MyNewsletterBuilder | Massage 08/2009 (Preview)

There's no question about it: over-the-counter painkillers bring relief to millions of Americans every day for headaches, back pain, arthritis, and other common ailments. While inexpensive and convenient, these drugs aren't foolproof and may cause many harmful side effects due to their misuse or regular use over a long period of time. It's so easy just to pop into a convenience store or gas station and grab the quick fix for what ails you - but there's nothing convenient about having to spend several nights in the hospital to treat gastrointestinal problems due to Over the Counter (OTC) painkiller misuse.

"Too often, consumers just want the pain to go away, so they take more medicine than the label instructs, and they don't talk to their doctor about possible risks," says Linda Golodner, president of the National Consumers League. "But just because a medication is available without a prescription doesn't mean it's risk-free."

The reality is that most consumers don't understand the potential risks involved with the misuse of OTC non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. Use of OTC NSAIDs increases the risk of stomach bleeding by two to three times and the most serious side effects can occur without warning symptoms.

If you're suffering from chronic pain and you feel like your only salvation is an OTC painkiller, you should discuss these issues with your doctor or massage therapist. Together you can decide what treatments might be good alternatives and would benefit you in the long run. Chronic problems are better resolved when you can focus on the root cause of the symptoms. A quick pop of the pill only masks a deeper problem that could potentially be treated without jeopardizing your health even more.

Fresh, clean air is indispensable to good health and well-being; it refreshes the cells, lowers body temperature, improves lung functioning, and kills bacteria and viruses in the air. High concentrations of negative ions are essential for high energy and a positive mood. In nature, negative ions are generated by tumbling water such as waterfalls and ocean surf as well as discharge from thunder and lightning storms.

Unfortunately, the average person spends about 90% of their time indoors, often with the windows shut, breathing very little fresh air. If you spend most of your time indoors, whether by choice or not, there are some things you can do to revive the air you're breathing.

Fresh, clean, outdoor air is alive with a combination of positively and negatively charged oxygen atoms. On the other hand, indoor air that has circulated again and again through air conditioning and heating systems becomes polarized, containing only positively charged ions. Indoor air pollution comes from paint, upholstery, carpeting, wallpaper, ceiling tiles, and hundreds of other synthetic products that release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde and benzene thus making stale, stagnant air even unhealthier.

What can you do to improve the quality of the air you breathe?

The adrenals, those ever-so-important glands perched atop our kidneys, function as our stress responders. They respond by producing adrenaline, cortisol, DHEA, and aldorsterone. By design, they are meant to handle short-term stressors only and if stress is sustained, they can become overtired and depleted. Adrenals under stress can become over or under-active. In the most extreme cases, this manifests as Cushing’s syndrome or Addison's Disease -- the overproduction of cortisol or inability to secrete cortisol, respectively.

Stress can appear in physical, emotional, and/or psychological forms. These forms are triggered by common factors such as environment, personal relationships, and employment stress. Stress can be further exasperated by a lack of sleep, proper nutrition, allergies, toxins, fears, and personal insecurities. The majority of the American population is in some state of adrenal response at any given time. Because these are sustained stresses, many begin to experience some of the symptoms of adrenal stress including fatigue, altered appetite, poor sleep, slower wound healing, dizziness, high or low blood pressure, decreased immune function, thyroid stress, difficulty getting up in the morning, decreased libido, and many others.

While there are a number of adaptogenic herbs that can help return the adrenals to a healthy state and supplements that support the health of these systems as well as the body as a whole, the only way to truly relieve the strain on the adrenals is to lower the stress factors in one's life. This is yet another case in which a lifestyle change is the one true way to heal the body and restore it to full health.

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In This Issue

Effects of Over-the-Counter Pain Meds

The Importance of Fresh Air

Adrenal Stress and Health

News from my office

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Self-Massage for Hands

Hands carry more tension and take more abuse than most people ever stop to think about. That's why it's so important to take the time to give yourself hand massages. You don't need to set special time aside for this, although you certainly can, as self-massage for hands can be done anytime you don't have your hands full of something else.

To relieve stress and reduce tension in your hands:

--Begin with sweeping strokes on the back of the hand, gliding from the wrist to the fingertips and back.

--Gently squeeze the hand between flat fingers and the palm of your other hand.

--Run your thumb between the tendons on the back of the hand, rubbing from the knuckles up to the back of the wrist.

--From the knuckles to the fingertips, gently squeeze each finger, rotating each joint with slight circling motions. Pull on each finger at the tip.

--Supporting the back of the hand with the fingers (of the other hand), use your thumb to massage the palm with circular motions, using firm pressure.

--Stroke the palm from fingertip to wrist, and continuing up the arm.

Komboucha: Who, What, When, Where and Why?

Who: First recorded Kombucha tea was in China; it was later to be found in Russian and Polish cultures.

What: Kombucha tea, a tea brewed from the Kombucha culture/mushroom that is reported to have many health benefits.

When: Beginning in the late 1900s; today Kombucha teas can be purchased in most health food stores.

Where: Everywhere from home brewers to larger scale commercial producers.

Why: Kombucha is said to assist with liver function, balance the body's pH, improve digestion, prevent toxicity in the body, and increase energy levels.