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feature

 

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e-mail: info@healingintheworkplace.co.uk

 

phone: 01932 883693 / 07752 297625

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After recently recovering from Breast Cancer surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy I am pleased to say that June Lawrance is now well on the mend and is offering one hour treatment sessions from February 2012. So if you have been particularly affected by cancer and it's treatments you can be assured that June will be empathic and sympathetic to any concerns you may have regarding receiving any of Healing In The Workplace's treatments. Please feel free to phone or email to make your enquiries and bookings. Thanking you in love and light, June Elaine.

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Posted: October 11
Updated: Today at 9:14 AM

Tending to special needs

HOLLY VAN LEUVEN For The Times Leader

Breast cancer knows no boundaries. It affects unexpected people: men and women, teenagers and the elderly. No matter who breast cancer touches, it seems unlikely that anyone can ever be truly prepared for it. Thankfully, the effort in the Wyoming Valley by an inspiring network of businesses, services and survivors working to ensure support for patients knows no boundaries, either. 

 

The staff at Platinum Blu salon in West Pittston (left to right) Alyssa Kuss-Loughney Melanie Murosky Denise Gatrone Chiampi, salon owner and Linda Chiampi.

Clark Van Orden/The Times Leader

Eva Ofcharsky, owner of That Special Woman in the Gateway Shopping Center in Edwardsville sells products designed for breast cancer survivors.

 

PETE G. WILCOX Photos/THE TIMES LEADER

 

Eva Ofcharsky worked for several retailers that offered products for breast cancer patients before opening That Special Woman, a women’s health care boutique in Edwardsville, in 1996. Ofcharsky says, “When patients are going through chemo and not feeling well, or after surgery, going from place to place for the products they need is tiring. Women had to go here, there and everywhere. I wanted to create a place where clients could get all of the services they need in one place.”

Ofcharsky offers products such as breast prostheses, bras and post-surgical camisoles as well as hair loss products such as human hair, synthetics and integration pieces. She is also a certified Reiki Master and offers the therapy at the boutique. “Reiki promotes relaxation and calming during the treatment process and helps with emotional and mental healing,” she says.

At That Special Woman, clients can schedule appointments in a one-to-one private setting. Fifteen years after the boutique’s opening, Ofcharsky has created “a foundation of friendship” for her clients and a focal point for a network of area survivors.

“We host four retreat weekends for survivors a year,” Ofcharsky says, “Three in New York and one in White Haven. It’s an everything-in-one package: we bus the women out. We offer exercise, Reiki, massage. We go horseback riding and whitewater rafting – sometimes we have to go outside our comfort zone to find our inner strength.”

And going inside themselves is the biggest challenge Ofcharsky believes breast cancer patients face. “You do have to be your own patient advocate,” she says, “but always have a second person with you. You’re on a rollercoaster ride.”

The retreats are run through the nonprofit Camp Bravehearts, where Ofcharsky serves on the board. The actual cost per person is between $800 and $1,000, but because of the fundraising Camp Bravehearts does through the Susan G. Komen Foundation and other outlets, participants pay only $100 each.

Another area woman deeply invested in being a resource for breast cancer patients is Alyssa Kuss-Loughney, a hair stylist and wig specialist who has been working with the American Cancer Society’s Wig Rebate Program since 2005 to help area cancer patients receive free hairpieces. “Something as simple as hair makes a big difference – hair is your crowning glory!” Kuss-Loughney says. “A lot of patients don’t realize what they’re eligible for – up to $300 for a wig, a yearly stipend, help with gas and medication. Patients aren’t fully educated about the opportunities.”

Working out of Platinum Blu Salon, West Pittston, Kuss-Loughney helps clients receive wigs from Aesthetic Design Incorporated. “Aesthetic will provide patients with a wig for whatever amount the society grants them. They can either get something in stock or order one. I like to match wigs to old styles from pictures, and I use special techniques to shape the wig to the woman’s face.”

Kuss-Loughney has hosted Pink for Life at Platinum Blu since 2007. For a $10 donation participants receive a pink human hair extension to show their support. Last year, the salon raised $4,500. “Every year we’ve seen an increase and we hope to beat last year’s amount.” In place of the traditional fundraiser, Kuss-Loughney will host Platinum Blu for Life this year, offering pink or blue hair extensions for the same donation. “The blue is to represent the men who also suffer from breast cancer; a lot of people don’t realize men can get it.” The fundraiser is being offered at the salon until Oct. 31, and 100 percent of proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/features/health/Tending_to_special_needs_10-10-2011.html#ixzz1aUEVMWqU

 

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http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Story-of-Reiki-and-My-Neck-Pain-Management&id=6613523

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Here's an interesting science based video recording the action of movement on water within a Tibetan Singing Bowl

 

http://www.iop.org/news/11/july/page_51352.html

 

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Do alternative therapies help breast cancer patients

 

Art Illman/ for Wicked Local and Daily News

At the Dana Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center at Milford Regional Medical Center, Reflexologist Marilyn Alling works on patient Debbie Ferguson of Douglas.

  

 

 

By Michael Morton/Daily News staff

The MetroWest Daily News

Posted Oct 09, 2011 @ 12:00 AM

Several days a week, Marilyn Alling leaves her Hopkinton practice and heads to the cancer center at Milford Regional Medical Center run by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Once there, she applies alternating pressure and friction to the feet of interested patients while they sit for their chemotherapy sessions, including those getting treated for breast cancer. Inspired by Eastern practices, the reflexology is meant to work points associated with the rest of the body, relieving stress and improving circulation.

For breast cancer, it's thought the therapy can also alleviate lymphedema, the buildup of fluid and swelling that can occur when lymph nodes and vessels are removed - though not everyone is convinced of that outcome yet.

"It's a matter of increasing awareness," said Alling, who runs Sole Serenity Reflexology on Hopkinton's West Main Street.

That awareness seems poised to catch on at the region's community hospitals, however, where leaders are looking to add alternative treatments to complement - but not replace - traditional regimens, potentially introducing practices like reflexology, music therapy, yoga, massage and reiki, the guidance of healing energy through the body.

In doing so, they could join downtown academic medical centers, private practices and other institutions such as the breast cancer-focused, non-profit Healing Garden in Harvard as providers, with the aim of addressing anxiety, depression and chemotherapy side effects.

"Cancer is not just a disease of the body - it's a disease of the mind," said Dr. Kala Seetharaman, MetroWest Medical Center's cancer program director for medical oncology and hematology. "When they go home, they shouldn't feel they have to take rest for another week."

Already, the Milford cancer center provides reflexology. Milford Regional's Breast Center, a separate endeavor from the Dana-Farber/Brigham partnership, gives patients a yoga and meditation class. And Newton-Wellesley Hospital offers massage, reiki and yoga at its Vernon Cancer Center.

While Marlborough Hospital and MetroWest Medical Center haven't yet followed suit, Seetharaman and her bosses are interested in introducing some of the therapies, while Marlborough Hospital is talking about doing likewise when it unveils its new Cancer Pavilion.

"These women, once they finish treatment, have a strength and energy that they have to learn how to direct," Milford Breast Center Director Renee Quarterman said by email. "Yoga helps them deal with all of the effects (good and bad) of breast cancer treatment and incorporate them, in good ways, into their day-to-day lives."

On its website, the American Cancer Society exhaustively lists alternative, complementary therapies, assessing the existing evidence for each and noting the mixed results for reiki well-being studies and the potential placebo effect of reflexology.

Researchers at Michigan State University have a $3 million National Institutes of Health grant to study the impact on reflexology on patients receiving chemotherapy for late-stage breast cancer, with early results showing the alleviation of anxiety depression.

For music therapy, the American Cancer Society cites studies that show some relief from pain and chemotherapy side effects like nausea and vomiting.

"Like anything, it needs to be seen to be understood better," said Framingham resident Kathleen Howland, who underwent a mastectomy and then came to MetroWest Medical Center for ongoing chemotherapy sessions.

The professor and Healing Garden music therapist has received music therapy from colleagues during those seven- to eight-hour days, and she was invited to speak at the cancer unit's grand rounds about controlling anxiety and pain.

"When I knew someone was coming, the difference was huge for me," said Howland, who also received some reiki and massage treatments at the Healing Garden. "My access to these services was a key to making it through some of these dark times."

But beyond the hurdle of finding extra space for some of the therapies, there's also the question of cost - for now, the services are not covered by insurance.

At Newton-Wellesley, patients get the first 30-minute session of massage, reiki or yoga free, but must then pay to continue. And while reflexology is free at Milford's cancer center, patients must pay if they want more than seven yoga and meditation sessions at the Breast Center, with the initial classes covered by some hospital fundraising but largely drawn from the budget.

"We see it as a service to the community," Quarterman said. "The feedback that we get is that it's a tremendous service that the patients truly appreciate having."

Like other new medical services, adding alternative cancer therapies to insurance coverage could drive up costs, and questions about the base of evidence remain. But Alling points to previous debates about chiropractors and acupuncture, with both now covered and reflexology the "one in waiting," in her opinion.

At MetroWest Medical, Seetharaman hopes the hospital can push forward, even with resources limited.

"We know these things can help patients," she said. "The reimbursement might be an issue, but we have to work around it."

(Michael Morton can be reached at 508-626-4338 or mmorton@wickedlocal.com.)

Copyright 2011 The MetroWest Daily News. Some rights reserved

Read more: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/archive/x843641062/Do-alternative-therapies-help-breast-cancer-patients#ixzz1aIYHuNYe

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Reiki Volunteer Program Benefits Patients

Julie Hahn, left, and volunteer Paula Jarema plan their schedule for the morning.

 

Many patients faced with hospitalization are under a great deal of stress, but thanks to the Department of Nursing’s Integrative Care Reiki Volunteer Program, these patients—and their families—have a way to relax.

Reiki (pronounced ray-kee) therapy is a form of energy healing that helps the body use its own ability to balance itself. It involves light touch at certain points along the body, and is designed to promote stress reduction, relaxation and healing.

The program began as a pilot in July 2009, with volunteers trained to provide Reiki in nine designated units in the hospital. Now, with 60 volunteers and 25 candidates currently undergoing training, the program has provided 6,500 20-minute sessions in 30 units of the hospital including oncology, cardiology, medical surgical and neurology.

“It’s a young program, but the response has been tremendous,” said Julie Hahn, coordinator of the Reiki Volunteer Program. “It’s a wonderful way to support people who are in a very stressful environment.”

Heart transplant recipient Matt McCabe and his wife, Gayle, both benefited from Reiki sessions throughout McCabe’s four-month stay at the hospital at the end of 2010.

“When you’re a transplant candidate, you’re just sitting there waiting for that call,” said McCabe, who is now home in Jordan, New York, after leaving BWH in December with a new heart. “It was very stressful for both my wife and me, but the Reiki sessions helped us relax and kind of let things go.”

Eileen Molina, RN, MS, nursing director of Tower 5AB, agrees that Reiki treatments are invaluable for many of the patients on her floor.

“It’s amazing to watch what a difference it makes for patients,” Molina said. “At the end of the session, they have less nausea and pain, and many of them sleep better. After a Reiki session, they have a better day.”

Hahn says the support the program gets from nursing directors and other staff on the floor is essential for the success of the program. Every day, she works with nurses throughout the hospital to identify patients who could benefit from treatment. She then schedules the sessions and ensures that a volunteer will be available for each patient who is interested—not an easy feat considering many of the patients are in and out of their rooms throughout the day for a number of reasons, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

But, Hahn says, after seeing the benefit Reiki has on their patients, many nurses and physicians are now requesting this intervention for their patients.

“On any given Wednesday, after the Reiki volunteers do their rounds, there’s a different feeling in the unit,” said Suzanne Silvernail, RN, nursing director on Tower 15D. “Many patients are sleeping or just lying there, relaxed. It’s very nice.”

The Center for Nursing Excellence’s Integrative Care Program also offers Reiki certification for nurses.

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Norwalk Hospital kicks-off integrative medicine program By Norwalk Hospital

Norwalk Hospital is introducing its integrative medicine program to the community with a grand opening event on Monday, February 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Patio Room on the fifth floor of the hospital. The event will feature demonstrations and information on the benefit of integrative medicine services including Reiki, acupuncture, massage, reflexology, nutrition and supplement counseling and preparing for surgery to heal faster. Mini instructional classes will be conducted on Tai Chi and Yoga. Blood pressure screenings will be offered and there will be an opportunity for participants to “Ask the Doctor”. Mediterranean cuisine samples and promotional items will also be provided. The event is being offered free of charge as a community service and all are invited. The Integrative Medicine Program at Norwalk Hospital offers holistic therapies and expert consultations by licensed and certified staff to support the state-of-the-art medical care provided by the hospital. According to Dr. Kirsten Marcus, medical director of the program, these scientifically based integrative medicine therapies do not replace, but instead complement traditional medical care in order to help promote the healing process. Dr. Marcus, a hospitalist (a doctor specializing in the care of hospitalized patients) who is board certified in internal medicine, is dedicated to the holistic care of patients focusing on mind, body and spirit. She is a graduate of the Yale-affiliated Norwalk Hospital internal medicine residency program. Integrative medicine focuses not on specific symptoms, but the whole person. Scientific medicine has proven that integrative therapies can promote healing and relaxation as well as reduce the side effects of certain treatments, according to Linda Versea, APRN, MSN, administrative manager of the Integrative Medicine Program. “We are pleased to be able to offer our patients integrative medicine therapies through a very individualized program based on their own personal needs and/or concerns,” she said. Norwalk Hospital inpatients can request to receive integrative medicine therapies or counseling at the bedside. Outpatients are seen Monday through Friday in a quiet, comfortable therapy room located within the Smilow Family Breast Health Center on the first floor of the hospital. Integrative medicine services include: Massage and Reflexology: Medical massage and reflexology therapy is a gentle type of massage that helps relax, relieve pain, calm the nervous system and improve physical function. Reiki: Reiki therapy, an ancient art of hands on healing, focuses on the energy centers of the body. Reiki eases discomfort, restores balance and sustains health. It is effective in decreasing fatigue, nausea, pain and anxiety. Acupuncture: Licensed acupuncturists use small needles placed in specific areas of the body for therapeutic relief. Acupuncture promotes a healthy recovery from surgery, relief from pain, nausea and discomfort and provides a sense of balance and equilibrium between the mind and body. Nutrition Consultation: Clinical nutritional staff members provide inpatients consultation to address concerns with nutrition and diet. Outpatient consultations are also available for those with chronic conditions who could benefit. Herbal and Supplemental Consultation: Norwalk Hospital pharmacists are trained to provide important information to prevent drug interactions and will provide a brief telephone introduction for inpatients. Those interested in individual sessions on an outpatient basis may call the Integrative Medicine telephone number for appointments. Yoga: Specific breathing techniques, posture and poses help calm the mind and still the emotions that interfere with just being in the moment. Group and individual sessions are available. Tai Chi: Commonly called “Meditation in Motion” and practiced in China for hundreds of years, this ancient art helps relieve stress, increase strength and flexibility and improve balance, coordination and circulation. It improves overall physical and mental health. Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster: Mind-body techniques that help patients become more active participants in the healing process can help them have less pain after surgery and reduce the side effects of treatments. For more information on any of the services, schedules and fees, call Integrative Medicine at Norwalk Hospital, at 203-854-CALM (2256) or email: integrative.medicine@norwalkhealth.org. © Copyright by NorwalkPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of NorwalkPlus.com, Norwalk Plus magazine, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar.

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What is The Touchstone Process?

The Touchstone Process is actually a peer review method for analyzing the current state of scientific studies done on Reiki programs in hospitals, clinics and hospice facilities throughout the United States. The process of critique is rigorous, impartial, and consistent and incorporates the best practices for scientific review.

William Lee Rand began formulating The Touchstone Process after developing the Reiki In Hospitals website, considered to be the most comprehensive compilation of hospitals offering Reiki treatments throughout the world.

The Touchstone Process is unique.  Never before have there been so many worthy studies of Reiki gathered, analyzed and evaluated within a single source.

one happy rat

What Are The Findings?

The most recent data analyzed (during 2008-9) shows strong evidence that Reiki is indeed responsible for a positive biological response in both humans and animals.

The strongest evidence (rated “excellent” in the Process) was reported in the most carefully controlled of all experiments; non other than laboratory rats. In both 2006 and 2008 stressed-out lab rats received Reiki treatments and they all showed significantly reduced stress, anxiety and depression responses. “Sham” or bogus Reiki treatments were given to the placebo group and they showed no reduction in stress, anxiety or depression.

Testing in humans performed between 1993 and 2006 showed ratings from Satisfactory to Excellent, all suggesting that the benefit of Reiki treatments were positive in controlling pain levels in humans. There were some “confounding variables”, which is typical in hospital (as opposed to laboratory) studies; however, the placebo Reiki treatments in this experiment were by contrast ineffective in controlling pain.

Reiki practitioners treat faculty and staff from Columbia University Health Sciences and New York-Presbyterian Hospital at Employee Health and Wellness Day

Vital Signs

At New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Campus, one particular study was performed to determine the effectiveness of Reiki treatments on the autonomic nervous system. This “blind, random study” included a Reiki treatment group, a “sham” treatment group and a “control” group. The testing began with all participants at “baseline” autonomic nervous systems levels. The results within the Reiki treatment group showed a lowering of these levels including heart rate, respiration and blood pressure.

It’s interesting to note that Columbia/Presbyterian was one of the first hospitals to offer Reiki as part of their Integrative Medicine Program (CIMP). The now famous cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Mehmet Oz brought tremendous attention to Reiki when he invited Reiki practitioners to treat patients during open heart surgeries and heart transplant operations. Dr. Oz is often quoted as saying, "Reiki has become a sought-after healing art among patients and mainstream medical professionals."

Words of wisdom from an internationally recognized Reiki Practioner and author who had been published in peer-reviewed medical journals

Reiki Passes Tests with Flying Colors

There have been many other controlled studies submitted to peer-journals and to The Touchstone Process for review. Ailments and disorders that tested favorably to Reiki treatment include:

1. Post operative pain after tooth extraction

2. Cognition in elderly, related to dementia/Alzheimers

3. Pre-operative relaxation and post-op pain

4. Pain in chronically ill patients

5. Depression and stress

6. Well-being in Reiki practitioners

As of 2009, The Touchstone Process has evaluated 25 test studies that appeared in peer-review journals evaluating the merits of Reiki Treatments. Taking into consideration only the most rigorously controlled studies, the team reported that 83% showed moderate to strong evidence in support of Reiki as a viable, therapeutic healing modality.

Only one study proved solidly negative and that was for the treatment of fibromyalgia-associated pain levels. As is the case with conventional drug treatments, not all therapies prove to be effective.

personaltao.com

Thinking Positively

Despite these findings and the impressive number of highly reputable hospitals offering Reiki Treatments to patients, there will be those who continue to deem Reiki and other forms of energy-medicine as being “nonsensical”.

As recently as 2009, reviews of “randomized studies” of Reiki research conducted by Edzard Ernst, M.D., Ph.D. and his colleagues at the University of Exeter, concluded that most were poorly designed and presented insufficient evidence to suggest that Reiki was an effective method for healing any condition.

That same year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops came out with a statement urging Catholic health-care facilities and clergy not to promote or support Reiki therapy. They issued a statement emphatically concluding that Reiki cannot be an effective method of healing “within the findings of natural science or in Christian belief".

One can only look to the future of science and the evolution of scientific testing, evaluation and responsible reporting such as

The Touchstone Process to alter these perceptions.

imra.org

The good news is that in a press release dated Sept. 15^th, 2008, The American Hospital Association President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock stated, “"Complementary and alternative medicine has shown great promise in supporting and stimulating healing. It's one of the many tools hospitals look to as they continue to create optimal healing environments for the patients they serve."

According to a 2008 AHA the survey, 84 percent of hospitals indicated patient demand as the primary rationale in offering complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services including Reiki and 67 percent of those surveyed stated “clinical effectiveness” as their top reason.

65 of those hospitals are listed on the Center for Reiki Research’s website including-

• Duke Integrative Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
• New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center Campus, New York, New York
• Yale–New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut
• Sharp Memorial Hospital Inpatient Cancer Support Services, San Diego, California
• Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts

• Citrus Valley Medical Center Cancer Resource Center, Covina, California

In addition, the American Medical Association (AMA) has added Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatments to their directory of billable procedures.

Conclusion

A spokesperson from Columbia Integrative Medicine Program at the New York Presbyterian Hospital (CIMP) perhaps expresses it best, saying,

“I find the practice of Reiki very rewarding, as a practitioner. Patients have reported deep relaxation and a sense of profound healing, after one session. I feel that Reiki is a huge asset for any hospital setting, because patients sense that they are in a truly caring environment."

As Reiki continues to become "a huge asset" for the hospital setting, analytical reporting such as The Touchstone Process continues to add to the much needed pool of evidence that Reiki is indeed a worthy, effective method for facilitating the healing process; one that can contribute to the betterment of patients everywhere and to the betterment of our health care systems

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Sound Healing

Can music - chanting? singing? or simply the sound made by rubbng a bowl's
rim - prompt us to heal? these five cancer patients think so.

Copyright Country Living's Healthy Living July/August 1999

Serenity, vitality, joy. The expressions on the faces in the quiet room are beautiful. And surprising: After all, these women have confronted the terror of a cancer diagnosis and have endured the discomforts of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

The reason they've gathered-and the source, perhaps, of their serenity-is meditation with Mitchell L. Gaynor, M.D., the director of oncology and integrative medicine at the Strang Cancer Prevention Center in New York City. Gaynor sets in front of him a cluster of bowls and with a wooden mallet rubs the rim of a small metal one round and round, as you might rub a wineglass with a finger to make it sing. A pure, pulsating tone fills the air. "Breathe slowly, deeply," he urges, "and imagine infinite healing." With the tone still ringing, he hums the note. The women join in, and together they hum and chant for 20 minutes or so, creating a sense of peace. Afterward, Rosemarie Hernandez, whose ocular melanoma is in remission, explains the effect these biweekly sessions have on her: "Ever since I started to use the bowls as meditation, I am much more rooted in the present. I've learned to savor each day." For Marisa Harris, who has been dealing with metastasized ovarian cancer, singing-bowl meditation has "put everything in perspective," she says. "My picture keeps getting larger." This is no small gift, considering that she was told last April that she probably wouldn"t see another spring. "Fear started to well up inside me on the anniversary of that pronouncement," she remembers. "But during meditation the fear is reduced to a minor irritant, like a speck of dust I can blow away."

Whether We like to Sing along to a snappy tune or listen to a Mozart sonata, we all recognize the power music has to energize or calm us, pull us into the present, or sweeten a sour mood. Babies soothed into sleep with lullabies breathe in rhythm to the song"s gentle pulse. Teenagers fall into similar soporific states to the blasting beat of a bass guitar. Most adults you might ask could name a tune they consider uplifting. All of which proves that music makes a pleasurable soundtrack to our lives. But is it healing?

Nothing in Gaynor's medical education would have led him to think so. The 43-year-old oncologist began his training at the University of Texas-Southwestern Medical School, an institution so competitive that class rankings and grade point averages are figured to the thousandth of a decimal point, and ended it as the chief medical resident at New York Hospital. Even with such rigorous preparation, Gaynor still felt that "something was missing" from his instruction, he writes in his new book, Sounds of Healing: A Physician Reveals the Therapeutic Power of Sound, Voice, and Music* And that something, he came to understand, was the mix of "psychology and spirituality that would satisfy my patients" needs to be treated as whole human beings."
Ten years ago, when he arrived at New York Hospital, Gaynor began making notes about patients who appeared to be experiencing "miraculous recoveries": Donna, a breast-cancer patient, who worked with an energy healer; Hiroko, whose colon cancer was treated by a master of Qi Gong.

Building on these cases, Gaynor started urging patients to use meditation, guided imagery, and deep-relaxation exercises. Then in 1991, he met Odsal, a Tibetan monk in his late thirties who suffered from a rare heart condition called cardiomyopa-thy. Odsal gave Gaynor a singing bowl, a tool used by Tibetan Buddhists to accompany their chanting and meditation. Gaynor's response to the bowl's tones was profound: "I could feel the vibration physically resonating through my body, touching my core in such a way that I felt in harmony with the universe," he writes. "I immediately intuited that playing the bowls would change my life and the lives of many of my patients."
How does sound heal? Good question-and one that "the scientist in me" wanted answered, Gaynor says. When he delved into research he found that people worldwide-including Sufis, Hindus, Native Americans, and Catholic monks- have long relied on sound to heal, and while their practices differ the principle is the same. Gaynor explains it this way: There is "a tendency toward harmony in nature. Consider the example of two metronomes
in the same room beating at different rhythms. Eventually, of their own accord, they will begin to beat in synchrony with each other."

The human body seeks harmony, too, scientific studies show. "If we accept that sound is vibration, and we know that vibration touches every part of our physical being, then we understand that sound is "heard" not only through our ears but through every cell in our body," writes Gaynor, who reminds us that the human body is 90 percent water-the perfect medium for carrying sound.

He is not the only Western-trained scientist who believes in sound healing. In the early 1950s, French physician Alfred A. Tomatis found that certain sounds enhanced or drained the brain's energy. Working with a diverse array of aural stimuli-a mother's voice, Gregorian chants, and classical music, for example-Tomatis reversed learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder in his young patients. (Today there are some 250 Tomatis listening centers around the world.) In a more recent study, 30 minutes of music therapy produced the same effect as 10 milligrams of Valium on critical-care heart patients, reports Raymond Bahr, M.D., the director of coronary care at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore.

The experiences of the women around the meditation table serve as a very human kind of substantiation to these studies. "I was 6 years old when a heart-sickening thought seized hold of my consciousness My mother was going to die. My vision ... was chalked up to the typical fears about monsters in the closet or snakes under the bed that children often suffer. Then, a year later, my mother began to feel ill. She consulted our doctor and underwent a series of tests. The diagnosis came back: She had cancer.

The pain of that event-and my mother's death when I was 9 years old-made me unconsciously shut down the intuitive part of myself- I had learned my lesson; I didn't want to intuit any more about those closest to me. It was only after I'd practiced medicine for several years, and began delving more deeply into spiritual traditions and practices, that I started to realize the importance of the intuition I'd abandoned in childhood. I no longer saw the people who came to me for treatment simply as patients who had cancer. Now I wanted to better understand ... what freight they were carrying from their past, what disharmonious tapes they were unknowingly replaying in their unconscious. This understanding, I realized, would come not only from a thorough study of the mind/body literature but also from developing my creativity and honing my intuition. - From Sounds of Healing, by Mitchell L Gaynor, M.D.

Tibetan bowls can be purchased from the Inner Dimension catalog (888-446-7622); www.innerdimensions.com
find it terribly difficult to relax," says Rose Lalla, a breast-cancer patient who is now in remission, "and stress is like fertilizer for my illness. After these meditations with sound, I"m deeply peaceful." Dorothy Golebuski, whose breast cancer is also in remission, adds that she often felt ground down by stress at work. "But my stress doesn"t rule me anymore. I feel healthier and happier now than I did before my diagnosis."

Happiness, centeredness, emotional stability-Gaynor is quick to point out that the benefits conferred by sound-based meditation could help anyone. And there"s no need to buy bowls, he says: Simply choose sounds that mean something to you. Try a dose of Debussy, belt out your favorite show tune in the shower, ring a bell and listen-really listen-to its song as it grows faint and finally fades.
*To order Gaynor"s book, call 800-266-5 766, department 1630.

 

 

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 Jeanne Ball - Huffington Post

Keeping Your Prefrontal Cortex Online: Neuroplasticity, Stress and Meditation

 

As we go through life, our brain is always changing and adapting, say neuroscientists. During the first 18-20 years of life the brain is developing circuits that will form the basis of decision-making for a lifetime. Brain researchers have found that unhealthy lifestyles can inhibit normal brain development in adolescents and lead to impaired judgment and destructive behavior that carries over into adulthood. Traumatic experiences, alcohol and drug abuse, growing up neglected in a broken home, living in fear of violence and crime, or even a bad diet can interfere with development of the frontal lobes, the brain's executive system. This can cause behavioral problems. Brain researcher Dr. Fred Travis explains: "When a person's frontal lobes don't develop properly, he lives a primitive life. He doesn't -- and can't -- plan ahead. His world is simplistic, and he can only deal with what's happening to him right now. Thinking becomes rigid: 'You're either with me or against me,' or 'Me and my gang are good, and everyone else is bad.'"



 

The good news: meditation improves brain function

 

Brain researchers have also found that the brain can be changed in a positive direction through healthy lifestyle choices. This ability of the brain to reorganize its network of neurons is called "neuroplasticity." Studies recently published in Cognitive Processing show that brain development can be enhanced -- not only during adolescence but at any age -- through the practice of meditation, and that different meditation techniques have different effects on the brain. For example, during the Transcendental Meditation ("TM") technique there is increased alpha coherence in the brain's frontal areas. "Within a few months of practice of the TM technique," says Travis, "we see high levels of integration of frontal brain connectivity. And interestingly, that integration does not disappear after meditation. Increasingly and over time, this orderly brain functioning is found in daily activity."

 

When the different parts of the brain are better integrated they work together more harmoniously -- our brain is healthier. Higher levels of brain integration are associated with higher moral reasoning, emotional stability and decreased anxiety, according to a 1981 study in the International Journal of Neuroscience. Research shows that world-class athletes have higher brain integration than controls. Brain integration is important because one's environment and circumstances are constantly shifting, and you need a flexible, integrated brain to successfully evaluate where you are, where you want to be and the necessary steps to get there.

 

Keeping your prefrontal cortex "online"

The prefrontal cortex -- said to be the brain's executive center or "CEO" -- plays a crucial role in higher judgment, discrimination and decision-making. When we are overly tired or under intense mental, emotional or physical stress, our brain tends to bypass its higher, more evolved rational executive circuits, defaulting to more primitive stimulus/response pathways. We respond to challenges without thinking, making impulsive, shortsighted decisions. When the brain's CEO goes "offline," strong emotions such as fear and anger can adversely color or distort our perception of the world. Interestingly, the brain's crucial frontal area is where the highest levels of EEG coherence are typically recorded during TM practice, indicating improved communication between the prefrontal cortex and other parts of the brain.

 

When a person transcends during meditation (goes beyond the active levels of the mind), the experience is commonly reported as a state of deep silence and inner wakefulness, without particular qualities or attributes -- just pure consciousness. According to research studies, such as the previously mentioned study in Cognitive Processing, it is this 'transcendental' experience that creates the more efficient, integrated brain functioning seen during TM practice. While focused attention and other mental processes activate local brain areas, the experience of transcending activates the whole brain, enabling different parts of the brain to function together better as a whole.

Helping kids grow healthier brains

 

Fortunately, transcending is easy -- we're hardwired for it. With proper instruction and right practice, anyone can do it, including students with ADHD. Experiencing the quiet, transcendental field of orderliness deep within the mind doesn't mean conjuring up a new outlook on life or accepting new beliefs, nor does it require an attitude change. It's a natural, universal experience that produces a healthy response in the brain.

With help from the David Lynch Foundation and other private benefactors, thousands of at-risk students are now learning meditation during structured, in-school programs around the world. Researchers monitoring the results are finding that meditation improves learning ability, memory, creativity and IQ. Findings such as these may be opening a new frontier of research -- establishing an expanded, more enlightened view about what is possible for the human brain.

VIDEO of Dr. Fred Travis, Director, Center for Brain, Consciousness, and Cognition in Fairfield, Iowa:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm5h1Z88lWQ&feature=player_embedded#!

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Reiki Offers Relief to Alzheimer’s Patients

September 19, 2010 by Editor 
Filed under Body Boost, Featured Articles, Features, September/October ‘10

 

Aging Gracefully 2010

• Reiki Offers Relief to Alzheimer’s Patients

By Ilona Udvari |

 Reiki is a natural, gentle, powerful, yet non-invasive method of healing that is passed from practitioner to client by means of gentle touch. This ancient Japanese healing art originated many thousands of years ago and was brought to this country in the early 1900s by holy man and scientific scholar Mikao Usui. Since that time, Reiki has grown rapidly in popularity as an excellent form of complimentary and alternative medicine.

The results of a recent IARP survey (International Association of Reiki Professionals) of American hospitals indicated that many major hospitals are now using Reiki for its therapeutic benefits both pre- and post-surgery, and for patients suffering from stress and other disorders such as anxiety, sleeplessness, pain, nausea, and fatigue. Reiki has been found to be extremely beneficial in every aspect of healing, not only on a physical level, but also on psychological, emotional, and spiritual levels as well. Utilizing life force energy, the component of which we are all made, it enhances the body’s natural power to heal and maintain itself. Not only can it be used to promote healing of virtually any illness, it has been used to mend bone and tissue and aid with the side effects of anesthesia, radiation treatment, and chemotherapy. It has also been found to reduce the need for medication and shorten hospital stays. Because this diverse energy is such an effective, integrative medical tool, it is being used in many major hospitals, clinics and other health care facilities around the world with great success.

 

Many nurses, physicians, and outside practitioners have begun to provide Reiki services to enhance patient care. Patients who are emotionally stressed or terminally ill and their families have reported a deep sense of relaxation and inner peace when their care was facilitated with this versatile treatment. Further, Reiki has been extremely beneficial in calming patients with dementia, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Therese Silva Johnson is a certified gerontologist (the study of the phenomenon of aging) who was the owner-operator and administrator of a six-bed, 24-hour care home that specializes in the care of Alzheimer’s (dementia) patients. Johnson notes that initial symptoms begin subtly. An individual may show signs of personality change, memory loss, poor judgment, mood swings, or agitation. Initiative lessens and the ability to learn new things becomes difficult. As the disease progresses, victims develop difficulties with speech and communication, movement and coordination. In the latter stages total confusion and disorientation result in the patient having to rely completely on a caregiver for daily function. The brain continues to degenerate and ultimately results in great difficulty walking, talking, swallowing, controlling bladder and bowel function, etc. As a result, victims can become quite frail and prone to infections such as pneumonia. These conditions of course, are extremely distressful not just for those afflicted, but for caregivers as well.

 

Johnson began employing short Reiki treatments lasting roughly 10 to 20 minutes. She would administer them as needed, for example at mealtime to facilitate feeding and cooperation with caregivers. She found patients became compliant and relaxed. As she experimented with these treatments she noted that although the disease progressed, her patients did not have to suffer the traditional degree of symptoms of anxiety, agitation, pain, and physical discomfort. Pacing and wandering were drastically reduced. Paranoia began to subside. The mere placing on of hands allowed patients to become completely relaxed, more present, and lucid. Wounds healed in half the time with daily 5-10 minute Reiki treatments. Johnson found that even those patients who normally resisted different kinds of touch (bathing, dressing, grooming, etc.) welcomed and even asked for Reiki. Reiki can even be given as a long distance treatment for those with special needs.

Excited by the successful results Johnson was obtaining, she decided to spread the news of the Reiki technique by developing an Alzheimer’s Reiki research program. She presently is practicing Reiki full-time to develop a concise Reiki therapy plan to be used by Alzheimer’s caregivers. The purpose of this plan is to benefit Alzheimer’s patients and those who care for them by reducing or eliminating deleterious symptoms to extend the integrity of the afflicted. In this way, a higher quality of life is created for both patients and caregivers. With the use of Reiki therapy, Johnson has already enjoyed a great deal of  success in reversing and/or arresting Alzheimer’s disease in a select number of patients. For Alzheimer’s patients, her research is dedicated to fostering the kind of care that will increase independent living and include the return of cognition, mobility, and socialization. Johnson also found that the limitlessness of treating with Reiki can also be useful to individuals who may suffer from similar symptom such as those who are challenged by obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, or mental illness.

Being attuned to give Reiki treatments is a powerful pathway to helping others and maintaining one’s own optimal health. The attunement itself takes only a few minutes, and with a little instruction, the student may begin using Reiki immediately. Whether you are a health care provider or you are just an individual committed to living your own life in a health conscious way, consider being attuned to Reiki. There is no better medicine than one that is preventative, restorative, and natural.

Ilona Udvari is a Master/Teacher in Usui Shiki Ryoho, Seichim ,Karuna Ki, and Firefly Reiki.  She gives treatments and teaches classes (by appointment) at the Firefly Reiki Room, her peaceful, country office located at N4002 Highway 25 between Downsville and Menomonie, WI  Call for appointments at 715-235-7732

 

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A single massage can boost the immune system

A single Swedish massage can boost the immune system. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

September 9, 2010|11:26 a.m.

Devotees of massage therapy know it's relaxing and feels good. But massage may also be an effective tool for maintaining good health. Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center reported this week that a single massage produced measurable changes in the immune system and endocrine system of healthy adults.

The researchers, led by Dr. Mark Rapaport, studied 29 healthy adults who received a 45-minute Swedish massage and 24 healthy adults who had a 45-minute session of light touch massage, a much milder exercise that served as a comparison to the more vigorous Swedish massage. Blood samples were taken before the massage began and at regular intervals up to one hour after the massage was completed.

The study found several changes in the blood tests of the Swedish massage group that indicated a benefit to the immune system. For example, Swedish massage caused sizeable decreases in arginine vasopressin, a hormone that contributes to aggressive behavior, and small decreases in the stress hormone cortisol. The Swedish massage participants also had an increase in lymphocytes, cells that help the immune system defend the body from harmful substances.  

"This research indicates that massage doesn't only feel good, it also may be good for you," Rapaport said in a news release. "People often seek out massage as part of a healthy lifestyle but there hasn't been much physiological proof of the body's heightened immune response following massage until now."

The study appears in the October issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
 
-- Shari Roan / Los Angeles Times
 
Return to Booster Shots blog.

Copyright © 2010, Los Angeles Times

 

http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-massage-20100909,0,1714412.story?track=rss

 

 

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Health notes: BodyTalk Access System - Tap lessons align body and mind

By Sarah Stacey

DailyMail online

 

Our brains and bodies are in constant communication through our nervous system. Additionally, many biological processes (notably our hearts) run on electrical impulses, and some scientists and health professionals believe that the human body is surrounded by a weak electrical field, which also contains and transmits information.

 

According to London-based Britt Jorgensen, who practises a mind-body therapy called BodyTalk: ‘This invisible surface energy sends messages faster than even our nerve fibres. Unfortunately, it can be compromised by injury or stress. BodyTalk aims to repair any weaknesses so our brain and body can work smoothly together and we feel truly well.’

 

BodyTalk draws knowledge from yoga, Chinese medicine, chiropractic and osteopathy and has spread to 40 countries due, says Britt, to its ‘great results with physical, emotional and mental imbalances’. 

 

'I can stop a migraine in its tracks, or make an existing one less intense.

I don’t know how it works, but it does’

 

Therapists identify trouble spots using muscle feedback then rebalance them by tapping specific areas of the head and chest bone. It may sound like mumbo jumbo but I’ve experienced the power of tapping meridians (energy lines) through another practice (Thought Field Therapy), so it wasn’t hard to be convinced of the benefits of BodyTalk when a colleague reported her experience during six sessions over six months: ‘I’ve suffered for years with regular, distressing migraines.

Britt didn’t try to find the cause but explained that Bodytalk “asks” the client’s body (you stay fully clothed) what it needs to function more efficiently. Given the right help, it has an incredible ability to heal itself.

 

‘At each session, practitioners use muscle feedback – gently pulling on your arm – to key into the body’s self-knowledge and highlight any weak links. They then carry out a series of taps on your head and chest to fix any weakness and save the change in
your body’s memory.

‘In one session, Britt picked up an imbalance relating to my back and neck – I do often find neck ache precedes a headache – and that I needed to let go of feelings of anger. I felt much calmer afterwards. ‘I get headaches less frequently now: if I feel one coming I find a quiet place to tap my cortices [see below]. This can stop a migraine in its tracks, or make an existing one less intense. I don’t know how it works, but it does.’ 

 

My colleague booked into a one-day BodyTalk Access Course, which teaches DIY techniques including ‘cortices’ (below), which helps to reduce stress and sharpen mental focus. ‘It’s like toothpaste for the brain, leaving you with a lovely zingy feeling. On a busy day, I do it several times: it really helps.’

 

Cortices Step By Step (Step 1 of 5 used in BodyTalk Access)

 

The cortices refer to the four brain lobes (sections); this two-minute technique helps reduce stress.

1. Place your left hand, fingers closed, on the back of your head at the base of the skull.
2. With the fingertips of your right hand facing the back of your head and spread out, gently tap your crown while taking one deep breath in and out.
3. Next, breathe deeply in and out once while tapping the centre of your chest under your collarbone with your right fingertips slightly spread.
4. Move your left hand up a hand’s width, and repeat steps 2 and 3.
5. Repeatedly move your left hand up until you’ve covered the mid-line of your skull from the base to just above your eyebrows. Your right hand stays tapping your crown then chest each time; when your left hand reaches the crown, just tap on top of it with your right hand.
6. Now cover the sides of your head (just above the ears) with both hands, fingers pointing backwards.
7. Remove your right hand – leaving the left in position – and tap your head and chest, as in steps 2 and 3.
8. Repeat on the other side of your head.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1308659/Health-notes-Tap-lessons-align-body-mind.html#ixzz0zbAS9XAx

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Gateway Workshops - Vitamin B, Alzheimers Disease Press Release Hi Everyone This is a quick email to let you know of a press release announced today that you may find helpful and may wish to pass onto those interested:    Vitamin B, Alzheimers Disease               PRESS RELEASE:  Issue Date:   9th September 2010
A new study suggests high doses of B vitamins may halve the rate of brain shrinkage in older people experiencing some of the warning signs of Alzheimer's disease. Brain shrinkage is one of the symptoms of mild cognitive impairment, which often leads to dementia. Researchers say this could be the first step towards finding a way to delay the onset of Alzheimer's.  Experts said the findings were important but more research was needed. The study, published in the journal Public Library of Science One, looked at 168 elderly people experiencing levels of mental decline known as mild cognitive impairment.  This condition, marked by mild memory lapses and language problems, is beyond what can be explained by normal ageing and can be a precursor to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.   Half of the volunteers were given a daily tablet containing levels of the B vitamins folate, B6 and B12 well above the recommended daily amount. The other half were given a placebo. After two years, the rate at which their brains had shrunk was measured. The average brain shrinks at a rate of 0.5% a year after the age of 60. The brains of those with mild cognitive impairment shrink twice as fast. Alzheimer's patients have brain shrinkage of 2.5% a year. The team, from the Oxford Project to investigate Memory and Ageing (Optima), found that on average, in those taking vitamin supplements, brain shrinkage slowed by 30%. In some cases it slowed by more than 50%, making their brain atrophy no worse than that of people without cognitive impairment. 'Protecting' the brain   Certain B vitamins - folic acid, vitamin B6 and B12 - control levels of a substance known as homocysteine in the blood. High levels of homocysteine are associated with faster brain shrinkage and Alzheimer's disease. The study authors believe it was the B vitamins' effect on levels of homocysteine that helped slow the rate of brain shrinkage. The study author, Professor David Smith, said the results were more significant than he had expected. "It's a bigger effect than anyone could have predicted," he said, "and it's telling us something biological. "These vitamins are doing something to the brain structure - they're protecting it, and that's very important because we need to protect the brain to prevent Alzheimer's." He said more research was now needed to see whether high doses of B vitamins actually prevented the development of Alzheimer's in people with mild cognitive impairment. The Alzheimer's Research Trust, which co-funded the study, also called for further investigation. "These are very important results, with B vitamins now showing a prospect of protecting some people from Alzheimer's in old age," said chief executive Rebecca Wood. "The strong findings must inspire an expanded trial to follow people expected to develop Alzheimer's." B vitamins are found naturally in many foods, including meat, fish, eggs and green vegetables. Experts are advising against taking higher than recommended levels in the light of these findings. Chris Kennard, chair of the Medical Research Council's Neurosciences and Mental Health Board, said: "We must be cautious when recommending supplements like vitamin B as there are separate health risks if taken in too high doses. "Further research is required before we can recommend the supplement as a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's." Source: BBC News 9th September 2010

New College of Complementary Medicine Opens

06/08/2010

A new college is to open in the autumn with an aim to increase acceptance of an integrated approach to health. The new college called the College of medicine has emerged from the now closed Foundation for Integrated Health, a charity established by HRH the Prince of Wales. It closed in April after a criminal investigation by Scotland Yard into money laundering and fraud. Eventually George Gray, the finance director, was charged with stealing nearly £253,000.
 
The College of Medicine aims to raise the acceptance of "an integrated approach to health" and is targeting the public, politicians and doctors. They intend to do this through publishing films, books and journals and by running courses.
 
Many doctors already accept the value of integrated medicine believing that by taking the patients’ personal circumstances and beliefs into account, their well being is improved. Some of these doctors include complementary therapies in their practice along with conventional medicine, but this makes them seen as controversial.
 
Some scientists are unhappy about the new college being set up as they don’t believe that complementary medicine has any effect and consider it a waste of taxpayers’ money if funded out of the public purse.
 
All four of the directors of the new college were either fellows or directors of the prince’s charity, but none of them were accused of anything during the investigation.
 
Professor of pharmacology at University College London, David Colquhoun, is a well known critic of alternative medicine. It was he who obtained the details of the College of Medicine from the registration documents that were filed at Companies House.
 
Colquhoun said about the “constant claim of alternative medicine enthusiasts that only they appreciate the caring side of medicine,” that it “is simply not true." He continued: “If I'm ill, I want above all to be cured. I don't want to be given magic beans and left to die. However caring the treater may be, the treatment fails if I'm not cured."
 
The college was actually registered as the Foundation for Integrated Health, but the directors later changed the name. A slide show produced under the Foundation for Integrated Health name stated that the new college is: "a new strategy to take forward the vision of HRH Prince Charles," and that "It is the evolution of his Foundation for Integrated Health's work to date."
 
A spokesperson from Clarence House revealed that although the Prince of Wales does know about the new college, he "has not been involved with setting-up the college, is not launching it and has no official role with it."

 

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taken from www.shirleymaclaine.com   

 
Health Notes
Did you know that more than one in four U.S. hospitals now offer alternative and complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, and massage therapy. A new survey of nearly 1,400 U.S. hospitals showed that the normally staid mainstream medical institutions are providing complementary and alternative therapies to meet growing demand from us, the public. The survey is conducted and published by the American Hospital Association every two years and the mpst recent shows the percentage of hospitals offering one or more CAM services increased from 8% in 1998 to 27% in 2005.

A 2002 CDC survey showed that more than half of Americans thought combining CAM with conventional medicine would be helpful. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) include therapies that are not based on traditional Western medical teachings and may range from acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, to diet and lifestyle changes, herbal medicine, and massage therapy, and beyond.

What seemed amazing and was contrary to popular belief, researchers found that complimentary and alternative medicine offerings were most common in the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin) and less common on the West Coast. The least common areas to offer CAM services were in the South (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee).

The top six complementary and alternative medicine services offered on an outpatient basis among hospitals offering CAM were massage therapy (71%); tai chi, yoga, or chi gong (47%); relaxation training (43%), acupuncture (39%); guided imagery (32%), and therapeutic touch (30%). Top inpatient services were massage therapy (37%), music/art therapy (26%), therapeutic touch (25%), guided imagery (22%), relaxation training (20%), and acupuncture (11%).

Other findings of the survey include:
Most hospitals that offered CAM were in urban areas and were large or medium-sized (more than 100 beds).

Teaching hospitals accounted for 36% of hospitals responding to the survey and offering CAM services, perhaps reflecting the finding in a 2004 study that more than 3/4 of medical schools require a course in CAM.

Most hospitals offered their CAM services at other locations while 37% provided them in a hospital wellness or fitness center. That made me wonder if the hospital was concerned about their allopathic image being tarnished through association with CAM? Unfortunately, that possibility was not addressed in the study. It is also important to know that while it is wonderful these CEM services are being permitted and endorsed, most CAM services are paid for by patients as an out-of-pocket medical expense as there are limited insurance coverages for CAM proceedures.

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Massage Reduces Chronic Tension Headache

15/07/2010

University of Granada researchers have shown that a 30 minute massage is able to reduce tension headache symptoms. The project involved cooperation between the University of Granada, the University Rey Juan Carlos and the Clinical Hospital San Cecilio. Between them they revealed how massage changes the physiological as well as psychological state of tension headache patients inside of 24 hours from receiving the massage.

 

The standard treatment for tension headaches, which are becoming increasingly prevalent in the population, is to administer analgesics, but these only temporarily relieve the symptoms.

 

The researchers already understood that one of the main reasons for the development of tension headaches is the presence of trigger points, which are specific points on the body that literally trigger pain or headaches.

 

Leader of the study was researcher Cristina Toro Velasco, who worked under the supervision of Professor Manuel Arroyo Morales. She worked on massaging the cervical trigger points of her patients for 30 minutes in order to improve the regulation of the autonomic nervous system.

Interestingly, the treatment led to both a physiological improvement as well as a better psychological state in the form of a reduction in the "stress and anxiety associated to such a disturbing disorder".

 

Within 24 hours of treatment, the patients were reporting relief from their symptoms. The researchers think that this was due to the massage lowering the pain activated by the trigger points which in turn resulted in a better general sense of well being in the patients.

 

The American Journal of Manipulative Physiological and Therapeutics is to publish the study.

via www.healthypages.com

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Post Surgery Massage

If you are having a surgery, it is normal to feel anxious and worried about the procedure itself, the pain that you might feel afterward, and the scarring that may occur. While there are some great conventional therapies that can help you with all of these, why not complement them with massage? Getting post surgery massage will help you feel better, stimulate healing, reduce pain, and it can even help to reduce the appearance of scars. Read on for more information.

Why Post Surgery Massage is Beneficial

Massage after surgery is beneficial for a number of reasons. Firstly, it helps to relieve the pain that can occur after surgery, reducing the need to take conventional painkilling drugs. It also helps to relax the muscles that can tighten after surgery as they tend to contract in order to “guard” the area that has been operated on. Massage can also help to reduce the swelling that can occur after surgery as it stimulates the lymphatic system to drain more efficiently.

Massage also increases the blood circulation, ensuring that oxygen and nutrients can get to the affected area easily. The massage can also help to strengthen the immune system which is important in guarding against post operative infections and helping the body to heal. Massage also helps with the formation of scar tissue. This is because it can soften the skin through reducing and softening the build up of excess collagen fibres which lead to obvious and sometimes painful scars. Breaking down the excess collagen will result in smaller scars.

Massage is also very relaxing which is important emotionally, helping you to release the stress and anxiety that is often associated with surgery and the pain afterwards.

Choosing a Massage Therapist Post Surgery

There are several different types of massage that can be beneficial post surgery such as Manual Lymphatic Drainage, and Swedish massage, so you can choose the one that you feel will be of the most benefit to you personally. Make sure you have clearance from your surgeon or doctor before beginning the massage. Massage can be done as little as a few days after your surgery but you may have to wait for a number of weeks before beginning it. Your therapist should also be trained in post surgery massage, so that they will not do damage to the healing area.

from The Natural Therapy Pages www.naturaltherapypages.com.au

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Relaxing Extends Cancer Survival

10/06/2010

A study has revealed that women with breast cancer are able to extend cancer survival by learning to relax. The study conducted in the U.S. examined the survival rates of women who had their cancer return after their initial treatment. The group of women volunteers worked with psychologists to come up with ways to reduce stress; stress being one of the main causes of cancer complications.
 
Reducing stress levels enabled the immune system to remain strong and resulted in Improvements in the quality of the women’s lives. The women who were part of the support group that helped them deal with stress lived on average 6 months longer than those that did not.
 
From Ohio State University, Columbus psychology professor Barbara Andersen said, "If you have someone who can provide effective, research-supported ways to reduce your stress, not only will that affect your mental health. It will likely affect your symptoms and your recovery."
 
The 227 women who volunteered for the study were newly diagnosed with Stage II or III breast cancer. Some of the women received therapy to enable them to understand their stress, cope with it, stick to the cancer treatment prescribed to them and develop an over all better emotional state. The other women received a psychological assessment.
 
What was unusual about the results was that the therapy enhanced the women’s survival rates which had not been known before in other studies.
 
Andersen  further explained the details of the study, saying: "It was far more than the popular notion of support groups of patients in a room talking about their troubles," adding that “Certain patients talked about things that were stressful to them, but they also learned really effective ways to cope with that stress."
 
Previous parts of the study showed that 45% of women who had attended the support group had less likelihood of their breast cancer returning after 11 years of follow ups.
The enhanced survival rates revealed in this last phase of the study were above and beyond any drug treatment improvements.
 
From Washington University in St. Louis, Sarah Gehlert stated that "An intervention that increased survival would be incredibly valuable. It represents a new tool for improving the lives of women with breast cancer." She had no connection with the study.
 
The Cancer Clinical Research journal is to publish the findings

 

TO BOOK YOUR DEEP RELAXATION TECHNIQUE GROUP CONTACT

info@healingintheworkplace.co.uk

or phone 01932 883693  /  07752 297625

and ask for June Lawrance

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Thursday, June 24, 2010

In the Reiki room

By Julie Goodale



As I wrote in my last post, I volunteered last Sunday at the Manhattan JCC for Spa Day, offering around 150 women with breast or ovarian cancer a half-day of wellness activities. The first part of my Spa Day volunteering was spent offering Reiki to the participant.

Reiki is a healing practice that helps promote balance of mind, body, and spirit. It is a completely gentle, non-invasive treatment. It does not directly address any specific symptoms, but rather balances your system. There is nothing about Reiki treatment that can interfere with medical care; Reiki has been given to patients during chemotherapy treatments or surgery. Some commonly reported benefits of Reiki treatment include relaxation, reduced pain, improved sleep, reduced anxiety, and reduced side effects from medicines and cancer treatments.

The Reiki room was run by Pamela Miles, a New York-based Reiki master. Pamela has worked with numerous doctors and hospitals to integrate Reiki into more traditional medical practices. She ran a Reiki program for AIDS patients through the Gay Men's Health Crisis, has treated surgery patients at several New York hospitals, and is the author of "Reiki: A Comprehensive Guide". Pamela has also been featured on the Dr. Oz Show talking about Reiki.

I went to Pamela last year for a treatment and was so interested and excited about it that the following week I took her Reiki training class. Since then, I practice Reiki on myself every day (well, almost), and have offered treatment to friends. I've also taken part in a couple group Reiki events with Pamela.

I have a strong belief in our ability to help our bodies. There is much we can do to help our bodies heal and be healthier. I also believe in conventional medicine; we have a lot of very strong treatments and procedures that can save our lives. What I like about Reiki is it that it can work with conventional treatments. It's complementary, not alternative! If I'm facing a powerful disease, I want all the tools available to fight it. I don't want to limit myself.

I also have a streak of skepticism in me. I want proof; I want to understand why. After practicing Reiki for a year, I'm not sure I understand why yet. But I know I feel better when I do it. And I know I feel worse if I don't. The skeptic in me says: maybe it's just that you sit quietly for 20 minutes or an hour. Maybe, but if that's all it is, is that bad? Maybe the why doesn't matter so much.

Few of the women on Sunday had any previous experience with Reiki. Whether they were curious, enthusiastic or skeptical, they filed in, laid down on the tables, and put themselves in our hands. In pairs, we offered 20 minutes of Reiki. Whatever their feelings before Reiki, I didn't see a single woman who wasn't grateful for how she felt after Reiki.

Editor's note: This article appeared originally on Julie's blog, fitness for survivors.

posted by Beth Lowell REIKI DIGEST http://reikidigest.blogspot.com/2010/06/in-reiki-room.html

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Catholic Priest Writes Reiki Book Angela Gorman, copyright 2009-2010 I recently had the honour of spending some time in conversation with Father Padraig Leonard. Back in Dublin for a holiday, he is the authour of a recently published book titled Reiki for Christians.  His book is currently only available in Portuguese but it is planned that it will be printed in English in the near future.  Father Padraig Leonard was born in 1925 in Delvin, County Westmeath. He is a member of the Holy Ghost Congregation with 43 years missionary experience in Brazil.   In 1991 Fr. Padraig founded the Health Education Institute of Itajuba in Brazil with Sr. Marie do Carmo Costo. The centre was dedicated to a holistic approach to spirituality and actively used complementary therapies.  Clientele at the centre were mainly religious and lay people engaged in church work. It was at this centre that Fr. Padraig was introduced to Reiki. He attended his first Reiki workshop in 1998 and completed his Reiki training by 2000.  The Catholic Church in Brazil is very open to Reiki. Fr. Padraig is a frequent guest on a radio show run by a Catholic Bishop and he has experienced no resistance to his direct involvement with holistic therapies.   Of the nearly 300 people he has taught Reiki to, the majority of them are priests and nuns. They in turn use and integrate Reiki in their work with their congregations.  One of the aims and objectives of his book is to answer the questions and doubts which many Christians have about Reiki.   During his holiday in Ireland, Fr. Padraig was interviewed twice on Ocean FM radio, as a result of concerns some Catholics have about Reiki.   I was very impressed by Fr. Padraig's practical approach to Reiki. As I waved good bye to him, I couldn't help but think, he was looking forward to returning to Brazil, where the Catholic Church appear to be more open minded to holistic therapies.

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Natural Pain Management Techniques ~ May 2010

If you suffer from any form of pain, whether chronic or acute, it may not be necessary to rely on traditional medicine such as pain medication to relieve it.  There are many natural pain management techniques that are available to try so it is just a matter of finding the best one for you.  Some of the most popular are outlined below.

Pain Management Technique #1: Acupuncture

In acupuncture, fine needles are inserted into the skin in order to unblock the meridians (energy channels) and balance the flow of energy through the body.

Pain Management Technique #2: Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is where water is applied to the body using a shower, bath, compress or sauna.  It aims to ease stress, rid the body of toxins that cause pain and inflammation, and stimulate the flow of blood.

Pain Management Technique #3: Massage

Massage  is where a practitioner applies pressure to the soft tissues of the body in order to relieve tension, improve the circulation, and reduce or eliminate pain.  There are many forms of massage that can be used.

Pain Management Technique #4: Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy is where an irritant such as dextrose solution is injected into soft tissues in order to produce a proliferation of inflammation in the area which promotes healing.  It may also be known as non-surgical ligament reconstruction.

Pain Management Technique #5: Tai Chi

Tai Chi is where a person performs a series of slow movements coordinated with deep breathing and mental focus.  It is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Pain Management Technique #6: Yoga

Yoga  is about stretching and holding poses in order to balance the mind, body, and spirit; building strength; and stabilising joints.  There are several different forms of yoga but Iyengar, Anusara, and Integral yoga are particularly helpful.

Pain Management Technique #7: Stress Management

Stress is a big psychological factor when it comes to suffering from pain, as stressed people tend to have tense muscles which exacerbate pain.  To manage your stress levels, try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, visualization, and massage or try distracting yourself with an enjoyable activity.

Pain Management Technique #8: Herbal Medicine

Herbs have been used for their pain relieving qualities for centuries.  You will need to visit a herbalist or naturopath to get the right herb for your condition but some pain relieving herbs include peppermint, feverfew, skullcap, angelica, rosemary and valerian root.

Pain Management Technique #9: Guided Imagery

Guided imagery, also known as visualization, can help to control pain as it encourages pain sufferers to think in pictures that eliminate negative thoughts and thus raise the levels of good brain chemicals which decrease anxiety and improve the immune system.  Guided imagery helps the mind to direct the body’s energy better for the goal of pain relief.

Pain Management Technique #10: Biofeedback

Biofeedback is a therapy that uses a variety of relaxation techniques along with essure.  Over time, it can train an individual to control their own pain.

Pain Management Technique #11: Biomesotherapy

Biomesotherapy is a type of therapy that uses homoeopathic products and the stimulation of specific points of the body with a saline solution via injections.  Most injections are given under the skin or into the muscles.  Biomesotherapy stimulates the body’s cutivisceral response and oral homoeopathic medicines are given orally at the same time and this medicine focuses on the organ or illness that needs treating.  It stimulates the body’s own natural healing mechanisms.instruments that monitor the individual’s responses to a particular therapy.  After several treatments, biofeedback trains the body to consciously regulate autonomic functions such as heart rate and blood pressure.  Over time, it can train an individual to control their own pain.

Pain Management Technique #11: Biomesotherapy

Biomesotherapy is a type of therapy that uses homoeopathic products and the stimulation of specific points of the body with a saline solution via injections.  Most injections are given under the skin or into the muscles.  Biomesotherapy stimulates the body’s cutivisceral response and oral homoeopathic medicines are given orally at the same time and this medicine focuses on the organ or illness that needs treating.  It stimulates the body’s own natural healing mechanisms.

 

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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Crouse Hospital offers stress treatment - Reiki therapy

By: Andy Mattison

 

It's a great way to reduce stress and it's being offered for free at Crouse Hospital. Reiki therapy promotes healing by applying treatment to various parts of the body. Our Andy Mattison has more on how it works.

 

 
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- It's a great way to reduce stress and it's being offered for free at Crouse Hospital. Reiki therapy promotes healing by applying treatment to areas around a person's head, shoulders, stomach, legs and feet.

One session normally lasts about 20 minutes and sometimes patients can feel so relaxed they fall asleep.

Reiki therapy is a popular form of treatment on maternity patients and the staff at Crouse hospital says it's a technique that has many uses.

"Reiki we found helps a lot with pain control, decreases stress and helps with their relaxation, helps them sleep better all of which makes for a more relaxed happier patient who may be able to heal faster," said Reiki therapy program coordinator Joyce Appel.

 

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MEDITATION FOR DEPRESSION

 

Imagine you could cure depression with a therapy that was more effective and long-lasting than expensive drugs, and which did not have any side effects. These are the claims being made for a form of Buddhist meditation.

Last week, psychologists from the University of Exeter published a study into "mindfulness-based cognitive therapy" (MBCT), finding it to be better than drugs or counselling for depression. Four months after starting, three quarters of the patients felt well enough to stop taking antidepressants.

MBCT marries Eastern meditation with Western cognitive therapy. Patients are taught the simple technique over eight sessions and then practise it at home for 30 minutes a day. Professor Willem Kuyken, whose team at the Mood Disorders Centre of the University of Exeter carried out the research, says: "Anti-depressants are widely used by people who suffer from depression and that's because they tend to work. While they're very effective in helping reduce the symptoms of depression, when people come off them they are particularly vulnerable to relapse. For many people, MBCT seems to prevent that relapse. It could be an alternative to long-term antidepressant medication."

MBCT was developed in the mid-Nineties by psychologists at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Toronto to help stabilise patients' moods during and after use of antidepressants. About half of patients relapse into depression – even if they continue taking the medication. One common reason for a relapse is when a normal period of sadness turns into obsessive brooding.

"Brooding is a key feature of depression," says Mark Williams, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oxford and leader of the team that developed MBCT. "In mentally healthy people, sad thoughts pass quite quickly but in people who suffer from depression they don't. MBCT tackles brooding and teaches people to be more compassionate to themselves and others."

The MBCT technique is simple, and revolves around ''mindfulness meditation''. In this, you sit with your eyes closed and focus on your breathing. (See box for details). Concentrating on the rhythm of the breath helps produce a feeling of detachment. The idea is that you come to realise that thoughts come and go of their own accord, and that your conscious self is distinct from your thoughts. This realisation is encouraged by gentle question-and-answer sessions modelled on those in cognitive therapy.

In the University of Exeter study, funded by the Medical Research Council, 47 per cent of patients with long-term depression suffered a relapse; the figure was 60 per cent among those taking medication alone. Other studies, including two published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, had comparable outcomes. As a result, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has recommended MBCT since 2004. But NHS availability is still patchy. Many sufferers seek private treatment, with courses at Buddhist centres costing around £120.

"One of the key features of depression is that it hijacks your attention," says Prof Williams. "We all tend to bring to the forefront of our minds the thoughts and feelings that reflect our current mood. If you are sad, depressed or anxious, then you tend to remember the bad things that have happened to you and not the good. This drives you into a downward spiral that leads from sadness into a deeper depression. MBCT prevents and breaks that spiral."

1. Sit upright in a straight-backed chair, with your spine about an inch from the back of the chair, and your feet flat on the floor.

2. Close your eyes. Use your mind to watch your breath as it flows in and out. Observe your sensations without judgement. Do not try to alter your breathing.

3. After a while your mind will wander. Gently bring your attention back to your breath. The act of realising that your mind has wandered – and bringing your attention back – is the key thing.

4. Your mind will eventually become calm.

5. Repeat every day for 20–30 minutes.

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Massage for Sickle Cell Disease

13/08/2009

Massage is now being used extensively for physical as well as psychological benefits. To help publicise these benefits researchers from the at Nationwide Children's Hospital have published their ‘Journal of Paediatric Psychology’ that illustrates how effective massage has been in the areas of  physical medicine, rehabilitation and with organ transplants patients.
 
The journal especially highlights the effectiveness of massage in dealing with depression, pain and anxiety experienced in children who had Sickle Cell Disease.
 
Sickle Cell Disease is a genetic disorder affecting the red blood cells, altering their shape and texture. The children’s hospital used massage and encouraged the children’s’ parents to also provide a massage service to the children. They trained 18 parents of children with Sickle Cell Disease in the art of massage using trained massage therapists. The results say Kathleen Lemanek, PhD, and Mark Ranalli, MD were very successful as the children experienced a reduction in pain, depression and anxiety after being massaged by their parents.

Dr. Ranalli, who is a doctor in Haematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant, said "Massage is an inexpensive and easy way to manage pain, which is a big part of having Sickle Cell Disease." He further elaborated on the benefits by revealing the alternative to massage. He said "Pain management for Sickle Cell Disease typically includes hydration, nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drugs and narcotics. Massage as a pain management technique can relax the muscles, increase circulation and help medication take a more effective route."
 
Paediatric psychologist from Nationwide Children's Hospital, Dr. Lemanek, issued some cautions regarding the blanket use of massage, saying "It's important to note that massage may not be right for all patients with Sickle Cell Disease or even patients who may suffer from chronic pain," and that "You have to consider personal characteristic and comfort levels of both the parents and child first before determining if massage is right."

 Dr. Lemanek, who is an Ohio State University College of Medicine faculty member said, "Even though parents' anxiety levels were increased, parents from the study said they would continue to use massage as a pain management tool." He said this baring in mind that "When your kids are in pain, despite medication, and parents feel hopeless like they have exhausted all options, massage can help them feel in control of the disease. When your child looks at you in pain, massage gives you the opportunity to do something to actively try and help.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160546.php

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ADHD Symptoms Reduced by Meditation

A study involving school children revealed that regular meditation practice reduces ADHD by 50%. ADHD is a condition on epidemic proportions. Although the pharmaceutical companies were quick to label it a medical condition that was in need of drugs, many experts believe it is more to do with lifestyle and diet than it is with biology.

To find a non invasive, non pharmaceutical aid to ADHD, a group of medical experts conducted a trial on middle school level children with ADHD who were requested to practice transcendental meditation two times a day.

Cognitive learning specialist Sarina J. Grosswald, Ed.D from George Washington University who was also the study leader, said "The effect was much greater than we expected," in that "The children also showed improvements in attention, working memory, organization, and behaviour regulation."

On describing in more detail the immediate benefits of the meditation sessions, she said "teachers reported they were able to teach more, and students were able to learn more because they were less stressed and anxious."

Study co-author, Professor William Stixrud a clinical neuropsychologist indicated to previous research that told how ADHD children had brains that developed slower and in turn were less equipped to deal with stress. He said "Stress interferes with the ability to learn - it shuts down the brain."

When the topic of pharmaceuticals came up as a way of dealing with ADHD, Strixrud said "Medication for ADHD is very effective for some children, but it is marginally or not effective for others. Even for those children who show improved symptoms with the medication, the improvement is often insufficient or accompanied by troubling side effects,"

To summarise the expected benefits from the study, Grosswald said "What's significant about these new findings is that among children who have difficulty with focus and attention, we see the same results. TM doesn't require concentration, controlling the mind or disciplined focus. The fact that these children are able to do TM, and do it easily shows us that this technique may be particularly well suited for children with ADHD."

The study and results are to be published in the Current Issues in Education journal.

Another study dedicated to transcendental meditation and ADHD is planned and will be funded with £1.4 million.

 

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The British College of Integrated Medicine
The Integrated Health Trust, formed in November 2007, announced its first achievement - the formation of the British College of Integrated Medicine which will start its first courses to educate doctors and nurses in all aspects of the IM model in January 2009. This course will be run by IM pioneers Dr Rosy Daniel and Dr Mark Atkinson and other leaders in the IM field. It will be professionally validated by the team of Professor Karol Sikora at his innovative Medical School at the University of Buckingham.

Integrated healthcare combines the very best of all medicines -

 

orthodox, complementary*,

psychological*, nutritional,

spiritual* and self-help*

 

 - for the care of the sick and the prevention of illness. IM practitioners treat the cause and not just the symptoms of illness and enhance the self-healing potential of the body, mind and spirit.

 

* all these treatments are available from

'Healing In The Workplace'

please contact us for details on

info@healingintheworkplace.co.uk

Professor Karol Sikora, Clinical Dean at Buckingham University and Medical Director of Cancer Partners UK* is one of the Trust’s advisors, and will be speaking at the launch about the importance of Integrated Medicine in the UK. He said: “This is a remarkable and ambitious initiative aiming to bring IM into routine use throughout healthcare in Britain. .... new approaches can be found to return people to health with simpler and cheaper holistic strategies.”

Mac Jeffery, a beneficiary of integrated medicine who will be speaking at the launch, said:  “Integrated Medicine has played such an important part in my survival from cancer. I have received excellent orthodox treatment, accessed the best in complementary therapy and on the way met some amazing practitioners.

Integrated Medicine has focused on 'all of me' not just my illness and given me strategies to take control of my life and health.”