Articles Index

Many people have heard of specific alternative therapies and are interested in finding out more about them; however, they would like more information to help decide whether a certain treatment will benefit them.  Therefore, this page aims to describe and explain the different therapies, in order to allow people to obtain more information, whether for personal use or for research purposes before having treatments undertaken.

The benefits of the use of essential oils is widely known.  They are so readily available on the shelves that sometimes, people pick up an oil, use it, and have no idea of its benefits or how to use it most effectively.  Therefore, this information page will provide more information about particular oils, allowing people to learn more. This will in turn help them to choose the essential oil which will benefit them the most.

Treatment Articles

Aromatherapy Massage
Indian Head Massage
Reflexology

Benefits of Massage

Managing Stress

Oils

Lavender

Articles Section

AROMATHERAPY MASSAGE.

Aromatherapy massage combines the effects of essential oils with some therapeutic Swedish massage techniques.  It aims to relax the body and to improve physical and emotional wellbeing using a specific individual blend of oils. Those oils are chosen to treat part of or the whole body, depending on the client's requirements. The Swedish massage techniques used during an aromatherapy massage have many benefits including aiding relaxation, improving circulation and lymphatic drainage, and improving muscular tension.  The essential oils also add other physical and psychological effects, depending on the specifics of the oils chosen.

INDIANHEAD MASSAGE
In India, traditional medicine is more widely used than orthodox medicine.  It aims to treat the whole body in order to create a balance between the individual's body, mind and spirit.  Massage is very central to this traditional type of medicine, to the extent that in India head massages are used for all sorts of purposes. Children are taught to give and receive massages from an early age and the technique is also used in rituals such as weddings and new births. It is also very common for men to receive head massages when they visit the barbers.  Over many years, the relaxation and stress relieving benefits of head massage have been recognised.  The West have named the traditional scalp massage used in India as the "Indian head massage".

This treatment uses and adapts traditional swedish massage techniques on the scalp, face, neck, shoulders and upper arms.  The reason the treatment is so effective for tension and stress relief is that the treatment targets the areas of the body most likely to be affected by stress.  It is also very useful for people new to massage or nervous about treatment, as the treatment is done through clothing.

Indian head massage has many benefits and it is a great treatment because although it only works on the upper body areas, the effects of the treatment can be felt throughout the body and mind. Other benefits include an increase in joint mobility and flexibility in shoulders, neck and arms.  It improves circulation, assisting in the removal of waste from muscles, particularly lactic acid, which reduces aching and stiffness. Good circulation improves the delivery of nutrients and oxygen, and speeds up the removal of waste and toxins.  The treatment is also known to lower blood pressure and to have a beneficial effect on the lymphatic circulation. Good lymphatic circulation eliminates excess fluid and waste, helping to reduce swelling. It also helps to reduce the risk of infection by increasing the production and delivery of white blood cells.

REFLEXOLOGY
Reflexology is a theory and therapy that uses the feet to treat the whole body.  The therapy was developed by Eunice Ingham in the mid-to-late twentieth century; however, the principles behind it, such as massaging the feet, treating the whole body, and dividing the body into zones or lines of energy, dates back thousands of years. Pictures of foot massage have even been discovered on the walls of Egyptian tombs dating back to 2330BC.

Reflexology can also be said to use the feet as a "map" of the whole body.  By manipulating and applying pressure to certain parts of the feet, the whole body can be  brought back into balance. By using this "map" and applying pressure to the specific areas of the foot, the corresponding and connected areas of the body feel the benefit.

Reflexology aims to stimulate the body’s own healing processes, in order to keep it in homeostasis, i.e. balance.  It encourages both relaxation and stimulation; the first helps the body rebuild its energy resources and recover from illness and disease whereas the second helps activate the circulatory and nervous systems.

Reflexology is not a medical treatment; however, it does assist in maintaining and restoring health.  The reflexologist can detect imbalances in the body by detecting problems in the body using the areas of the feet and then working on the corresponding areas of the body to correct them.  Reflexology is not a cure, but it does help  balance the systems of the body, allowing them to work more efficiently, which in turn speeds up the healing process.

Benefits of reflexology include:-
Relieves stress and tension and has a deeply relaxing effect,
Improves blood circulation, thus increasing the efficiency of all organs and cells,
Helps to release trapped nervous energy and improves neural efficiency,
Improves waste removal and elimination,
Improves the immune system by activating the body’s self healing process,
Can help improve specific health problems e.g. headaches, infertility, IBS etc.

WHY NOT TRY MASSAGE, TO HELP MANAGE STRESS

When people suffer from stress or anxiety, they often find themselves feeling alone, confused and frightened.  Sometimes people don't even realise that they are suffering from stress and anxiety, and just try to carry on with their normal routine, until they find themselves in a vicious circle and don’t know where to turn.  Sometimes stress and anxiety are not taken very seriously, until that is, you have suffered from it and you realise how it affects both your mental and physical state.  It is not something we should try cover up, feel embarrassed about  or not talk about: it is something that we should discuss and ask for help with, and individuals should and could be helped to manage stress via a wide range of techniques. In fact, anyone suffering from stress and anxiety should never feel alone; many people, many more than you can imagine, suffer from the physical and mental effects of stress every day.  It has been estimated  that 75 % of diseases are caused by stress.

Stress covers a large range of effects and symptoms.  Everyone has suffered a degree of stress in their lives, ranging from a child's first day at "big school", an adult's important meeting or interview or the way a sportsman feels before an important event. Positive stress is healthy, as this leads us out of dangerous situations e.g. walking faster to avoid an approaching car; however, negative stress can cause a whole range of health problems.

This subject is huge, but if we try to break it down into short, medium and long term effects of stress, it may provide a clearer picture of the effects of stress.

The short term effects of stress are usually symptoms including a churning stomach, diarrhoea, racing heartbeat, loss of appetite, sweating, trembling and insomnia, amongst many others.

The medium  term effects result from the initial stages of stress being ignored and left untreated. These effects include allergies, high blood pressure, chest pains, persistent insomnia, migraines, ulcers, abdominal pain, asthma, infections and depression.

The long term effects of stress resulting from constant stress are known to cause heart disease, angina, strokes and possible links to some cancers.

Obviously, stress and anxiety can not be completely cured, as our environment and lifestyles constantly present stressful situations and a certain amount of positive stress is healthy: however, if negative stress and anxiety can be reduced and managed effectively, we can control the symptoms and effects efficiently.

For example, if two people enter a busy shopping area with queues everywhere and people pushing past all the time, one person may become agitated and enraged, while the other may just accept that this is normal in a busy area.  The first person is responding to stress, while the second is managing it.

Managing stress is very difficult for some people, they find it hard to relax and in this situation, different techniques can be utilised, such as relaxing activities i.e. swimming, walking, meeting friends or going to the gym, as well as the use of relaxating breathing exercises and massage.

I believe that many people struggle to relax.  They think that by sitting on the sofa in front of the TV, they are allowing the body and mind to relax, but in many cases this is not relaxing at all.  Massage on the other hand, is a perfect opportunity for the mind and body to relax together, giving individuals time to themselves, where nothing and no one else matters for a while. 

When people are stressed the body often works harder to help sustain a balance within the body. Massage helps to induce deep relaxation, helping to remove pent up tension.  Living in 2008 our lives are so busy, tiring and rushed, and often people forget what real relaxation feels like.  A massage helps individuals to gradually relax in a controlled way.  This not only helps to reduce built up tension, but the sensation of deep relaxation often makes individuals see situations as less threatening or stressful, which in turn assists them in managing these situations in the future.

Massage has many beneficial effects on the body and mind to help manage stress. These include:-
- Boosting the immune system,
- Stimulating the circulation system,
- Stimulating the lymphatic system,
- Increasing energy levels,
- Releasing endorphins, which act as a pain reliever and are known as "happy" hormones,
- Stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system helping to slow the body down,  which in turn encourages deeper breathing  and lowers the heart rate,
-Relaxing all systems in the body,  which are known to slow down or speed up as a result of stress. This helps with stress related conditions such as insomnia, headaches and back pain,
- The sense of touch incorporated into massage helps individuals to manage depression by boosting wellbeing, which in turn helps to increase the feeling of self worth,
- Stimulating the body's natural ability to repair and renew through relaxation, which is especially useful after illness, by helping to restore fitness and a sense of wellbeing.

I strongly believe that the benefits of massage can be very useful for everyone, no matter how young or old, weak or strong you are and from any walk of life.  After suffering from stress and anxiety myself, I firmly believe that the effects of massage are very useful, not only as a relaxation method, but also on a deeper level by allowing the various systems time to repair and re-energize and by allowing the body and mind to escape from the vicious circle many people suffering with stress and anxiety find themselves in.

Lavender

Lavender has a sedative action on the heart and can assist in bringing down high blood pressure and to calm palpitations. It provides effective relief from insomnia and has pain relieving qualities. Lavender can assist in treating muscular spasms, sprains, strains and rheumatic pains and can improve problems with bronchitis, asthma, catarrh, colds, laryngitis and throat infections and menstrual problems e.g. pain or scanty periods. Promotes growth of new cells and has wonderful healing properties, relieving burns including sunburn and healing acne, eczema and psoriasis.

Precaution: People suffering with low blood pressure may feel a bit drowsy and dull after using lavender. Its use should be avoided during the early stages of pregnancy.