Conversational Hypnosis Review

May 20th, 2008

The first thing that comes to peoples mind when they hear hypnosis is swinging of a chain and putting people into a trance. But hypnosis is a lot more than that presently it is used for medical purposes like for stop smoking and to relieve anxiety. Conversational hypnosis on the other hand is the use of conversations and suggestions to get people to do what you want. Igor ledochowski a master hypnotist has created the power of conversational hypnosis course where he claims he would show anyone an amazing secret that lets you put people under your control quickly and easily and get them to do what you want. Much has been said about this course but here is a review of what to expect from it.

The course is made of 12 main audio sessions, A 629 page manual including full Transcripts of every session, cheat sheets that help to speed up your understanding of how to use hypnosis and 4 advanced bonus sessions to give you even more hypnotic power when you need it. Some of the things the course covers include how to connect with people so that they trust you and immediately like you, how to approach a complete stranger and make them feel like they know you and like you, how to connect with anyone and create a powerful bond and how to use simple words to make people open and receptive to your commands.

The good thing about this course is that the creator of the course is a trained hypnotist himself, in fact he is a member of the British society of clinical hypnosis and he has created several books and recorded several audio products. Another good thing about this course is that you can buy it today and start using it today since they have made it available for instant download, this way you won’t have to wait for weeks for it to arrive and in most cases by the time it arrives your interest might have diminished.

The not so good thing is that the course is a little expensive compared to some of the other courses you would find out there but you are getting a lot. Another issue is that there is a lot of material to cover for instance the audios alone are about 18 hours and the manual is around 630 pages long. It is not easy to go through all that and in most cases you would have to do it twice in order to be able to get a full idea of what each section is all about

All things considered, people are already using conversational hypnosis to get people to buy from them and even to get people to fall in love with them. If you are someone who is interested in learning how to use conversations to influence people, I highly recommend you give this course a try. You also have a 60 day money back guarantee to go through the program and see whether it is something you would like

You can find out more about Conversational Hypnosis by visiting http://www.lhypnosis.info

Is Addiction Really A Disease?

May 20th, 2008

If you believe addiction is a disease, you won’t like this article. I am writing for individuals who are not sure what to believe about addiction. My hope is to persuade you that addiction is not a disease, but a type of habit you can learn to change just as you change other habits.

With the substantial attention given lately to pictures of the brain on drugs, it would be easy to overlook the fact that the brain will look different moment to moment, and that anything we do (or take into our bodies) will show up somehow in a brain picture. That different parts of the brain “light up” for different experiences is a basic fact of interest to neuroscientists, but what does it mean?

Let’s approach the question of addiction as a disease from a different direction. The disease concept appears to explain why people keep using substances or engaging in their activities (e.g., gambling, shopping, pornography, etc.). However, if one has a disease, how does one stop?

You might ask individuals who believe in addiction as a disease how they answer this question: If addiction is a disease, how do you stop? My own experience is that I never get an answer that makes sense: Because there isn’t an answer that makes sense.

There is the answer given in various 12-step groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous or Cocaine Anonymous. In these groups recovery is about letting go to a higher power. That process of recovery is fine if it works for you, but what other diseases do we treat by letting go to a higher power?

Aside from the 12-step answer, the rest of the approaches to “treating” addiction call upon the concept of a multi-factorial disorder, one which requires multiple efforts for recovery, such as better nutrition, attending support meetings, being in psychotherapy, learning to cope with craving, etc. You can form your own opinion, but I suggest these efforts are in fact all part of the process of habit change.

OK, maybe addiction as a disease doesn’t make sense, and changing addiction is really just a habit change process. Is there any harm in considering addiction a disease? Yes.

First, there are the distracting questions: Do I have a disease? Am I an addict or alcoholic? The important question is, regardless of what I call it, what do I need to do about my drinking, drugging, other behavior, etc? For many people deciding they don’t have a disease (”Really, those people have far worse problems than mine”) means they don’t address the problems they have. Some of those problems will get worse. Wouldn’t it be better to address them before they became a “disease?”

Second, the disease concept is de-motivating. “If I have a disease I can’t get rid of, maybe I should just give up?” Third, there are many complaints that we stigmatize individuals with addiction problems. We could make significant progress reducing stigma if we didn’t label them as addicts or alcoholics. Rather, we could recognize we all have bad habits, and that all of us face the same fundamental questions about how to control ourselves in the face of temptation.

If you still want to believe addiction is a disease, it’s obviously your choice. But if you want to view it differently, there are several good reasons to do so!

Addiction treatment San Diego.

Is There An Acne And Diet Connection?

May 20th, 2008

As a common skin disorder, acne affects over ninety percent of the world’s population at some time or other. It is the most widely treated skin disorder by dermatologists and strikes both teenagers and adults.

There are many different factors that contribute to acne including hormones, bacteria, and some genetic factors. It has even been suggested that acne is caused by a poor diet, which may hold some weight.

The acne and diet issue, as with most causes commonly attributed to acne outbreaks, has been studied for several years.

Even though some dermatologists claimed that diet has nothing to do with the formation of acne, many still hold that acne and diet are indeed linked as diet plays a role in the development of acne.

Here’s a short explanation that will develop a relationship between acne and diet.

It has been suggested for many years that eating refined carbohydrates and sugar can cause acne outbreaks. It is proven however that eating these foods leads to a surge of insulin as well as an insulin-like growth factor known as IGF-1 in the body.

If this forms, it then can lead to an excess of male hormones, androgens, which are deemed as the most potent cause of the acne formation.

The acne and diet connection maintains that if an excess of male hormones is produced, the pores of the skin will secrete sebum or oil, which is a greasy substance that generally attracts the attention of acne causing bacteria.

In addition, this process triggers the IGF-1 to cause skin cells known as keratinocytes to duplicate and multiply, which in turn is a process related with the acne formation.

According to one acne study, the appearance of acne is triggered by some environmental factors including diet. This study conducted on the acne cases in islanders of Papua New Guinea and hunter-gatherers of Paraguay found out that limiting grains is an integral step toward optimizing your health, which led the researchers to think that no-grain diet is somehow beneficial for acne.

Also, getting sufficient essential fatty acids may be important in clearing acne. It is these fatty acids that help control the production of androgens, the hormones that surge during the teen years, which cause excess sebum oil to clog your hair follicle and contribute to creating acne.

Good sources of omega-3 oil include albacore tuna, avocados, dark leafy green vegetables (spinach, mustard greens, kale), hemp seeds, walnuts, wheat germ oil, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, salmon and sardines.

As the acne and diet link continues as one of the hottest issues in the medical field, many have claim that there is too little research regarding the connection.

It has even been suggested that doctors and dermatologists only say that diet has nothing to do with acne because they can not sell you a healthy diet.

Perhaps diet is not the sole cause of acne but it never hurts to follow a good healthy diet plan as an overall health regimen.

Discover the connection between your diet and acne at acne diet

Green Tea To Lose Weight

May 20th, 2008

Green tea to lose weight? Doesn’t that sound like some kind of odd or fad diet – like the grapefruit diet, the blood diet or the cabbage soup diet?

The fact is, the green tea diet is not a fad diet. People have been drinking green tea to control their weight for many years. For that matter, green tea can often be found as an ingredient in products designed to fight aging as well as those that are for weight loss.

How the green tea diet works

The green tea diet is not some kind of fad diet, where you have to drink tea morning and noon and night. The way it works to help you lose weight is by speeding up your metabolism. Drinking green tea is sort of like eating a hot pepper. When you drink it, your body goes through what’s known as a thermogenic reaction — heat is released and your body gets a “jumpstart.”

Drinking green tea also reduces your appetite. Your blood sugar remains stable when you drink it on a regular basis. Also, green tea helps you feel full longer so that you are not hungry so much of the time.

Carbohydrates and fat

When your body does not use carbohydrates for energy, it stores it is fat. Unfortunately, this happens every day. One theory is that green tea helps you control weight by blocking the storage of carbohydrates as fat, at least for a short time. The theory is that when you drink green tea, your body creates a bigger “window” for carbohydrates to be stored as fuel and not as fat. While it is not certain how long this “window of time” lasts, anything that helps keep your body from creating fats has to be beneficial.

Help for those addicted to caffiene.

Believe it or not, caffeine addicts can also benefit from drinking green tea. This is because green tea also has caffeine. So, coffee drinkers can get their caffeine fix without having to add the milk and sugar that contain more calories. If you need your tea sweetened, one good alternative is called Splenda?. It tastes like sugar, but has no calories. And although it may not seem like eliminating milk or cream and sugar will help you lose much weight, you might be surprised at how many of these empty calories you consume every day just by drinking lots of coffee.

A cup with every meal

All you need to do on the green tea diet is have a cup of green tea or two with every meal. If drinking hot tea doesn’t suite you, there are other ways that you can get green tea for weight control. For example, there are now a number of cold tea drinks available in most grocery stoes, and green tea can be found in some supplements.

For that matter, green tea can also used in addition to any diet plan that you are now using - to get its benefits as well as the benefits of your diet plan.

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Why Some People Drive You Nuts

May 20th, 2008

An ancient proverb says, “Everyone looks normal, until you get to know them better.” And the reverse is also true and that is, “Everyone looks abnormal until you get to know them better.” On our planet a very large percentage of people exhibit characteristics of being tough, highly independent, stubborn, impossible to please, restless, perfectionists, etc., and they continue to lead their entire life like that. And everyone would have definitely experienced or heard true stories of such people who drive others nuts through their irrational behaviors. The traditional methods of interaction that works for normal or sweet people just don’t work for them. So how do you deal with such tough people? The simple answer is you cannot in most of the cases. Nor can you fully blame the other person for acting irrational, as there is usually a specific scientific reason for such behavior. And that reason is biological in nature as man is not a uniformly programmed species like animals and birds. As you would have observed animals and birds of a species behave in exactly the same manner. For example, a sheep has been biologically programmed by Mother Nature to be a timid creature, while a tiger has been programmed to be ferocious. You don’t see tigers give up their ferocious nature even if you breed and train them under captivity. And a sheep cannot be trained to become a ferocious creature. But no such rules applies to human beings. Man is not uniform in his behavior and each person is unique in his or her own inborn ways. For example, even in the case of identical twins one can exhibit a rough nature while another can be sweet. This is why it is rarely possible to effectively lead people, unless you use some unconventional methods. Or it is better to gain the specific knowledge that teaches you how to understand why people act cranky. Coming back to the original discussion people who are restless, impatient, irritable, tough, perfectionists, demanding, etc., normally belong to a category called Type-A personality with certain characteristics as explained below. In some cases they can even be a higher version called Type-A+, the kind you see in dictators or extremely tough and dangerous people.

Given below is a layman’s guide to understanding the characteristics of Type A and A+ people.

1. Type-A people suffer from an exaggerated sense of urgency for everything. For example, they hate being late or kept waiting. They periodically experience bouts of anger, restlessness, irritability, impatience and general hostility for everything. Due to this they get angry for simple or even trivial reasons without realizing why.

2. Such people don’t know how and when to relax, and are always in an endless state of internal turmoil, often uncontrolled and unknowingly. Their thinking and thoughts will normally be very intense. They are usually very independent and direct to the point. For example, they don’t take insults or criticism lightly.

3. They will always be on the lookout for perfection (of their definition) in everything they do. Such people demand that perfection even from others and want everyone to rise to their level of thinking and working. They expect other to read their mind and act accordingly thereby making others uncomfortable and often exhibit dictatorial behaviours.

4. Facial calmness is different from internal turmoil. Internally they experience enormous amounts of personal stress that they cannot release easily or share their problems with others. Such people don’t realize their effect on others as they simply do not see the ugly picture they portray to others.

5. Type-A people also experience higher degrees of heart troubles than others.

In fact, Type-A/A+ personality develop right from childhood and this is why we see why many kids are difficult to handle. It is not easy to deal with Type-A/A+ people for the simple reason you could be one yourself. Most people don’t know they are Type-A, unless a doctor or psychologist tells them. It is this lack of knowledge that causes a great deal of grief both ways when dealing with such people. Nevertheless it is important to recognize that a mysterious thing called a Type-A/A+ personality exists in many humans and learn some ways to deal with it effectively.

If you are a Type-A person yourself: The most important knowledge in life is to constantly be aware of your own behaviors. Before criticizing or grumbling about the qualities of others, it is important to test if you belong to a Type-A/A+ personality yourself. For this you need a candid discussion with yourself or perhaps a doctor to see if our have any of the qualities mentioned above. Secondly there are some psychological tests available free on the internet that can determine if you are a Type-A/A+, provided you answer the questions honestly. If you discover you are a Type-A/A+, then you should take immediate steps to create an internal calmness program before you go bust. The change will not happen overnight, but now that you know a beast exists inside you it is time to take charge of your behaviors and not let it run amok. For example, the next time you start getting impatient when waiting for someone or something, you can realize the agitation that is brewing inside you is because you have a Type-A personality. Then you can start calming down and stop getting agitated further. Gradually you will understand why you are stressed, why you are always agitated, why you blow your fuse, why you can’t relax, and so on. Soon for every irrational behavior you exhibit, you can have an immediate self realization gently thumping you on the head to steer you to a calmer behavior. Armed with this knowledge you can now gradually learn to relax, be lazy, cultivate the power to let go, and enjoy life better.

If you are dealing with a Type-A person: Except for a genuine mental illness and certain types of personal problems, it is usually the intense biological forces of Type-A/A+ that make people act cranky for anything and everything. But if you are knowledgeable about the characteristics of a type-A/A+ persons it is easy to understand the irrational behavior of others. So if a person is acting impatient or fussy you now know exactly why they do that. Instead of agitating the person further you can think of ways to help him or her if possible. And you can also educate them to realize they are a Type-A/A+ person so that it enlightens them and others.

There is another personality called a Type-B personality, or a socializer type who has the following characteristics.

1. They are relaxed and have a cool attitude.

2. They are friendly, patient, easy to deal with, and generally content with life.

3. They will be at peace and harmony within themselves, and look at life in a positive way and are not too concerned about losing.

Finally your objective is to gradually become a Type-B person to a large extent in your life, while retaining the Type-A behaviors to areas where it is absolutely necessary. It is not easy to make the jump from A/A+ to B, and may take several months of conscious effort, but it is possible if you take small sustained steps towards it.

Finally we conclude this article with a beautiful quote from Lee Iacocca who says, “I have always found that if I move with seventy-five percent or more of the facts that I usually never regret it. It’s the guys who wait to have everything perfect that drive you crazy.”

Thejendra BS is an IT manager and author of LIFE-365:-A Year’s Supply of Wisdom, Tips & Advice for Everyone. Visit http://www.thejendra.com to buy this extremely useful book that can change your life.

Manic Depression: What Are The Symptoms?

May 20th, 2008

Manic depression can be defined as an extended stage of mood swings. One may experience these mood swings from really high to very low degree. The high degree is known as manic and the lower as depressed.

Bipolar disorder is yet another name for manic depressive illness. This stage usually refers to as an individual’s mood that shifts between different ‘poles’ of mania and depression.

Manic Depression is not something to be taken lightly. It is a serious disorder and needs serious professional and personal care.

Manic depression can affect both men and women. There is no specific age at which this disease usually starts. However, experts believe that the onset of this disease takes place in late adolescence.

This disorder can be found among people irrespective of their age, race, social classes and ethnic groups. Medical experts feel that this disease has a genetic link and even tends to run in the families.

The disease does not only affect the patient but also the person who attends to him or her. The immediate family circle is known to suffer a lot.

A) Here are some of the symptoms related to this disorder:

a)Less amount of sleep required.

b)Increased energy; Restlessness; Increased activity

c)Poor Judgment; Euphoric mood (excessively high); Spending sprees

d)Abuse of drugs including cocaine, sleeping pills and alcohol

e)Shifting from one idea to another very frequently

f)Tendency to get distracted easily; Inability to concentrate well; Extreme irritability

g)Talking fast; Racing thoughts

h)Aggressive behavior; Intrusive behavior; Provocative behavior

i)Unrealistic beliefs in one’s abilities and powers; Denial that anything is wrong

j)Lasting period of behavior that’s quite different from usual

B) The symptoms for low or ‘depressive’ stage of manic depression:

a)Thoughts of death; Thoughts of suicide; Suicide attempts

b)Restlessness; Irritability

c)Feeling of hopelessness; Extreme pessimism

d)Sleeping too much; Inhibits to sleep or insomnia

e)Difficulty in concentrating; Lack of memory

f)Lack of energy; Loss of interest in pleasure activities

g)Change in appetite; Weight loss without making any efforts; Weight gain

h)Difficulty in making decisions; A feeling of fatigue

i)Feeling guilty; Feeling of worthlessness: Feeling of helplessness

j)Chronic pain; Symptoms in body not as a result of injury or illness

k)Long-lasting mood of moroseness; Empty mood; Anxiety that lasts long

C) Causes

There are several causes of manic depression. Here is a list of some of the causes that lead to manic depression:

a)Genetic factor

As discussed earlier, manic depression tends to run in families. Chromosomes tend to show genetic abnormalities.

b)Fast biological clock

Hypothalamus, the center of the brain shows a super fast biological ‘clock’. The clock is actually a small cluster of nerves known as the supra chiasmatic nucleus or SCN. This works towards regulating an individual’s daily cycle of life and affects waking and sleeping.

c)Neurotransmitters

Patients of manic depression are known to have higher levels of vesicular monoamine transporter. It is a protein inside the brain that’s known to regulate neurotransmitters.

Other causes include abnormal activity of brain and infectious agents such as viruses.

For more Articles, News, Information, Advice, and Resources about DEPRESSION and PANIC ATTACKS please visit DEPRESSION GUIDES and PANIC ATTACKS ADVICE

Constipation: STOP Living In The Bathroom With These Answers And Relieving Tips!

May 20th, 2008

When it comes to moving your bowels, common questions I hear from my patients include:

“Doc, is twice a day too much?”

“I go once a day, but my husband goes three times a day. Am I normal?”

“How often is my 4-year old supposed to go?”

You may be surprised, but the biggest problem I see is not that people are having painful bowel movements- it’s that people are not moving their bowels often enough. But because they have been that way for so long, they do not realize anything is wrong.

What’s normal, and what’s constipated?

Most people believe that constipation means having hard or painful bowel movements. This is true, but it is only part of the story! Constipation also means not moving your bowels every day. As stated in Stedman’s Medical Dictionary (27th ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2000), constipation is a condition in which bowel movements are infrequent OR incomplete.

Many folks believe a bowel movement every two or three days is fine, or that a bowel movement every four or five days is no cause for concern. However, neither scenario is normal. Depending upon the individual, a healthy bowel movement frequency varies from one to four times per day. If you move your bowels less than once a day, you are constipated! This is true even if you move your bowels easily.

Where does the rest of your food go?

Most people consume about twenty-one meals per week, but they move their bowels only three times per week. That leaves eighteen meals that have not been eliminated from the body. So, where did those meals go?

The concept that the meals you’ve eaten over the past few days, months, or even years are just sitting and accumulating bacteria in your colon is unappealing to say the least… but if you’re constipated, that’s exactly what’s happening!

The longer fecal material remains in the intestine, the more bacteria and fungi collect, and the more putrefaction occurs. Toxins pass through to the blood and may cause headaches, sluggishness and more. As time progresses, more water is reabsorbed into the colon, and the stool becomes drier and harder.

The result? Your bowel function is disrupted!

Does stress effect constipation?

Ever notice that you move your bowels much less when on vacation, or when staying with a friend? But upon returning home, you use the bathroom before even unpacking? There’s an incredible connection between emotional stress and the digestive system. In fact, the gut has its own nervous system called the “enteric nervous system”. The more emotionally stressed you are, the more your digestive system is stressed too.

What can you do? To relieve your constipation, start with these 7 easy tips. Then see below to learn how to STOP making the 5 most common mistakes that are making your digestive problems worse.

1. Consume three servings per day of raw, organic fruits and vegetables. They must be raw! Raw means the food hasn’t been cooked, processed, pasteurized, etc. In other words, the product is still alive. Heat kills. Raw foods still contain the digestive enzymes necessary to help digest your food.

2. Drink 12-ounces of purified water upon rising and before going to bed.

3. Drink less water with your meals. The more liquid you drink when eating, the more you dilute your body’s digestive powers.

4. Make sure you consume at least 25 grams of fiber per day. Raw produce, sprouted grain bread, brown rice, bran, wheat germ, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried figs and legumes are some excellent sources of fiber.

5. Chew your food slowly… your stomach doesn’t have teeth! Saliva is the very first step of the digestive process, and it only works when you chew your food. The more liquefied your food is upon swallowing, the less burden you place upon your digestive system.

6. Eating in a quiet environment is essential. Try not to eat when you are watching television, checking e-mails, etc. Simply concentrate on chewing your meal.

7. Because your G.I. tract, brain and emotions are closely linked, do your best to decrease emotional stress. Take 5-minute breaks throughout the day, at 90-minute intervals.

Last but certainly not least… STOP making these mistakes!

Even the most health-conscious folks are making mistakes every time they eat, that are making their digestive problems worse. To summarize the most important points for you, I’ve written a FREE report, called “The 5 Mistakes You’re Making Every Time You Eat!”

We’ve briefly touched upon one or two ideas, but if you want faster constipation relief, you’ll certainly want all of this information. Get your FREE copy right now by clicking the link in the next paragraph.

(c) Dr.Christine Kaczmar 2008

Natural Digestive and Internal Health Specialist Dr. Christine Kaczmar helps people get their lives back from I.B.S., Constipation, Diarrhea, Gas, Bloating, Heartburn and High Cholesterol. Get your FREE copy of her latest report to start getting relief TODAY: thedigestiondoctor.com/smartdigestion.

Benefits Of Professional Therapeutic Massage

May 20th, 2008

Everyone feels great after a well done therapeutic massage. Massage has been documented back to 2700 BC and found in many ancient cultures. For example, it is documented that the Chinese, Egyptians, Indians, Greeks, and Romans all benefited from therapeutic massage. In fact, Hippocrates wrote of the benefits of massage in the 5th century BC. However, even with widespread awareness and rich history, few people realize how many health benefits there are to getting a massage and why it has such profound effects. Therapeutic massage can be used for pain control/relief, healing, and overall wellness.

Naming just a few benefits, a good massage, especially one that works into your muscles such as a deep tissue massage, can help alleviate back pain, enhance the immune system, exercise weak muscles, increase flexibility, lessen depression, improve circulation, and relieve tension. With all these benefits, the primary advantages can be summed up as reduced fatigue and increased energy.

A number of methods are used in professional massage, including moving pressure, fixed pressure, holding, kneading, point pressure, and distributed pressure. A professional therapist may use hands, elbows, forearms, and even knees and feet to release the tension deep in your muscles. Professional massage therapists may also use a device or machine to assist in massage. Small hand-held devices that can provide point pressure are common as are professional massage machines that use percussion to drive the massage deep into your muscle tissue. A machine-assisted massage can be provided quicker and deeper than a manual massage and causes less fatigue on the massage therapist.

Therapeutic massage helps the patient with pain control/relief by sending impulses to the brain through the same nerves that transmit pain signals. By doing so, the receptors in the brain never receive pain impulses because they are effectively blocked. As a patient receives a therapeutic massage, natural pain killing endorphins are released which act very much like a high power drug in dulling the senses to pain. In addition, muscles are loosened which improves circulation allowing oxygen and nourishment to reach painful muscles, thereby allowing them to relax.

A therapeutic massage stimulates the lymph system. The lymph system brings nutrients to every cell in the body and takes away waste products produced by the body’s cells. Sore and tight muscles are usually starved for oxygen and nutrients because their tightness is preventing the lymph system from operating effectively. A therapeutic massage dilates blood vessels while loosening muscles. This restores the lymph system, allowing for nutrients to pass and waste to be taken away.

Healing through therapeutic massage is a common practice, especially among professional athletes and others who are hard on their muscles and overall body. A weak, injured, or sore muscle can have a profound effect on someone who is required to operate at peak performance. A sports therapist is likely to use a mechanical motorized massager in their work. This allows them the quickly provide deep tissue massage without wearing themselves out. Massagers used by professionals, such as a Thumper massager, use percussion as their primary massage action. A high quality professional percussion massager is much different than most consumer models which only vibrate and rub the skin. While a vibrating massager may feel nice, it lacks the ability to penetrate through thick muscle.

This ancient form of healing and rejuvenation has been refined over thousands of years. While still retaining the same basic principles, massage is applied to many different ailments and situations. A deep tissue massage that exercises and relaxes muscles can provide relief to pain, heal, and enhance overall wellness.

Jack Webster writes for Better Health Innovations. Also check out the Thumper Mini Pro 2 Massager.

Inversion Tables And Gravity Boots To Relieve Back Pain

May 20th, 2008

Inversion tables, gravity boots, and other mechanical devices are used by thousands of people who suffer from back pain as an alternative to drugs and surgery. Recent studies back up what these people are finding with medical evidence. In 2008, a study from Newcastle University in England found that patients who regularly used an inversion table reduced the need for back surgery in more than 70% of back pain patients.

To understand how inversion therapy helps, you need an understanding of your spinal discs. These discs are really shock absorbers that cushion your back and separate vertebrae while allowing for flexibility. When a disc is damaged, compressed, or improperly positioned the vertebrae may put more pressure on nerve roots within the spine. Deterioration and compression of the discs is natural due to the constant pull of gravity on you spine. If you are a bit on the heavy side, then the process may be accelerated. Because gravity is constant, your spine never gets a rest.

Inversion therapy provides opposite pressure from gravity, relieving your discs and allowing them to recover from the constant pressure of gravity. Because inversion allows your discs to separate, pressure on nerves is decreased, discs are allowed to rehydrate,

When your body is inverted, your spine is relieved from pain-causing pressure. In fact, this would be the only time the pressure is relieved. Even laying down maintains pressure on your spine (approximately 25 % pressure when laying down). Inversion reduces 100% of pressure on your discs.

You may decide to try inversion therapy, and there are several different methods to do so. There are devices such as inversion tables, gravity boots, and slings on the market. Most people who are serious about getting the most out of inversion therapy typically invest in an inversion table. Unlike other methods, an inversion table allows for multiple angles which let you get your body used to inversion (especially important for your inner ear). If you are leery of full inversion, studies show that the maximum benefit can be achieved at 60 degrees.

While inversion is extremely safe, there are certain medical conditions that may restrict your use of an inversion table. Most retailers and manufacturers can advise you one when you should consult with your doctor prior to inverting. Because you are in a position where a product defect could cause serious injury, the brand of inversion table is extremely important. When you are hanging fully inverted, basically hanging by your feet, you want an inversion table your can trust. With safety being the number one concern, slings that are available for inversion that lack a mechanical foot restraint are not advised.

There is a wide variation in quality between brands of inversion tables. Many are produced by contract manufacturers in low cost countries that are purchased by importers focused on minimum cost. Others do not have well thought out designs or do not undergo testing to any outside recognized standards. A brand you can trust, Teeter Hangups inversion tables have been manufactured for years and are tested to UL standards. Most consumers would not purchase a toaster without the UL mark, this should be a minimum standard for a product such as an inversion table that is expected to support your weight.

Inversion therapy is viewed by many who have tried it as a life-changing treatment. By reducing the pressure on the spine caused by gravity, regular inversion has been proven by medical studies and thousands of users to have significant health affects, especially concerning relief from back pain.

Jack Webster Better Health Innovations Innovative Solutions for a Healthy Lifestyle Teeter Hang Ups Inversion Tables

Rebounders (Mini Trampolines) Improve Health In Many Ways

May 20th, 2008

Rebounding is surprisingly an effective way to improve your health and overall wellbeing. Benefits are many, and include improvements in muscle mass, endurance, the digestive system, bone density, the lymphatic system, nervous system, metabolism, circulatory system, balance, cholesterol, and even vision. It is all about how a rebounder allows you to use gravity to your advantage.

Intuitively, one would think that using a mini trampoline (a rebounder) would be comparable to aerobic activities such as jogging or cycling. Rebounding is a great form of aerobic exercise, and does not have the bone-jarring impacts associated with running and jogging. Plus, it’s fun! However, unlike other activities, the g-forces from rebounding exercises every single cell in your body. When you reach the bottom of your bounce, you are subjected to about 1.5g (50% increase in the force of gravity). At the top of your bounce you are weightless. This forces your body at the cellular level to strengthen itself because of the constant cycle of increased/decreased stress placed uniformly across your body.

The effect caused from rebounding also stimulates the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is responsible for carrying nutrients to all your cells and carrying away the waste products. For this system to work effectively, it must be stimulated through movement and exercise. Without this stimulation, your cells become laden with waste products and without the nutrients they need. By rebounding, the lymphatic system is stimulated to increase flow by up to 30 times the normal rate, rapidly getting your cells the nutrients they need. The washing away of waste products brought on through the lymph system through rebounding is sometimes called detoxification.

Effects on the nervous system are another advantage of rebounding. Not only do you get into the “zone”, providing great relaxation, but the act of rebounding stabilizes your nervous system and helps maintain equilibrium. Using a rebounder is a great way to “de-stress”, and is thought of as a way to improve overall nervous system wellness.

For those interested in building muscle and burning calories, rebounding is effective for many reasons. Not the least of which is that rebounding is FUN. It can be very difficult to climb up on that exercise bike or treadmill day after day, but most users of mini trampolines look forward to using their rebounder. While rebounding you can jog, jump, twist, etc. without wearing yourself out like with other exercises.

A NASA study looked at the advantages of rebounding compared to other exercises. Their interest was in strengthening astronauts after returning from lengthy missions in space. Rebounding on a mini trampoline was compared to jogging on a treadmill, and they found that rebounding is 68% more efficient. They also found that it is safer to rebound rather than to jog because in jogging the majority of impact stress is on the ankles and knees. Rebounding softens the impact and better distributes g-forces throughout the body.

Again, because rebounding is fun, you are much more likely to use your rebounder for years and years. Because of this, when selecting a mini trampoline, be sure to find one of good quality such as a Needak Rebounders that will stand the test of time. While there are several alternatives, a piece of exercise equipment that you know will be used for years should be made of high quality components. Most important attributes of a quality rebounder include: steel frame for strength and stability, non-exposed cleats, a spring cover, tapered coil springs, and high quality mat material. Books and DVDs can be very helpful in getting the most from your mini trampoline and are many times included with a rebounder.

Jack Webster Better Health Innovations Needak Mini Trampolines (Rebounders)