Millions of people around the world suffer from anxiety.  While most individual experiences can be considered mild or temporary, there are others for whom anxiety is a debilitating mental and emotional disorder that can have significant negative effects on one’s physical, emotional, and social functions.  As an alternative treatment, reflexology massage is commonly recommended to help individuals achieve a sense of relaxation and well-being.  

Reflexology is a type of massage that uses light to moderate pressure on specific points in the feet, hands, or ears.  These points correspond to certain body parts and organs.  By massaging these points, beneficial effects can be experienced by the other part or organ.  Reflexology uses massage techniques to help relieve tension, improve blood circulation, and induce relaxation and rest.  Frequently, reflexologists use tools that aid the in targeting and adding more pressure on specific points. The benefits derived from reflexology by people with anxiety are mainly from its therapeutic effects.  Massage movements are slow and deliberate, allowing the patient to relax and calm the mind.  As a result, heartbeat is regulated and the patient is better able to breathe deeply.  It is the preferred form of therapy for many individuals because it is non-invasive, does not require medication, and in its most basic form, does not require the use of special equipment. 

Lou Gehrig’s disease, otherwise known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a highly degenerative disease that affects the nervous system. ALS hinders the power of the brain to pass messages to the voluntary muscles of the body. This happens due to the fact that the muscle neurons start degenerating. Eventually the neurons completely die off causing the muscle groups to waste away.

ALS gained the name of Lou Gehrig's disease due to Lou Gehrig, a famous baseball player who developed the illness in 1939 and passed away some two years later.

The explanation for this degenerative disease remains unknown, although it has been put forward that the illness is caused by an infection or virus. There seems to be a genetic component to the illness as well.

Within the early phases of Lou Gehrig’s disease, the sufferer may discover some leg or arm weakness as the muscle mass begins to show signs of atrophy and ripples. This happens as the motor neurons are dying with the patient losing control over his muscles until he can no longer move them. Additionally patients might experience difficulties swallowing and/or with speech. Cramping and muscle pain are also common complaints of this illness.  The body continues to waste but the sufferer’s cognitive abilities remain intact.

Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS, generally is 60% more common in men than women, primarily affecting those males between the ages of 35 and 65. Approximately 50% of the individuals diagnosed with this illness live three years or more. Of the remaining sufferers a further 20 % live another 5 years or more, with about 10 % making it past the 10 year mark or longer.
As there is no known cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease, there isn’t any clearly defined treatment for ALS, although various treatments are used to minimize pain and suffering associated with the disease. A medication is being currently researched which aims to slow down the progression of ALS.
 
Massage therapy is commonly used to make sufferers more comfortable. It also minimizes cramping and muscle pain. Gentle passive massage and various ranges of motion prevent joints from becoming stiff, and by increasing the blood supply into to muscles via massage, this decelerates muscle atrophy to some degree.

Research has shown that regular massage and touch is beneficial in helping both mental and physical symptoms of many degenerative and deliberating diseases, including Lou Gehrig’s disease.  Because having a serious illness is very stressful, massage therapy can also help lower anxiety as it significantly lowers the quantity of Cortisol, the body’s stress hormone.

Should a patient’s muscle tissues be too atrophied to work on, then a simple hand, foot and scalp massage can also be highly beneficial. Even reflexology techniques can cause some pain relief for patients. So regardless of the severity of the condition, massage therapy can help. 

The Integrative Medical Discussion Group (IMDG), hosted by Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM), invites physicians, Oriental medicine practitioners, specialists, students, and the general public to enjoy a free evening of enlightened discussion about integrative medicine’s role in psychological and emotional health. Pathological conditions such as PTSD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Bi-Polar Syndrome will be discussed. The event will be held on Friday, May 21 from 7 to 9pm at the Pacific College campus in Mission Valley. 

The goal of IMDG is to bring practitioners and students together from a variety of medical backgrounds to dialogue about different ways to provide quality health to patients. The panel for this event is diverse. It includes Tahir Bhatti, M.D., Lynda Harvey, L.Ac., Daniel Weber, Ph.D., and Christina Zampitella, Psy.D., FT. While the panel and audience are diverse, the goal is unanimous: to inform each other about how to improve psychological and emotional health for patients.

“It is important to empower patients with options,” said Deb Davies, founder of IMDG. “Patients need to be aware that drugs are not the only option to treat psychological and emotional disorders. You can use herbs; you can get acupuncture. Sharing ideas regarding different modalities to treat pathological conditions is paramount to empowering patients with knowledge to take charge of their health. It’s all about providing patients with choices.”

This event is free and open to the public, however an RSVP is required. To RSVP, please contact Deb Davies at ddavies@pacificcollege.edu
 
About the Integrative Medical Discussion Group

IMDG’s mission is to build bridges among all types of health practitioners and to increase awareness as to how powerful the medicines can be when combined. The group helps establish connections among future doctors, and will educate, raise awareness, and enlighten the community on the ever-growing topic of integrative medicine.

Shiatsu massage, also called Zen shiatsu, is an Oriental medicine technique used to treat common physical and psychological ailments through finger pressure. This particular type of massage therapy is used to alleviate pain, help relieve symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety, and also reduce blood pressure levels. 

HBP, or high blood pressure, is a severe condition that may lead to heart failure, stroke, and coronary heart disease, among other health complications.  Many people around the world suffer from high blood pressure, and in the US alone, 1 in 3 adults suffer from the illness. Blood pressure is pressure caused by blood pressing against artery walls; if the pressure is too strong, it can damage not only the artery, but the body as a whole.

There are a number of ways to treat high blood pressure, including taking medication and going on a diet program. Many people also seek alternative treatments to combat HBP. Shiatsu massage is commonly sought out to compliment other treatments for HBP. Shiatsu massage fuses together philosophical, spiritual, and medical facets of the human body to ensure that qi flows freely through the body. Finger pressure from shiatsu massage helps increases blood circulation throughout the body which in tern aids patients suffering from HBP. It also helps reduce stress, anxiety, and other chronic pain. 

Thai Massage for Flexibility

Thai massage involves stretching and deep tissue massage techniques. Because of strong influences from yoga, Thai massage is also referred to as Thai yoga, yoga massage, or assisted yoga. During Thai massage sessions, patients wear comfortable clothes, as no oils are required. Throughout the session, a patient is passively moving from one stretching or yoga position to another. Thai massage is much more energetic and vigorous than most other massage techniques and has many unique benefits. One of the most significant benefits of Thai massage is its ability to improve a patient’s flexibility. 

Flexibility can be defined as the range of movement that is attainable in a momentous effort in a joint or a group of joints. It can also be defined as the range of limb movement around joints. Thai massage is renowned as the best massage technique to progressively improve overall flexibility, and more specifically, the flexibility of legs, back, and hip muscles.

Fibromyalgia is one of the most debilitating conditions that an estimated 5.8 million people in the U.S. suffer from.  The disease manifests itself in symptoms that involve muscle aches, pain, weakness, and joint stiffness.  It also involves unexplained fatigue, making it difficult for patients to move or perform normal daily activities.  Although fibromyalgia symptoms may be alleviated through the use of medications, many patients also turn to massage therapy for relief.  Massage can be an effective complement to more conventional means of treatment.

Massages require the physical manipulation of muscles and tissues.  When done correctly, it can help encourage proper circulation of blood throughout the system.  Coupled with correct breathing on the patient's end, regular massage therapy can promote tissue oxygenation.  This process helps eliminate pain and stiffness and promote better flexibility.

There are several types of massages that may be used with patients who have fibromyalgia.  One of the most popular techniques is circulatory massage because it uses deep pressure to relieve muscle pain and eliminate tension. Shiatsu massage is also a popular form of therapy. Shiatsu is a type of massage that targets pressure points in the hands, fingers, and knuckles in order to stimulate the body to relax and relieve itself of pain.  This can be an ideal massage for someone with fibromyalgia because it avoids direct contact with the muscles and major joints, usually the parts of the body where the most pain is experienced. Another viable option is reflexology, a type of massage therapy where the therapist manipulates only the patient’s feet and hands.  

Research regarding the use of massage therapy for treating and managing certain disorders and illnesses is growing.  For the treatment of pain, stiffness, and discomfort associated with fibromyalgia, massage therapy has been observed to be effective among subjects in several studies.  One such study, which appeared in April 2002 in the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, reported that the group that received massage therapy reported improved sleep duration, quality, and decreased pain.

Another study, one conducted by the New Touch Research Institute of the University of Miami School of Medicine, showed that massage therapy helped improve patients with joint and muscle pains.  The study concluded that massage therapy helped decreased pain and tenderness, increased levels of serotonin, decreased levels of stress hormones, and improved the patient’s overall sense of well-being.

Acupuncture for Asthma


Asthma, a chronic disease of the lungs, affects an estimated 300 million people around the world.  Although it is considered a treatable disease with proper medication, it still claims over 3,000 deaths each year in the U.S. alone.  It is also one of the most common diseases for which patients turn to alternative therapies such as acupuncture for treatment and relief. 
The key to the efficacy of acupuncture is that it directly affects the flow of qi, the energy that resides in the body.  In traditional Chinese medicine, the blockage of qi leads to diseases, disorders, and illnesses.

Acupuncture employs simple yet straightforward methods to treat ailments.  Like all methods in Oriental medicine, it utilizes a holistic approach wherein treatment is focused on achieving overall health and well-being in order to remove the troublesome symptoms associated with asthma.

In traditional Chinese medicine, asthma is considered not just a disorder of the lungs but also of the kidneys and the stomach.  This explains why the acupoints that correspond to the treatment of asthma are located along the lung, kidney, and stomach meridians.  Acupoints along the bladder meridian are also treated since bladder function is also considered important for the overall health of the body’s organs.  Once the energy blockages in these areas are corrected, optimum health is hopefully achieved.

Acupuncture is widely used as a preventative medicine technique, and as such, is most effective when used to treat initial attacks or mild bouts of asthma.  The disease is one of 40 considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) that may benefit from acupuncture.  One study conducted by the University of Vienna Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care showed that at least 70% of the patients suffering from asthma reported improvement after undergoing regular acupuncture treatment for a span of 10 weeks. 
Another study, conducted in Kaifeng City’s Department of Acupuncture in the Second Municipal People’s Hospital in Henan, China, involved 192 patients with bronchial asthma.  All patients were treated with acupuncture and results showed significant improvement in over 75% of patients.  Clinical remission also reduced and the majority of patients reported immediate relief post-treatment.  The study also showed that efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of asthma was related to the needle retention duration, the length of time the needle stayed inserted.  Long-term curative effects were also observed to be better with patients who experienced immediate positive results after treatments.

Deep tissue massage can be used to help treat multiple sports-related injuries. One such injury, commonly found in runners, is plantar fasciitis.

There is a thick connective tissue that runs the entire length of the bottom of the human foot. It starts on the five toes and extends to the bottom of the heel. This tissue is known as the plantar fascia. While running, runners land on the heel of the foot and then raise themselves on the toes before shifting the weight to the other foot. This causes the plantar fascia to come under strain, and when the strain becomes too much, the plantar fascia is likely to tear. Even if there is no tearing, the strain can be felt and is an indication of plantar fasciitis. Mountain climbers, aerobics practitioners, and hikers can also become afflicted by plantar fasciitis due to constant strain on the planar fascia.    

Massage and Chronic Fatigue

Massages used in traditional Chinese medicine or TCM are known for their therapeutic value, particularly for the treatment of common ailments and disorders.  One of the most common disorders with which TCM is used is chronic fatigue syndrome, an illness that manifests itself through a variety of symptoms, many of which are similar to other disorders and illnesses.  This is why Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is difficult to diagnose.  However, it can be treated and many patients have turned to traditional Chinese medicine and massage therapy for relief. 

Fatigue is an ailment that probably every person has experienced at one time or another.  Although common, it is not always a cause for concern since it often goes away after some rest and relaxation.  The problem is that fatigue can be a symptom of a disorder known as CFS or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  People who suffer from CFS frequently complain of extended periods of extreme fatigue with seemingly no perceivable cause or reason. 

Acupuncture and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder is an actual and serious disease triggered by exposure to dangerous and frightening events. Symptoms include irrational fears, nightmares and sense that the traumatic events keep happening again and again. It can have serious consequences on the life of the person going through this and on the lives of the people around them. In the long term, it can lead to substance abuse, Alzheimer’s disease, and even dementia.

With the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, there is an increasing number of people diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. In fact, Pentagon officials are estimating that close to a third of the soldiers returning from these wars will suffer from it. But this illness does not only affect war veterans. Anybody who has been through a very stressful, frightening, and traumatizing event can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. It is especially the case for people who have been through life-threatening experiences for themselves or people around them, and physical or emotional abuse. Physical assaults, natural disasters, accidents, rape, and the violent or sudden death of relatives are among the traumatic events that can cause post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Western medicine is using a variety of psychological therapies and drug therapies to treat this condition, but there is no definitive treatment of this disorder. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) various natural remedies can help people affected with this condition. Among these natural remedies, acupuncture appears to be the most effective. In fact, various scientific studies, such as the one conducted by Dr. Michael Hollifield at the  University of New Mexico's Department of Psychiatry (1), support the use of acupuncture as a natural remedy for treating post-traumatic disorder symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, and depression, and psychosomatic pain disorders.