It's Your BodyJuly 2017

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Helping Veterans and Wounded Warriors

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

In the midst ofmovement andchaos, keepstillness insideof you. DeepakChopra.

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Reiki-Massage BodyworksReiki-Massage@massagetherapy.com802-233-4733Hours By AppointmentWeb Addressreiki-massage.massagetherapy.com

In this Issue

Helping Veterans and Wounded WarriorsWhy Buy Organic?The Power of Tea Tree Oil

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

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

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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.

Organic foods are free of pesticide residue.

Why Buy Organic?Is the Higher Price Worth It?

The Power of Tea Tree Oil

While shopping in your grocery store'sproduce section, you may notice theorganically grown apples are pocked andnot as big and perfectly round as theconventional produce, but they aremore expensive. What's the difference,and which do you choose? Yourdecision may significantly impact notonly your health but the health of theplanet and the economy.

Defining "Organic"Organic foods are derived fromsustainable farming practices thatmaintain and replenish soil fertilitywithout the use of toxic pesticides andfertilizers. These foods are minimallyprocessed and do not include artificialingredients or preservatives. On theother hand, conventional farms oftenrely heavily on pesticides, geneticmodification, synthetic hormones, andantibiotics.

Does It Really Matter?To understand the fallout ofconventional farming is to realize the

argument for organics. Bob Scowcroft,executive director of the OrganicFarming Research Foundation, toucheson the devastating consequences ofpesticides. "DDT nearly eliminated theAmerican eagle by affecting their abilityto reproduce" he says. "Since World WarII, we've introduced more than 9,000chemicals into the environment. And wedon't know the full impact on humansand different sized humans," he adds,alluding to studies revealing damagingeffects on children.

When you buy organically certifiedfoods, you're ensured they are free ofpesticides, hormones, antibiotics, andgenetic DNA modification.

"Organics are better for theenvironment, and it's an investment inthe revitalization of rural America,"Scowcroft says. Organic farms areusually smaller, family-owned farmscontributing to the economy ofstruggling rural America, he explains.The organic choice may be a little more

expensive, but it's an investment in yourhealth and the future.

Is your medicine cabinet full ofointments, oils, and creams that eachtreats one specific ailment? Maybe youcan cut down on some of the clutter byadding nature's own wonder drug, teatree oil, instead.

What is Tea Tree OilProduced in Australia from the tree M.alternifolia, tea tree oil acts as anantiseptic, fungicide, insect deterrent,and more. It has been used in Australiaby aborigines for generations and, sincethe country's colonization, has spread tothe rest of the world.

Tea tree oil, which can be found as anessential oil as well as in creams,ointments, shampoo, and eventoothpaste, can be used to treat astaggering variety of conditions,including: acne, arthritis, athlete's foot,

burns, cuts, dandruff, eczema,gingivitis, infection, insect bites andstings, lice, muscle sprains, psoriasis,and rashes. And that's just a partial list!

Potential BenefitsThe exact cause of tea tree oil'seffectiveness is difficult to ascertain, andresearchers are still looking into justhow much the natural remedy can do forus. Newer studies have looked at itsability to stop the spread ofsometimes-deadly methicillin-resistantstaphylococcus aureus in hospitals.

Use SafelyWhile there are plenty of benefits tousing tea tree oil, its strength can also beproblematic, even dangerous. The MayoClinic advises that it's not safe to ingestor take tea tree oil internally, and it isconsidered particularly harmful if

ingested by pets.

Also, like most natural remedies, the USFood and Drug Administration does notregulate tea tree oil as it does othermedicines, leaving no standard qualityof tea tree oil products. And, whilemany people enthusiastically support teatree oil, it is no substitute forprofessional medical care.

Yet, many people agree that, if nothingelse, tea tree oil should be a part of yourfirst aid kit in case of bites, burns, orscrapes. But who knows? You might findyourself using it for much more thanthat.

Sometimes themost importantthing in a wholeday is the rest wetake betweentwo deepbreaths.

Etty Hillesum

As many of you already know, I have ventured out into awarmer climate and away from the winter snow. I have beenincreasing my hydration to meet with the increased heat,while in the north, many are seeing the water in other ways.

Even if it isn't hot outside, it is important to always be surethat you are getting enough clean, pure water into your bodyto flush out your systems and release toxins. This should bea daily protocol to serve your body so it will better serve you. You are its guardian.

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