Therapy for Healthy

It has been two years since the Women’s Health Initiative Estrogen plus Progestin (WHI) arm of this large trial was stopped early because it caused harm. The WHI showed the opposite of what was expected–Estrogen (Premarin) plus Progestin (Provera) caused heart disease and breast cancer as well as blood clots and strokes. WHI results show that estrogen does not improve the quality of life for women. WHI estrogen plus progestin results are “evidence-based.” We now have evidence-based proof that “HRT” is harmful to women.

But people are still taking Hormone Replacement Therapy and are concerned about estrogen deficiency. Why?

“Little has changed because the fundamental, negative ideas about women and about menopause have not changed. Universal menopausal hormone therapy … (is) based on a cultural belief that women are inferior and need fixing. For over twenty years I have been saying that menopause is a natural part of women’s life cycle, the low estrogen levels after menopause are healthy and not abnormal. This made me unpopular–I have been labeled as “way-out” or worse. Therefore the WHI results for me were a vindication”, says Jerilynn C. Prior BA, MD, FRCPC Professor of Endocrinology, Scientific Director, Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research, University of British Columbia.

And, she is correct. Two years after the WHI study little has changed. If you go to your doctor today and request HRT most will prescribe it for you. Despite the fact that The Women’s Health Initiative, the largest controlled trial of ovarian hormone therapy ever performed, provided the strongest proof that Medicine (which has been strongly influenced by the Pharmaceutical Industry) causes harm for women.

The website for the WHI study said, “Women should stop their study drugs immediately.” Following that order led to hot flushes in many women who were on hormone therapy because their body had adjusted to that higher level of estrogen. Women who heard the news of the study in the media also often stopped their therapy abruptly. That led to severe hot flushes in hundreds of thousands of women and in virtually all women who had previously experienced them.

“Because it is well known that rapid withdrawal from estrogen causes night sweats and hot flushes, all physicians should have been ready with advice for women wanting to stop estrogen.” Says Dr. Prior.

For Lack of helpful information, and because the resulting symptoms of night sweats/hot flushes were so miserable, many women, in desperation, reluctantly restarted unwanted HRT treatment.

It seems logical to now say that the WHI results require re-thinking of the concepts on which menopausal “replacement” and “estrogen deficiency” were based. The primary assumption that all women needed estrogen because they were deficient still needs to be addressed. I like what Dr. Susan Love said, “If estrogen deficiency is a disease, all men have it!” Destroying the concept of estrogen deficiency will be hard and may take many years to achieve.

In the mean time where does that leave you and I?

Estrogen Dominance not estrogen deficiency, according to Dr. John Lee is at the crux of our dilemma and bringing our hormones back into balance will be the key to hormonal health.

STEP 1. Become informed. The “Let’s Talk About Hormones” video provides valuable information on hormone balancing. Dr. Lee’s “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause” has just been updated. Information is the key to your power!

STEP 2. Evaluate your own hormones with a saliva test whether you are on hormones currently or not. Find out if you have adequate hormone levels or are truly deficient.

STEP 3. Work with someone who understands the issues. Dr. Lee felt that most women can themselves oversee their hormonal challenges. If you must select a healthcare provider choose one who like Dr. Prior says, “I will never again prescribe estrogen as a pill. There is now overwhelming controlled trial evidence that pill forms of estrogen cause unacceptably high rates of clots and perhaps, through clotting, also increased strokes and heart disease. There are not yet strong data but it is likely that estrogen given through the skin (as a gel, cr

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There is no question that conservative therapy is the best option for those suffering with a Repetitive Strain Injury. From Trigger Finger to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, conservative therapy produces the best results, limited side effects (if any), quicker results and long-lasting relief.

There are many types of conservative treatments that provide a variety of positive benefits to the user. Massage Therapy is a terrific conservative treatment that provides good results by itself, and even greater results when combined with a stretch and exercise routine.

Massage is used to help relax and lengthen tight, restrictive muscles, break down scar tissue in injured muscles, reduce adhesions on affected tendons at their point of attachment to the muscle or to the bone, remove toxins from muscles and increase overall circulation and nutrient delivery to the associated tissues. All of these wonderful benefits help overworked muscles to relax and injured muscles to recover. The problem is this. Massage Therapy does not correct the muscle imbalances causing the Repetitive Strain Injury. Massage Therapy can greatly assist the rehabilitation / treatment process, but once a muscle has been injured and has atrophied to any significant degree, or a muscle has gone into a state of chronic hypertonicity, other therapeutic elements must be added to the treatment regimen in order to completely eliminate the Repetitive Strain Injury.

An integral part of treating Repetitive Strain Injuries is the implementation of a stretch and exercise routine specifically designed to create structural integrity and muscle balance where the injury exists. If the injury is Tennis Elbow, there must be an equality of strength between the wrist and elbow flexors, wrist and elbow extensors, and wrist and forearm pronators and supinators. By creating strong flexible muscles surrounding the specific joint, that joint will no longer be highly susceptible to Repetitive Strain Injuries.

The integration of Massage Therapy, stretches, exercises and hydrotherapy is a highly effective treatment protocol for many types of injuries. An example of a treatment sequence for a ‘chronic injury’, no matter the affected area, should follow along these lines:

Hydrotherapy Heat - Heat to increase circulation
to the area, making the soft tissues relaxed and pliable.

Massage Phase-I - Specific massage treatment
utilizing Trigger Point Release techniques to release muscle spasm and Transverse
Friction Massage to break down adhesions.

Stretch - Stretch overly restrictive tissues
to increase their length and reduce their compression of underlying tissues.

Exercise - Perform strengthening exercises
for the affected tissues in order to reduce tensile strain on the injured area,
heal micro-tears and increase healing nutrients to the injured area. Strong
muscles create stability and prevent future reoccurrence of micro-tears to
a previously affected area.

Massage Phase-II - Perform light Petrissage
and Effleurage towards the heart to remove the toxins created from undergoing
Trigger Point Release, Transverse Friction Massage, stretches and exercises.

Hydrotherapy Cold - Cool the injured tissues
in an elongated position as to not lose range-of-motion (ROM) of the affected
tissues and to further remove toxins from the area.

Massage Therapy and the involvement of the techniques listed above are very effective in eliminating chronic Repetitive Strain Injuries. Any one element by itself is OK, but by implementing several sound conservative techniques, the success rate of the treatment increases dramatically. Remember, when injuries are present, choose the “Conservative Alternative”.

Jeff P. Anliker, LMT, is a Therapist and Inventor of Therapeutic Exercise Products that are utilized by Corporations, Consumers and Medical Facilities around the world for the prevention and rehabilitation of repetitive strain injuries. repetitive-strain.com

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Do you ever forget to breathe? Because, if we did, we might be six feet under. So how come we forget to drink water? There are many people who do forget to drink water, amazing? Just like how oxygen is vital for surviving, simply put, water plays an enormous part in our lives. There must have been many times during the day when we feel tired, low, exhausted or need that burst of energy in our body, and we reach out for food to satisfy our cravings, wherein we might actually be needing water to quench our thirst and get our energy levels up.

Health benefits of drinking water: Your daily intake
Staying properly hydrated is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to stay in good health. The more water we drink, the healthier we become. Water increases the quality and the length of our lives. By developing good hydration habits, we, i.e. our body functions well. As we age, we become less sensitive to loss of water in our body, which leads to body wrinkles.

Drinking plenty of water is good idea to keep body lines, wrinkles, dehydration, etc at bay. Studies say that we should aim for

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