Health

How Medical Spas are Incorporating Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy has been used to improve physical and emotional well being for many centuries. Aromatherapy oils can be used to improve mood, stress reduction, and pain relief. Aromatherapy has been recognized by medical spas and is now being used in their treatments. We will be discussing how medical spas use aromatherapy and what it can do for them.

What is Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy refers to the use of essential oils for emotional and physical well-being. Essential oils are extracted from plants. They contain the essence and fragrance of the plant. You can use them in many ways including massage, inhalation, and even baths. Each essential oil can offer specific benefits due to its unique properties.

What Medical Spas Use Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is being used in many ways by medical spas. Here are some examples:

• Massage Therapy: Many spas offer massage therapy. This can be enhanced by the use essential oils. Massage therapists can use oils that promote relaxation, pain relief, and circulation depending on the client’s requirements.
• Facial treatments: Aromatherapy is a way to incorporate essential oils into facial treatments. To soothe and calm the skin, you can add lavender oil to a facial mask.
• Steam rooms: There are some medical spas that have steam rooms that are infused in essential oils. The steam opens pores and allows the essential oils to penetrate the skin.
• Salinity Rooms: Salinity rooms are increasingly in demand at medical spas. These rooms are designed to replicate the natural environment of a salt cave and are infused with essential oils. The room’s salt can reduce inflammation and improve respiration, while the essential oils offer their own benefits.

Aromatherapy: The benefits

A wide variety of benefits have been proven to be available from aromatherapy, including:

• Stress Reduction: Essential oils like lavender, chamomile and ylang ylang are well-known for their ability to reduce stress and promote relaxation.
• Pain Relief Essential oils like peppermint or eucalyptus have natural pain relieving properties that can be used to treat headaches and other muscle pain.
• Improved mood: Essential oils are a great way to improve your mood and increase happiness. The uplifting properties of oils such as orange, lemon, and bergamot are well-known.
• Better Sleep: The lavender oil promotes relaxation and improves sleep quality. You can use it in massage therapy, add to a diffuser or to a bath to promote restful sleeping.
• Reducing Inflammation: Essential oils like myrrh and frankincense have natural anti-inflammatory properties which can reduce inflammation.

These are only a few benefits aromatherapy can offer. Aromatherapy is being used in medical spas to enhance treatments and offer additional benefits for their clients.

How to Choose the Best Essential Oils

It is crucial to select the best essential oils when incorporating aromatherapy in a treatment. Each oil is unique and may offer different benefits. It is crucial to select oils that suit the client’s preferences and needs.

A variety of essential oils may be offered to medical spas. This will allow clients to select the ones that are most beneficial to them.

Conclusion

Aromatherapy can be used to enhance spa treatments. Medical spas can offer additional benefits for their clients by incorporating essential oils in massage therapy, facial treatments steam rooms and salt rooms. Aromatherapy is a valuable addition for any medical spa.

A qualified aromatherapist or expert in essential oils should be consulted by medical spas who are interested to incorporate aromatherapy into their treatments. This will ensure that the oils are safe and effective.

Aromatherapy has become a vital part of many spa treatments due to its popularity as a holistic and natural treatment option. Medical spas can offer aromatherapy to their clients, which will provide a relaxing, rejuvenating, and refreshing experience for their clients.

How to Store Pemmican Properly: Tips and Tricks for Long-Term Preservation

Pemmican is a high-energy, nutrient-dense food that has a long shelf life, making it an ideal food for emergency situations, camping, hiking, or other outdoor activities. To ensure that pemmican stays fresh and tasty for an extended period, proper storage is essential. Here are some tips and tricks for long-term preservation of pemmican:

1. Keep it Cool and Dry: Pemmican should be stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, heat, and moisture. Exposure to moisture and heat can cause the pemmican to spoil or go rancid, while exposure to sunlight can cause the fat to melt.
2. Vacuum Seal: Vacuum sealing is an excellent way to preserve pemmican for an extended period. Vacuum sealing removes the air from the packaging, which helps to prevent spoilage and oxidation.
3. Store in Airtight Containers: Pemmican should be stored in airtight containers to prevent moisture and air from getting in. Airtight containers such as mason jars, Tupperware, or Mylar bags can help to keep the pemmican fresh for longer.
4. Use Oxygen Absorbers: Oxygen absorbers are small packets that absorb oxygen from the packaging, which helps to prevent spoilage and preserve the freshness of the pemmican. Oxygen absorbers can be purchased online or at camping and outdoor supply stores.
5. Store in Freezer: Pemmican can be stored in the freezer to extend its shelf life. It can be frozen in a vacuum-sealed bag or airtight container for up to one year.
6. Label and Date: It’s essential to label and date your pemmican before storing it. This way, you can keep track of the age and freshness of the pemmican and ensure that you consume the oldest ones first.
7. Rotate Stock: If you’re storing pemmican for an extended period, it’s essential to rotate your stock regularly. This means consuming the oldest ones first and replacing them with fresh pemmican.

Proper storage is crucial to ensuring that pemmican stays fresh and tasty for an extended period. By keeping it cool and dry, vacuum sealing, using airtight containers, using oxygen absorbers, freezing, labeling and dating, and rotating stock regularly, you can preserve your pemmican for long-term storage and have a ready-to-eat, high-energy food source on hand for emergencies, outdoor activities, or anytime you need a quick and nutritious snack.

Hailing from India–Holistic Spa Therapies

The ancient healing arts of yoga and Ayurveda have been widely embraced by spas and incorporated into modern meditative healing therapies.

Ayurveda is a form of medicine that developed more than 5,000 years ago in India. The word Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit word for “life knowledge,” and it emphasizes a balanced approach to life. By balancing one’s unique elements or doshas, the mind, body and spirit are able to exist in harmony. For thousands of years, Ayurvedic medicine has been used as a holistic approach to combatting disease and restoring health. Traditional ingredients include mud, coconut oil, spices and herbs. Traditional lifestyle practices include yoga and massage, therapies long known to calm, heal and renew.

For thousands of years holistic centers in India have offered restorative therapies rooted in Ayurvedic medicine that included herbal preparations, lifestyle changes and dietary recommendations. Over the years, these Ayurvedic therapies have been refined and adapted to the needs of a modern society. For instance, recognizing the unique needs of each individual, the Indian city of Mumbai has opened its first 24-hour spa with therapies ranging from the reflexology treatment known as padabhyanga, which focuses on marma, the energy points of the feet and calves, to fusion inspired treatments such as coconut body wraps. Signature treatments, which can extend as long as 3 hours, include body scrubs, massage, shirodhara, and private bathing rituals. In the last few decades, American and European spas have created similar therapies rooted in Ayurveda. Expect to find the following therapies at spas worldwide.

Yoga

Although there are many branches of yoga that exist, including hot yoga and power yoga, most spas offer classes in Hatha Yoga, a form that emphasizes a constant sequence of meditative movements. Some spas specialize in yoga and offer yoga retreats and classes that combine yoga with other forms of exercise such as Pilates.

The urban, environmentally conscious, mind body spa chain, Exhale Spa, with locations in California, Texas, Massachusetts, New York, Florida, Georgia and the Caribbean is regarded as one of the best yoga centers. With its emphasis on breath work, Exhale’s philosophy maintains that the mind and body are intimately connected, and that both must be addressed to achieve wellbeing.

Massage

Massage in the Indian tradition, is an invigorating therapy occasionally performed by two or more massage therapists. Depending on the needs of the individual, massage may include herbal pouches, gemstones, heated oils or flower essences. Njavarakizhi is a synchronized form of massage in which warm, medicated oil is drizzled over the body. Other variations include shirodhara and takradhara. In Shirodhara, during the massage a warm dosha-specific liquid such as sesame oil or coconut water is drizzled over the forehead, which is reported to improve memory as well as sleep patters. In takradhara, a similar procedure that improves the skin, medicated buttermilk is drizzled over the forehead.

Abhyanga is a form of full-body massage in which two therapists work together to perform a four-handed massage. This procedure is used to balance the doshas, liquefy and remove toxins, reduce joint pain and relieve sore muscles. In Pinda sweda, clients are massaged with an herbal pouch containing specialized herbs that have bee fried in medicated oils and strained through muslim. Pina sweda is especially effective for relieving symptoms of arthritis, low back pain and inflammatory conditions. Tan lepa is a similar massage therapy that includes a medicated herbal oil massage followed by a body mask using dosha-specific ingredients. This therapy is used to detoxify, heal, refresh and calm the body.

Scrubs, Baths, and Body Wraps

Ayurvedic scrubs include a range of ingredients intended to balance doshas and aid in detoxification. Ingredients include ginger, flower essences, pomegranate, and sugar. Bath therapies are used for relaxation and are included in many signature treatments. Pizhichil is a royal oil bath also called the “King’s Treatment,” because of its luxuriating qualities. Pizhichil is an indulgent therapy that includes therapists slowly pouring a stream of warm herbal oils on the body. The light pressure of the oils penetrating the skin is reported to improve immune system function, improve stiff joints and improve range of movement and flexibility. Body wraps are used to detoxify and calm the body and to nourish the internal organs. Common ingredients include coconut, honey, ginger and plant extracts.

How to Make Your Counseling Sessions Work for You

Counseling is a process during which you- the client can learn to make changes to improve yourself and your life. Counseling can be reflective and educational. The goal of counseling is to allow you to get to a healthier stage in your life. Many clients go in to counseling with the misunderstanding that they will be all better after their first or second session. Healing is a process and counseling is not a pain pill you take. It is a journey you undertake to help yourself with the assistance of a trained professional.

1. In order for the counseling session to be effective to you, you will need to address your resistance to the counselor’s suggestions/feedback. The counselor is not someone who will make you feel better. You will have to do that yourself. The counselor will show you ways to improve yourself but ultimately you will be the one doing the work.

2. No matter what your issue is, try to be honest and open to the counselor’s feedback during your sessions. If you need more directives versus reflection, ask your counselor for homework. Some examples of homework are journaling, bilbiotherapy, or completion of work book assignments. Be receptive to the feedback you receive. If there is something you are not clear on, ask. The counselor can not read your mind.

3. Try not to blame the counselor or others for your lack of progress. Emotional healing is something you have to be seeking and willing to achieve.

Some counseling options are: individual therapy, family, marriage/couple’s counseling and group therapy.

Acupuncture: An Effective Form of Alternative Medicine

At a point in my life when I seemed to be changing prescriptions daily, I turned to alternative medicine. I was desperate to relieve the daily headaches and stomach pain.

At my husband’s insistence I made an appointment with an acupuncturist. My acupuncturist was very calm and soothing.

I was still very tense. I was afraid of the needles. I was afraid of the size I thought he would use. I was extremely scared of the number of needles he would need to use.

Before we began the first session he explained that I was in control of the number of needles and how deep the needles were inserted. He showed me the tiny size of the needles. I began to breathe easier.

He gave me five minutes to lie down and listen to relaxing music before out session began. I discovered I was very receptive to acupuncture. Do to this discovery he reduced the number of needles we used the first day.

When the session was over I felt relaxed. The pain and anxiety I had been suffering had lessened. For several months the alternative medicine, of acupuncture kept my pain under control.

Finally, I was forced to see a specialist. After spending a week in the hospital they removed my gall bladder.

When I was released from the hospital I went back to my acupuncturist for pain control. I react poorly to pain medication. Acupuncture was able to control my pain and aid in the healing from my surgery.

I would recommend attending an acupuncturist pre and post op. In my experience it helps control the pain, while shortening healing time.

In searching for an acupuncturist ask for referrals among your friends including your doctor. Find out if the acupuncturist will bill your insurance and determine if your insurance covers acupuncture.

Determine the length and type of training. What type of needles does the acupuncturist use? What is the cost? Is there a higher fee for the first visit? Will the acupuncturist be able to provide you with an estimated timeline for visits?

Do not be afraid to try this ancient Chinese form of alternative medicine.

What is the Cause of Endometriosis?

The cause of endometriosis is still unknown. One theory is that during menstruation some of the menstrual tissue backs up through the fallopian tubes into the abdomen, where it implants and grows. Another theory suggests that endometriosis may be a genetic process or that certain families may have predisposing factors to endometriosis. In the latter view, endometriosis is seen as the tissue development process gone awry.

According to the theory of traditional chinese medicine, endometriosis is a disease which is caused by the stagnation of blood. Blood stagnation may occur due to one or more abortions or lower abdominal or pelvic surgeries. Additionally, engaging in sexual intercourse during menstruation may very likely over time cause blood stagnation. Emotional trauma, severe stress, physical or emotional abuse can all lead to the stagnation of blood. Additionally, diet may be a precipitating factor. The constant, long term ingestion of cold foods can congeal blood and thus contribute to the stagnation thereof. Cold foods include raw vegetable, ices, ice cream, ice in drinks, frozen yogurt, etc. Remember, cold congeals. Think about what happens to a normal glass of water when put in the freezer. It turns to ice. The blood is affected similarly. That is to say, it congeals, doesn’t flow smoothly and can form endometrial adhesions, chocolate cysts, uterine fibroids. Whatever the cause of endometriosis, its progression is influenced by various stimulating factors such as hormones or growth factors. In this regard, investigators are studying the role of the immune system in activating cells that may secrete factors which, in turn, stimulate endometriosis.

Source: Acupuncture Arlington Heights IL