During this time of the year is it essential to keep ones health in tact, especially the respiratory system. Winter is a time of family, time off of work and relaxation. But sneaky "germs" do not take time off, and they love the winter season. Massage therapy is a wonderful way to maintain and improve ones health. Massage benefits to the respiratory system include:

Respiratory System
*Reduces respiration rate
*Strengthens respiratory muscles
*Decreases sensation of dyspnea
*Decreases asthma attacks
*Reduces laryngeal attacks
*Increases fluid discharge from lungs
*Increases pulmonary function

By reducing your respiratory rate your lungs do not have to work as hard to oxygenate your body which is done through profusion and gas exchange at the capillary level. By strengthening the muscles that work with your lungs helps so that your lungs will function at a higher capacity. By increasing the discharge or release of fluids from the lungs you will lessen the chance for bacteria or virus organisms to settle in your lungs to issues. This will help prevent dreaded respiratory infection which include pneumonia or bronchitis.

Asthma information:
Acute asthma attacks occur within 10 to 20 minutes after the initial exposure. The initial exposure for cats would either be the dander from the cat. It is caused by the release of chemical mediators from the mast cells that lead to inflammation. Mast cells respond to the irritant by releasing histamine that causes brochoconstriction. Bronchoconstriction causes: the airways to become swollen and the production of excess mucus. Massage therapy helps decrease astham attacks by helping to strengthen the lungs, reducing mucus build up and increasing pulmonary function.

Emphysema information:

Characteristics:

• Hyperventilation
• Vasoconstriction
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Jugular venous distension
• edema

Emphysema is a chronic pulmonary disease that is marked by the above symptoms. Massage therapy can benefit a person suffering from this disease by decreasing pulomaary hypertension and vasoconstriction. This usually leads to a person having an easier time breathing since there is less fluids in the lungs constriciting respirations.


So give your lungs a break and have a healthy respiratory winter season by booking your massage today. Don't forget your loved ones, give them the gift of massage with a gift certificate.

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Ballon Mitral Valvotomy

A situation in my own family has inspired me to post this information. I hope you find it interesting:

Balloon mitral valvotomy
Balloon valvotomy is used to increase the opening of a narrowed (stenotic) valve. It is used for:

•select patients who have mitral valve stenosis with symptoms
•older patients who have aortic valve stenosis, but are not able to undergo surgery
•some patients with pulmonic valve stenosis
This balloon valvotomy procedure can be performed on the mitral, tricuspid, aortic or pulmonary valves.

How is a balloon valvotomy performed?
Balloon valvotomy is a non-surgical procedure performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory by a cardiologist and a specialized team of nurses and technicians.

Long, slender tubes called catheters are first placed into blood vessels in the groin and guided into the chambers of the heart. The cardiologist then creates a tiny hole in the wall between the upper two chambers of the heart. This hole provides an opening for the cardiologist to access the left atrium with a special catheter that has a balloon at the tip.

The catheter is positioned so the balloon tip is directly inside the narrowed valve. The balloon is inflated and deflated several times to widen the valve opening. Once the cardiologist has determined that the opening of the valve has been widened enough, the balloon is deflated and removed.

During the procedure, the cardiologist may perform an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) to get a better picture of the mitral valve.

What are the symptoms?
Many of the symptoms of mitral stenosis, such as shortness of breath and fatigue, result from a back-up of blood in the lungs. Other symptoms of mitral stenosis may include quick weight gain; weakness; dizziness; swelling in the ankles, feet and/or abdomen (edema); and/or heart palpitations (irregular heartbeat).

What causes mitral stenosis?
Mitral stenosis most commonly develops many years after a person has had rheumatic fever, although many patients diagnosed with mitral stenosis don’t recall ever having the illness. During rheumatic fever, the valve becomes inflamed. Over time, the leaflets of the inflamed valve stick together and become scarred, rigid and thickened, limiting its ability to open completely.

Information retrieved from: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/disorders/valve/balloon_valve.aspx

I found this like and I wanted to share it with everyone. I don't know anybody who has never had a headache before.

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/25518/heal-your-headaches-naturally/

Caution before reading

After spending my weekend working with children, adolescence and adults I have come to the conclusion that men and women should need to be screen and deemed fit to have and raise children.

It is terrible to see the effects that broken men and women have on their offspring. For example, not 12 year old boy should feel that he is so different that he has to resort to anorexia and bulimia to fit in with his mother and sister. Low self esteem then leads to his are perhaps looking like someone has used a hot butter knife has been taken to the skin about 20 to 30 times. Then to top is off, due to the abuse has suffered, he has thoughts of harming himself because he hears the voices telling him he is no good and he would be better off dead.

13 year old girls should not have to ask their mother to please take a minute from their day and from being over indulged in her sister, just to get her to have a conversation with her.

15 year old girls and boys should NOT have suicidal thoughts because their parents, who donated the organisms to create them, like to abuse them. They should to feel like harming themselves or turning to substances and illegal drugs will ease the pain.

I know not all parents broken and unfit, but I do think that more needs to be done to prevent the future generations from loosing their minds and giving up their lives to drugs, violence and self harm.

This week-Just get throught the first paragraph :)

OK, this is a rant and I will say sorry in advance. We are all adults in class, so when the professor is lecturing on a Friday afternoon let NOT ask questions that have nothing to do with the content. That just makes us have to stay longer. OK, not I'm done.

What I really want to write about is my experience in at the Good New Clinic this week. The majority of the worker there are volunteers, with only a handful actual paid employees. It was interesting to see the difference between working in a family practice/internal medicine atmosphere that we free to the public (if you qualify) and a private practive.

In the private practice the front desk secretary has to be as nice as possible to the patient because her job and pay check depend on it. If the patients complain about the service she gives it reflects poorly on her and any advancements in the furture. In the public health atmosphere the front desk secretary is nice but she does not have to be sickly sweet nice because more then likly she is not getting paid.

The pace of the day is very different. Granted it is summer time and it is slower in general, but the Doctors are volunteering their time so they done have a full schedule. What I mean is that the patients are not double and triple booked. This because they will not get paid any more if they see any more patients because they are not getting paid. Now on the other hand the private practice Doctors will double and triple book because they will be banking away the dollars. They more people they see and cram in the more money they get in the end.

What was best of all this week at GNC was the fact there is a place people can turn to if they are down & out and they need medical attention. It was nice to see a different aspect of nursing but I don't think community/public health nursing is at the top of the list for me.

Endocrine System

Endocrine System
The endocrine system uses chemical substances called hormones as a means of regulating and integrating body functions. The endocrine system participates in the regulation of digestion, growth and development, reproduction, and electrolyte and fluid balance.


The function of the endocrine system is closely related to the nervous and immune systems. Hormones are needed throughout the body for life sustaining functions, thus the endocrine essentially effects the entire body.

Benefits:
Increases dopamine levels
Increases serotonin levels
Reduces epinephrine
Reduces nor-epinephrine
Reduces stress hormone cortisol
Reduces the feelings of depression

Massage therapy is a form of alternative medicine. It has been around for thousands of years. It is an alternative to feeling terrible and it also benefits all twelve systems of the body.

Today I would like to show case one of the body's systems that it benefits:

Cardiovascular System:
Benefits:

• Dilates Blood vessels
• Promotes Hyperemia
• Improves blood circulation
• Reduces Ischemia
• Replenishes nutritive minerals
• Lowers Pulse rate
• Increases Strok volume of the heart
• Increases Red and White blood cells
• Increases oxygen saturation of Red Blood cells
• Increases Platelet Count

These are just some of the benefit of massage therapy to the cardiovasular system. With relaxation the heart relaxes and then the pressure is taken off of the vessels with in turn takes that pressure off of the heart.

Share your best massage experiences

Day one

Ok, I would like to introduce myself. I have been married for 8 years to a great guys and have a wonderful family. I have gone back to school to finish my undergraduate of Nursing. I have worked in the medical profession for 12 years as a medical assistant and also in the field of alternative medicine for 7 years as a massage therapist.

We moved to Atlanta, Ga 6 years ago and have been going ever since. I really enjoy the weather but I think I'm ready for a progressive town.

I'm starting this blog so that I can journal the adventures of nursing (including nursing school) and alternative medicine. I hope this will get the message out there that there is a place for both alterantive and traditional medicine.