Massage

Try a Massage to Reduce Your Pain

Posted by

0


Pain is the reason behind about 80 percent of physician visits in the U.S. Not only does pain, especially persistent and chronic pain, take a physical toll but it also interferes with patients’ social, mental, emotional and spiritual sides.

Benefit of Massage Therapy

Story at-a-glance

  • Massage therapy relieves pain better than getting no treatment at all
  • When compared to other pain treatments like acupuncture and physical therapy, massage therapy still proved beneficial and had few side effects
  • In addition to relieving pain, massage therapy also improved anxiety and health-related quality of life

A person struggling with pain may find it difficult to carry out daily activities and engage in social activities. Psychological health and quality of life also often suffer. Unfortunately, medication is the go-to pain treatment in the U.S.

As a result, we now have an epidemic of opioid overuse and misuse, with people quickly becoming hooked on the drugs, often after taking them for chronic pain, like back pain. Deaths from overdosing on opioid painkillers now far surpass those from illicit street drugs.

The point is, if you’re struggling with chronic pain, it makes sense to exhaust all other options before moving on to prescription drugs. And one option that’s definitely worth trying due to its effectiveness and excellent safety record is massage.

Massage Helps Relieve Pain

A systematic review and meta-analysis, published in the journal Pain Medicine, included 60 high-quality and seven low-quality studies that looked into the use of massage for various types of pain, including muscle and bone pain, headaches, deep internal pain, fibromyalgia pain and spinal cord pain.1

The review revealed that massage therapy relieves pain better than getting no treatment at all. When compared to other pain treatments like acupuncture and physical therapy, massage therapy still proved beneficial and had few side effects.

In addition to relieving pain, massage therapy also improved anxiety and health-related quality of life. It’s unknown how massage, which involves the manipulation of soft tissue, alleviates pain, but it’s likely that multiple mechanisms are at play. These include factors that are:

  • Biomechanical
  • Physiological
  • Neurological
  • Psychological

Massage is far from a new form of pain relief and was described by Hippocrates as an effective therapy for sports or war injuries.2 As noted in Pain Medicine in a call to action for massage therapy for pain, this age-old practice is desperately needed in our “pill for every ill” mentality:3

“ … [T]he ‘pill for every ill’ mentality of many Americans, including those investors in pharmaceutical stocks, has generated significant health and social issues for this country.

This issue is exemplified by the major public health crisis of chronic pain in America and has been highlighted recently by its most prominent symptom — opioid misuse and addiction.”

Massage Might Work By Reducing Local Inflammation and Providing Stress Relief

The benefits of massage therapy for pain relief are established enough that it’s commonly used during physical therapy and rehabilitation from injury. In one study, researchers took muscle biopsies from study participants who had received massage therapy or no treatment for exercise-induced muscle damage.

It turned out that massage therapy reduced inflammation and promoted mitochondrial biogenesis in the skeletal muscle.4

In addition, a review published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice revealed that moderate pressure massage reduced depression, anxiety, heart rate and cortisol levels and altered EEG patterns to indicate a relaxation response.5 According to the study:

“Moderate pressure massage has also led to increased vagal activity and decreased cortisol levels.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging data have suggested that moderate pressure massage was represented in several brain regions including the amygdala, the hypothalamus and the anterior cingulate cortex, all areas involved in stress and emotion regulation.”

Frequency and Dosage Matter for Certain Types of Pain

Some people experience immense relief from massage, anecdotally speaking, while others do not. The difference might come down to the dose. Researchers from the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle looked into the optimal massage dose for people with chronic neck pain.

Study participants received 30-minute massages two or three times a week, or 60-minute massages one, two or three times weekly (with a comparison group that received no massages).6

Compared with the no-massage group, those who got massages three times a week were nearly five times more likely to report a significant improvement in function and more than twice as likely to report a significant decrease in pain.

The best pain-relief results were obtained by those who received 60-minute massages two or three times a week. It appears that longer massages worked best for neck pain, as did multiple treatments a week, especially during the first four weeks.

If you try massage therapy and find you’re not getting relief, you therefore may benefit from altering the dose and frequency. There are other variables that impact massage effectiveness as well, such as the technique used and the skill level of the massage therapist.

When choosing a massage therapist, ask your holistic health care provider to recommend a certified massage therapist who is experienced in the type of pain relief you’re seeking.

More Than 80 Percent of Hospitals Now Offer Massage Therapy

A survey by the American Hospital Association (AHA) found that 82 percent of hospitals offering complementary and alternative therapies include massage therapy as an option.

Among them, more than 70 percent offer massage therapy for pain management and relief.7 The practice has a positive reputation among those who have tried it. According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA):8

“In a recent consumer survey commissioned by AMTA, 91 percent of respondents agreed that massage can be effective in reducing pain, and nearly half of those polled (47 percent) have had a massage specifically for the purpose of relieving pain.”

AMTA notes that massage has a beneficial impact on pain just by the virtue of human touch, and may be especially effective for relieving low back pain, migraine pain and pain from carpal tunnel syndrome. AMTA points out several proven benefits of massage for pain relief:

  • Massage therapy may alleviate the perception of pain and anxiety in cancer patients
  • Massage therapy may reduce post-traumatic headaches better than cold packs
  • Massage received in a hospital after heart bypass surgery reduces pain and muscle spasms
  • Massage stimulates your brain to produce endorphins. According to AMTA, “Massage therapy benefits that are applicable to sufferers of any kind of pain include the stimulation of endorphin production in the brain and the encouragement of patient confidence in improving their condition.”

Stronger massage stimulates blood circulation to improve the supply of oxygen and nutrients to body tissues and helps your lymphatic system to flush away waste products. It also eases tense and knotted muscles and stiff joints, improving mobility, and flexibility. Massage is said to increase activity of the vagus nerve, 1 of 10 cranial nerves, that affects the secretion of food-absorption hormones, heart rate, and respiration.

19 Non-Drug Solutions for Pain Relief

Massage is only one non-drug option for pain relief. Below are 19 more that may be very effective in helping you become pain-free. I do understand there are times when pain is so severe that a prescription drug may be necessary. Even in those instances, the options that follow may be used in addition to such drugs, and may allow you to at least reduce your dosage. If you are in pain that is bearable, please try these first, before resorting to prescription painkillers of any kind.

1.Eliminate or radically reduce most grains and sugars from your diet: Avoiding grains and sugars will lower your insulin and leptin levels and decrease insulin and leptin resistance, which is one of the most important reasons why inflammatory prostaglandins are produced. That is why stopping sugar and sweets is so important to controlling your pain and other types of chronic illnesses.

2.Take a high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fat: My personal favorite is krill oil. Omega-3 fats are precursors to mediators of inflammation called prostaglandins. (In fact, that is how anti-inflammatory painkillers work, by manipulating prostaglandins.)

3.Optimize your production of vitamin D by getting regular, appropriate sun exposure, which will work through a variety of different mechanisms to reduce your pain.

4.Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a drug-free approach for pain management of all kinds. EFT borrows from the principles of acupuncture in that it helps you balance out your subtle energy system. It helps resolve underlying, often subconscious, and negative emotions that may be exacerbating your physical pain.

By stimulating (tapping) well-established acupuncture points with your fingertips, you rebalance your energy system, which tends to dissipate pain.

5.K-Laser Class 4 Laser Therapy: If you suffer pain from an injury, arthritis, or other inflammation-based pain, I’d strongly encourage you to try out K-Laser therapy. It can be an excellent choice for many painful conditions, including acute injuries.

By addressing the underlying cause of the pain, you will no longer need to rely on painkillers. K-Laser is a class 4 infrared laser therapy treatment that helps reduce pain, reduce inflammation, and enhance tissue healing — both in hard and soft tissues, including muscles, ligaments, or even bones.

The infrared wavelengths used in the K-Laser allow for targeting specific areas of your body and can penetrate deeply into the body to reach areas such as your spine and hip.

6.Chiropractic: Many studies have confirmed that chiropractic management is much safer and less expensive than allopathic medical treatments, especially when used for pain such as low back pain.

Qualified chiropractic, osteopathic, and naturopathic physicians are reliable, as they have received extensive training in the management of musculoskeletal disorders during their course of graduate healthcare training, which lasts between four to six years. These health experts have comprehensive training in musculoskeletal management.

7.Acupuncture can also effectively treat many kinds of pain. Research has discovered a “clear and robust” effect ofacupuncture in the treatment of back, neck and shoulder pain, osteoarthritis, and headaches.

8. Physical therapy has been shown to be as good as surgery for painful conditions such as torn cartilage and arthritis.

9.Astaxanthin is one of the most effective fat-soluble antioxidants known. It has very potent anti-inflammatory properties and in many cases works far more effectively than anti-inflammatory drugs. Higher doses are typically required and you may need 8 milligrams (mg) or more per day to achieve this benefit.

10.Ginger: This herb has potent anti-inflammatory activity and offers pain relief and stomach-settling properties. Fresh ginger works well steeped in boiling water as a tea or grated into vegetable juice.

11.Curcumin: In a study of osteoarthritis patients, those who added 200 mg of curcumin a day to their treatment plan had reduced pain and increased mobility. A past study also found that a turmeric extract composed of curcuminoids blocked inflammatory pathways, effectively preventing the overproduction of a protein that triggers swelling and pain.9

12.Boswellia: Also known as boswellin or “Indian frankincense,” this herb contains specific active anti-inflammatory ingredients. This is one of my personal favorites as I have seen it work well with many rheumatoid arthritis patients.

13.Bromelain: This enzyme, found in pineapples, is a natural anti-inflammatory. It can be taken in supplement form but eating fresh pineapple, including some of the bromelain-rich stem, may also be helpful.

14.Cetyl Myristoleate (CMO): This oil, found in fish and dairy butter, acts as a “joint lubricant” and an anti-inflammatory. I have used this for myself to relieve ganglion cysts and a mildly annoying carpal tunnel syndrome that pops up when I type too much on non-ergonomic keyboards. I used a topical preparation for this.

15.Evening Primrose, Black Currant and Borage Oils: These contain the essential fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which is useful for treating arthritic pain.

16.Cayenne Cream: Also called capsaicin cream, this spice comes from dried hot peppers. It alleviates pain by depleting the body’s supply of substance P, a chemical component of nerve cells that transmits pain signals to your brain.

17.Medical cannabis has a long history as a natural analgesic. Its medicinal qualities are due to high amounts (up to 20 percent) of cannabidiol (CBD), medicinal terpenes and flavonoids.

Varieties of cannabis exist that are very low in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the psychoactive component of marijuana that makes you feel “stoned” — and high in medicinal CBD. The Journal of Pain (JOP),10 a publication by the American Pain Society (APS), has a long list of studies on the pain-relieving effects of cannabis.

18.Methods such as yoga, Foundation Training, acupuncture, exercise, meditation, hot and cold packs, and mind-body techniques can also result in astonishing pain relief without any drugs.

19.Grounding, or walking barefoot on the earth, may also provide a certain measure of pain relief by combating inflammation.

Massage This Point On Your Body And Experience The Miracle

Posted by

0


There’s a Japanese legend that says that once upon a time there was a man who inherited a very valuable knowledge from his father – about Zu San Li, “the point of longevity” or “the point of a hundred diseases”.

Following his father’s advice, this man massaged this point everyday and lived to see the births and deaths of several emperors. Massaging this point is one of the oldest methods of treatments in the East, which has been practiced for several thousand years. The human body has 365 points and 12 major meridians, which is reminiscent of the amount of days and months in a year.

The technique for this massage (acupressure, finger pressure on specific points) is based on the teachings of the meridians and channels that are associated with certain organs. In Chinese medicine, the body is seen as an energy system, and a massage can affect the energy flow and the functional activity of the organs.

Massage This Point On Your Body And Experience The Miracle

Activating the point Zu San Li will give you a rejuvenating and healing effect and will prevent aging. In China, this point is known as – “a point of longevity”, and in Japan – “a point of hundred diseases”. On our bodies, Zu San Li is located right beneath the kneecap.

To find it, cover the knee with the palm of the same hand. The point is located between the nails of the little and ring finger, in a form of a small dent between the bones. If you can’t find it this way, try sitting on the floor with your feet firmly pressed to the floor. Pull them toward you, without raising your feet off of the floor. You will notice a higher area below the knee – put your finger on it and take a starting position. The point you pressed with your finger is Zu San Li.

What is this point connected to and why do the Japanese call it “the point of a hundred diseases”?

Zu San Li controls the work of the organs that are located in the lower half of the body. It controls the functions of the spinal cord in the parts that are responsible for proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, digestive tract, sexual organs, kidneys, adrenal glands. By massaging Zu San Li, you will increase the activity of the adrenal glands, which are the most powerful glands that act as the main protectors of human health.

They excrete adrenaline, hydrocortisone and other important hormones into the blood. If you massage the “point of longevity” on a daily basis, you could normalize the functions of the adrenal glands in the body, which are:

  • normalisation of blood pressure;
  • normalization of glucose, insulin levels;
  • suppression of inflammatorily processes in the body;
  • regulation of the immune system.

Other benefits from massaging Zu San Li are:

  • improved digestion;
  • treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
  • treating the consequences of a stroke;
  • gaining confidence;
  • overcoming stress and tension; and
  • inner stability.

It is considered that by massaging this point, a person can cure impotence, hiccups, constipation, gastritis, and urinary incontinence. It is also believed that this massage will improve the immune system, and that the person will become fit and healthy for life.

This massage is best when done in the morning, before lunch. Massage each leg nine times in a circular motion in a clockwise direction, for about 10 minutes. Before you start, make yourself comfortable and relaxed. Calm your breathing and concentrate on your feelings. Do the massage in a seated position.

Immerse yourself in a state of harmony and let your healing process begin. This massage has a stimulating effect. You can massage yourself with your fingers or with any type of grain cereals (buckwheat, oats, rice, etc.)

They say that if a person performs the massage in the evening, they will lose 400 – 500 grams per week.

Be careful not to perform the massage right before going to bed because it may cause insomnia.

You can massage the Zu San Li point every day, but it is especially beneficial if you massage it during the New Moon.

– Be sure to massage this point in the morning, eight days after the start of the New Moon, as described above. It will strengthen your immunity, improve the work of the organs and slow down the aging process.

– Massaging the point before lunch will improve your memory, the work of your cardiovascular and digestive system.

– You can massage both legs simultaneously after lunch to relieve stress, nervousness, irritability, headaches and sleep disorders.

– In the evening, massage your legs separately in a counterclockwise direction. This will improve your metabolism and help you with weight loss.

Study Shows Exercise as Effective as Massage for Decreasing Post-Exertion Muscle Soreness.

Posted by

0


sore-muscles

Story at-a-glance

  • A new study found exercise as effective as massage in relieving the delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) that often occurs a day or two after strenuous exercise
  • It is a myth that muscle soreness is caused by a buildup of lactic acid; the real cause is inflammation stemming from microscopic tears in your muscle fibers, or more specifically, microtears between your muscles and their surrounding tissues, a necessary part of the muscle strengthening and rebuilding process
  • A balanced, healthful diet is the most important step you can take to give your body the building blocks it needs for strong, resilient tissues and minimal inflammation; consuming adequate high-quality amino acids, omega-3 fats, and sulfur will help minimize exercise-induced aches and pains
  • Avoid commercial analgesics such as ibuprofen and aspirin, because they are not very helpful and come with some potentially serious side effects; natural treatments are safer and more effective

It is highly likely you have experienced the muscle soreness that sometimes follows a new or vigorous workout, which is called DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).

Most people have a routine for managing this discomfort, whether it’s stretching or attending a yoga class, or just soaking in a hot bath. If you ignore it, yes, it will go away on its own — but who wants to suffer in waiting?

A new study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research1 set about comparing the effects of massage versus active exercise in relieving delayed onset muscle soreness  The results may surprise you!

The researchers found exercise as effective as massage in relieving those post workout aches and pains. So the next time you think you have to dish out the dollars to see your massage therapist in order to get some relief, you might try a little “hair of the dog” instead.

Researchers concluded:

“Active exercise using elastic resistance provides similar acute relief of muscle soreness as compared with massage.

Coaches, therapists and athletes can use either active warm-up or massage to reduce daily onset muscle soreness acutely, e.g. before competition or strenuous work, but should be aware that the effect is temporary, i.e. the greatest effects occur during the first 20 minutes after treatment and diminish within an hour.”

Why Does Exercise Sometimes Cause Muscle Soreness? (HINT: It’s NOT Lactic Acid!)

For many years, it was commonly believed muscle soreness was from lactic acid buildup, but this has now been thoroughly debunked by science. The burn you feelwhile exercising is indeed lactic acid, however, your body flushes it out very quickly — within an hour of exercising.

In actuality, lactic acid is a muscle fuel, not a caustic waste product. The myth that lactic acid causes muscle soreness stems from a century-old misinterpreted frog experiment.2

Your muscles produce lactic acid from glucose, which is then taken up by your mitochondria. The more fit you are, the better adapted your muscles are at using it.

The larger your muscles become, the more mitochondria you have, and the more efficient your “lactic acid furnace” will be. Mitochondrial mass (and therefore, athletic performance) is further increased by high-intensity burst type training.

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), or the muscle soreness you’ve experienced one to two days after exercise, is actually caused by inflammation stemming from microscopic tears in your muscle fibers, or more specifically, microtears between your muscles and their surrounding tissues.

This most often occurs when you start a new exercise program, change it in some way, or resume exercising after a period of inactivity. Eccentric contractions seem to cause the most soreness, meaning movements that cause your muscle to forcefully contract while lengthening, such as the downward motion of squats or pushups.

These damaged muscles release chemical irritants that trigger mild inflammation, which awakens your pain receptors. Other theories about DOMS attribute the phenomenon to changes in osmotic pressure, muscle spasms, or differences in how your muscle cells regulate calcium.

Although science has not yet pinned down the exact process, post-workout soreness is a normal response to exertion and part of an adaptive physiological process that leads to increased strength and stamina.

The ONE Treatment to Absolutely Avoid

Relying on over-the-counter analgesics is not advised, and may not even provide much relief. Taking ibuprofen before a workout in order to reduce muscle soreness has been linked to intestinal leakage and systemic inflammation. When used long-term, it may lead to intestinal permeability, allowing bacteria and digestive enzymes to leak into your bloodstream.

Habitually using ibuprofen before workouts may also reduce your absorption of key nutrients, particularly after exercise, making it harder for your muscles to rebuild. And ibuprofen use has not been shown to reduce muscle damage or soreness. Aspirin fares no better. Research suggests the coating on aspirin, which is there to help protect your stomach, may actually be interfering with its purported benefits. It is a much better approach to treat muscle soreness with a combination of natural measures, which may require a bit of experimentation to see what works best for you.

Five Basic Approaches to Preventing Muscle Soreness

You simply can’t prevent all muscle soreness, but there are some natural ways to decrease its frequency and lessen its severity. Here are my top five approaches, which will be discussed in the remainder of this article:

  1. Optimizing your diet
  2. Exercising correctly
  3. Rest and recovery
  4. Cryotherapy (ice), heat, or even alternating between the two
  5. Tools such as EFT, earthing, and acceleration training

First and foremost, eating a balanced diet rich in fresh, organic nutritionally dense foods will give your body the building blocks it needs to form strong, resilient tissues that resist inflammation. Of course, a good diet will help you in many other ways as well! There is a great deal of excellent dietary information on our website, so please check out our complete nutrition plan. There are three very important factors in fitness nutrition:

  1. Consuming a diet high in beneficial fats (50 to 70 percent), moderate in protein, low in carbohydrates, and very low in sugar (this means ditching your sports drinks, energy drinks, and most energy bars).
  2. Getting adequate essential amino acids, especially leucine.
  3. Appropriate timing of meals, known as intermittent fasting; exercising while in a fasting state can boost muscle growth. The easiest way to accomplish this is to exercise first thing in the morning, and then have a fast-assimilating protein recovery meal 30 minutes after your workout.

Consuming fructose two hours before or after high-intensity interval exercise will decimate your body’s ability to produce human growth hormone (HGH). HGH is central to tissue repair, so if your levels are low, it follows that your muscle soreness will be greater. Carbohydrate loading is not the most beneficial way to gain muscle tone, lose fat, and boost your performance. Proteins, leucine, and other essential amino acids are important for energy and endurance, and timing meals correctly will help assure you’re getting the best results for your efforts.

Amino Acids: The Building Blocks of Muscle

Amino acids are extremely important as they form the building blocks for muscle. Leucine is a powerful muscle builder. However, you should avoid amino acid isolates of leucine because, in its free form, it’s been shown to contribute to insulin resistance and may lead to muscle wasting. It’s far better to get leucine from whole foods, and the best source is a high quality whey protein.

Carnosine (which consists of two amino acids, beta-alanine and histidine) is an antioxidant that helps reduce muscle soreness by buffering acids in your muscle tissue, thereby reducing localized inflammation. Carnosine appears to be important for high-intensity anaerobic muscle performance.

Most studies find that if you want to increase athletic performance with carnosine, your best bet is to take beta-alanine instead, since beta-alanine appears to be the rate-limiting amino acid in the formation of carnosine. As your muscles accumulate hydrogen ions, their pH falls, making them more acidic. The theory is that by improving your carnosine levels, you can counteract the detrimental effect of these hydrogen ions, thereby enabling you to sustain high-intensity muscle contractions for longer periods of time.

Nutritional Support for Exercise Induced Aches and Pains

Several additional nutritional factors have been proven useful by science in preventing and resolving DOMS:

1.  Ginger: A natural pain reliever with a long history of medicinal uses, ginger (both raw and heat-treated) has been shown to reduce muscular pain by about 24 percent.
2.  Curcumin: Studies have shown curcumin (the pigment that gives the spice turmeric its vibrant yellow-orange color) is effective in relieving pain, increasing mobility, and reducing inflammation.
3.  Omega-3 fats: These beneficial fats are highly anti-inflammatory, as well as very beneficial for your heart. My favorite omega-3 fat is krill oil, which has unparalleled ability to quell pain and inflammation.
4.  Sulfur/MSM: MSM, which is 34 percent sulfur, is well known for its joint health benefits, improving metabolism, and reducing inflammation. MSM also appears to improve cell wall permeability, so it is useful in helping deliver other active ingredients. Sulfur also plays a critical role in detoxification and is the primary component in your body’s most important native antioxidant — glutathione.
5.  Astaxanthin: This natural-occurring supernutrient is a powerful antioxidant boasting an encyclopedia of health benefits, including decreased post-exertion soreness and faster recovery time. It even increases your body’s ability to metabolize fat! In a 2007 study, mice given astaxanthin showed heightened body fat reduction when given astaxanthin with exercise, compared to exercise alone.
6.  Cherries: Cherries are a proven antiinflammatory, as well as reducing your uric acid level. Cherries have been scientifically shown to help with things like arthritis and gout, and may have some usefulness for general muscle soreness. One study3 involving a group of long distance runners found that tart cherry juice significantly reduced post-exertion pain.
7.  Arnica: Homeopathic arnica was demonstrated to reduce muscle soreness among marathon runners in a 2007 study4.

Does Stretching Really Help?

Does stretching improve muscle soreness? In spite of the fact many people think it feels good, science says no — at least, passive static stretching has no benefit, which is the type of stretching most people do. On the other hand, dynamic stretching has been shown to offer benefits when used as a warm-up, which could conceivably help prevent soreness.

Dynamic stretching is an active form (such as what occurs when you perform lunges, squats, or arm circles), and this type of stretching helps improve your power, speed, agility, endurance, flexibility, and strength. My favorite type of dynamic stretching isActive Isolated Stretching or AIS, in which you hold each stretch for just two seconds. AIS works with your body’s natural physiological makeup to improve circulation and increase the elasticity of muscle joints.

Many people, in their zeal for beginning a new exercise regimen, overdo it and become extremely sore. This can destroy enthusiasm in a hurry, not to mention increasing your risk for injury. Don’t jump the gun after a major strength training session. Allow ample time for those muscles to fully recover before training them again — which may be much as 5 to 7 days. I agree withDr. Jeff Spencer’s strategy of “starting slow and finishing strong.”

Cold Water Immersion and Hot Baths

Cryotherapy, also called cold-water immersion, is a popular practice among amateur and professional athletes alike, because it helps reduce post-exertion muscle pain and inflammation, as well as speeding recovery time. In fact, cold-water baths appear to be significantly more effective than rest for reducing the pain and inflammation of DOMS. Most studies on cold water immersion report no or minimal side effects, but it will shock your body to some degree, so you need to make sure the water is not too cold, and that you do not stay in it for too long.

Alternately, you can use a cold pack, especially during the first 48 hours of soreness. Alternating heat and cold is also a good way to increase circulation and reduce inflammation. Don’t forget the benefits of a nice hot bath! Bathing in a warm tub of water, to which you’ve added 200 to 400 grams of Epsom salt, for 10 to 20 minutes, is an excellent treatment for sore, achy muscles.  The Epsom salt is also a great source of supplemental sulfur that you can absorb through your skin.

EFT, Earthing, and Acceleration Training

A simple technique called EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) can be an effective way to reduce pain very quickly, with very high rates of success. And it’s free! This simple technique can be learned by just about anyone, including children. If you’re interested in learning how to do this yourself, please visit my EFT guide.

And along similar lines, a pilot study5 found that grounding yourself to the earth (also called “Earthing”) might help relieve DOMS. When walking barefoot on the earth, free electrons in the ground transfer into your body through the soles of your feet. These free electrons are some of the most potent antioxidants known to man. Experiments have shown Earthing can decrease pain and inflammation, improve sleep, and make your blood less viscous, which is good for your cardiovascular health. Ideal locations for Earthing are on beach sand, close to or in the water, and on dewy grass.

Finally, acceleration training, also called Whole Body Vibrational Training (WBVT) can significantly accelerate tissue healing. Acceleration training essentially involves standing on a vibrating plate that works ALL your muscles and nerves at the same time.

It stimulates your white muscle fibers, which are your fast- and super-fast twitch muscle fibers, which kick-starts your pituitary gland into making more HGH. You can exercise while on this vibrating plate, or simply stand on it passively, which means any person of any age or fitness level can benefit.

Vibrational training has been demonstrated to improve circulation, increase range of motion, improve balance, decrease pain, and speed recovery from injuries. Think of acceleration training as “mechanical massage.” In my view the most effective vibrational training device on the market is the Power Plate.

Exercise Smart for Less Pain and More Gain

Remember, post exercise muscle pain is not caused by the buildup of lactic acid in your muscles, as was once believed. Rather it arises from inflammation triggered by microtears around your muscle tissue. This temporary discomfort is a natural part of your body’s natural muscle rebuilding process.

You can successfully manage this pain by making good dietary and lifestyle choices, using a few specific supplements, and by implementing tools such as cryotherapy, EFT, and Earthing — as well as continuing to exercise in moderation, even when you’re sore.

Source: mercola.com

 

New device heals muscle pains.

Posted by

1


Using a hand held device the size of a computer mouse for just 30 minutes could significantly change how people deal with, and recover from, the pain associated with musculoskeletal conditions.

Edith Cowan University (ECU) School of Exercise and Health Sciences Master by Research student Harry Banyard has been investigating the effectiveness of electromagnetic therapy in treating muscle damage.

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMFT) has already been proven to enhance the healing of bone fractures and osteoarthritis, but no scientific evidence exists on whether it can help the recovery of muscles, explains Mr Banyard.

“In testing the PEMFT, using a machine called an e-cell, I wanted to determine whether the device could really have an impact on debilitating conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and muscle tears and sprains experienced by elite athletes,” Mr Banyard said.

“Current treatments for these conditions include costly trips to physiotherapists and remedial massage therapists. This device could provide an alternative.”

The e-cell device was tested by Mr Banyard over a period of six months on both male and female volunteers. Muscle damage was induced in their biceps by forcibly lowering their extended arm using a machine whilst they tried to maximally resist against it.

“The results suggested that the e-cell treatment significantly enhanced the recovery of muscle function including a rapid return of strength and range of motion, significantly reducing swelling and tenderness,” Mr Banyard said.

“For an elite athlete, being able to recover quickly can have a significant impact on their performance, a hundredth of a second can mean the difference between winning or losing, so any measurable improvement this device can provide is valuable.”

“The range of conditions that the e-cell could assist in treating is endless. It has the potential to be used in post-operative care for joint replacements, as well as in elite athlete recovery and for the weekend warrior gym goer who goes a bit too hard.”

Source: Science Alert