Thursday, February 14, 2008

Massage Therapy - Rejuvenating Your Body And Mind

Every day it seems as if there is a new health rejuvenation technique being introduced, but massage therapy has stood the test of time and remains one of the most popular and effective ways to make yourself feel better. The use of massage to cure various body ailments has long been used. This therapy has been extensively practiced in countries like India, Japan, China, Arabia, etc. over the centuries. It aims to relax the muscles of the body and refresh the mind through skillful manipulating the muscles of the body. This may sometimes involve various types of herbal oils and other such products. It is most effective in relieving back pain, muscle pain, muscle stress and tension.

Massage is the natural reaction to a pain in any part of the body. The touch of human hands increases the blood circulation in the body and relives of the pain. The most common form of massage and one of the most ancient types that exists is the ayurvedic massage. This involves massage at specific spots with the use of specific techniques with or without the use of ayurvedic oils. It is said to have originated in India. Just remember that to get the maximum benefit, you should visit a licensed massage therapist who is reputable.

Massage can rejuvenate your body and your mind. It aims to release all tension and stress from your body. If you have an injury like a muscle pull or a strain or maybe even a clot, then a good massage on those parts of the body will help you to get rid of the strain and speed up the healing process. It improves the circulation of blood, and also aids in the secretion of necessary hormones. This helps in the correct functioning of the body and at the same time, it relaxes the brain by relaxing the body.

Certainly there is a lot of hype surrounding massage now, but is also the most effective technique of relaxation. Touch based massages are generally more effective than machine based massages. Massaging with various oils increases the effectiveness of the massage many times over. The hormone cortisol is reduced in the body during a session. This hormone is the main cause of pain, irritability, headaches and other symptoms. Regular abdomen and full body massage helps in increasing ones digestive capabilities. Also, a good massage will increase the range of motion in one's joints. This is a great help to patients who are suffering from arthritis. In fact, for people suffering from arthritis, massage is often recommended as a regular treatment.

The degree of benefit of massage therapy greatly depends upon the skill of the therapist. An experienced therapist can magically rejuvenate the tired and worn out parts of the body. Massage, along with yoga, can bring about many positive changes in life. The therapists can be visited at a spa or sometimes a professional can even be called to your home to give a proper full body massage in the comfort of your own house.

Massage therapy has stood the test of time. New techniques to rejuvenate you health are being introduced almost every day, yet massage remains one of the most popular ways to relieve stress and tension while also providing healing in ways we have only recently begun to understand.

To learn more about the many benefits of massage therapy visit http://www.full-body-massage-therapy.com, a popular website devoted to techniques designed to relieve stress and make you feel better. You'll learn about the different types of massage including the benefits of a simple foot massage.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ned_D'Agostino

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Scientists: 25% of people cannot drop smoking

The Canadian scientists proved that the successful result of tobacco addiction treatment depends on genetic traits of each individual. Consequently, the antismoking medication doesn’t always have the desired effect.

This discovery was made in the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Canada. The research findings were published in Biological Psychiatry.

It was found out that the enzymes that take part in the antismoking drugs assimilation by human organism differ at the genetic level of various ethnic groups very much, that influence the efficiency of that pernicious addiction control.

The analysis of these findings demonstrated that not only difficulties of the nicotine withdrawal syndrome flowing but also the efficiency of drugs applied for its treatment depends on genetic factor, i.e. the CYP'B6 gene form.

The scientists found out that tobacco users with low-active gene form (that is carried by 25% of people) cannot quit their pernicious habit incomparably longer than smokers with ordinary CYP'B6 form.

This discovery will help scientists in establishing various treatment strategies, specific for each patient.

What you Need to Know About Skin Care Product Labels

When you shop for an aromatherapy body lotion, or other skin care product, you might look at the label to see what it’s made of in the hope of determining how it will affect your skin. Yet, if you are like the rest of the population, you probably have little idea what those ingredients on the label actually do! Your next course of action may be to read the claims on the package. Unfortunately, as this article will teach you, you can’t always rely on these claims as there are few, if any, government standards and enforcement associated with them, which can create a problem for you, the consumer, particularly, as you will learn, if you are buying an aromatherapy skin care product.

Claim 1: Dermatologist Tested

This is a great claim that is made by beauty products to breed confidence in you, the user. For instance, it could say, “Tested by a dermatologist on dry skin.” Unfortunately, while this claim sounds good, it gives you really little useful information. To begin with, you wouldn’t have the faintest idea which dermatologist was responsible for the testing and analysis. Further, you most likely wouldn’t know the qualifications of said dermatologist. You could rightfully ask yourself, with no answer, “Did this dermatologist have experience with testing? Was she well educated? “ Also, you wouldn’t have the foggiest what said dermatologist actually tested for. Finally, without a huge amount of research, if it were even possible, you couldn’t tell who funded the tests. If the consumer product company that manufactured the skin care product you are looking to buy paid for the testing, it would be difficult for it to be an unbiased test.

Claim 2: Hypoallergenic Product

According to Dictionary.com, hypoallergenic is defined as, “designed to reduce or minimize the possibility of an allergic response, as by containing relatively few or no potentially irritating substances.” Unfortunately, there is no government enforced or encoded standard that a company has to meet to make this claim. This is made more troubling with any aromatherapy skin care product. That’s because any such product contains essential oils, which, when applied to the skin, can cause severe reactions in certain people, assuming they have an allergy to the particular essential oil in use.

Claim 3: Laboratory Tested

Like Dermatologist Tested, Laboratory Tested provides little value. You’d have neither knowledge of the lab’s qualifications, nor what it tested for. For example, the laboratory might not have tested for an allergy that you have, which is, again, particularly troublesome when buying an aromatherapy skin care product. Additionally, without knowledge of who funded the test, you couldn’t tell how impartial it was.

Unfortunately, given the complex ingredients found in skin care products, you often have to rely on the benefits and claims made by the manufacturer. But, as you learned, claims including Dermatologist Tested, Hypoallergenic, and Laboratory Tested offer little meaning for you. Consequently, it’s important that you not only research the product online, but also, if concerned, ask your doctor about it. Let’s face it, your skin is important, which is why you are willing to pay for expensive aromatherapy body lotion or other specialized skin care products. So, to keep your skin looking nice, research your products before you buy and apply.
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