Therapeutic Insight: The Myofascial Release Perspective—Animal Friends Part 1

I have been successfully treating animals (racehorses, dogs, cats and birds) for many years now. The myofascial release techniques you will learn in our introductory course, Myofascial Release I, will teach you not only to evaluate humans, but also your animal friends successfully.

Years ago, a friend of mine who had some racehorses called me. He had a 2-year-old horse that had wonderful conformation, with great potential. Every time they would run this horse, it would go lame within 100 yards or so. My friend was an interesting guy who had a very successful business where he had picked every one of his employees based on their astrological charts. You wouldn’t have thought their talents had any relationship to the business, but whatever he did, it worked for him. I was up at his ski house once, and most of the time he had his head buried in this magazine. Eventually I said to him, “What is it you are reading?” He said he was looking up information on horses because he was going to buy a racehorse. I said “Well, do you know anything about racehorses?” and he answered, “No.” I said, “Aren’t they rather expensive?” and he replied, “Yes. I’m going to pick my horse by his astrological chart.” Oh right!

He paid $19,000 for this horse. After he purchased the horse, he called me and was very upset about this horse’s performance; it wasn’t doing well. He had taken it to New Bolton Center, which is one of the leading veterinary centers in the world, based out of the University of Pennsylvania. The vets had done everything they possibly could and eventually told him, “There is nothing else we can do for this horse. If you keep running him, he is going to be destroyed. The only thing you can do is put him out to pasture.”

This certainly was a huge financial problem for my friend. He loves animals and really cared about this animal, so he called me and told me the situation and asked me to treat his horse. I told him I didn’t know anything about horses, but he kept after me—and I kept telling him I didn’t know anything about horses! He was persistent and eventually he said, “Listen John, I read your chart last night. Do you know you’re a healer?” I said yes, and he added, “But I mean for animals, too.” I knew I was sunk, so I said OK and made arrangements for him to pick me up the next morning. After I hung up the phone, I quieted down and asked myself, What was this horse’s problem? I got a picture of the left forequarter of a horse with a big red swirl on the left shoulder and another one down near the hock.

On the way to the stable the next morning, I

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asked where the horse’s problem was and my friend said, “The left forequarter.” Interesting, I thought. We took a couple other people up with us, and when we arrived at the stable, they brought this magnificent animal out. Now here I am looking at this horse, and this horse is looking at me, and I’m thinking, now what do I do? So I thought, well, I know something about the energy system of a human being, maybe I ought to check this horse’s energy first. So, in those days, the only thing I really knew about horses was that the front end bit and the back end kicked and did other things. So, I made a big sweep around the ends. I started to feel the energy on the right side and eventually got around to the left forequarter. Sure enough, right where I had seen the red swirl, I felt a tremendous amount of heat pouring out of him. I also felt a lot of heat on an area called the hock, which is just above the hoof. I then started to check the tissue texture and I felt this hard, gristly buildup in those hot areas. It was very similar to what I felt with human beings, but a much bigger version of it. The trainer was holding the horse by the bit, so I started doing some elbow work and some strumming-type techniques on the horse. We had somebody on the other side of the horse to help stabilize and to be sure the horse wouldn’t move away.

I will continue this fascinating story about my experience with this racehorse that transformed from being a cripple to shattering records racing next month in my “Therapeutic Insight” article.

Sincerely,
John

John F. Barnes, P.T., L.M.T., N.C.T.M.B., is an international lecturer, author and acknowledged expert in the area of myofascial release. He has instructed more than 50,000  therapists worldwide in his Myofascial Release approach, and he is the author of Myofascial Release: the Search for Excellence (Rehabilitation Services Inc., 1990) and Healing Ancient Wounds: the Renegade’s Wisdom (Myofascial Release Treatment Centers & Seminars, 2000). He is on the counsel of Advisors of the American Back Society; he is also on MASSAGE Magazine’s editorial advisory board and is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association.  For more information, visit www.myofascialrelease.com.

Health Tip: Why Some Women Can’t Sleep

Insomnia more common in women than in men

(HealthDay News) — Insomnia is more common in women than in men, the Womenshealth.gov website says of the common sleep disorder.

According to the site, here’s what may trigger more sleepless nights among women:

• Hot flashes, night sweats and other symptoms of perimenopause.
• Hormonal changes during pregnancy.
• Physical changes during pregnancy, including discomfort and increased frequency of urination.
• Depression and anxiety, which tend to be more common in women.
• Physical conditions that tend to affect women, such as fibromyalgia and restless leg syndrome.

Satisfaction With Life Seems Good for the Heart

That’s the finding of a new study that included almost 8,000 British civil servants, average age 49, who were asked about their satisfaction in seven areas of their lives: romantic relationships, leisure activities, job, family, sex, standard of living and one’s self.

Over a follow-up period of about six years, higher levels of overall life satisfaction were associated with a statistically significant 13 percent reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Satisfaction in four main areas — job, family, sex and self — was also associated with a 13 percent reduced risk of heart disease.

The reduced risk, however, was not associated with love relationships, leisure activities or standard of living, the researchers found.

“Taken together, this research indicates that being satisfied with specific life domains — in particular, one’s job, family, sex life and self — is a positive health asset associated with a reduction in incident coronary heart disease independently of traditional risk factors,” the researchers wrote in a news release from the European Society of Cardiology.

The study was published online July 4 in the European Heart Journal.

The findings suggest that people at high risk for heart disease may benefit from programs to boost a positive state of mind, study author Dr. Julia Boehm, of Harvard School of Public Health, noted in the news release.

What are the latest findings concerning breast and ovarian cancer?

Improved treatment and early detection through routine mammography in women over 40 years of age and in younger women with family history of breast cancer have improved the survival rate of breast cancer patients by 2% per year over the last ten years. In addition to getting regular mammograms, any changes in the breast should be evaluated by a physician. A higher risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer can be determined by genetic testing for mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Women with a family history or heightened genetic risk of developing breast cancer may consider hormone therapy (Tamoxifen is the most common treatment), which has been shown to decrease the incidence of breast cancer in women at high risk (www.breastcancer.org).

Unfortunately, ovarian cancer remains more difficult to detect at the early and most curable stages. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are fairly nonspecific and often go undiagnosed. Change in urine production, bowl movements, gas production, indigestion, or weight in addition to pelvic pain, painful intercourse, or feeling of fullness should be discussed with a physician and an exam should be scheduled. The CA125 blood test is fairly unreliable, so new markers of ovarian cancer detection are under evaluation (Cancer Consultants Oncology Resource Center). A novel blood test in development referred to as OvaCheck™ appears to be more accurate at detecting early stage ovarian cancer (Lab Test Online at www.labtestsonline.org/news/ovacheck040606.html). A new “ovarian pap test” under clinical evaluation employs laparoscopy to collect surface ovary cells which can be examined microscopically for cancer (National Ovarian Cancer Coalition). A blood test which measures hypermethylation (chemical modification) of the BRCA1 and RASSF1A genes is under evaluation. Visit the video library at Dr.Koop.com for videos on breast biopsy, MRI guided biopsy, and freezing breast tumors, along with other informative videos.

Aromatherapy: Six Easy, Affordable Ways to a Happier, Healthier Winter

At this time of year, it’s easy to let stress get the best of us. And while there are a myriad of chemical and pharmaceutical remedies for our problems, aromatherapy offers a natural, effective and pleasurable way to bolster our health, happiness and well-being. Below are six simple ways to combat fatigue, stress and winter illness using two common and affordable essential oils: lavender oil, with its soothing and calming qualities, and eucalyptus oil, with the power to clear the head and relieve muscle tension. These essential oil remedies will leave you feeling refreshed, relaxed and energized—naturally!

1. De-stress bath to help unwind at any time: Add eight to 10 drops of lavender oil to a full warm bath and agitate to disperse. Lie back for 10 to 15 minutes and let the cares of the day gently ebb away. To soften the skin, add a cup of full-fat milk to bath water.

2. Rejuvenating steam facial to refine and detoxify pores: Add four drops of lavender oil to a bowl of hot water, and then place a towel over the head and steam for up to five minutes.

3. Tranquil meditation for quiet time and focus:Add six to eight drops of lavender oil to your favorite vaporizer. Alternatively, add to a tissue and breathe deeply to fully inhale the calming aroma. For best results, wear loose clothing, warm the room and dim the lights.

4. Winter inhalation to relieve a blocked nose: Add four drops of eucalyptus oil to a bowl of hot water, and then place a towel over the head and inhale for up to five minutes. For added benefit, place a few rosemary sprigs into the water.

5. Relaxing foot bath to relieve tired toes: Add six drops of eucalyptus oil to a bowl of warm water/foot spa and soak for 15 minutes. For added benefit, add half a cup of Epsom salt to water.

6. Muscle-reviving bath for overexertion: Add eight to 10 drops of eucalyptus oil to a full warm bath and agitate to disperse fully. Lie back for 10 to 15 minutes and let muscle tension ebb away.

Marketing Massage with Postcard Mailings

As you begin to establish your practice, you’ll be focused on how to get more people on your massage table. Most of them will like what you do so much they’ll come back. These are the people who will be your bread and butter, and to keep them scheduling, you should stay in touch with them between sessions.

Postcard mailings are an effective and inexpensive way to do this. Postcards are more likely to be read and kept than other kinds of mail, and they are also likely to be passed on to others, supporting the word-of-mouth marketing so many massage therapists depend on.

What to do with postcards
Using postcards, you can send discount coupons, appointment reminders, session follow-ups, quick informal notes, announcements for events or specials—almost anything. Postcard are also a great way to let your clients and associates know they are important, so send postcards wishing a happy birthday, thanking them for a referral or following up with some information you promised. Also, if you want to make an announcement, such as introducing your new practice, adding a new service or reminding people you have gift certificates available for the holidays, a quick postcard will keep everyone up to date.

Focus your message
David Walker, a massage therapist who has marketed his practice in numerous ways, believes postcards are an inexpensive way to stay in touch. He adds highly focused postcard promotions work exceptionally well for him.

Not long ago, Walker created three promotions:

• An afternoon special for clients with flexible schedules.
• A “get back on the table” message to inactive 9-to-5ers.
• A discount offer to his inactive house-call clients.

From experience, Walker found that giving a percentage discount doesn’t get much of a response. What does work is such a message as, “Buy a 60-minute massage, get 30 minutes FREE.” (He’s a big believer in all caps.) Walker says, “The message you put out is important. If it doesn’t work, something was probably wrong with the wording.”

Reward your referrals
Seventy percent of people in the U.S. are significantly more inclined to buy something recommended to them by family or a friend. Positive word-of-mouth support from your clients to their friends and family provides the best advertising for your practice.

At her massage and Reiki business, Victoria Hux piles a stack of “Thank you for your referral” postcards on the office desk, so every therapist has access to them. When a new client has been referred by another client, the therapist will mail her a postcard with a $10 discount offer. The client who made the referral then comes in for an appointment with the discount card in hand.

Clients really respond to the program, Hux says. “It’s about the same overall cost as an ad in area papers,” she says, “but it’s more effective because Mrs. Smith is spreading the word about her satisfaction with my service.”

Postcard essentials
Remember to include these three items on your promotional postcard.

• An attention-getting headline. This can be a special offer, an announcement of your new practice or just, “It’s been awhile ….”
• A call to action. Tell people what to do. Some examples include: “Call before the 15th;” “Call to get the time slot you want;” and “Get $5 off when you reschedule.”
• Your contact information. Don’t forget your phone number, e-mail address and other necessary contact items.

It’s also important to keep your mailing list current by using first-class postage. Undeliverable postcards will be returned to you to help you update your mailing list. Here’s how it works:

• Make sure your return address is in the upper left corner of the addressing area.
• Print the words, “Return Service Requested” directly below the return address in at least 8-point type. (The postal service has to be able to see the message.)

Building a new business with a postcard
Here’s a last word from Jon Petersen, L.M.T.: In 2008, after only a year in business, he sent 320 Christmas postcards announcing this offer: “Buy a gift certificate by Dec. 31, and get the second one for 25% off.” By February, his mailing list grew to 400. In addition, half the bookings after the holidays were new clients due to gift-certificate sales, an impressive boost for his fledgling business. Petersen says, “People delete e-mail. With postcards, you have a nice-looking card in your hand.”

Harvard Researchers Launch Healthy Eating Plate

Boston, MA — Nutrition experts at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) in conjunction with colleagues at Harvard Health Publications have unveiled the Healthy Eating Plate, a visual guide that provides a blueprint for eating a healthy meal. Like the U.S. government’s MyPlate, the Healthy Eating Plate is simple and easy to understand—and it addresses important deficiencies in the MyPlate icon.

“Unfortunately, like the earlier U.S. Department of Agriculture Pyramids, MyPlate mixes science with the influence of powerful agricultural interests, which is not the recipe for healthy eating,” said Walter Willett, rofessor of epidemiology and nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at HSPH. “The Healthy Eating Plate is based on the best available scientific evidence and provides consumers with the information they need to make choices that can profoundly affect our health and well-being.”

Comparing the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate to the USDA’s MyPlate shows the shortcomings in the government’s guide. MyPlate does not tell consumers that whole grains are better for health than refined grains; its protein section offers no indication that some high-protein foods—fish, poultry, beans, nuts—are healthier than red meats and processed meats; it is silent on beneficial fats; it does not distinguish between potatoes and other vegetables; it recommends dairy at every meal, even though there is little evidence that high dairy intake protects against osteoporosis but substantial evidence that high intake can be harmful; and it says nothing about sugary drinks. Finally, the Healthy Eating Plate reminds people to stay active, an important factor in weight control, while MyPlate does not mention the importance of activity.

The Healthy Eating Plate is based on the latest and best scientific evidence which shows that a plant-based diet rich in vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and healthy proteins lowers the risk of weight gain and chronic disease. Helping Americans get the best possible nutrition advice is of critical importance as the U.S. and the world faces a burgeoning obesity epidemic. Currently, two in three adults and one in three children are overweight or obese in the U.S.

“We want people to use this as a model for their own healthy plate or that of their children every time they sit down to a meal—either at home or at a restaurant,” said Eric Rimm, associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at HSPH and a member of the 2010 U.S. Dietary

Guidelines Advisory Committee.

The sections of the Healthy Eating Plate include:

• Vegetables: Eat an abundant variety, the more the better. Limited consumption of potatoes is recommended, however, as they are full of rapidly digested starch, which has the same roller-coaster effect on blood sugar as refined grains and sweets. In the short-term, these surges in blood sugar and insulin lead to hunger and overeating, and in the long term, to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other chronic disorders.
• Fruits: Choose a rainbow of fruits every day.
• Whole Grains: Choose whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread and brown rice. Refined grains, such as white bread and white rice, act like sugar in the body. Eating too many refined grains can raise the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
• Healthy Proteins: Choose fish, poultry, beans or nuts, which contain healthful nutrients. Limit red meat and avoid processed meats, since eating even small quantities of these on a regular basis raises the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer and weight gain.
• Healthy Oils: Use olive, canola, and other plant oils in cooking, on salads, and at the table, since these healthy fats reduce harmful cholesterol and are good for the heart. Limit butter and avoid trans fat.
• Water: Drink water, tea or coffee (with little or no sugar). Limit milk and dairy (one to two servings per day) and juice (one small glass a day) and avoid sugary drinks.

The sizes of the sections suggest approximate relative proportions of each of the food groups to include on a healthy plate. They are not based on specific calorie amounts, and they are not meant to prescribe a certain number of calories or servings per day, since these numbers vary from person to person. The aim of the Healthy Eating Plate is to illustrate one way to put together a healthy meal that fits within the guidelines of the Healthy Eating Pyramid, which was created by nutrition experts at HSPH in 2001 and updated in 2008. (Read about the Healthy Eating Pyramid on the HSPH Nutrition Source website.)

“One of the most important fields of medical science over the past 50 years is the research that shows just how powerfully our health is affected by what we eat. Knowing what foods to eat and in what proportions is crucial for health. The evidence-based Healthy Eating Plate shows this in a way that is very simple to understand,” said Anthony Komaroff, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and editor in chief of Harvard Health Publications.

Better Chronic Pain Management

Pain-care management needs to be improved, with health care professionals committing to improve care as well as a retooling of the health-care system to help people who are suffering, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

According to a recent analysis, chronic pain affects people of all ages, with an estimated 500,000 Canadians aged 12 to 44 years, 38 percent of seniors in long-term care institutions and 27 percent of seniors living at home experiencing regular pain.

“Experts agree that much can be done now with newer analgesics, nonpharmacologic techniques such as nerve blocks and physical therapies, as well as spiritual and supportive care,” write Drs. Noni MacDonald, Ken Flegel, Paul Hébert and Matthew Stanbrook. “Availability of quality care for pain is the major problem. Health professionals have not mounted a response commensurate with the magnitude of the problem.”

The authors argue for a broad strategy to help increase pain-management expertise, including education, technology and supported self-care and lay coaching.

Healthy Lifestyle Habits Lower Heart Failure Risk

If you don’t smoke, aren’t overweight, get regular physical activity and eat vegetables, you can significantly reduce your risk for heart failure, according to research reported in Circulation: Heart Failure, an American Heart Association journal.

In a new study, people who had one healthy lifestyle behavior decreased their heart failure risk, and each additional healthy behavior further decreased their risk.

Heart failure affects about 5.7 million Americans. At age 40, a person’s lifetime risk of developing heart failure is one in five.

“Any steps you take to stay healthy can reduce your risk of heart failure,” said Gang Hu, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study and director of the Chronic Disease Epidemiology Laboratory at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “Hypothetically, about half of new heart failure cases occurring in this population could have been prevented if everyone engaged in at least three healthy lifestyle behaviors.”

Previous research has shown an association between healthy lifestyle behaviors and lower risk of heart failure in men. The new study is the first to find a similar connection in women.

Researchers followed 18,346 men and 19,729 women from Finland who were 25 to 74 years old. During a median follow-up of 14.1 years, 638 men and 445 women developed heart failure. Participants were classified by BMI: normal weight (less than 25 kg/m2); overweight (25-29.9 kg/m2); and obese (greater than 30 kg/m2).

After adjusting for heart failure risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and a past heart attack,

researchers found:

• Male smokers had an 86 percent higher risk for heart failure compared to never-smokers. Women smokers’ risk increased to 109 percent.
  Being overweight increased heart failure risk by 15 percent in men and 21 percent in women compared to normal-weight people. The risk increased to 75 percent for obese men and 106 percent for obese women.
• Moderate physical activity reduced the risk of heart failure by 21 percent in men and 13 percent in women compared to a light physical activity level. High levels of physical activity lowered the risk even further: 33 percent in men and 36 percent in women.
• Eating vegetables three to six times per week decreased heart failure risk by 26 percent in men and 27 percent in women compared to those who ate vegetables less than once per week.
• Furthermore, the more healthy lifestyle behaviors a person engaged in, the greater the decline in risk.

Engaging in all four healthy lifestyle behaviors decreased the risk for heart failure by 70 percent in men and 81 percent in women, compared to 32 percent in men and 47 percent in women who engaged in only one healthy behavior.

Many people remain unaware of the link between unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and heart failure risk, researchers said. Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood through the heart to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen. Basically, the heart can’t keep up with its workload.

“Healthcare workers should discuss healthy lifestyle habits with their patients and stress that they can do more,” Hu said.

Workplace Stress a Growing Health Hazard

Job-related stress is catching up with workers. A new study by Concordia University economists, published in BMC Public Health, has found that increased job stress causes workers to increasingly seek help from health professionals for physical, mental and emotional ailments linked to job stress. Indeed, the number of visits to healthcare professionals is up to 26 percent for workers in high stress jobs.

“These results show that people in medium-to-high stress jobs visit family doctors and specialists more often than workers with low job stress,” says first author Sunday Azagba, a Ph.D. candidate in the Concordia Department of Economics.

To reach their conclusions, the economists crunched nationally representative data from the Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS). All NPHS figures were restricted to adults aged 18 to 65 years— the bulk of the labor force—and included statistics on the number of healthcare visits, chronic illnesses, marital status, income level, smoking and drinking habits.

“We believe an increasing number of workers are using medical services to cope with job stress,” says co-author Mesbah Sharaf, a Ph.D. candidate in the Concordia Department of Economics.

“There is medical evidence that stress can adversely affect an individual’s immune system, thereby increasing the risk of disease,” Sharaf continues. “Numerous studies have linked stress to back pain, colorectal cancer, infectious disease, heart problems, headaches and diabetes. Job stress may also heighten risky behaviours such as smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, discourage healthy behaviours such as physical activity, proper diet and increase consumption of fatty and sweet foods.”

Cost of stressful workplaces

Previous research has found that aging populations and prescription drugs increase the price of health care. Yet few studies have so far correlated workplace stress rates on healthcare costs. “Healthcare spending in Canada, as a percentage of gross domestic product, increased from 7 percent in 1980 to 10.1 per cent in 2007,” says Azagba.

In the U.S., recent polls found that 70 percent of American workers consider their workplace a significant source of stress, whereas 51 percent report job stress reduces their productivity. “It is estimated that healthcare utilization induced by stress costs U.S. companies $68 billion annually and reduces their profits by 10 percent,” says Sharaf.

Total health care expenditures in the U.S. amount to $2.5 trillion, or $8,047 per person. “That represents 17.3 percent of the 2009 gross domestic product —a 9 percent increase from 1980,” says Azagba.

Less stress means more savings

The economists caution that easing workplace stress could help governments reduce soaring health budgets and bolster employee morale.

“Improving stressful working conditions and educating workers on stress-coping mechanisms could help to reduce health care costs,” says Azagba. “Managing workplace stress can also foster other economic advantages, such as increased productivity among workers, reduce absenteeism and diminish employee turnover.”

The occupations analyzed as part of the Canadian National Population Health Survey included seven categories: mechanical, trade, professional, managerial, health, service and farm.