Designed to meet the specific needs of the older people, geriatric massage involves the use of a therapist’s hands to manipulate the soft tissues of the body to improve blood circulation, amplify the range of motion and relieve pain.

Passive or active movement of the joints can also form part of geriatric massage.

Often older people suffer from age-related issues like arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and heart disease. These problems cause inadequate physical activity and reduced blood circulation.

The geriatric massage will help to maintain and improve the overall health of the patient and also to regain the ability to perform physical tasks that have been reduced or lost in the ageing process.
Benefits of geriatric massage:
The therapy offers improved blood circulation which helps to prevent the complications of diabetes like leg ulcers and gangrene.
The massage lessens the intensity of severe headaches and reduces pain in general.
Offers mental and physical relaxation.
There is great improvement in lymphatic flow that increases the emission of toxins from your body.
Duration and quality of sleep improves.
Offers improvement in quality of life and higher self esteem.
Offers relief from anxiety, depression, loneliness and stress.
Speeds up healing ability from illnesses and injuries.
Restores lost mobility from Parkinson’s disease or arthritis.
Increases vitality and enhances memory.
Improves condition of the skin.
Geriatric massage therapy helps reduce high blood pressure and aids stroke patients and people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, sleep disorders, bursitis, and even tendonitis.
Precautions to consider before undergoing geriatric massage:

This type of massage therapy is not suitable for everyone and it should not be used as a substitute for medical treatments or exercise programs. In addition to these conditions, the therapy should not be practiced on older people suffering with the following conditions:
Varicose veins;
Severe acute pain;
Drug healing with blood thinners;
Some forms of cancers;
Certain heart conditions;
Open or unhealed bed sores;
Recent surgeries;
History of blood clots.

This gentle form of massage therapy rarely leads to adverse effects because the therapist uses gentle hand movements which soothe and comfort the body.

Passive movements and gentle stretching of the legs, feet, and shoulders offers you improved flexibility and joint mobility. Massaging your feet and hands gently helps to alleviate stiffness and relieve pain.

Occasionally stronger movements like friction and pressure strokes are used to massage areas like the shoulders in order to offer improved flexibility.

Scalp massage is one of the most invigorating massages you can experience.
According to ayurveda, if you want to maintain healthy and lustrous hair, you should provide better nourishment for your hair and the best way to do this is through scalp massage.
Scalp massage is not only beneficial for your hair, but also helps in relaxing your nervous system and distressing your mind.
It also promotes sound sleep at night and also replenishes dry and damaged hair. Here are a few simple steps to give a scalp massage:
Pick the right massage oil
Choosing the right massage oil is extremely important for an effective massage. Choose sesame, olive or almond oil for a scalp massage.
Coconut oil is the best choice for straight hair. Regardless of the massage oil, add 1 or 2 drops of essential oil for better results.
Brush your hair
Always brush your hair before giving a scalp massage. This helps to get rid of flaky parts. If you have long hair, start from the ends of your hair to prevent breakage.
Use circular motions
When administering a massage to your scalp, use circular motions. Put a few drops of oils on your fingers and start the massage near your temples and then move your fingers over to the rest of the scalp.
Don’t forget to focus your neck and shoulder as well, when giving a scalp massage. Do this regularly for at least once a week to get better effects.

Different Styles Of Massage

Posted by Sanwariya Ravi | 10:01 AM | | 0 comments »

After the binge of Christmas food and drink, and the purge of the new year’s credit card bills, some relaxation therapy may be in order.
A good massage seems just the thing for recovery — soothing, easing, toning, and leaving you ready to face the world a new woman (or man as the case may be: let’s hear it for our male readers, we know you’re out there).
Unfortunately, there’s a fair chance of getting rubbed up the wrong way, due to wild variations in technique and ability among those providing the service.
The problem is that anyone can set themselves up as a masseur or masseuse so check first. And make sure you specify you want therapeutic massage.
Distinctions between methods such as deep tissue, sports massage, Ayurvedic and reflexology can get your muscles in a knot, and recommendations from a friend who likes a gentle rub can be frustrating for those who need a more intense workout.
So what does work? Here are some examples:
Ayurvedic massage is for those who want a deep-reaching experience. Practitioner Felipe Estenos, who operates from Clontarf, dispenses with the traditional hip-high massage table. Instead, he spreads a comfortable mattress on the floor — all the better to reach you with.

Reflexology Vs Massage

Posted by Sanwariya Ravi | 10:00 AM | | 0 comments »

Both are therapies that involve applying pressure to a patient’s body.
Despite this, they both go under different names. So what are the differences between these two practices?
Reflexology
Reflexology involves squeezing certain parts of the feet, hands and ears in order to improve health.
The idea is that certain pressure points on the body can become blocked. The life force flows through the body and heals injuries, strain and illnesses.
Reflexologists are aware of various pressure points that must be squeezed in order to relieve blockages on certain parts of the body.
Massage
Massage involves the manipulation of tissues in the body in order to relieve pressure and facilitate bodily relaxation. Massage is designed to relax stress by rubbing and beating the muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, joints, lymphatic vessels, intestinal organs, hands, fingers, elbows, forearm and feet.
The methods of massage are diverse and include kneading, the rubbing in of herbal oils, relaxation techniques, rolling movements, leans and stretches, rocking of the body, muscle relaxation, medical massage, muscle strengthening, heated stones, rhythmic tapping, compression, yoga, pinching, heat therapy and hydro therapy.
Various massage therapists specialize in different techniques and often offer multiple methods to their clients.
Differences between reflexology and massage
Reflexology does not require that you remove any clothes, since only the feet, hands and ears are touched. Massage therapy instead asks you to only wear an undergarment since much of the body will be touched.
Reflexology focuses on one specific trigger point on your body while massage targets entire muscle groups. Reflexology only uses the fingers of the practitioner in order to provide relief, while masseurs use a variety of massage tools and also oils.
Reflexology aims to improve the function of the human organs, while massage is designed to relieve tension throughout the muscles.
Which should I do?
Massage is generally more proven as an effective form of therapy. Reflexology lacks a rigorous system of practice and reflexologists often only need six months of home study in order to be qualified.
Reflexology is also founded on the idea that the energy of the body needs to be manipulated.
This is yet to be scientifically proven. On the other hand, massage is generally accepted as a legitimate form of therapy and has been proven to work.
The good news is that if you cannot decide whether or not you want to engage in reflexology, you can find a massage therapist who is also trained in reflexology.

Do you know the fact that multiple parts of foot are in communication with various parts of the body?
This is the principle behind foot therapy and is the paramount to maintain proper foot health.
Natural signal systems are utilized to create balance, improve your life energy and restore cells in your body.Here are the tips to get relief from tired and achy feet:
Massaging your feet really works for tired and achy feet. Massage your feet muscles and repeat the procedure for a few times in a day until you feel some relief.
But, the procedure needs to follow some principles in order to obtain accurate and positive results, the principles are such as:The first step is choosing a foot lotion that has good healing properties.Then begin massaging with the heel and sole of your foot. Massage from the bottom of the foot and then work upwards.Press the achy areas with your thumb while massaging and also squeeze the feet.Push in a forward motion while massaging the feet. Stretch your skin while continually applying pressure to the achy areas.Use the knuckles in order to press across the bottom of your feet. So, you can get more intense massage and support healing.Gently move with your fingers on the top of your feet. It is best to use the entire hand to work with the painful areas.Massaging the ankle area gives excellent pain relief to you.

For those who are suffering from any form of chronic pain, it is a very incapacitating and isolating experience because the pain can actually not be seen.
Massage therapy is an effective way of reducing pain. It is one of the antique forms of healing that is still being used by thousands of people all around the globe. It provides therapeutic gains, promotes relaxation and reduces chronic pain.
Pain or chronic pain is the common complaint of most patients brought to the general physicians in North America. Pain is medically defined as an individual feeling that cannot be seen and even measured directly.
It is usually explained by the concept of stress or as a result of any form of mental stress. To relieve any kind of pain, more than 45% of the people in the U.S use the massage therapy.
Over 90% of the people who have used it feel that the session had been very effective.
In the olden days, the physicians in Greece and Rome used massage as one of the chief methods to treat any sort of chronic pain.
However, in today’s era, massage therapists have become experts who deal with musculoskeletal and myofascial pain syndromes. This is because they have been specially trained to do so.
These therapists are trained in all the different fields, which include pathology, physiology and anatomy. They spend a lot of time manipulating and physically palpitating the soft tissue and muscles of the body.
Irrespective of whether it is arthritis, lower back pain or fibromyalgia, massage therapy is the best solution to relieve all kinds of pain.
There are been several researches done on massage therapy. A few summaries on the studies carried out to know the effects of massage therapy on pain have been listed below:Back Pain: Those who are suffering from lower back pain and have undergone massage therapy have felt a decrease in their pain. Also, their mobility has increased after getting the therapy done.Labor Pain: Pregnant women who underwent a massage therapy during their labor experience lesser pain and anxiety. It also resulted in them staying at the hospital for a lesser period.Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis: Those parents whose child/children had arthritis massaged them noticing much lesser pain and reduced morning stiffness.Fibromyalgia: Those patients who suffered from fibromyalgia felt that they had lesser pain and could sleep much better after getting the massage therapy done.
Massage therapy is regarded as one of the best ways to get rid of chronic pain. The most important reason for this is that the alternative method of having pain killers is quite harmful.
Painkillers do relieve pain, but are not a permanent solution. Also you never know which one might react to your body.
Hence, massage therapy is a much simpler and better method. Those of you who are suffering from any kind of chronic pain must try the massage therapy at least once. It is quite definite, that once you start getting it done, you will never feel like leaving it.

Ayurvedic treatment considers the hair as a byproduct for bone formation. The tissues which are responsible for formation of bones are also responsible for your hair growth.

Ayurvedic practitioners believe that early loss of hair is very much associated to the body type and also the stability of your mind-body structure.
Individuals who have straight and fine hair and tends towards blonde or red; their hair typically turns into gray sooner. They lose their hair early in the life or they will have prematurely thin or gray hair.

Ayurvedic treatment for hair loss [hair loss cure] is usually a combination of herbs, diet, meditation, yoga, breathing, aromatherapy, and oil massage. In order to preserve the health of your hair, you need to drink 1/3rd cup of aloe vera juice. Instead of this, you can also take 1 tbsp of aloe vera gel with a pinch of cumin thrice a day for 2-3 months.
Ayurvedic treatment for hair loss – Massaging

Massage [Ayurvedic massage] greatly improves the blood circulation, thus increasing the health of the hair and also scalp. Daily massaging the scalp for 5-10 minutes greatly stimulates the circulation. This is very essential for healthy growth of your hair.
Use coconut or almond oil to rub your scalp and on the soles of your feet before going to bed.
Massage your hair with the oil that contains vitamin E. This greatly prevents or slows down the hair loss. Vitamin E oil strengthens fragile hair and also helps to prevent the dry and flaky skin.
Boil the lemon leaves in water, cool it and rinse your hair with it.

The most effective remedy for treating hair loss is the application of herbal serum on your scalp. During first week, you need to apply this for 2-3 nights by using a dropper and then apply it once or twice in a week. It is very easy to apply the serum on your scalp. Massage your scalp with the serum and leave for one night to penetrate into the affected area.

The next morning, rinse of the serum by using a conditioner. You will definitely observe best results within few weeks. The herbal serum helps to nourish your hair follicles, stops itchiness and also it restores the hair in thinning area.
Ayurvedic treatment for hair loss – Diet
Every morning, eat a handful of white sesame seeds, because they contain sufficient amounts of magnesium and calcium that are essential for the growth of your hair.
Everyday, consume some yogurt.
Increase the intake of green leafy vegetables, milk, salads, fruits, and sprouts in your diet. Consume enough proteins, yeast, wheat germ, buttermilk, whole grains, nuts, soya beans, and milk.
Moderate intake of vitamins.
Decrease the consumption of alcohol.
Consume the foods that contain sulfur, zinc, vitamin-B complex, vitamin C and essential fatty acids.
Ayurvedic treatment for hair loss – Herbs

Ayurvedic herbs help to improve the blood circulation, disinfect your scalp and stimulate the growth of hair.
Rinsing your hair in apple cider vinegar and sage tea stimulates the growth of the hair.
Licorice extracts help in preventing the hair loss.
Horsetail is the best source of silica, which helps to keep your hair strong and look shiny and sleek.
Use stinging nettle, rosemary, birch, and horsetail to massage your scalp regularly for stimulating the hair growth.
Tea made from burdock and marshmallow is good for dry hair.

Before going to take ayurvedic treatment for hair loss, inform the practitioner about any other treatments that you are currently using because they can interfere with ayurvedic treatment methods and cause side effects.