Regular Exercise and Massage Manipulations Offer Positive Health Effects

A group of sedentary women experienced positive health effects after participating in regular exercise and massage manipulations. The study, “The effect of regular exercise and massage on oxidant and antioxidant parameters” included 25 sedentary women, ages 32 to 50 years old.

Oxidative stress involves oxidant-antioxidant imbalance, and is known to cause cardiovascular disease, as well as cell and DNA damage. Studies have been conducted involving the effect of acute exercise on oxidative stress, but there haven’t been any studies regarding the effect of a combination of regular exercise and massage on oxidant and antioxidant activity.

Since massage is a popular treatment method used to prevent fatigue from intense muscular activity and muscle damage, researchers chose to incorporate both exercise and massage. The study’s authors stated, “this experimental study aimed to determine the effects of the combined application of regular exercises and massage on the values of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NOx), glutathione (GSH), adenosine deaminase (ADA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD).”

Participants were randomly divided into three groups: the control group, exercise group and massage and exercise group. 

The control group (CG) avoided any form of exercise or supplement that may affect oxidant- antioxidant status. Exercise group (EG) participants exercised on a treadmill for 45 minutes at 50 percent overloading rate, and were monitored and motivated by two trainers. The massage and exercise group (MEG) participants participated in the same exercises as the EG and received massage therapy, consisting of effleurage and petrissage massage manipulation, for 20 minutes after exercise. During the 12-week study, all exercise and massage sessions occurred from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Participants’ blood samples were taken before and one day after the 12-week exercise and massage protocol. Post-test analysis concluded a decrease of MDA in both the EG and MEG participants. Compared to the control group, EG and MEG participants reflected a significant increase in GSH and SOD values. Data suggests a combination of regular exercise and massage manipulations may positively affect oxidative stress.

According to the study’s authors, “The findings show that regular physical activities and massage manipulations significantly decrease MDA, increase SOD and GSH activities, and result in no change in NOx and ADA activities; [which] supports the assumption that regular physical activity has positive health effects.” The authors also pointed out that further studies should be conducted to support these findings, and should be conducted especially regarding massage’s effect on oxidant and antioxidant balance.

- See more at: http://www.massagemag.com/regular-exercise-and-massage-manipulations-offer-positive-health-effects-27193/#sthash.5l7T0TNJ.dpuf
Written by Aysun Bay Karabulut, M. Emin Kafkas, Armagan Sahin Kafkas, Yunus Önal and Tugba Rabia Kiran

Acupuncture: Treating sexual health issues

Acupuncture is a scientifically proven treatment for a variety of health issues, including sexual health related concerns. It has been used with and without Chinese herbs to address health and sexual functioning concerns for over 5,000 years. By using very fine needles in key points on the skin, the overall sexual health of either a man or a woman can be greatly enhanced. This includes the improvement of sexual performance and libido (sex drive). In addition, acupuncture also addresses underlying causes that may contribute to sexual health issues such as: menopause, psychological challenges, drug interactions, weight fluctuation, hormonal imbalances and more.

Acupuncture is an effective tool for treating the whole person through physical, mental and emotional aspects. It has low risks and few side effects and results are typically seen within a short time; however, treatment times are dependent upon how severe imbalances are within the body.

Acupressure

Acupressure uses a less invasive approach by using the same diagnostic tools and points but omits needles by using pressure through massage. It is typically done using your fingers, knuckles, elbows and even vibrators; which help to stimulate blood flow in a more intensive manner. Acupressure can also be used by patients in-between acupuncture appointments for continuous stimulation.

Using vibrators on acupressure points

By using a small bullet style vibrator or massager, one can improve the amount of stimulation that they receive during acupressure. The advantage to using a smaller vibrator is that they allow you to have more pinpoint accuracy in stimulating the specific point that you wish to treat. A helpful guide on how to choose the right vibrator for you, including information on what to avoid, such as phthalates (a toxin in plastics) can be found here:

http://www.holisticwisdom.com

How acupuncture addresses sexual performance issues

Acupuncture provides balance to the body by correcting any disruption of energy flow in the body, which is known as Qi (Chi). When addressing a decrease in sexual performance and libido, the organs that are typically treated are the kidney and heart, along with any other possible contributors that create imbalance within the body.

An acupuncturist uses diagnostic tools along with discussing symptoms to determine where imbalances are focused. Pulse and tongue diagnosis are the most common ways for an acupuncturist to examine a patient. Acupuncture goes beyond the traditional pulse checks that Western medicine uses by examining twenty-seven pulse states through nine positions. These pulse positions provide information about how well the organs in the body are functioning as well as the overall health of the patient. The tongue is also examined to determine one's overall health and organ functioning and is checked for color, shape, moisture, coating, cracks and more.

Acupuncture and acupressure are the most common treatments, but other techniques, such as moxibustion, cupping and electroacupuncture, can also be used along with Chinese herbs. Treatments are geared toward relaxing the mind to decrease stress, balance hormone levels and increase circulation for proper blood flow to the sexual organs. Such treatments improve sexual functioning by helping men to increase their performance through enhancing erections, ejaculation and longevity while helping women to increase sex drive, lubrication and the ability to have satisfying orgasms.

Beyond improving sex drive

In addition to boosting the sex drive, here are a variety of sexual issues that can be addressed through acupuncture:

• Erectile Dysfunction
• Infertility
• Menopause: In Women & Men
• Prostate Issues
• Premature Ejaculation
• Sexual Aversion Disorder
• Decreased Sperm Mobility
• Female Sexual Arousal Disorder
• Female Sexual Dysfunction
• Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
• Vaginismus
• STD Outbreaks

Acupuncture and acupressure are wonderful alternative methods to use when addressing sexual health concerns, as they go beyond just treating symptoms and focus on the root of the problem.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041762_acupuncture_sexual_health_alternative_treatment.html#ixzz3sUBQ8in3

Ease Sore Muscles and Improve Blood Flow with Massage

Massage therapy can help ease sore muscles and improve blood flow for people who are active as well as for those who do not exercise, a small study finds.

Those effects can last for more than 72 hours, researchers found. People with poor circulation or limited ability to move are among those who could benefit most from massage therapy, they noted.

“Our study validates the value of massage in exercise and injury, which has been previously recognized but based on minimal data,” Nina Cherie Franklin, study first author and a postdoctoral fellow in physical therapy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said in a university news release. “It also suggests the value of massage outside of the context of exercise.”

In the study, the researchers asked 36 healthy but inactive young adults to use a leg press machine until their legs became sore. Half of the participants were given a Swedish leg massage after they exercised. All of the participants rated their muscle soreness on a scale from one to 10. A third comparison group did not exercise, but got a massage.

Although both exercise groups were sore right after their workout, the people who got the massage said they had no soreness 90 minutes later. In contrast, those in the group that didn’t receive a massage said they were sore 24 hours after they exercised.

Because muscle injury from exercise has been shown to reduce blood flow, researchers say, they also measured the participants’ “brachial artery flow mediated dilation” in their arms. This standard measure of general vascular health was taken 90 minutes as well as one, two and three days after exercise.

The people who got a massage after they exercised had improved blood flow at every testing interval and the benefits of the massage didn’t dissipate until after 72 hours had passed, researchers found. People who did not receive a massage after exercise had reduced blood flow after 90 minutes and returned to normal levels at 72 hours.

“We believe that massage is really changing physiology in a positive way,” Franklin said. “This is not just blood flow speeds — this is actually a vascular response.”

And massage doesn’t just help people who exercise, the researchers also found.

“The big surprise was the massage-only control group, who showed virtually identical levels of improvement in circulation as the exercise and massage group,” study principal investigator Shane Phillips, an associate professor of physical therapy at UIC, said in the news release. “The circulatory response was sustained for a number of days, which suggests that massage may be protective.”

The study found that participants’ blood flow was changed far away from the sore muscles. Researchers concluded that massage benefits are systemic and not confined to one specific area of the body.

While the study found an association between massage and improved circulation, it did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.

The study was recently published online ahead of publication in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.