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YOUR HEALING KNEADS MAY 2017 Continued on page 2 Helping Veterans and Wounded Warriors Reiki's noninvasive nature makes it an effective choice for treating PTSD. To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone. -Reba McEntire Office Hours and Contact Knead For Healing Therapeutic Massage Barbara Khan, LMT 602-326-0422 Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat by appointment www.kneadforhealing.massagetherapy. com In this Issue Helping Veterans and Wounded Warriors Healthy Energy Boosters Coenzyme Q10 This nation's military veterans and wounded warriors continue to fight, long after they come off the battlefields. They fight to be whole again and to reclaim their physical and psychological health. Many forms of massage and bodywork can help them do just that. Therapeutic Massage With its ability to meld body and mind, massage is an excellent way for veterans to reintegrate. Not only can this kind of therapeutic touch address the physical wounds, it can help bring a sense of normalcy back into daily life. "Gratifying physical experiences, such as massages ... may be experiences that patients build up that are not contaminated by trauma, and which may serve as a core of new gratifying experiences," writes Bessel van der Kolk, author of Traumatic Stress. Research on massage and veterans, funded by the National Institutes of Health, has shown considerable promise for this hands-on therapy. An initial 2014 study found that veterans reported significant reductions in physical pain, physical tension, irritability, anxiety/worry, and depression after massage. As a result, researchers are hoping to show in Phase 2 of their study that massage could diminish our veterans' needs for opiods for pain management, a significant concern for the US Department of Defense and the veterans themselves. Many of our military personnel returning from battle zones come home less than whole. In cases of amputation, massage can help control edema, deal with neuromas, improve skin health, and loosen scar tissue. For more on this topic, read "David's Heroes" in the November/December 2014 issue of Massage Bodywork magazine. Find it online at www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/ 398416. When visiting a massage therapist for the first time, expect a comprehensive intake process to facilitate your session. If you
Transcript
Page 1: Helping Veterans and Wounded Warriors · 2017-04-29 · . com In this Issue Helping Veterans and Wounded Warriors Healthy Energy Boosters Coenzyme Q10 This nation's military veterans

YOUR HEALING KNEADSMAY 2017

Continued on page 2

Helping Veterans and Wounded Warriors

Reiki's noninvasive nature makes it an effective choice for treating PTSD.

To succeed inlife, you needthree things: awishbone, abackbone anda funny bone.-Reba McEntire

Office Hours and Contact

Knead For Healing Therapeutic MassageBarbara Khan, LMT602-326-0422 Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat by appointmentwww.kneadforhealing.massagetherapy.com

In this Issue

Helping Veterans and Wounded WarriorsHealthy Energy BoostersCoenzyme Q10

This nation's military veterans andwounded warriors continue to fight,long after they come off the battlefields.They fight to be whole again and toreclaim their physical and psychologicalhealth. Many forms of massage andbodywork can help them do just that.

Therapeutic MassageWith its ability to meld body and mind,massage is an excellent way for veteransto reintegrate. Not only can this kind oftherapeutic touch address the physicalwounds, it can help bring a sense ofnormalcy back into daily life."Gratifying physical experiences, such asmassages ... may be experiences thatpatients build up that are notcontaminated by trauma, and which may

serve as a core of new gratifyingexperiences," writes Bessel van der Kolk,author ofTraumatic Stress.

Research on massage and veterans,funded by the National Institutes ofHealth, has shown considerable promisefor this hands-on therapy. An initial2014 study found that veterans reported

significant reductions in physical pain,physical tension, irritability,anxiety/worry, and depression aftermassage. As a result, researchers arehoping to show in Phase 2 of their studythat massage could diminish ourveterans' needs for opiods for painmanagement, a significant concern forthe US Department of Defense and theveterans themselves.

Many of our military personnelreturning from battle zones come homeless than whole. In cases of amputation,massage can help control edema, dealwith neuromas, improve skin health,and loosen scar tissue. For more on thistopic, read "David's Heroes" in theNovember/December 2014 issue of

Massage Bodyworkmagazine. Find it online atwww.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/398416.

When visiting a massage therapist for thefirst time, expect a comprehensive intakeprocess to facilitate your session. If you

Page 2: Helping Veterans and Wounded Warriors · 2017-04-29 · . com In this Issue Helping Veterans and Wounded Warriors Healthy Energy Boosters Coenzyme Q10 This nation's military veterans

The fight is not over for many wounded warriors after they come home.

Continued from page 1

are a veteran or wounded warrior, yourtherapist will want to discuss the extentof your injuries with you, the medicalprocedures you've undergone, and anyongoing health issues, as well asmedications you're currently taking. Allof these questions help inform thetherapist how to work most effectivelyand safely with you, so be honest andforthcoming in your responses. As withany massage, be sure to let your therapistknow if anything makes youuncomfortable during yoursession--whether it's that the roomtemperature is too hot or the massagepressure is too deep. At any time, youcan end the session if the work is toointense or you need a break.

Craniosacral TherapyCraniosacral therapy (CST) has shownconsiderable promise in helpingmilitary veterans and otherposttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)sufferers. The developer of CST, thelate John E. Upledger, DO, OMM,believed this subtle hands-on therapycould make a difference. When heinvited veterans to be part of intensiveCST programs in 1999, he found thattheir depression and anxiety levelsdropped considerably after the therapywas administered, and that feelings ofhopelessness, which had once beenpervasive, quickly dissipated.

Further evidence for CST came in2004-2005, when military personnelreturning from duty in combat regionswere exposed to the therapy atCalifornia's Naval Hospital Lemoore."The results were absolutely profound,"says retired commanding officer SandyDeGroot, who oversaw the program."It's very hard for [those returning fromactive combat zones] to come back fullyand be in the present moment. TheCST work allowed them to releasetrauma held in the body."

ReflexologyAccording to author Paula Stone,reflexology is a highly effective therapyfor PTSD, a condition that affects morethan 5.2 million Americans every year."Acute sustained stress erodes the veryfabric of our being, while acute traumacan tear it. Whether prolonged orsudden, traumatic life experienceswound a person in body, emotions,mind, and soul, and can result inPTSD. Compassionate bodywork,

including reflexology, can help heal thebody and the person."

She says two benefits of using reflexologyfor clients with PTSD are (1) it can beutilized when massage and other touchtherapies cannot and (2) the clientremains clothed. "Reflexology improvesthe client's sense of well-being,improves sleep, reduces anxiety, andoften reduces the need for painmedications, especially following surgeryor cancer treatments." Stone says footreflexology improves the function of allbody systems. "Immediately noticeableare improvements in the flow ofbioelectrical energy, blood, lymph, andnerve impulses. Reflexology also worksenergetically by balancing the body'senergy systems. It works in harmony witha broad spectrum of energy therapies,such as polarity therapy and Asianmedicine."

Finding HelpOther modalities that have offered relieffor members of our nation's militaryinclude breath work, Healing Touch,myofascial release, reiki, TherapeuticTouch, trauma touch therapy, and evenyoga. More are being added to the listevery day.

If you or someone you know is a veteranor wounded warrior, and is suffering,reach out. Contact your local VeteransAffairs offices, visit the WoundedWarrior Project(www.woundedwarriorproject.org) orComfort for America's UniformedServices (CAUSE; www.cause-usa.org),and make an appointment with yourmassage therapist or bodyworker.

For more information on PTSD, visitthe National Center for PTSD, USDepartment of National VeteransAffairs, at www.ptsd.va.gov.

Page 3: Helping Veterans and Wounded Warriors · 2017-04-29 · . com In this Issue Helping Veterans and Wounded Warriors Healthy Energy Boosters Coenzyme Q10 This nation's military veterans

Stay hydrated to keep energy up.

Healthy Energy BoostersTips to Staying Energized and AlertRebecca Jones

Coenzyme Q10The Wrinkle Cure

Here are some tips for keeping yourenergy levels up.

Snack SmartStrategic snacking can be a good way tosmooth out dips in your energy level andavoid hunger cravings that can lead youto overeat. Go ahead and snack---justbe as choosey in your snack selection asyou are in meal planning.

Grab an Energy BarDon't fall for the fiction that allso-called "energy bars" are unpalatablebut good for you. A lot of energy barsare filled with chemicals and with sugar,so read labels, and look for high fiber,high protein, and limited carbs.

Pick-Me-Up SnacksNuts such as almonds, Brazil nuts,cashews, and hazelnuts are among thebest choices for healthy, pick-me-upsnacks, nutritionists say.

Stay HydratedEven slight dehydration can leave you

tired and lethargic. The answer is, ofcourse, to drink plenty of water. If thetaste of plain water doesn't excite you,consider some of the flavored varieties,keeping in mind that loads of extra sugarshould be avoided.

Get Your Beauty SleepThe number one myth about sleep isthat you can get by on six hours a night,but the further away you deviate fromgetting eight hours sleep a night---andsome people get too much, not toolittle---the greater the risk ofcardiovascular disease, depression,obesity, and a host of other maladies.

Avoid Caffeine, Get to SleepCaffeine is a great pick-me-up firstthing in the morning, but it has a six- toseven-hour "half-life," meaning thathalf the caffeine in that cup of coffeeyou consumed to ward off the 3:00p.m. doldrums will still be lingering inyour bloodstream after the 10:00 p.m.news.

Rebecca Jones is a Denver-basedfreelance writer.

Air pollutants, toxins, cigarette smoke,cell metabolism, exposure to the sun,and other environmental factors initiatefree radicals, which can cause dangerousreactions that destroy cells and damageDNA, proteins, and fats. Free radicalsalso interfere with collagen productionand integrity, resulting in loss ofelasticity and, ultimately, aging skin.Although this is a natural andunavoidable by-product of metabolism,an overabundance of free radicaldamage can cause premature aging andwrinkles. Fortunately, there's anutritional way to fight the elements.

Coenzyme Q10, also called CoQ10 andubiquinone, is a fat soluble,vitamin-like nutrient present invirtually all cells and considered thespark plug of the body, helping toproduce and regulate energy as well as

fighting free radicals as an antioxidant.

CoQ10 levels are highest during the first20 years of life and decline with time, somuch so that at age 80, CoQ10 levelsmay be lower than at birth. Yet thebody's demand for CoQ10 increaseswith age. Furthermore, statin(cholesterol-lowering) medications canfurther deplete the body of CoQ10.

The recommended daily CoQ10 dose is30 mg, in combination with alpha lipoicacid and vitamins A, C, E, andselenium. Foods highest in CoQ10include sardines, beef, peanuts,spinach, and albacore tuna. However, itwould take a pound of sardines, twopounds of beef, or two-and-a-halfpounds of peanuts to provide 30 mg,and cooking foods at high temperaturesdegrades the enzyme. Consequently,

CoQ10 supplementation is likelynecessary to achieve therapeutic effects.

CoQ10 can also benefit topically, as it'sa small molecule that can easilypenetrate the skin. When CoQ10 iscombined with vitamins C and E increams or lotions, the synergistic effectcan neutralize free radicals, thusreducing wrinkles.

Supplementing with CoQ10 is not onlya good antiaging strategy for the skin, itcan also enhance energy, cognition,heart health, stroke prevention, andimmune support.

Page 4: Helping Veterans and Wounded Warriors · 2017-04-29 · . com In this Issue Helping Veterans and Wounded Warriors Healthy Energy Boosters Coenzyme Q10 This nation's military veterans

I find, whenyou're anoptimist, life hasa funny way oflooking afteryou.-Simon Sinek

KNEAD FOR HEALING THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE2740 N 21st Drive Phoenix, AZ 85009Encanto Park Area

Directions: 19th Avenue & Thomas, West on Thomas to 21stDrive, South to 2740 (2nd house on right).

Available Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat.By appointment-call/text 602-326-0422 Email: [email protected] Website: www.kneadforhealing.massagetherapy.com BARBARA KHAN, LMT Licensed in the State of Arizona

60 Minute Session $60 90 Minute Session $85

Aromatherapy or any add-on service included. See websitefor details.

Cash/Visa/MasterCard/Amex/Discover

Knead For Healing Therapeutic Massage

2740 N 21st DrivePhoenix, AZ 85009


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