What exactly are the benefits of receiving massage or bodywork treatments? Useful for all of the conditions listed below and more, massage can:

Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.

Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays. Ease medication dependence.

Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body's natural defense system. Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.

Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts. Improve the condition of the body's largest organ—the skin.

Increase joint flexibility. Lessen depression and anxiety.

Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.

Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation. Reduce post surgery adhesions and swelling.

Reduce spasms and cramping. Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles. Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body's natural painkiller. Relieve migraine pain.

 

There's no denying the power of bodywork. Regardless of the adjectives we assign to it (pampering, rejuvenating, therapeutic) or the reasons we seek it out (a luxurious treat, stress relief, pain management), massage therapy can be a powerful ally in your healthcare regimen.

 

Experts estimate that upwards of ninety percent of disease is stress related. And perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. While eliminating anxiety and pressure altogether in this fast-paced world may be idealistic, massage can, without a doubt, help manage stress.

This translates into: Decreased anxiety. Enhanced sleep quality.

Greater energy. Improved concentration. Increased circulation.

Reduced fatigue. Furthermore, clients often report a sense of perspective and clarity after receiving a massage. The emotional balance bodywork provides can often be just as vital and valuable as the more tangible physical benefits.

 

In response to massage, specific physiological and chemical changes cascade throughout the body, with profound effects. Research shows that with massage: Arthritis sufferers note fewer aches and less stiffness and pain. Asthmatic children show better pulmonary function and increased peak air flow. Burn injury patients report reduced pain, itching, and anxiety. High blood pressure patients demonstrate lower diastolic blood pressure, anxiety, and stress hormones. Premenstrual syndrome sufferers have decreased water retention and cramping. Preterm infants have improved weight gain. Research continues to show the enormous benefits of touch—which range from treating chronic diseases, neurological disorders, and injuries, to alleviating the tensions of modern lifestyles. Consequently, the medical community is actively embracing bodywork, and massage is becoming an integral part of hospice care and neonatal intensive care units. Many hospitals are also incorporating on-site massage practitioners and even spas to treat postsurgery or pain patients as part of the recovery process.

 

Getting a massage can do you a world of good. And getting massage frequently can do even more. This is the beauty of bodywork. Taking part in this form of regularly scheduled self-care can play a huge part in how healthy you'll be and how youthful you'll remain with each passing year. Budgeting time and money for bodywork at consistent intervals is truly an investment in your health. And remember: just because massage feels like a pampering treat doesn't mean it is any less therapeutic. Consider massage appointments a necessary piece of your health and wellness plan, and work with your practitioner to establish a treatment schedule that best meets your needs.

 

 

 

 

 

Throughout history, the process of ear candling has changed little. The hygienist begins with a hollow candle that’s made of unbleached muslin (often immersed in an aromatic herbal solution, and then dried) and shaped into a cone and dipped in beeswax. Candles made with paraffin are not used. Paraffin can cause irritation to the eyes and nose, and some people are allergic to it. For this reason, only imported beeswax candles are used made from unbleached muslin – the purest, most natural candles possible. The cost of the candle is more, but the health and safety of the client is always the only consideration.

Benefits

Excessive earwax buildup can cause discomfort, headaches, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), or vertigo. Ear Candling may help alleviate these conditions. Also, ear candling may draw out fungus, infection, candida, and other debris from the outer and inner ear canals and the Eustachian tube through osmosis.

 

However, ear candling should be thought of as a home remedy. While many have found it safe and effective, as well as meditative, it should not replace medical treatment.

History

Ear Candling (also known as coning or ear funneling) has been practiced for centuries. It dates back as far as biblical times when hollow reeds from swamp areas were used. It has been passed down for many generations by the Egyptians, the Oriental and European cultures.

It can be traced back to the ancient times when the Greeks and Egyptians used it as a folk remedy to improve clarity and focus. Ear Candling was also practiced in cultures as diverse as the Tibetan monks and ancient Mayans. The process was basically lost to common knowledge for many years but has come into practice again and is being used by a wide cross section of people. Today, Ear Candling is performed around the world.