Paraffin more than a Spa Treatment

Most people know about paraffin wax from going to a spa. The salon/spa industry has been using paraffin wax for years to help soften and moisturize hands and feet.

Well, paraffin treatments have been around since ancient times and have been used for much more than just soft hands and feet.

A nurse friend of mine reminded me some doctors will recommend and write prescriptions for home paraffin dips after certain hand, elbow and foot surgeries. This got me to research how paraffin could help create a more effective massage experience.

I have found, in literary research,  paraffin is used to help the following conditions:
1. Arthritis
2. Osteoarthritis
3. Scleroderma
4. tendonitis
5. bursitis
6. ligament issues
7. Muscles strains
8. Muscle sprains
9. Scar tissue

What is paraffin?
It is a component of crude mineral oil, which is refined or separated, purified, chilled and filtered into its usable form. It has a heavy molecular weight.

How does it work?
The paraffin is warmed to approximately 120-125 degrees to become a liquid. In this state a person either dips their limb into a wax bath or it is brushed on or placed into a bag/glove. The heat from the warmed wax penetrates the skin. The heat and the heavy molecular weight of the oil increases local blood flow (circulation is improved) and the muscles can relax as a result. The wax helps to open pores while at the same time draws the bodies natural oils to the surface. As the wax remains on the skin and cools the body's oils can then re-moisturize the local skin. If extra oil is applied to join with the body's natural oil then even greater moisturizing occurs. Some times an area having long standing scar tissue develops limited blood flow and lymphatic movement. When this happens the area can retain fluid. Paraffin's ability to open pores and activate both blood and lymph circulation can draw the excess fluid from the localized area.

I currently have been getting results with arthritic type of hand conditions, hammer toe issues of the foot and scar tissue related fluid retention. I have been using the paraffin to help me give a deeper massage with less discomfort. It has also been useful in softening the connective tissue of the tendons to allow me to work with the muscles without having a pull from the tendons. This has greatly helped give longer lasting results of straightening toes know as hammer toes.

 The following conditions are not suited for paraffin:
1. Uncontrolled hypertension
2. Diabetes
3. Varicose veins

If you are interested in trying paraffin for yourself please feel free to book any time by going to
http://eclectichealingguide.fullslate.com/

Also remember to do your own research and discuss your options with your health care provider before starting any treatments which are not familiar to you.

Foot Soaks more than just relaxing

Have you put much thought into foot soaks?

Well if you have experienced cold feet and want  to find a simple way to start changing that experience let's talk about foot soaks.
And Look your Chair and Soaking Tub awaits you.

 Why does soaking your feet increase your health?

For many women we have experienced menstrual cycles where our bleeding was a bit heavy. This heavy bleeding with out replenishment can throw our system off. We then begin to notice issues like cold feet and hands, which can be the results of our circulatory system getting sluggish.

Foot soaks can improve the circulatory and energetic systems.  As women all our Meridians pass through the uterus as they travel to the feet. Thus the warm water will dilate the blood vessels in the feet which will increase the blood flow to the pelvic organs and throughout the rest of the body. Now your body will have a new supply of fresh blood and oxygen and the Meridians will be stimulated as well. This means your body has improved circulation and better Qi(energy). Warming the body in this way also relaxes the mind. The wonderful thing is you can achieve all of these benefits just by soaking for 10-20 minutes a day.

Let me help you jump start your health improvement routine. Come into the office for a 30 minute foot soak. We can customize it several ways to suite your current needs.

Here is one way I can help you reduce stress and bring more balance into your life.
I'll mix up a salt/ essential oil blend; of Epsom salts, Coconut oil, Sage, Ylang-Ylang and Bergamot. We'll add this to your soaking water. You'll ease your feet in and I'll massage your scalp and hands while your feet soak or we can put on the focus on your feet. We can allow one foot to soak while I massage the other for 15 minutes and then switch. Either way it will be 30 minutes of healthy bliss.

You can start your soaking with me in the office. It is simple, just go to the scheduler and scroll down. Foot soaks are 30 minutes of relaxation and health. You can often find a 30 min. opening sooner than an hour appointment.
http://www.colette-eclectichealingguide.massagetherapy.com/hours-and-scheduling

How to Start a Supported and Healthy Cleanse (part One)

The most important way to start a healthy and supported cleanse is to find the right medical practitioner. You want someone who will listen to your goals, needs and examine you to ensure all your systems can handle the cleanse you select.


Before you run out and buy a cleanse kit or a bunch of veggies to juice, stop and ask yourself why you want to start the cleanse in the first place.

1.  Are you doing it for more energy?
2.  Do you want to loss weight?
3.  Have you been eating processed foods, or a poor quality diet and you want to change your eating habits? With this change in your eating habits do you want to clear out the toxic effects of the poor diet and revitalize your system?
4. Have you been on antibiotics or other drugs that need to be cleared from your system? 
5. Have you quit or are you attempting to quit smoking and you want to clear out the toxins from this change?
6. Have you had extensive dental work with a lot of anesthetic and want to clean your system from this event?
7. Have you been told you have gingivitis or periodontal disease and you want to start healing your gums?
8. Do you think you have good eating habits but still don't feel like your are getting all the nutrients from your food? You want to cleanse to improve nutrient absorption?
9. Do you have poor digestion and want to improve the balance within your digestive system?
10. Do you come down with a lot of colds and you want to improve your immune system?
11. Are you prone to acne and other skin conditions and you want a healthier complexion?
12. Do you feel like you have brain fog and want better cognition?
13. How much time can you give to this cleanse?
14. Will you be working, going to school, taking care of a family or all of the above while doing this cleanse?
15. Will you be working out or preparing for an athletic event?

These are all important question for you to ask yourself. When choosing a practitioner to help support you through your cleanse, you should hear similar questions from them. If you don't they may not be the right provider to help you with a healthy and safe cleanse.

 You need a medical provider on board to examine you to make sure all your organs of elimination are functioning properly and can handle the extra load of toxins that will be released during the cleanse. In the naturopathic world the main organs of elimination are called, "emunctories”.

What are your organs of elimination?

1. Skin
2. Lungs
3. Kidneys
4. Colon
5. Liver

Some other systems that come into play during a cleanse are the

1. Lymphatic system
2. Heart
3. Mucus membranes
4. Energetic/emotional bodies

Some people should only attempt a cleanse under close supervision of a medical provider and some people will not be able to cleanse at all. Here is a list of some conditions that absolutely require a person to be examined by a doctor prior to undergoing a detox program.

1. Recent heart attack
2. Any Heart condition
3. Problems emptying stomach contents
4. Inflammatory Bowl disease
5. Increased calcium in the kidneys
6. Gastric bypass or other stomach surgeries
7. Inflammation of the large intestine
8. High amount of phosphate in the blood
9. Low amount of calcium in the blood
10. High or low amount of sodium in the blood
11. Low amount of potassium in the blood
12. imbalance of body fluids
13. Kidney impairment
14. Symptoms of Alcohol withdrawal
15. Any abnormalities of the colon or intestine
16. Fatty Liver Disease (AKA Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis or NASH)

The Basic labs that should be ordered prior to starting a healthy and supported cleanse are

1. Comprehensive metablic panel
2. Lipoproteins
3. Cholesterol
4. Triglycerides
5. Urinalysis

When you look at the conditions 8-12 above you begin to see why some of the fade cleanses like drinking salt water can be extremely dangerous for some people. Most of us really don't know if our electrolytes are in balance and if we go for the wrong cleanse we can make our systems more out of balance and then become sick. When this happens most people think it was just the cleanse eliminating toxins and they stop for a while not realizing something more serious is going on. Others think cleanses just are not for them and never go to a doctor to see what else could have gone wrong. Now just think if you attempted a detox program with one of the more severe conditions?

Another reason to have a medical provider on board with your cleanse program is to help you correct an imbalance prior to beginning a cleanse. In the process of correcting the imbalance your system will naturally go through a form of a detox. Furthermore, you may be completely healthy but need to work a full time job or care for a family and you can't afford to have low energy. A Naturopathic doctor can help you maintain your energy level while detoxing by providing you with IV supplementation and B12 injections. Naturopathes can also discuss other alternative therapies that can enhance your detox process, such as

1. Dry Brushing
2. Herbal Tea Foot Soaks
3. Abdominal Massage with Castor Oil Packs
4. Colonic therapy
5. Acupuncture

Your Medical provider can help you determine what type of cleanse your body really needs i.e.

1. Just an elimination diet = taking out all foods that could been seen by the body as an allergen
2. An elimination diet with Raw food only
3. An elimination diet with lightly cooked food
4. A combination of an elimination diet and herbal supplementation
5. A combination of an elimination diet and juicing
6. A combination of an elimination diet, herbal supplementation and juicing
7. A fast prior to any of the above
8. A fast only

I hope you now have a better understanding that one cleanse does not fit all people and there really is a need to have medical support.

I also hope that I have not frightened you about pursuing a cleanse if you have a medical condition. I did some form of a cleanse, fast or detox all through my 18 months of Cancer therapies while at the same time working part time, and going to school part time. The only way I was able to do this and be able to function was having a well trained team of Naturopaths on my side. They introduced me to IV supplementation, B12 injections, and acupuncture. They made sure to review all my labs to ensure that my liver, kidneys and other systems could still support me through the process. It was with this help that I believe I was able to avoid much of the side effects of Cancer therapy.

My goal here is to help you achieve the best possible health in the safest way!

Now get out there and research your health care provider and start your cleanse so that you can transition like the Earth.

Like I mentioned on my Facebook page I started this cleanse by visiting
Dr. Khivan Oberoi
You can find her at www.maansihealth.com

She and I had a great visit. Dr. Oberoi preformed a exam of my heart, lungs and took a blood pressure. She did an in office urinalysis and sent me for labs. It took a couple days and she called me with the results of my labs and gave me the OK to start the plan we came up with.

Stay tuned for my next installment of how to go through a supported and healthy cleanse.....