Keys to Deep Healing

As a practitioner with 17 years of bodywork and massage experience, I have observed that there are basic tenants to a healthy and healing body. There are also keys to stimulate deep healing that are commonly missed in the world of western medicine. Don't let me make you think that I oppose western medicine; on the contrary. Western medicine practices have revolutionized acute care (which is the care one receives immediately following an accident or life threatening situation.)

When it comes to healing your body, however, you have no better healer than the one between your ears. Yes, you are the best healer that you can trust! The secret is that you have to use the tools that are available to you. You may already know this but have just not realized the simple power of these basic daily choices which promote a healthy life and longevity.

To give credit where credit is due, I will use the concept that Dr Darren Weissman lays out in his method known as The LifeLine Technique, which he calls "The Five Basics to Optimal Health." I will also differentiate from his concept and integrate my own ideas into what the "Five Basics" may look like for you and how you can achieve great results in your daily life by implementing these steps.

Dr. Darren, as he is commonly referred to, shows that Water, Food, Rest, Exercise, and Owning your power are the keys to a healthy life. Let's look at each building block.

Water - We often take water for granted. Thinking that we had coffee or tea, a soda, and some orange juice along with an 8 ounce glass of water is sufficient is causing many people to be sick and dehydrated. In my practice, I often ask, "are you drinking enough water?" The answer is always, "Yes." When I ask how much, I am always surprised at the range of answers. Some of us really believe that a glass of water in the morning is plenty. Let me assure you it is not. Even the Mayo Clinic suggests the 8 and 8 rule, which states to drink at least 8 ounce of water 8 times a day for a healthy functioning body. Do you agree that if the Mayo clinic is telling you this that it might be a good idea? Well, I suggest to take your water intake a step further. Most people have not heard that you should drink half your body weight in ounces. This is a simple rule to remember. Dr Darren, however, suggests that a person drink 1 quart for every 50 pounds of body weight and round up to the next quart for any weight exceeding that. So, if you weigh 157, you should be drinking 4 quarts of pure and healthy water each day. Oh. My. Goodness. Really? Yes! What makes healthy water? See how to have the best yummy water that is alkalized and accessible to you everyday by clicking here. I use the Nikken Pi-Mag Sport Bottle to have portable, clean, alkalized, and structured water when ever I want it. More to come on that in the future.

Food - Another simple change to make is your food intake. Dr Darren often is talking about Protein when he shares this concept but he does take it further as well. I agree that protein throughout the day is vital for a healthy body and mind, as well as a happy gut that is providing you with muscle, brain, and body building potential. When you eat food, you are providing your body with what it needs. I am not a nutritionist, nor do I give any specific nutritional information to my clients, but it should be common knowledge that if your gut is not working properly (if you are constipated) you may need to address this issue with a change in your diet, and consider a natural form of detoxification. One of the most natural ways you can do this is by drinking more water, increase plant proteins, decrease animal proteins, and eat more fruits and vegetables. Juicing is a super powerful tool for beginning to get some movement in the bowels also. If you are not having a bowel movement every day, then you should really make a change in your diet. To consult with someone who is licensed to advise you on diet and nutrition, click this link. All in all, eating little meals throughout the day and making sure to get plenty of fruits, veggies, and protein frequently throughout the day will help you. As with any dietary changes, always speak to your healthcare practitioner to make an educated decision for your own health. Each person is individual, and one cookie cutter solution will not work for everyone.

Rest - This is highly misunderstood in my opinion. Rest isn't just about a good night's sleep, but is a huge imperative. Though many suffer from sleeplessness, it can also be seen that relaxing in general is a valuable tool to help the body heal and recover. Studies that were documented by the National Institute of Health (NIH) show that there were heightened cortisol levels in those who were classified "insomniac" as opposed to those who were normal healthy. This signifies that those who are not sleeping well through the night have an increased sympathetic response, which is also known as "fight or flight." When our body is in a sympathetic state, it is in a heightened protective state. The body is not healing when it is in a heightened protective state and therefore is imbalanced. Real rest stimulates a para-sympathetic state, in which rapid and increased healing can, and does, occur immediately. Sleep, rest, meditation, prayer, reflection/contemplation, down time, clearing the mind, peace and quiet, intentional rest and relaxation, should all stimulate this form of para sympathetic healing in one's body. If you feel the need for a nap, take one; it will do you good. I asked a brilliant expert in clearing the mind once,"What do you do when you feel wiped out and fatigued?" His brilliant response? "Take a nap." shocking isn't it? Give it a try. At our center we use far infrared technologies and ultra soothing environments to trigger deep para-sympathetic rest. Here is a wellness package that will help you recoup quickly and kick start a healing process that may have been unable to begin without some assistance.

Exercise - Ah yes, the dreaded exercise. Well, some people love it, and then there is life. Life seems to get in the way of good exercise if we are really busy, at the office often, or raising a family. It is significant to get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day and even up to an hour or more. Good exercise would consist of cardiovascular activities which are movements such as walking, hiking, bicycling, kayaking, you name it. You just need to get your body moving. Can't do that? Try jumping jacks, push ups, sit ups. Can't do that? Try moving your arms in small circles, big circles, walking in place, squatting up an down, go up on your tip toes and back to your heals, march in place, reach for the sky, reach for the ground; there are a million ways to move, so find one that works for you, and do it. It is good to evaluate what is best for you and each person will benefit from a customized exercise program. Just make sure you are getting plenty of exercise. If you have any health concerns or diagnoses, always check with your health professional before beginning or ending any exercise program. The concept is, your body is made to move. The cliche "move it or lose it" comes to mind. If we do not continue moving, we will become sick. Disease is simply the stagnation of tissues, and the dysfunction of health in those tissues. If we begin to move on a regular basis, blood and oxygen in, and blood and toxins out, we will feel better and better every time we move. Don't forget that you always need to increase your water intake when you exercise, also.

Own your power - What is that? Well, this is something that has to be accomplished moment to moment and day to day. We are always in a protective mechanism, and our dreams and ambitions are sometimes halted when we let go of our personal power to have an impact in our own lives. Maybe I have failed a time or two in the past at building relationships. That past failure impacts the way I look at my future ability to build relationships. Because I have failed, I may be less likely to try. Our brains are actually programmed to do the same thing again. To defeat that, we have to work to make new neural pathways. This can be accomplished in many areas of our lives and impacts our health also. Each day you can choose to be happy or sad, to feel good or bad, because it is literally a choice. We all go through some devastating and complicated circumstances from time to time. When we do, we can loose our focus big time, and it is easy to slip into that downward spiral. When this happens, I always first turn to my faith in God. After I respond to life with prayer, I focus my energy on my responsibility to myself and those around me to be the best that I can be. That takes intentional motivation and real purpose. Sometimes, tools can help us to break into stronger mindsets that will guide our life into a different direction. Our lives are a journey and along the way there are road signs. To understand those signs, sometimes we need a map to see where we came from and to choose where we want to go. Dr Darren's LifeLine Technique is a wonderful road map to help us see more clearly and help us choose to live with the intentions that are already in our hearts. With LLT, it becomes easier to observe the past for what it is and let it go so that we can move on and be what we were created to be...

I hope you have enjoyed this writing today. Please visit www.snapptherapy.com for more information about our services and how we can help you unlock your full potential.

With Gratitude,
James Snapp, LMT

For more about The LifeLine Technique and training click here.

Energy Medicine

The human being is a profound created thing. In our design we are functional on many levels; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Many have not even begun to relate to the subtle energy mechanisms of the body and how they participate in our healing, stress levels, cellular function and even lower, more core levels of function.
I recently had the opportunity to train in a method called Quantum Entrainment or QE for short. The method was realized by Dr Frank Kinslow D.C. who is a Chiropractic Physician. In his many years of study he became familiar with all of the varieties of energetic healing and meditation. Through all of it he realized that he was still unable to find lasting harmony in his health or sufficient lasting peace through his meditations.

By way of stress induced deduction he came across what he termed "Eufeeling." This sensation or sense of well being is something that can be found simply by finding the spaces between our thoughts. I know, sounds ridiculous, but through some very simple practices, that require no religious or spiritual connotations, a person can find quiet in their mind. Once found, you can train yourself to go there in seconds. I did not believe it either until Dr Kinslow, so simply, led the group in a thought process that quickly left me with little thinking and a quiet peace of mind that I did not know existed previously.

What does this have to do with massage or energy healing? Well, a lot really. QE is very helpful in allowing a therapist a calm state of mind to practice in, regardless of existing stress that so many of us have. We all know that when you have a poor attitude or when your mind is on other things it can cause the work we are doing to be less effective and if nothing else it is distracting to the client. Regarding the energy, theoretically QE is allowing a person to harmonize with his/her basic self. This frequency of calmness and relaxation, of just being satisfied with our current life resonates in fact with the clients relaxed sense of calm they are receiving from the massage or relaxation they experience in a therapy or energy work session. In a way this is allowing a homeostasis or balance of your own mental attitude and can positively effect the clients as well. The value of QE being used during sessions can range from emotional healing, better rest, improved mental clarity and an overall sense of peace. Visit with someone who has been trained in QE for a free session. You will enjoy it.

There is much more to QE and I recommend that you take a closer look at it on the website. If you find the tutorials interesting, try to attend some of his classes. He is very popular in Europe so trainings in the US are few and far between. It is an enjoyable weekend course and is very relaxing for a training of any type.

Lower Back: Conditions and Choices

What causes you lower back pain?

The Mayo clinic suggests that the top reasons for low back aches are as follows:

Strains: Minor tears in muscles and ligaments, caused by improper and heavy lifting or sudden awkward movements.

Structural Problems: Bulging Discs, Sciatica, Skeletal Irregularities, Arthritis and Osteoporosis.

Rare Conditions: Spinal cancers, Nerve dysfunction or Infections in the spine.

So which one is yours? Today we are going to focus on structural problems and bulging discs, both which can contribute to sciatica and be related to skeletal irregularities.

The lifestyles and occupations of people today may require a large amount of sitting, decreased exercise and in many cases perpetually poor postures. The majority of individuals rarely take the time needed to stretch their bodies or to do the basic physical maintenance that is needed for health to be prolonged in general. When our jobs require heavy lifting and we are not careful to use proper body mechanics we can very likely become injured. These injuries can lead to a bulging or even worse, ruptured disc. When there is an imbalance in the spine and posture, known as a misalignment or subluxation, this can cause the disc to bulge into the nerve. In some cases this bulging causes pain and discomfort that is hard to reverse without specific care, though occasionally there may be no symptom of pain present to raise alarm to this harmful condition. This pressure on the nerve can cause other organs or tissues to function less efficiently.

So as you can see some pains are simply symptoms of a bigger problem, something that cannot be corrected with stretching or exercise alone. Many times stretching or exercise can actually exacerbate a disc injury. There are some basic manual tests that can be performed, even prior to an MRI, for detecting the presence of a spinal disc injury which may be performed by some massage practitioners or a Chiropractor during a spinal screening.

Thankfully for many patients, when a disc injury is diagnosed, many excellent corrective options are available. Some of these are Spinal Decompression Therapy which has been shown to reverse disc injuries in many successful cases. Cold Laser Therapy may aide in decreasing inflammation around the joint and the nerve, while accelerating the healing process. In instances of chronic pain, healing is slowed and a more serious condition may arise. Soft tissue work, like Therapeutic Massage, is also a valuable asset to a quicker recovery and allows the muscular areas to relax which promotes healthy function.

Having regular Chiropractic checkups can also avert many injuries to spinal health. Knowledge is power. Learning proper lifting techniques, utilizing the appropriate stretching and incorporating exercises that improve core function can help prevent any structural issues before they become problematic.

Thanks for reading and remember just because you aren't hurting today doesn't mean you should wait for some sort of care. Prevention is a key factor to living a long, happy and healthy life.

Post Surgery Recovery for Rotator Cuff

Being in the massage field for over 15 years, you would think, one would have many referrals from physicians concerning post surgical care when considering rotator cuff surgery. It just doesn't happen unless the primary care doctor is a Naturopathic physician or possibly an Osteopath. What is the disconnect? Truly it is uncertain beyond the fact that there is no specific training on that topic in the curriculum concerning traditional western methods; and that means, no need to mention or consider it as viable to the surgical recipient.

Most of the pain associated with the recovery and extended use after a shoulder reconstruction is due to scar tissue and uncoordinated muscle function. After a surgery of the muscles and tendons, the areas of damage and repair have no choice but to develop scar tissue. These particular functions of the muscle are the body's natural defense to protect the injured area with fatty tissue. This fatty tissue can act as glue of sorts, interconnecting the muscle, fascia, (which is a layer or sheath around the muscle) and the skin over the musculature. These tissues are meant to be free from one another and move independently of the other. The binding of these tissues causes pain, discomfort, dysfunction and can be a lasting long term problem.

The recommend traditional treatment for this in most situations would be another arthroscopic process to remove the scar tissue that has developed. Here is the clincher; this causes more scar tissue. This is a never ending process. Now if the first surgery is needed, the second surgery can likely be avoided by spending quality time with a well trained massage therapist, who understands fascia and tendonitis protocols. In my opinion, by the time the patient is released to physical therapy, it is time to begin a therapeutic massage program. The muscle and tendon needs, movement, increased blood flow, oxygenation, mild stretching, mild heat, icing, mild friction and passive and active movement. These are all given by the trained massage professional.

Another valuable asset and technological advance is cold laser therapy. This can be a tremendous help and increase the function, decrease inflammation, reduce the pain, increase mobility and hasten recovery.

The Brain Injured and Massage Therapy

In this post I will share with you what I consider valuable information about integrating specialized massage routines into the recovery program for a brain injured person.

Over the years, massage has not been highlighted as a valuable asset to increased recovery following a brain injury. Many aspects, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmaceutical drugs and surgeries, have been well documented but massage has had little if any significant overview.

The brain is an advanced, high tech device, far more capable and complex than even the best computers or smart phones. I know, your Android is sweet but when it crashes, it cannot repair itself. Your brain on the other hand, can create new neuro-pathways that will allow recovered function to the entire body. New studies are even showing that the brain can create new tissue and functional brain cells; though this was previously thought unlikely.

If you were a computer, the story would go something like this; Your brains function is similar to a computer operating system and without it, the rest of the computer cannot function. (It also acts as a hard drive and random access memory.) The brain stem and spinal cord are much like the mother board and you could consider your organs and tissues to be hardware and accessories. Now, if your brain was attacked by a virus, let's say a blunt force trauma, it may cause dysfunction to various portions of the overall computer; hardware, memory and so on, thus, causing "you" to run less efficiently. Many times you would just want a new computer but considering this is "you" we are talking about, let's just try to address the problem before we throw you in the recycle bin.

Let's be realistic, you can't massage a computer back into function! No, but you can load new information into the system (anti-virus, updates for software, do a re-boot, etc.) that could repair or work around the issues. This is where massage and bodywork comes into play. See the vast complexity of cells, organelles, neurons, neuro-transmitters, nerves, tissues and organs work together, with the brain at the top. So how do you get into the brain to reprogram lost data? Through the bottom. By going through the tissues, via the sensory nervous system, we can effect the recovery of the brain.

The skin is a major sensory organ. When you are sitting outside on a beautiful day, what do you experience on your skin? Nice breeze, warm temperatures, any little thing that tickles your nose or skin, the slightest touch from an ant or butterfly. Here in Phoenix, extreme heat is many times what is felt. All these things we feel are "sensations converted to information" and it is important that we have this input as a way of improving our function in general. Massage is perceived in a similar way and if applied specifically can cause some very basic updating of some important information that may have been misplaced during a brain trauma. Let's break it down a little more.

Range of motion: Many times a brain injury reduces range of motion in body parts and creates muscle spasticity. The brain has forgotten just how to move that extremity and the body goes into a protective mode. In many cases the sensory processing is disturbed also causing pain and discomfort. Specific massage and passive assisted range of motion is vital here for a quicker, more natural recovery.

Gate and balance: Very commonly brain injured clients will have complications walking or being stable, as they had before the injury. The muscles are in need of "feeling" pressure, the effects of gravity, movement and pressure in the joint areas, movement under a weighted load and various passive and active movements that the brain has forgotten. These types of sensations need to be administered, structured and tailored but can be accomplished by a properly trained massage therapist. Experiencing these variant sensations repetitiously, under a controlled setting, will increase the speed of recovery in the gate and balance of brain injured individuals.

Fight or flight: Some brain injured clients experience variants in blood pressure, pulse, paranoia, anger or aggression, sweating, dry mouth, or cold clammy hands. Many times this can be due to an imbalance in the sympathetic and para-sympathetic nervous system. Massage has been shown to decrease sympathetic nervous system activity allowing many of these symptoms to stabilize or greatly subside.

Jaw clenching, neck tension or speech dysfunction: Quite often a brain injured client may grind their teeth, have difficulties chewing, swallowing or will experience tension in the neck and jaw. Massage can be focused on these areas to balance this stress on the neck and jaw muscles. In some cases the massage therapist may have training or experience in working with the mouth and tongue which may improve chewing, swallowing and speech functions.

Muscle contractures: In a high number of cases, muscle contractures may develop after fairly short periods of time, when concerning severe traumatic brain injury. In these cases, it is so important to lessen the immobility of all joints and increase the range of motion and massage to any stiff area. Weekly massage, at a minimum, should be considered if there is any severe spasticity. There are other options that are offered by specific clinics and practices that will diminish the spasticity that causes such dramatic neuromuscular dysfunction.

I hope you now see that massage can be effectively integrated into brain injury recovery. Follow the links below to help you find and communicate with professionals that are trained and knowledgeable in the areas of massage for brain injury rehabilitation, chiropractic for brain injury patients, and naturopathic medicine focused on recovery after a brain injury. There are many valuable avenues for natural recovery and family support systems. Feel free to contact me for more information regarding this topic or other avenues of natural and holistic wellness methods, that are available throughout Phoenix. I'd love to hear from you.

Chronic Headaches

Let's take a minute to discuss Chronic Headaches. There can be many reasons for these and a few reasons are as follows: dehydration, postural imbalances, previous injury, cavities or jaw bone decay, food allergies, addictions, visual dysfunction, sinus pressure and chemical sensitivities. Holy guacamole! You didn't know that there could be so many possibilities did you? Well, I want to just focus in on two of these, as they are the most common, and go from there.

Postural Imbalance and Dehydration are the most common headache issues I see on a massage table. Most people think it is stress or tension and those factors will increase and exacerbate the symptoms related to the cause. Posture, even though by passed frequently, is commonly the most integral cause of these painful and annoying complications. Outside of the best possible thing one could do, which is to visit a CBP chiropractor. The next best thing would be to schedule for your next massage therapy session with a therapist prepared to give you a serious stretch session, accompanied by trigger point therapy and myofascial release techniques.

The occipital ridge, at the base of the skull, is full of trigger spots that will commonly be very sore, even under mild pressure. These pressure points are very helpful in the treatment of chronic and especially mild headaches. There are some very specific things that a professional massage therapist, who has experience in these areas, can do to greatly reduce or eliminate these headaches for the day or the week. Without ongoing care however, massage may not completely correct the problem. Taking appropriate steps to learn about your posture and how it effects your health will be key to really making a long term improvement.

If a pill isn't your idea of significant help (which it shouldn't be) then I suggest scheduling weekly visits to your massage therapist with a focus on neck, shoulder and occipital muscle work until the headaches are down to a dull roar or well managed. Accompany this with regular treatment from a CBP program and you really should be having some positive, long term, changes.

Drinking water is very important for everyone. Mountain Dew is not water and neither is Tea or Coffee. Sodas are a no, no, and I highly suggest taking all these things minimally and drinking pure drinking water as much as possible throughout each day. A person should drink half of their body weight in ounces (unless directed differently by your Dr.) So a 200 pound man should drink 100 ounces a day. Sound like a lot? Start with 64 ounces and work your way up. Your entire body will thank you for it and it may diminish your headaches.

Alternatives in Physical Rehabilitation

Over the years, physical therapy has changed some, mostly in the use of technology. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not a physical therapist. I am a massage therapist who has been around physical therapy for a long time. My dad, Ed Snapp, was a PT since the 50's and his whole goal was to improve how physical therapy was done, at least in his private practice; and that he did.

He was frustrated, as many are today about many things, that there was too much bureaucracy and not enough room for growth and change in the profession. It seemed to Ed that all that was happening was that many ideas would be mandated and then new rules would be formulated to assure certain things would stay and some of the positive changes that should have occurred, would never be allowed into the field.

Similar things have happened over the years in traditional medicine as well. There is no room for holistic health at a traditional doctor's office or anywhere near the board of medicine. Sure they tell you to exercise and eat some fruit but that isn't necessarily going to heal cancer or improve a heart condition. They tell you what you already know but just aren't doing. The AMA can't tell you what healthy food looks like and the FDA thinks if it won't kill you in one sitting, then it is appropriate for consumption. It's what they are not telling you that can save your life and cure disease and dysfunction. So why is that information not available?

I guess what I am trying to say is, there should be more alternatives being utilized in physical rehabilitation and also in traditional medicine. We are supposed to be very aware of our health these days, would you say? Everything is becoming natural and organic, right? Well, we would like it to be but what is printed on the front of labels isn't always a good description of what is really happening in the package. The same can be said about medicine and rehabilitation. Sure, it gets some things accomplished but what if you could get more out of your health care program? Would you want it? What they are pushing on us now and calling prevention and health care is neither. We have a big responsibility to keep sharing what is true about food, medicine, recovery and how our bodies function. If we don't we will all be led astray and it will be very hard to turn back around.

In this country it has always been about the bottom line and just when you thought you might actually be getting somewhere, they flip the coin and you are suddenly back to the drawing board. As natural practitioners, we have to continue to do our best to educate ourselves on the facts so that we can continue to provide the best care for our clients and patients. It is up to us as small business owners to do the research and ask the questions that big hospitals, large pharmaceuticals companies and lobbyists don't want us to ask or to share with anyone else; "Is this really what is best for our bodies and is there another alternative?

To be continued......