Do you want to have the best chances of keeping your children healthy this winter?

Keep your kids healthy this winter – Naturally!  Great! So, let’s get started. First off, we have to remember that what we are achieving is PREVENTION – why get sick and then start working on it? Why not do your best to prevent it in the first place?  Well, if you already see the signs of sickess, get started immediately to minimize the duration of the illness.

Children generally react positively to herbs, relatively quickly and with minimal to no side effects. For cases where the doctor usually prescribes Tylenol, herbs can easily be utilized to take care of the situation. Not only will the herb clear up the mild illness but the illness may likely return less often and with less severity in the future. Plus, remember that the herb also has less potential side effects and causes less damage to the internal organ systems within the body.

Without further ado, here is a list of herbs which you can safely administer to your children this and every winter!

Stevia

This is a plant based, natural sweetener and alternative to sugar. Sugars (including those naturally found in fruits) suppress the immune system by raising the  insulin level within the body and thus inhibiting the release of certain growth hormones. An influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body’s blood-sugar balance, triggering the release of insulin which the body uses to keep the blood-sugar at a safe, constant level. Besides supressing the immune system, sugar can also upset the body’s mineral balance, contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety and depression, promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol and increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

Astragalus

An immune boosting herb, Astragalus is often used for common colds and sore throats. It can also be used for the treatment of infections, Alzheimer’s disease and as an adjunctive support for persons undergoing chemotherapy. Research conducted by the M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas, confirms this herb’s immune-potentiating actions. Astragalus appears to restore T-cell (a specific type of white blood cell that is part of the lymphocyte family) counts to relatively normal ranges in some cancer patients.

Echinacea

This herb has been used by Native Indians for centuries to treat colds, flu, and many other ailments.  Hundreds of scientific studies have documented the chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical applications of echinacea. The most consistently proven effect of echinacea is in stimulating phagocytosis – encouraging white blood cells and lymphocytes to attack invading organisms. Specifically, echinacea increases the number and activity of immune system cells.

Elderberry

This herb contains anthocyanins which enhance immune function by boosting the production of cytokines. These unique proteins act as messengers in the immune system to help regulate immune response, thus helping to defend the body against disease. Elderberry is useful against both viral and bacterial infections and can be used long term.

Oregano

Not to be confused with the standard oregano spice found in your kitchen, concentrated Oregano extract is a highly effective herb which will help keep your body in tip top condition this winter. Oregano is one of the best anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral products in the world. Usually found as a concentrated oil or in capsule form (but also as a juice), Oregano should be kept easily accessible in the household as it can be used to disinfect cuts and scrapes, sore throats, treat internal and external infections and more. Just make sure to not get any Oregano in your eyes and do your best to keep it from touching your mucus membranes as it is a very spicy herb.

Olive Leaf

The main constituent of olive leaf is the phytochemical oleuropein, which breaks down to elenolic acid, and has a powerful anti-bacterial effect, plus the ability to interfere with critical amino acid production essential for viruses.  Olive leaf extract is often used to treat the common cold, flu, cold sores (herpes), ear infections, eye infections, nose and throat infections and a host of other viral and bacterial infections.

All of the above herbs can be used to treat viral, bacterial and fungal infections in your children (and adults too!).  Length of administration would generally continue  until 2 days after the symptoms are gone.  If your child puts up a fuss and doesn’t want to take anything you are giving them, you can safely add any of these products to their food or drink.

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Reproduction of this document or any portion thereof without prior written consent is prohibited.

The role of massage therapy in the treatment of depression and anxiety can be invaluable; it helps to integrate the individual as a whole within the treatment context and can offer both physical and emotional relief.

Often, in a clinical treatment, the focus revolves mainly around a specific presenting lesion or pathology, however psychological and emotional factors also need to be considered.  Massage therapists frequently treat patients with complaints of neuromuscular dysfunction, such as muscle tension, pain and respiratory difficulties, as well as other physical manifestations with no recognizable cause; these are cases where stress and the individual’s response to stress need to be considered.

When understanding depression, a multitude of social, environmental, hormonal, chemical, physical and personal factors, all need to be considered when deciding on the best treatment for the individual.  I would also like to acknowledge that within the layers of our bodies there exists the constant integration of new experiences with deeply rooted past experiences of our lives – which stay contained within our bodies.  For example, many people can relate to having a massage, or being touched and find various memories are suddenly triggered into conscious thought, or feelings are evoked of a distinct emotion.  As the memory or the emotion is recalled and experienced there may also have been a release in the body or easing in the breath.  Massage therapy can provide a very beneficial adjunct in the treatment of anxiety and depression encouraging a subtle release of the body’s memory of both physical and emotional trauma, and with that release access to the cause of the underlying affective state, which can help to bring the physical and emotional body back into a state of balance.

When referring to the cycle of anxiety and stress, it should be noted that we are working with the body in a sympathetic state which is indicative of energy expenditure, often defined in literature as the “fight or flight” response.  Massage therapy can assist in breaking this cycle by decreasing heart rate, respiratory rate, muscle tone, and muscle pain; which will in turn put the parasympathetic state in the seat of control allowing the body to function in a more restful manner. Depression and anxiety are characterized by sympathetic and parasympathetic dysregulation, the clinical characteristics of which are summarized below1. In 90% of cases, both depression and anxiety will co-exist2.

The limbic system of the brain is responsible for the processing of our emotions; it is the emotional center of the body and in turn controls both mood and attitude.  When the limbic system is less active there generally exists a more positive state of mind. Emotions excite the limbic system through its interconnections with several structures; the most important of these is the hypothalamus, which is the brain’s control center.  The hypothalamus regulates levels of pleasure, anger, pulse, and breathing. It essentially provides a link between all the body systems.  Another component of the body, which is important to mention in this discussion, is the reticular activating system (RAS).  The RAS receives input from sensory stimulation through touch/pressure, visual and auditory and projects this input to higher brain centers – such as the hypothalamus.   Increased activity in the RAS creates increased sympathetic functioning, which can express itself as muscle hypertonicity, trigger points, muscle pain, and headaches3.  If it is possible to calm the emotions by reflexively providing a soothing external stimulation calming the RAS and enhancing the parasympathetic nervous system, we can hypothesize that there would be a decrease in negative stimulation being projected to the hypothalamus and communicated to the limbic system, which would in turn decrease the symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Throughout massage treatments various assessment tools are utilized such as range of motion, palpation, tissue response, vital monitoring, and a visual analogue scale (VAS)4.  The VAS is traditionally utilized for patients to record subjective levels of pain; a modification of this scale incorporates a number system in which an individual would gage their levels of overall wellness, energy and subjective stress.

Example of VAS patient log:

Results outlining VAS pre/post massage treatments taken from actual casework:

(Treatments for this particular case were provided weekly for the initial 3 months, and we then reassessed to every 2 weeks for 2 months, followed by monthly appointments.)

The Treatment plan would be specific to the individual and their changing needs, utilizing a variety of massage and relaxation techniques.  Previously done studies provide evidence that massage can decrease levels of stress hormones and perceived anxiety, increase relaxation, address stress related physical dysfunction, help with insomnia, calm a busy mind, increase breath awareness and encourage a more restorative state in the body. Massage therapy also helps to reconnect the body with the mind.

It is important for individuals to acknowledge their role and responsibility for their own healing.  Key elements to consider are maintaining a healthy activity level, journaling, nourishing the body with healthy food choices and sufficient water, and making the time to relax through a gentle stretching, yoga or meditation practice.  Talking to a friend or a trained professional to help process and understand any emotional or physical responses that may occur in the massage sessions is vitally important and can also be very empowering.

In conclusion, our bodies carry within them all of our physiological and emotional experiences which carry the potential for development and transformation, therefore, by releasing physical tensions we can in turn release psychological trauma.  The only real constant we can ever really rely on, is that the human organism is never in a static state of being, but rather ever evolving and changing.  With this knowledge we as individuals have to be constantly re-evaluating the changes in our bodies and our minds, and accepting of whatever that may be.  Massage aims to provide a positive and therapeutic experience of touch, while encouraging individuals to have a greater acceptance and respect for themselves through their own personal evolution.

References:

1. Beers, Mark H., M.D., and Robert Berkow, MD, The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 17th edition. N.J., USA: Merck and Co., Whitehouse Station, 1999
2. Leahy, Robert and Stephen Holland, Treatment Plans and interventions for Depression and Anxiety Disorders, book and CD-ROM, New York, NY: Guilford, 2000
3. Tortora, Gerard J., and Sandra Reynolds Grabowski, Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 9th edition, USA: John Wiley and Sons Inc., 2000
4. Magee, David J., Orthopedic Physical Assessment, 4th edition, USA: Elsevier sciences, 2002

General:

• Andrade, Carla-Krystin, PhD, PT, and Paul Clifford, BSC, MT, Outcome Based Massage Therapy, Baltimore, Maryland:  Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins; 2001
• Borysenko, Joan, Minding the body, Mending the mind, MA, USA:  Addison Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1987
• Kerr, Sheila and Marc White, Massage Therapy and Its Impact on the Limbic System, B.C. Massage Practitioner, 2003; 23.1: 11-12
• Pert, Candace, PhD, Molecules of Emotion, New York, NY, USA: Scribner, 1997

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Reproduction of this document or any portion thereof without prior written consent is prohibited.

WHAT IS HEAD LICE?

The head louse is a wingless parasitic insect that lives and breeds on your head.  Head lice (plural of louse) feed by biting the scalp and drawing an extremely small amount of blood as its source of nourishment.  Head lice are crawling insects and cannot jump, hop or fly.

The head louse is a wingless parasitic insect that lives and breeds on your head.  Head lice (plural of louse) feed by biting the scalp and drawing an extremely small amount of blood as its source of nourishment.  Head lice are crawling insects and cannot jump, hop or fly.

Nits are the small yellow-white, oval shaped eggs that are found “glued” at the base of the hair shaft. They are approximately the size of a sesame seed. You cannot “catch” nits – they are only laid by LIVE lice. Once laid, a nit takes approximately 7 to 10 days to hatch and another 7 to 10 days for the female lice to begin laying their own eggs. The average life span of the louse is approximately 30 days and the female lice can lay up to 100 eggs in their life span.

WHO CAN GET HEAD LICE

Anyone can get head lice. Head lice is easily spread by physical head-to-head contact with another person that has head lice.  It can also be spread by:

• sharing headwear such as hats, baseball caps and toques
• laying on a pillow or area that was used by another person that has head lice

Remember, head lice are wingless and cannot fly, jump or hop.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE HEAD LICE?

Though head lice can be very small, they can easily be seen with the naked eye through close examination of the affected persons scalp.  You may see one or typically all of the following:

Lice Nits

• These are the eggs that look like small oval shaped sacks which are attached to the hair shaft close to the scalp.
• Nits are held on tightly to the hair shaft and cannot be removed by simply brushing them off.
• Nits hatch within 1 to 2 weeks after they are laid by the adult lice.

Lice (Adult and Nymph)

• The adult louse is generally the size of a sesame seed.
• Nymph lice are baby lice which become adult lice typically 6 to 8 days after hatching.
• Lice feed off of blood from the scalp every few hours.
• Lice can survive for up to 3 days without feeding.

Symptoms

• Scratching
• Skin rash
• Sores

IS HEAD LICE CONTAGIOUS?

Head lice is highly contagious and should be handled with care and precaution.  If you or your child has head lice, the situation should not be taken lightly and you should take care of the situation immediately.

Head lice can easily and quickly spread from person to person through direct contact with another infected person or through direct contact with a surface which has been contaminated by someone with head lice.  Remember that head lice cannot jump or fly!

NATURAL HEAD LICE TREATMENTS

Fine Toothed Combs

This is the first and best line of defense against head lice.  The tiny eggs (nits) attach to the hair shaft, so it may be easier to comb toward the scalp rather than away from it in order to dislodge and then remove them.  Remember that lice cannot jump or fly, but they can fall onto surfaces during combing, so take care not to accidentally transmit them onto furniture and clothes when combing head lice out of hair.

Pyrethrins

Pyrethrins are insecticidal compounds found in chrysanthemums and related flowers.  Lice treatments containing pyrethrins (e.g. permethrin) are very potent, but less readily absorbed through the skin than lindane.  As is true of other pesticides, pyrethrins should be handled with care.

Oils

Oils coat the exoskeleton or ‘skin’ of adult head lice, basically keeping them from getting oxygen and ultimately suffocating them.  A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that lice that were submerged in olive oil for two hours died. However, head lice that were submerged for only one hour recovered.

Vegetable oils or a combination of vegetable oil with essential oils may be applied to the head (after thorough combing to remove nits) to thoroughly saturate the hair and coat the head lice.  Then the head may be covered with a shower cap or towel.  After a minimum of two hours, the oil can be washed out (probably required 2 or 3 washes).  Next, examine the hair for eggs and remove any that are seen.

The process may be repeated every four days to kill emerging lice before they mature and can lay new eggs.

For highly resistant head lice, essential oils can be added to contribute to the efficacy of the vegetable oil, but a skin test should be preformed beforehand to see for sensitivities to the essential oils itself.  To do a skin test, apply a drop of oil to the inside of the elbow and check the area for irritations after several intervals of one hour.  If any signs of irritation are seen, do not add essential oils into the vegetable oil hair mixture.  if irritation occurs during a treatment, shampoo the mixture out immediately.

HERE IS A QUICK RECIPE FOR A NATURAL HEAD LICE TREATMENT:

• 2 ounces vegetable oil (e.g. olive oil)
• 20 drops tea tree oil essential oil
• 10 drops rosemary essential oil
• 10 drops lavendar essential oil
• 10 drops lemon essential oil (may be found in spice section of grocery store)

To use, combine the ingredients and perfom a skin test as described earlier.  If no sensitivity is experienced, apply the mixture to dry hair.  Cover hair with a shower cap or even a plastic bag and leave the mixture on for 1 to 2 hours.  Shampoo the hair 2 to 3 times to remove oil from scalp and hair.

How Do I Prevent Reinfections?

1. Ensure thorough and proper cleaning of hair and scalp during bath or shower. Use your fingertips to scrub (do not scratch your scalp using your fingernails) the scalp and the base of the hair shafts.
2. Wash all bedding and clothing thoroughly in the washer and dry them in a hot clothes dryer for a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes.
3. All hair instruments like combs, brushes, picks and curlers should be soaked in boiling hot water for a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes to kill off and disinfect them.  Items that cannot be boiled should be isolated in air tight sealed bags (e.g. ZipLock bags) for a minimum of 2 weeks to ensure that all nits and lice are dead.
4. All carpet, furniture and other upholstery should be thouroughly vacuumed.  Steam cleaning is a great way to not only clean your carpets and upholstery but it is also highly beneficial for deep cleaning if you have had a lice breakout within your household.

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Reproduction of this document or any portion thereof without prior written consent is prohibited.

Infrared Sauna Therapy

• SWEAT at a lower temperature
• HEAL from Chronic Pain, Heart Conditions, Fybromyalgia
• Comfortable, Safe, Portable and Affordable

The far infrared sauna is the ultimate portable infrared sauna. Our unit is manufactured in Canada and features soothing radiant heat at safer, more comfortable temperatures than conventional saunas, making breathing more pleasant. In our infrared sauna, the radiant heat is being absorbed by your body over 1 1/2 inches below the skin, giving pain relief for those with sports injuries, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and other chronic pain conditions. The far infrared sauna has also shown to be very effective for weight loss.

• Pain Relief – fibromyalgia – arthritis – chronic pain – sports injury
• Weight Loss – burn 600 calories in 30 minutes
• Detoxification – of toxins – lead and mercury poisoning
• Immune System – hyperthermia boosts immune response
• Relaxation – stress relief
• Skin Care – excellent results in the treatment of acne, eczema, psoriasis, cellulite

Far Infrared Saunas vs. Conventional Saunas

A conventional sauna must rely only on indirect means of heat: first, on convection (air currents) and then, conduction (direct contact of hot air with the skin) to produce its heating effect on us. In a far infrared sauna, less than 20% of the infrared energy heats the air, leaving over 80% available to be directly converted to heat within our bodies. Thus an infrared sauna can warm its user to a much greater depth and much more efficiently than a conventional sauna. This crucial difference explains many of the unprecedented health benefits reported to be available through a far infrared sauna that are not attainable through a conventional sauna.

The infrared energy applied in these saunas may induce up to 2 – 3 times the sweat volume of a hot-air sauna. They operate at a significantly cooler air temperature range of 110° to 130°F vs. 180° to 235°F in a conventional sauna. The lower heat range is safer for those concerned about cardiovascular risk factors that might be encountered in old-style hot-air sauna

Far Infrared – Information

The electromagnetic spectrum is divided into three segments by wavelength, measured in microns or micrometers(a micron = 1/1,000,000 of a meter) : 0.076 to 1.5 microns = near or close; 1.5 to 5.6 = middle or intermediate; 5.6 to 1,000 = far or long wave infrared. The far infrared segment of the electromagnetic spectrum occurs just below, or “infra” to red light as the next lowest energy band. This band of light is not visible to human eyes but we can, however, feel this type of light, which we perceive as heat.When warmed, the earth radiates infrared rays in the 7 to 14 micron bands with its peak output at 10 microns. Our palms emit infrared energy at between 8 to 14 microns. The Soft Heat® sauna heaters emit the majority of their output in the long band from 5.6 to 25 microns. The output is evenly spread around the 9.4 micron pivot point of peak human output. The energy output from the infrared sauna corresponds so closely to the body’s radiant energy that our bodies absorb close to 93% of the infrared waves that reach our skin.

Book an Appointment Today

For more information on our Infrared Sauna Therapy please call 416-461-8688 and book your appointment today.

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Reproduction of this document or any portion thereof without prior written consent is prohibited.