One Litre of Warm Oil = Indian Massage Bliss

There are a couple of healing systems that have been perpetually in use over the past several thousand years. Can you name them?

If you guessed Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda you would be correct. But did you know that both consider massage treatment to be an integral part of these two respective healing arts?

This image shows a similar setting to
the massage I experienced in India.

While I was in India last year I experience Ayurvedic massage a couple of times for relaxation. The process involved a lot of warm sesame oil and some massage principals I was not accustomed to. The result, however, was delightfully oily and blissfully soothing.

Ayurveda, or Science of Life, as it translates from the Sanskrit, is understood as the art of living harmony with nature and has been practiced continuously for over 5,000 years. Ayurvedic practices are known to restore balance and harmony in the individual, resulting in self-healing, good health, and longevity. 

Ayurvedic treatments aim to treat the root of the cause of the ailment, not just to suppress the symptoms. The use of medicinal herbs, diet, pranayama (breathing exercises), spiritual and bodily cleansing, asanas (yoga postures) and abhyanga (oil massage) are some of the common modalities used in achieving wellness under the supervision of an Ayurvedic doctor.

Ayurvedic theory asserts that each human possesses a unique combination of doshas which are mind/body constitutions that define a person's temperament and characteristics. When a person is ill, it is thought that one of their doshas is overly dominant, causing an imbalance of the three constitutions. A perfectly healthy person is thought to have an evenly balanced Vata-Pitta-Kapha doshic constitution. It is very common to have a dual constitution, or have your constitution change depending on the time of year or time of life.

Discover your dosha by taking an online quiz here or here.

When working with an Ayurvedic doctor practitioner, your doshic constitution is always carefully considered before choosing herbal, dietary, exercise, and lifestyle prescriptions. Ayurvedic practitioners regard physical and mental existence a unit, each element having the capacity to influence the others. 

Abhyanga, 'Oil Massage' in Sanskrit, is a form of Ayurvedic medicine that involves massage of the body with large amounts of warm oil - up to a litre - and the oil is often pre-medicated with herbs for specific conditions.  Abhyanga can be done as part of the steps of a greater therapeutic plan or as its own therapy. Abhyanga is often performed by two or more practitioners working in sync. Oils used can vary depending on the season and the individual's constitution. Commonly used oils include sesame, coconut, sunflower, mustard, and almond. In addition to the copious application of oil, abhyanga massage differs from many Western therapeutic massage techniques in that it is not very deep or specific, but achieves influence with long rhythmic, repetitive strokes.

With Ayurveda being the oldest recorded healing system I am inspired to learn more about these methods. But don't worry, I won't suddenly don my turban or sari and pour warm oil all over you with out warning. For now, my clinical practice is safely harboured in the realms of western therapeutic massage.

If you are interested in experiencing Ayurvedic style massage in Vancouver, Vida Spa offers a selection of luxurious Ayurvedic massage treatments in their downtown locations. The dosha-specific all natural aromatherapy products used are manufactured in Richmond. Keeping it local is always good.

See you in the clinic or the spa,
Dana

A Peek at my Mumbai-Udaipur Adventure in 2012

Our kind eyed veggie wallah ensured daily fresh papaya for our lunch.

My Mumbikar glass bangle wallah.
With over-sized hands, I required the enormous-sized bangles be hauled from secret storage.
Read more about my giant hands here.

Who knew that curb-side holy cows had such a resemblance to Mick Jagger?

The lovely ladies who made the very best pakoras I've ever tasted.

Be-decked in farewell garlands from our new friends
my traveling companion and I head to the airport in a tuk-tuk.

 

Ayurvedic Practitioners I have the pleasure of knowing: 

• Asrael Zemenick lives on Vancouver Island and introduced me to abhayanga many years ago. She has dedicated many years to learning this ancient healing system in it's motherland, India. Visit Ananda Ayurveda to learn more about her services and expertise.
• Angie Inglis is a Vancouver Ayurvedic practitioner, yoga instructor and singer/songwriter. She's a really awesome and talented chick and you should visit her website: Rediscovery Vitality.

 Recommended reading on Ayurveda:

• Dr. David Frawley, Ayurvedic Healing: A Comprehensive Guide
• Vasant Lad, Textbook of Ayurveda

Sources:
http://www.greennbrown.com/eco-friendly/ayurveda-did-you-know-this/
http://www.sexyradiantlife.com/stay-cool-in-the-summer-heat/
http://www.temptingplaces.com/travel-magazine-en/culture-guide-india/medecine-ayurveda/

What Massage Does - Improves Your Running Performance

This Sunday is the ever-popular Vancouver Sun Run. Apparently there's a few things one must do to consider themselves a true Vancouverite, and participating in this event is one of such cornerstones that define one's right to call oneself a real, true local. I was born in BC, I've been a coastal resident for the past twelve years, and a Vancouver resident for the past four and I'm still far from being considered a Vancouverite as per the definition. I've only hiked the Grouse Grind once, don't own a single Lulu Lemon product, and have never even considered participating in the Sun Run. I do, however, know a thing or two about the applied anatomy of running injuries for those of you running your way to true Vancouverite status this weekend.

Talk to your RMT about supporting your training regime. Within a visit or two massage therapy can:

• Improve your breathing function by promoting muscle balance among your primary and secondary muscles of respiration.
• Alleviate low back pain caused by tight gluteal, hip flexor or quad muscles. Massage can help by releasing the problem muscles and by decompressing the spine.
• Speed the recovery of sore muscles by helping to rid lactic acid from tissues, promoting parasympathetic response, and the stimulating immune response.
• Prevent and treat muscle spasms through clearing metabolites from the tissues by increasing circulation.
• Decrease pain perception by stimulating the release of endorphins which also helps speed recovery from injury.
• Reduce inflammation and increases cellular function (Read this study about some poor athletes who were exercised to the point of exhaustion and then subjected to muscle biopsies of their thigh muscles with big syringes. The scientists discovered that massage does indeed speed recovery from exercise.) The CBC looked at how massage aids muscle healing in this article published last year. They found that massage helps relieve pain in damaged muscles by sending anti-inflammation messages to muscle cells.
• Treat orthopedic conditions including shin splints (unmistakable burning shin pain), iliotibial band syndrome (which can often be experienced as hip or knee pain), plantar fasciitis (severe stabbing pain felt on the sole of the foot, a type of tendonitis), achilles tendonitis (pain at the back of the ankle), piriformis syndrome (literally, a pain in the butt).

You can almost see the clinic from this view in Stanley Park.

Don't overlook the importance of adequate warm-up, cool-down, and stretching; all have equal importance in thorough training. Learn a simple warm-up stretch with one of the StayFitAnywhere trainers here.

Oceanside Wellness Centre is conveniently located near the edge of Stanley Park's beautiful running trails - at the intersection of Alberni & Denman streets. Stop in to book an appointment next time you run by.

Resident of Vancouver if not yet a Vancouverite,
Dana 



Image Sources
- http://www.2tomscanada.com/2012/08/14/what-to-do-when-you-think-you-might-have-a-running-injury/
- http://runners-h1gh.tumblr.com/

Hydro for Headaches

For an added boost add 1 cup of Epsom 
salts to your foot bath and read this.

Try this simple hydrotherapy technique at the onset of a headache or migraine.

1. Pour a hot foot bath (as hot as you can take it) in a container that accommodates enough water to submerge your feet as deep as possible, ideally half way up your calves. 
2. Prepare an ice pack. Wrap it in a dry towel if it has no insulation between your skin and the ice.
3. Seat yourself in a comfy chair and submerge your feet in the hot bath and place the ice pack on the portion of your head that is painful.
4. Relax, and take deep breaths. Remain here until the foot bath has cooled, approximately 15-20 minutes.
   

If you have sensory impairment, please use extreme caution when applying hydrotherapy treatments. Consult your doctor if you are uncertain about the appropriateness of hydrotherapy.

How does it work?

Although there are many causes of headaches, most have to do with the congestion of blood in the cranium. The hydrotherapy technique described above directly affects the body's circulation with the cold application constricting the blood vessels in the chilled area, flushing the circulation and heat drawing blood to the warmed area, causing a dilation of blood vessels in the the body's attempt to cool this part of the body. When these two applications are used simultaneously the congested blood is drawn from the head and redistributed to the rest of the body. Ice also has an analgesic effect when left in place for longer applications (10+ minutes), further reducing the headache pain.

Is it effective?

I used this hydrotherapy approach successfully one morning when I woke with a thumping headache. It was inspiring to actually feel the contrast temperatures draining my swollen head, pulling the excess blood toward my asymptomatic feet. I paired this approach with the topical application of a pepperminty aromatherapy remedy to my temples and hair line. Within 25 minutes I was able to function nearly pain free and I hadn't touched the bottle of ibuprofen that was calling to me from the bathroom cabinet. Even if it is necessary to use some form of pain killer, this hydro treatment can aid your recovery, speeding your return to work and play.

Please share your experiences with using this technique the next time you are unfortunate enough to experience a headache.

Oceanside Wellness Centre is currently looking at bringing in a line of custom blended aromatherapy products - including a headache remedy - for sale in the clinic. I'll keep you posted!

See you in the clinic,
Dana




Sources:

• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-505438/Munch-banana-lie-right--surprise-ways-beat-hangover.html
• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brooklyn_Museum_-_Foot_Bath_-_John_R._Frazier_-_overall.jpg

In My Past Life

.

My fascination with the human form didn't begin while studying massage therapy. It was Renaissance painters such as Leonardo DaVinci who first inspired pre-school aged me back when I thumbed through the pages of our Encyclopedia Britannica in the loft library of our big old farm house. It was these masters who first showed me the beauty of the human form in a way that even this five year old could plainly see. And then there were the pages of impressionists and abstract artists who took all that came before them and pushed the traditional artistic boundaries. It was all so exciting! I wanted so badly to do what they did.

It was a couple decades, a child, some ducks, a few gardens, a small business, many painted canvasses, and a tiny artisan built caravan in the woods before I paired my fascination and skills in 2008 to paint the series of images that became Immediate Landscapes. These oil paintings explore the human body as land forms from the perspective of the model in a modernist, figurative painter sort of way.

Attending a cadaver lab as part of my anatomy training allowed me to join the worlds of anatomist and artist. While in the lab I couldn't help but imagine what conditions the early doctors and anatomists conducted cadaver dissections in. Although very permeating, I was grateful for the modern day use of fomaldehyde on these lab coat and latex glove days in the lab.

Now looking at the work of DaVinci, I see not only the delicacy of his artistic hand, but also the accuracy of an anatomist. Certainly the in-depth attention to anatomy and physiology required for my training has deepened my interest in the human form, but my paintbrush currently lies idle.

Completing this series was made possible thanks to the photographic talents of Jennifer Armstrong, who captured the perspectives of the body for me to paint from. Please take the time to visit her website gallery of incredible moments that she has captured on film.

If you are interested, a printed copy of the Immediate Landscapes series is available for viewing in the Oceanside Wellness Centre waiting room.

See you in the clinic.
Dana

Immediate Landscapes

Convergence
Oil on canvas 20"x20"

Study for Surface
Oil on canvas 16"x16"

Study for Erosion
Oil on canvas 16"x16" 

Study for Shift
Oil on canvas 16"x16"

Study for Fracture
Oil on canvas 16"x16"

Study for Fold
Oil on canvas 16"x16"

Shift
Oil on canvas 20"x20"

Skinny Jeans Too Tight for Your Health?

How tight is too tight?

Could your clothing be affecting your health? Meralgia paresthetica is a condition caused by the compression of the femoral cutaneous nerve resulting in loss of sensation in the thigh. This nerve runs close to the surface of the skin from the pelvis over the side and front of your thigh. If compressed it can cause tingling, burning, and numbness in its area of distribution. Previously constriction of this nerve was a concern for a select few: workers wearing heavy tool belts, pregnant women, or obese individuals. But recently, with the skinny trend on the rise, the incidence of this peripheral nerve entrapment has increased to include healthy women with a skinny jean habit.  

When wearing your skinnies the restrictive denim can crush the femoral cutaneous nerve and slow conduction of sensation to the brain. Wearing high heels - a choice fashion accompaniment to skinny jeans - tilts the pelvis forward and only increases pressure on the nerve making the situation worse. Fortunately this condition does not usually leave permanent damage. The nerve affected is purely a sensory nerve and no muscle control is lost.

Did Debbie Harry suffer
from this condition as she
rocked the original tight
denim of the 70's?

If you suspect that your favorite skinnies might be hindering your nerve conduction, consider trading them in for a style with more stretch. Bless-ed be are we who live in the era of stretch denim. Yay for jeggings! Our suffering is likely less than that of our predecessors - like Debby Harry - who only had access to 100% cotton denim. Oh, how those few percentages of lycra may have helped the neurological health of millions!

You could also consider trading the skinnies for another style - I hear overalls are hot again this spring!

If your symptoms persist after modifying your attire, seek advice from a health professional. A massage therapist can assist in the recovery of meralgia paresthetica with the skillful use of myofascial release and manual lymph drainage.

See you in the clinic,
Dana

Meralgia paresthetica in the news!

Sources

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfl4He3NC9s
• http://www.nbcnews.com/id/30870617/#.UUV4fxmlyoE
• http://orphansshop.blogspot.ca/2009/04/brief-history-of-skinny-jeans-1980s.html
• https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLiwXwP9ONJqgAJK0LVex1vap63SXoGI5lB5XolR00GMFK7IabJN7UtEw7_ASM-PGf-KrN37aTKZ4kyqgRm_maMNosDdm0xEFBz2qRuocuqly3sg-YJrrHGtJKCnS9U787gdhF5Uibfm0/s1600/Debbie+Dingwalls+BW+19.jpg
• http://meralgiaparesthetica.wordpress.com/ 
• http://beatifnik.wordpress.com/category/fashion/

What Massage Does - Lowers Blood Pressure

Known as "The Silent Killer" because of it's insidious onset, high blood pressure (aka: hypertension) can seriously affect your overall health. Many of the symptoms of high blood pressure are not visible until it is very advanced, sometimes resulting in stroke or heart attack. Learn more about how hypertension impacts your health here.

Typical ways of managing elevated BP include exercise and a balanced diet that is low in animal fats. But here's the good news: massage therapy has also been shown to lower blood pressure!

Hypertensive individuals can expect a decrease in their systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings after receiving massage treatment. The Touch Institute further explains their findings here. Their results were partially found by measuring the amount of a stress hormone known as cortisol found in a patient before and after massage. 

Like a water slide, arteries should be free of obstructions.
Not only is it more fun for the blood cells, it's also healthier.

Three ways relaxation massage reduces blood pressure:

1. Relaxation stimulates parasympathetic nervous system function.
   Your body relies on a balance of parasympathetic (rest & digest) and sympathetic (fight & flight) nervous system functions. But when the sympathetics are firing at a higher rate than the parasympathetics, one result is heightened blood pressure. If you spend time in deep relaxation you are less stressed and your blood pressure lowers - simple as that.
2. Massage stimulates the peripheral blood vessels to dilate.
   Repeated stroking of the limbs mechanically aids the peripheral blood vessels to open, thereby increasing the area in which blood can circulate. This is where the garden hose analogy comes in: imagine the difference in flow between a skinny hose versus a wider hose. The skinny hose would spray water at a higher pressure. Now, if you massaged that skinny hose in a warm environment the walls of the hose would soften and the water pressure would decrease because it has more room to flow. Relaxing the body relaxes the vessels making more room for blood and thereby reducing BP.


3. Endorphins are released during massage which lowers the production of stress hormones.
   Endorphins, commonly known as "The Feel Good Hormones", are in circulation during and after a massage, explaining why it is widely accepted that you feel so good after a massage. When feel good hormones are in ample supply there's few stress hormones at work.

Artery walls contain muscle that respond to stress signals.
A high stress lifestyle & dietary intake of foods that cause
plaques increase your risk of hypertension.

So there you have it: relaxation massage will lower your blood pressure and help to keep you happy and healthy and that's some of the best preventative medicine out there! Yet another great reason to see your massage therapist regularly. As with most therapies, massage requires regular dosing in order to experience lasting effects. Why not book a series of treatments?

Registered massage therapists of BC are trained to provide safe and effective treatments to those diagnosed with hypertension by modifying technique and positioning. If you are uncertain if massage therapy is appropriate for you, seek advice from your primary care provider. However, you do not need a referral to see a massage therapist.

See you in the clinic.
Dana


Sources: 

• http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/ss/slideshow-visual-guide-to-heart-disease
• http://www.besthealthmag.ca/get-healthy/blood-pressure/why-hypertension-is-a-silent-killer
• http://www.besthealthmag.ca/get-healthy/blood-pressure/how-high-blood-pressure-affects-your-body 

Blocked Sinuses? Try this.

 Four simple steps to easy breathing:

1. Push your tongue against the top of your mouth.
2. Place the heel of your hand between your eyebrows and apply gentle steady pressure.
3. Hold for about 20 seconds.
4. Your sinuses will begin to drain.

The delicate bone and fascial structures between the two points of pressure can be influenced by this compression. The result is a gentle facial stretch that provides the opportunity for congested sinuses to drain, making breathing easier.

Give it a try, and let me know if it worked for you.


See you in the clinic.
Dana

  Sources: 

• http://healthyliving-x.blogspot.ca/2012/10/sinusitis-symptoms-diagnosis-treatment.html

• http://www.healthhype.com/sinus-cavities-paranasal-sinuses-location-anatomy-pictures.html

Hot and Cold for Health

Take a cold shower to feel
energized & ready to rock your world.

It's that time of year where tissues, hot tea, and blankets are in high demand as our immune systems are working hard to stave off the ever-morphing rhinovirus, aka: the common cold.
Here's a simple way to help your body's defense system kick into turbo drive.

1. Take a hot shower to warm your body deeply.
2. Take a deep breath and harness your bravery.
3. Set the water to cool/cold for 30 seconds. Squeal "Eeek!" as needed.
4. Turn the water back to warm/hot for 3 minutes. "Ahhh."
5. Return the water to cool/cold for 30 seconds. "Eeek!"
6. If you have the stamina, time, and sense of adventure continue alternating between hot "Ahhh" and cold "Eeek" for a total of three times, ending on"Eeek."

For best effects, have the cold water run on all of your limbs, abdomen, back, and anterior neck and chest. Rinse your head when you are ready, it's breathtaking and the ultimate "Eeek" of all. Once you begin contrast showering regularly you will find yourself craving the flushing effects this hydrotherapy process provides.

Don't let the rhinovirus get you down!

Generally speaking, hydrotherapy promotes the body’s innate ability to heal itself and return it to a state of balance. Hydrotherapy techniques are meant to stimulate the function of white blood cells, change the body’s pH, increase movement and secretion of metabolites, expand and contract blood vessels to move blood and lymph, reduce inflammation, help to regulate blood pressure, and increase peripheral circulation. If it's not apparent, understand that these are all really good things that help your body maintain optimum health.

If you read my previous blog post on contrast bathing for the limbs, then the concept of providing a circulatory whip for your blood and lymphatic systems will be familiar.

Please use your common sense when applying this technique and consult your doctor first if you have concerns about whether this is appropriate for you.

This guy was the founder
of modern hydrotherapy

If you are inspired by this topic and old books, as I am, you can view the 1898 publication of Life of Vincent Priessnitz Founder of Hydropathy here.

Be well & see you in the clinic.
Dana



Sources:  

•  Another blogger's testimonial of her experience with cold showers: http://www.englishmuse.com/2012/06/cold-showers.html
• http://wellwire.com/health/cold-flu-health/hydrotherapy-immune-booster
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincenz_Priessnitz
• http://www.topnews.in/healthcare/content/-21270scientists-chart-sequence-99-cold-virus-strains

Foster Care India & The Necessity of Touch

Babies need loving touch for healthy development

It's a fact: children need to experience touch not only to learn how to show their feelings appropriately but also to promote their healthy development. More often than not, families provide our first experiences of physical contact; we learn how to love and be loved by familial displays of affection, often involving touch. Studies have shown that babies have depressed levels of hormones when living in situations where little physical contact is given such as an orphanage. The hormone oxytocin is released in the body of a person experiencing safe and friendly touch, which has influence on healthy emotional development including caring, communication and stress regulation. Children who have not had enough physical attention are at higher risk for behavioral, emotional, and social problems later in life.

Ian's infectious smile outshines even lovely Udaipur

When traveling in India last April
I was fortunate to have crossed paths with a child well-fare visionary named Ian Anand Forber-Pratt. Adopted as a baby from Calcutta by American parents, was educated mostly in Saint Louis and attended Washington University's Brown School of Social work. A couple of years ago he returned to India with a masters degree in social work to live full-time and fulfill his dream of developing a foster care system for orphaned children. This is a completely new concept in a country where the orphanage model has always been followed.

The caste system, a form of social stratification that governs which jobs a person may perform and who they may associate with, still exists in India. This further complicates how an orphaned child is able to operate in society as, without family they have no caste. Foster Care India hopes to modify how these societal tethers affect orphaned children by providing the opportunity for them to function in a family environment and gain skills to eventually integrate into society. With a home where these kids can experience regular, friendly, familial touch they will be on the path toward being happy, healthy individuals.

Learn more about this revolutionary new organization

I have a lot of amazing people in my life and Ian is one of them. His tireless work and honest passion towards this cause is a great inspiration to me. I'm so very glad that he's out there making the world a better place. It's working.

In the spirit of British Columbia's newest stat holiday, Happy Family Day!

Dana

Singing: The Internal View

Take a seriously intimate glimpse inside one artist's mind.

Sources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_964dqQxQwY&feature=player_embedded