Reflexology Massage

August 30th, 2012 admin No Comments »

I have always thought that massages were meant to alleviate pain and stress. And when I’ve heard about reflexology massage, which was just recently, I said, “What is it? And: Wow, that’s amazing! Is that something new?” Well that’s me… just unmindful about the things that happen around in the modern world.

Foot Reflexology Massage Chart

It’s nothing new, really. It has been with us since it was introduced in the United States in 1913 when Dr. William H. Fitzgerald claimed that applying pressure on regions of the feet had anesthetic effects on other areas of the body. It was then repeated over and over, and true enough, it was just as they claimed it to be.

The Reflexology Association of Canada defines reflexology as: “A natural healing art based on the principle that there are reflexes in the feet, hands and ears and their referral areas within zone related areas, which correspond to every part, gland and organ of the body. Through application of pressure on these reflexes without the use of tools, crèmes or lotions, the feet being the primary area of application, reflexology relieves tension, improves circulation and helps promote the natural function of the related areas of the body.”
The concept of reflexology massage can also be seen like this: The body organs are all interconnected through tubes/passages with nerves that make us feel the overall condition of our body. Over some time, because of work and stagnating in our office chairs, small pressure imbalances accumulate through some areas resulting to stress, irritability, or pain. Adding pressure through reflexology helps release the accumulated pressure by restoring the condition of the passages. It is like there are switches in our feet for the maintenance of the system of passages in our body.

The image above shows the different areas of the feet that when you apply pressure, has an anesthetizing effect on some corresponding organs or glands. I’ve been getting the habit of jogging twice a week and I get this good feeling after. I get to be more active during the day and tend to sleep a lot better at night. Once again, try to refer to the image above. See the “lungs”? That’s the part that I use to catch the weight of my body. Since pressure is involved in jogging whenever our feet touches the ground, there’s a hint of reflexology involved. The first thing I noticed in my case is the ease in my breathing.

Just the thought of being able to release the stress and pain of our bodies through our feet is amazing. Come on, it’s our feet! We can do all we want with them. We might as well learn to do reflexology on our own. Hahaha. Well, I don’t think it’ll be as effective as the one done by the pros but it might be better than nothing.

You can also check out this funny and informational video on YouTube!

Blue Light Therapy

August 8th, 2012 admin No Comments »

The discovery of blue light for therapeutic purposes emerged quite recently. The emergence of Blue light therapy has provided people of a non-invasive procedure for treating skin conditions such acne and skin cancer. It also help set a person’s biological clock anew and treat bipolar disorders.

Light Therapy - Spectrum of visible light

Light therapy or Heliotherapy has already been practiced since ancient times. But since knowledge and technology before were not as accumulated as what we have now, they can’t do as much. Thanks to the advancements in technology, man was able to develop tools to measure light and utilize much of range of the spectrum of white light.

Acne is a frustrating skin condition that affects people of all ages, gender, and race causing unwanted stress, embarrassment, and even low self-esteem. It’s a debilitating condition that goes way beyond the aesthetic appearance of skin. Many turn to harsh chemicals, drugs, or skin damaging lasers as a means to treat acne, but all too often they cause more unwarranted damage to the skin. Propionibacteriumspecies, one of the leading cause for acne, are usually anaerobic and nonpathogenic and are usual contaminants of blood and body-fluid cultures. They can cause several other types of skin infections and complications. Propionibacteria are responsible for the acne people usually get during puberty. They commonly found on human skin but their numbers start to drastically increase 1 to 3 years prior to sexual maturity. During this time, their numbers rise from fewer than 10/cm2 to about 106/cm2, mainly on the face and upper thorax. Blue Light therapy is a safe, non-invasive, and gentle way for treating and preventing breakouts without the use of skin damaging alternatives.

Blue light therapy is said to fight It Blue light has a wavelength of 450 to 495 nm and it falls in the higher frequency of the visible light spectrum. The wavelength range used for therapy however is 405 to 445 nm. This range of frequency is ideal to treating Propionibacterium acnes. Blue light wavelengths provide very superficial penetration even with a high intensity narrowband light source. It is primarily absorbed by the epidermis or the outermost layer of the skin. Once it is absorbed, blue light stimulates the porphyrins in the P. acnes which then produce a singlet oxygen. Since P. acnes are thrive in the absence of oxygen, bacterial death results. Blue light therapy is a natural, effective skin rejuvenation technique, and can be used for Photodynamic therapy. Red light is sometimes used with blue light for acne treatment. Red light helps speed up healing by inducing anti-inflammatory processes.

LED light therapy has been proven scientifically to help enhance the skin from inside out promoting healthier cells and functions. Blue light Therapy inhibits and even reverses mild to moderate cases of acne without harsh chemical or drugs making it a practical alternative for treating this frustrating skin condition that wreaks havoc on the skin.

From teens to adults it’s a simple way to control acne and promote a clearer and more beautiful complexion. You will wear some pair of goggles to prevent altering your body clock. It only takes a few minutes per day as you allow the blue light to influence the P. acne into killing themselves.

Mononucleosis – Kissing Disease

August 8th, 2012 admin No Comments »

Mononucleosis – Kissing Disease

I’m kind of intimidated by this term. To put it simply, mononucleosis is known as the “Mono” or “the kissing disease”. It’s a viral infection that is often spread by saliva and close contact. Although this disease may affect people of all ages, it occurs more often with teens with age ranging from 15 to 17. I think it will suck to have this kind of disease to have developed in our world, well that’s what I think it would feel for those who do a lot of unnecessary kissing with just anyone. Come to think about it, it may seem fun and pleasurable, but the thought of exchanging saliva with just anyone is still gross.

Kissing Disease Mononucleosis

Would you look at that picture? It’s like the nerdy guy got an intimate kiss from that girl, whoever she may be. Good for him. But how about we say that girl is infected with mononucleosis? Let’s call this guy Eric. When Eric came home, he started to have a headache and body pains, he thought he had caught the flu. The next day, Eric’s temperature shot to 103° F (39.4° C) and he felt as if his throat was scorched. Even worse, he was so exhausted that he could hardly get his head off the pillow. Eric had never felt this bad with any cold or flu. Eric’s mom took him to the doctor, where a physical examination and a blood test revealed that Eric had mononucleosis.

Mono (mononucleosis) is an infection caused by the EBV or the Epstein – Barr virus. EBV is very common and many people have been exposed to the virus at some point in childhood. Even though that may be so, not everyone that has been exposed to EBV develops the symptoms of mono. As with many other viruses, it’s possible to be exposed to and infected with EBV without becoming sick.

The symptoms of mono are typically just like flu but it just a little worse. Flu can be so mild that signs & symptoms of it are barely felt and they fade in a little more than a 24 hours. Flu can also make you feel like you’re dying even though it doesn’t pose much of a threat. You may have thought that just by a small chance you may have had mono but you just thought it was the typical cold or flu. Well that is especially if you did a lot of smooching with other people. You really can’t tell unless you’ve had yourself diagnosed. The doctor will check your tonsils, lymph nodes, and spleen for signs of infection, and will examine your throat for the characteristic of white coating of mono.

The people who have been infected with EBV will be carriers of the virus as long as they live, even if they never have any signs or symptoms of mono. Those people who do show symptoms of having mono more often don’t get sick or have symptoms again.

Although EBV is the most common cause of mono, another viruses, such as cytomegalovirus can cause a similar illness. Like EBV, cytomegalovirus remains in the body for life and may not cause any symptoms.

The obvious way to “catch” mono is by kissing someone who has been infected, which is how the illness got its “kissing disease” nickname. If you have never been infected with EBV, kissing someone who is infected can put you at risk for getting the disease. The chances of spreading the virus to loved ones is so high that even parents who kiss their kids goodnight put them at risk.

But what if you haven’t kissed anyone? You can still get mononucleosis through the saliva of someone infected with EBV, such as by sharing a drink, a toothbrush, an eating utensil, or even lip gloss, lipstick, or lip balm. Researchers believe that mono may be passed sexually as well.

What then should we do if supposedly we get infected with mono? Since there is no cure for mononucleosis, just get enough rest, especially during the beginning stages of the illness when symptoms are the worst. Doctors also recommend avoiding sports and roughing around for at least a month after the illness because the spleen is often enlarged temporarily while you are ill. An enlarged spleen can rupture easily, causing internal bleeding and abdominal pain and requiring emergency surgery. Put yourself to bed and pass on school, sports, and other activities. Also try to secure yourself and others by using only one set of clean utensils for eating and drinking to avoid spreading the virus. For fever, try taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen, but avoid antibiotics. Even if you’re not hungry, try to eat a well-balanced diet and drink lots of water and juices to prevent dehydration.