Massage These 6 Areas Yourself for Soothing Relief

Aches, pains, and stiffness are ailments we become accustomed to as we get older. But what are our options? Should we just learn to live with the pain, or spend a fortune on a massage therapist? Thankfully, there is a third option that I've recently been trying myself - self-massage. I use foam rollers, lacrosse balls, tennis balls and a massage stick (all cheap, easily available and simple to use) for those hard-to-reach spots and consequently, I have found them to be incredibly effective. All it takes is 10 minutes out of my day, and the muscle pain and tension I was experiencing have reduced significantly, in just a matter of days. My flexibility has also increased

The Benefits: Self-massage tools increase blood circulation and smooth out 'knots' in the muscles and connective tissues caused by dehydration, overuse and, injury. The longer they go untreated, the tighter the surrounding muscle becomes, causing more pain. 

 

Let's take a look at six ways self-massage can help.

 

1. Reduce Lower Back Pain

The lower back is often a prime target for pain, predominantly because the spine, made up of 33 small bones called vertebrae, must carry the weight of the whole body. A number of activities can put a lot of stress on the lower back, including running, jumping and chronic sitting.

An effective way to reduce lower back pain is to massage the quadratus lumborum (a back muscle) and the erector spinae (muscles that run along the outside of the vertebrae). As this spot is hard to reach, using a small, dense ball will help.  

 

2. Relieve Tension Headaches

Stress and a slouched posture can often cause throbbing tension headaches. Such a headache occurs due to muscle contractions in the head and neck. Kneading the upper trapezius muscle (the muscle located near your neck and shoulder) with a massage stick ought to alleviate the pain.

 

3. For Flexible Hips

Most of us have limited hip mobility and flexibility because our quadriceps (upper thigh muscles) are tight. However, keeping your hips flexible means that you are less prone to injury. Using a foam roller on the quadriceps will help loosen up this tissue.

4. Your Posture Will Improve

Sitting down all day creates muscle imbalances. Therefore, some muscles become short, tight and overactive while others weaken out of neglect, causing us to feel pain and making us prone to injury. Rolling on a simple device, known as the 'peanut tool', will loosen and relax your back muscles. To make the peanut tool, just add two small balls (the size of a tennis ball) to a sock, tying a knot firmly at the top to keep the balls in place.

5. Reduce Foot Pain

Pain in the plantar fascia (the muscle that spans the bottom of the foot) can be caused by injury, overuse, a sudden increase in activity or even weight gain. Massaging the soles of your feet with a tennis ball can remove adhesions in the plantar fascia and also send blood flow to your feet, warming up your foot muscles.

6. Release Shoulder Pain

Self-massage is a fantastic way to release discomfort and pain in the shoulder area. A lacrosse ball is the best tool to release adhesions in the shoulder muscles.

 

ps-you can view the videos for the above aches by clicking on the link below

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This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Poor Sleep linked to Increased Falls

Have you ever found it difficult to keep your balance after a poor night’s sleep? Have you ever experienced lots of near falls after a night of twisting and turning? Well, there’s new research out there that could explain this phenomenon!
Researchers conducted a study demonstrating the relationship between poor, disrupted sleep and reduced posture and balance. They believe that a night of restless sleep affects our vision, a sense that plays a vital role in balance. Lead author claims that it is something we all experience from time to time. He says: “We all have direct experience of this. When we do not sleep well, we may feel a little dizzy and our capability to control our posture and balance is somehow diminished.” However, he continues to explain that aging already reduces these abilities, meaning poor sleep brings our balancing capabilities at these ages to the point of non-existence, increasing our risk of falls. 

The study 

The study examined 20 healthy adults, between the ages of 28-34, over two days logging how much each adult slept and how this affected their balance. To monitor their sleep patterns, the participants wore sensors that kept track of their heart rate and balance while quiet standing through foot ‘ center of pressure’ (COP) displacement, while at home, and sleep diaries, actigraphy and ‘heart rate variability’ (HRV)  measures were used to asses sleep quality variations. 

The foot center of pressure is the point at which the pressure of the body over the soles of the feet would be if concentrated in one spot. If there are deviations this means reduced balance. Actigraphy is a method of monitoring human rest-activity cycles and heart rate variability is the phenomenon of variation in the time interval between heartbeats. All these measures taken into account, the researches found that reduced quality and quantity of sleep (shorter sleep time, more disturbances, increased activity and decreased HRV), led to significant changes in balance. Participants who did not undergo a decrease in sleep quantity and quality did not experience a reduction in balance abilities.

What does this mean?

The results of the study showed that reduced quality of sleep over consecutive days may affect balance. This means that those who sleep poorly are prone to more falls, especially the elderly. These results could also help us understand in-hospital falls. Dr. explains, “hospitalized older patients find themselves in a frail condition, sleeping in an unfamiliar environment, with unusual nocturnal light and noises from other patients and nurses, and perhaps being administered more than one drug. Waking up to go to the toilet can be more challenging than we can imagine.” Placing these elderly adults in an unfamiliar setting which is not cohesive to sleep and then expecting them to get around on their own is not only wrong but also dangerous. He goes on to say that a solution to this would be to learn to use technology capable of early detection in sleep changes, thereby increasing the ability to prevent or avoid falls that may occur the next day. 

Conclusion

We all know the importance of getting a good night’s sleep, however, now we know that inadequate sleep can really be dangerous. Therefore, it's important that you get a good night’s sleep and you can learn how to do just that with knowing when you finish you full cycle of sleep- it means, in 90 minutes, we sleep soundly, dream, light sleep, then sound sleep. So, when we get up at the end of the cycle, i.e., after sound sleep, then we'll feel refreshed.

 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                                             FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                                                             https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                       FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com

Lifestyle Changes That Can Help Manage Excessive Sweating

Sweating is a normal function of the body, but some people sweat so much that their clothes are often drenched in sweat. Hyperhidrosis is a condition where the amount of sweat produced by the sweat glands cannot be regulated. It is characterized by excessive sweating commonly seen in the underarms, palms and soles. This disorder can affect a person at any age and if left untreated, can become a lifelong condition. Though this condition is not a serious threat to your health, it can be quite embarrassing and can hamper your lifestyle.

In many cases, there is no obvious trigger for Hyperhidrosis, and it is caused by the malfunctioning of the nervous system. This is known as primary Hyperhidrosis. Sweat is a function which helps the body cool itself. In cases of primary Hyperhidrosis, the brain sends a message to the sweat glands to produce sweat even though the body does not need to be cooled. A genetic mutation may also be the cause for some cases of Hyperhidrosis.

Hyperhidrosis with obvious trigger factors is known as secondary Hyperhidrosis. While primary Hyperhidrosis mostly affects the underarms,groin , palms and soles, secondary Hyperhidrosis can affect all parts of the body.

Some of the common triggers for this condition are: 
pregnancy 
Menopause 
Anxiety
Low blood sugar 
Hyperthyroidism
Medication side effects
Alcohol or drug withdrawal 
Parkinson's disease

Hyperhidrosis can be challenging to diagnose and treat. Lifestyle changes are the easiest way to address this disorder. Some changes that can help you fight Hyperhidrosis are:

• Avoid spicy food and alcohol
• Replace deodorants with antiperspirants
• Choose cotton fabrics over synthetic fabrics
• Wear loose fitting clothes.
• Try using armpit shields and wearing absorbent socks.

Anticholinergic or antimuscarinic medicines can also help treat Hyperhidrosis. This keeps the nervous system from activating the sweat glands. Dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, abdominal cramps and difficulty in passing urine are some of the side effects associated with this medication. Iontophoresis  is a more aggressive form of Hyperhidrosis treatment. This involves passing a weak electric current through a wet pad to the affected area to block the sweat glands. It is usually used to treat excessive sweating in the palms and soles.
  Botox injections can also help treat Hyperhidrosis by blocking the brain signals to the sweat glands. However this is not a permanent cure and may need to be repeated after a year or so.
Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy or a surgery to remove the sweat glands may also be recommended in extreme cases of Hyperhidrosis. This is usually seen as a permanent solution for excessive sweating, but are relatively new procedures and hence not very common. 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/  

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WHAT ARE CORNS AND CALLUSES

Corns – This is a protective thickening of the skin that usually occurs on a bony part of your toe. Corns have a very thick center called a core, and this develops over the area that has experienced the greatest friction or pressure. Corns that form on the upper surfaces of the toes are called hard corns, whereas pliable, moist corns that form between the toes are called soft corns.
 Calluses – This is a thickening of a part of the skin that’s exposed to prolonged rubbing. While this is a more common occurrence on the soles of your feet, they can also occur on other parts of the body. For example, laborers and weight lifters tend to get them on their hands due to the heavy lifting they do. This thickened skin can actually be an advantage in these instances because it can cushion the hands and allow the person to function without feeling any pain. On the feet, they usually develop at the base of the toes.

Symptoms
Corns and calluses are usually characterized by the formation of a discolored area (brown, red or black), which occurs due to a small amount of bleeding between the normal and thickened skin. In more severe cases, a separation of the normal and thickened skin can occur, which makes the area more susceptible to infection. Diabetics in particular need to be acutely aware of this possibility if they have severe corns or calluses.

Diagnosis
If you visit your doctor due to the development of corns or calluses on your skin, the first thing he or she is likely to ask you about is your footwear. This question will likely be followed by questions about your foot history and whether you have a history of other medical problems, with particular reference to diabetes and circulation problems. In addition, calluses can be the result of a change in the mechanics of the foot, which causes abnormal amounts of pressure to be placed on certain areas.
To investigate further, your doctor will likely inspect your feet to see whether the skin growths have developed due to foot abnormalities. These include toe deformities, structural problems of the bones, poor bone alignment and problems related to an abnormal way of walking. For corns and calluses developing in these instances, your doctor will likely recommend padding or a shoe insert to prevent them from returning or causing discomfort.

Prevention 

The best way in which you can prevent corns and calluses from forming is by wearing shoes that fit properly. Low-heeled, comfortable shoes that give you enough space around the toes should do the trick. When purchasing, make sure you try on a pair of shoes at the store, or have the salesperson measure your feet to get exactly the right fit. Also consider the material of the shoes that you're buying - you need to ensure that the material is breathable, so your feet get enough air. Here are some other things you can do to prevent corns and calluses: 

• Keep your feet in good condition: Make sure you keep your feet as clean and dry as possible. You can't avoid sweating, but you can avoid your feet being moist for a very long time.
   
• Protect the sensitive areas: If you've planned to do a lot of walking or running, you should coat the areas of your feet that are most sensitive to calluses (like the heels and the bases of the toes) with petroleum jelly, to help reduce friction.
   
• Give your feet a break: Every now and then, change your shoes. Wearing open-toe sandals, for example, is likely to cause your feet to develop calluses, so wear gym shoes sometimes to give your feet a rest. Treatment
  Two things are normally done to treat to treat corns and calluses, namely shaving away some of the thickened skin and a change in footwear or the addition of a foot insert to relieve the stress on your feet.
  After a corn or callus is shaved down, it’s a good idea to treat the affected area with salicylic acid plasters or pads. These are available in regular drug stores, however they aren’t suitable for you if you happen to have circulation problems or neuropathy.
  In more serious cases, foot surgery might be necessary to treat corns and calluses that keep returning.
  
  Do It Yourself: 3-Step Home Treatment Process 
  If you want to have a go at treating corns and calluses yourself, there's a three-step process you can follow. There are different options within each step, so you may want to try the various alternatives and see what works best for you. 
  
  1. Soaking
   This process involves mixing some common food products with warm water and letting your feet soak in the resulting solution. You should also massage your feet during the process for greater impact. The following natural remedies all have some properties that will help reduce the effect of your calluses: 
   
  
  • Baking Soda: This ingredient can act as a natural exfoliant for your feet because of its crystals, which will help soften the hardened skin. Add three tablespoons of baking soda to warm water and soak your feet in it for 30 minutes to get rid of that excess dead skin.
  • Chamomile Tea: This herb is known for having a soothing effect on your skin, and its anti-inflammatory properties help reduce discomfort. Before going to bed, brew 1-2 cups of chamomile tea, add it to a small foot tub of water and soak your feet in it for around 30 minutes. (Make sure you rinse your feet well with water and soap after you're done to avoid getting tea stains on your bed.)
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: Use the acidic nature of apple cider vinegar to treat your corns and calluses. This can help the hard skin soften and speed up the healing process. Grab a slice of bread and leave it to soak in apple cider vinegar for 10 hours. Apply the resulting paste to your corns or calluses before you sleep and wrap your foot with a bandage or plastic bag. Wear this overnight and rinse your feet with warm water in the morning.
  • Epsom salt: This is one of the easiest remedies for calluses. Add Epsom salt to warm water and let your feet soak in the solution for about 10 minutes in order to help soften the corn or callus, draw out toxins and even remove them entirely. Scrub the affected area with a soft brush (see step 2) to see if the salt can help remove the hardened skin altogether. Epsom Salt also helps guard your feet against infections. 
  2. Scrubbing
  Scrubbing is essential when treating corns and calluses, and it's easiest to do after you shower (or even after you have soaked your feet using one of the above methods). This process should help eliminate the unwanted hard skin on your feet.
• While your skin is still soft from the soaking, use a pumice stone or foot file to rub away corns or calluses. 
• Rub your feet using a vigorous, circular motion until the skin turns pink.     
• 3. Drying After scrubbing off corns or calluses, make sure you dry your feet thoroughly.
  
• Towel-dry your feet completely to remove any moisture. 

• You can also sprinkle corn starch on the affected area to keep it dry and prevent infections. 

Important note: If you are diabetic, you should seek professional help for corns and calluses, rather than try these at-home methods. 

 this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

Risk of Falling...

Increased Risk of Fall Accident Begins at Age 40 

 

One of the main health concerns of elderly people is falling, which is often related to poor balance. In fact, many studies show that people begin to have balance problems starting at the age of 40 years. The older you get, the weaker your physical body and sensory abilities will be, which are all factors in having poor balance.

In Japan , more than 7,000 people a year die from falling accidents, which already exceeds the number of traffic accidents.

In this article, we'll examine in more details the cause of falling and why you lose balance as you age.

 

 

 

Test Your Balance by Standing on One Leg

 

You can determine how good your balance is by measuring the length of time that you can stand on one leg.

The following table shows the average balance time by age group in a study conducted at a Japanese health institute.

 

Average time with eyes open

20-39 years old: 110 seconds
40-49: 64 seconds
50-59: 36 seconds
60-69: 25 seconds

 

Average time with eyes closed

20-39 years old: 12 seconds
40-49: 7 seconds
50-59: 5 seconds
60-69: less than 3 seconds

 

If your balance time is below average, then you'll have higher risk of falls, or slipping and tripping accidents.

 

In the above study, women tend to lose their balance more than men but only by a small margin (1-2%). From this study, it is also evident that there's a sudden significant decrease in the ability to maintain balance among middle-aged people (40 years and above).

 

Please take note that the numbers stated above are only average. There are people who were able to maintain balance much longer, and there are also those who were only able to maintain their balance at much shorter time regardless of age and gender. The reason why they vary is explained further below.

 

 

 

The Soles of Your Feet Have Sensors

 

The skins all throughout your body have significant amount of tiny pressure sensors or mechanoreceptors. Some areas have few pressure sensors, while other areas have thousands, like on the soles of your feet.

The pressure sensors on the foot soles provide information to your brain to help balance your body. As you get older, the sensors will get weaker and your foot sole lose sensitivity. But there are also other factors that can lead to weaker pressure sensors.

 

 

 

## Poor Blood Circulation Can Disrupt the Pressure Sensors

 

In our study, people are almost twice as likely to be in a fall accident caused by poor blood circulation.

 

This can be simulated by soaking your feet into ice cold water for about 3 minutes. Because of the cold temperature, the pressure sensors on the foot sole begin to lose sensitivity.

 

 

Pay Attention to Your Forward-Moving Foot

 

If your forward-moving foot hit something, your body will be off-balance causing you to fall or trip.

 

Well, it's a matter of common sense to always have your eyes on path and watch where you are going. Remember the old adages -"Prevention is better than cure", "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", "Look before you leap", etc.?

But that's not the only problem. Here are the other two major reasons why you stumble while walking.

 

 

1. Your forward-moving foot is pointed down.

If your foot is pointed down while making a step, then you are more prone to falling. To avoid this, your forefoot or toes should be flexed upwards as shown on the image below.

2. You walk like a pendulum.

The height of your step can greatly increase your risk of falling. To prevent this, your forward-moving foot must be higher off the ground (at least 5 cm) while the knee is raised high as shown on the image below.

Actually, all the mechanoreceptors located throughout your body as well as the soles of your feet are sending information to the brain that include muscle contractions and joint angles.

 

When this information is not transmitted well to your brain, which happens as you get older, then the movement will get weak or ineffective making it hard for you to maintain your foot higher off the ground.

 

 

 

How to Prevent Yourself from a Fall, Trip, or Slip

 

1. Keep Your House Clean

There are a lot of things in your house that can contribute to clutters that can cause you to trip or fall. Always make sure to put away or store properly all personal belongings and other unnecessary things even if it is only a newspaper, remote control, and laundries scattered on the floor or carpet.

 

2. Stretch Your Feet and Ankles

 

You might think that your feet do not need exercise or stretching compared to other parts of your body, but in reality, feet stretching exercise can really help your feet maintain balance.

 

 

 

3. Keep Your House Warm and Ensure Adequate Lighting

Cold muscles and pressure sensors work less well and are less responsive to signals. A decreased temperature will also cause your muscles to have less strength and less flexible, which can lead to accidents.

Always try to keep your house warm or wear proper clothes and footwear, especially during winter. Since most falls occur indoors, make sure your house has adequate lighting.

 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.








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