of the body,  such as neck, low back and shoulders,  deep tissue massage could be especially helpful for you. Massage has been giving individuals medical and health benefits for years.  At this time, over 30 different types of massage have been identified, having been used for the last 3000 years.  Deep tissue massage is one of those therapies that focuses on realigning deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. 

Deep tissue massage uses some of the same motions and techniques as Swedish massage but the pressure will generally be more intense.  Deep tissue massage is a more focused type of  therapy as the therapist works to release chronic muscle tension or knots, also known as adhesions.

Deep tissue massage should be done by a therapist who has been specially trained in the technique.  Although it does not hurt,  it is likely to be more uncomfortable than a classic  Swedish massage.  Using these deeper techniques for massage can help to break up and eliminate scar tissue and is usually focused on more specific areas of the body than an overall body massage.  Although there may be some soreness during or after the massage the participant should feel better than ever within a day or two. Read the rest of this entry »

 The prefix “arth” refers to joints and ‘itis’ refers to inflammation.  The term “arthritis” is a generic term meaning painful joints.  Are there different types of this condition? – true and false. 

Although different types are common in adults who reach that ‘certain age’ it also affects children still in diapers and young people in the prime of their lives.  Over 100 different types  range from the relatively mild cases of tendonitis or bursitis to crippling systemic forms such as rheumatoid or Lupus.

Types of arthritis can include disease processes that you wouldn’t normally associate with arthritis such as Lupus and gout.  In Lupus the immune system attacks healthy tissue and causes inflammation, including joints. 

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Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are not the only types of arthritic conditions. Diseases such as gout, pseudogout, childhood arthritis and lupus fall into this category.

Treatment modalities for all methods of arthritis will include rest, exercise, medication, weight loss, joint protection and cold or heat. The goal is to decrease pain and inflammation, slow the progression of the disease, decrease the disability in the joints and improve your overall health.

Some individuals also find that while altering their diets to effect a change in their overall health they also improve the cartilage production and their pain and discomfort. By altering their diet to improve weight maintenance they also decrease the amount of stress placed on the large weight-bearing joints. Research has also proven that given the opportunity, correct nutrition, water and light, the body is able to do an amazing number of things to heal itself.

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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 »