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February 2012Volume 4, Issue 2Healthy Back Institute’s 19.95 (Non Members 29.95)CONTENTSEnjoy Better HealthThrough Reflexology.1Natural Sore ThroatRelievers.4The Truth About“Brain Healing”.5The Amazing Plant ofImmortality.6“Thanks for Giving MyLife Back to Me”.8Coming Next Month!.8Enjoy BetterHealth ThroughReflexologyBy Rory Foster, IIR ReflexologistMany people todayare turning to thecomplementary healing practiceof Reflexology to reduce stressand tension, alleviate pain andhelp with an array of healthproblems.Reflexology is a science basedon the principle that reflex areasin the feet and hands correspondto all the glands, organs andsystems of the body. It is aunique method of compressionusing the thumb and fingers onreflex areas, thereby improvingnerve impulses and blood supplyto organs and glands.Our feet function like abarometer, reflecting congestedor dysfunctional areas of thebody. If there is a problemlurking, the reflexologist cantrace it to a sensitive area ofthe foot. Then, by working thespecific reflex, he can stimulatea healing process to thecorresponding area in the body.As the human body naturallystrives to balance and heal itself,reflexology assists the body inbalancing all of its systems.Throughout the medicalprofession, doctors agreethat the majority of our healthproblems can be linked tonervous stress and tension.Stressful thoughts and eventscreate feelings that triggerour sympathetic nervoussystem, thereby releasingstress hormones that causeaccelerated heart rate andrespiration while inhibiting manyorgan functions. This is our “fightor flight response” and a healthybiological way of keeping ussafe and protected for the shortterm. Continual stress over thelong term, however, becomescorrosive and destructive to ourorgans and nervous system.Reflexology is important as it firstand foremost relieves stress inthe nerves and muscular tension.This effective, complementarytherapy is also being used moreand more for conditions thatinclude hypertension and cardiac
Enjoy Better Health Through ReflexologyEDITOR-IN-CHIEFJesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, MFTMANAGING EDITORSteve CoombesAdvisory BoardSteve HefferonSports Massage TherapistCo-founder, The HealthyBack InstituteDr. Robert DuvallDoctor of Physical TherapyDirector, Advanced Spine &Wellness CenterDr. Brian ParisDoctor of Chiropractic CareCertified Athletic TrainerDr. Carolyn F. A. DeanNaturopathic DoctorHerbalist, Acupuncturist, &NutritionistDr. Al SearsClinical Nutrition SpecialistAnti-Aging SpecialistDirector of The Wellness ResearchFoundationBrad WalkerFlexibility ExpertFounder, The Stretching Institute Copyright 2012Live Pain FreeAll rights reserved.ISSN 1947-4814Layout/Design by Summer BonneLive Pain Free is published monthlyby The Healthy Back Institute, LLC.The articles presented in thisnewsletter represent the views of theauthors and not necessarily those ofThe Healthy Back Institute, LLC.Reproduction in whole or in part of thispublication is prohibited without thewritten consent of the publisher.For questions or comments regardingthe newsletter or your subscriptionplease contact:2“Researchers at Michigan State University are finding that manywomen who are receiving chemotherapy while in the late stagesof breast cancer are turning to a complementary therapy knownas reflexology to help them cope.” (Michigan State UniversityNews)Reflexology has helped many chemotherapy cancer patientswith nausea while they are undergoing treatment. It is alsobeneficial with post-treatment conditions such as “ChemoHead,” which is a side effect that includes the inability toconcentrate, reduced memory and difficulty thinking clearly, plusthe often debilitating discomfort of neuropathy.Where did reflexology begin?Though we don’t know exactly where it was first developed andintroduced, reflexology as a pressure therapy has been used bymany cultures throughout history. Many believe it originated inChina 5,000 years ago and has a historical link with acupunctureand acupressure. Others believe it is older and originated inancient Babylonian or Egyptian periods. The oldest proof ofreflexology we have was discovered in Egypt. It is a pictographdated around 2330 B.C. found in the tomb of the Egyptianphysician, Ankmahor, at Saqqara. It depicts two men workingon the feet and hands of two other men.Research also shows that reflex therapy or practices similar toit existed in Russia, India, Japan and in ancient Greece until200 A.D. In the Western Hemisphere we find evidence of thepractice in the Inca and Mayan civilizations. It is thought thatthey passed this knowledge to the Native North Americans,who for centuries have applied reflex pressure to their feet as ahealing practice. The Bear Clan of the Cherokee Nation in NorthCarolina have long acknowledged its importance in maintainingphysical, mental and spiritual balance, and they continue topractice it today.Modern ReflexologyReflex pressure was given the name “Reflexology” by EuniceIngham, the “mother of modern reflexology.” Over many yearsof working on clients she was able to map out areas on the feetFebruary 2012Healthy Back Institute431 Pine Street - Suite 312Burlington, VT 05401 USAPhone (800) 216-4908Email editor@livepainfree.comdisorders, gastro-intestinal conditions, backache and sciatica,respiratory conditions, fatigue, hormone disorders includingdiabetes, MS, fibromyalgia and neuropathy, plantar fasciitis,carpal-tunnel syndrome and anxiety and stress. It is also beingused as a beneficial therapy of choice for cancer patientsundergoing chemotherapy.
Her research was basedon the work of Dr.William Fitzgerald, whodeveloped the theory ofZone Therapy. Fitzgeralddivided the body into 10longitudinal zones — five zones each for theright and left hemispheres—that run from thetop of the head to the tips of the toes andfingers. Each finger and toe falls into onezone. His theory was that parts of the bodyfound within a designated zone were linkedwith one another by energy flow within thatzone. So pressing reflexes on the foot in zone2, for instance, will have an effect on all of thebody parts within that zone.Ingham further found that congestion andtoxins develop and stagnate in the feet dueto sand-like crystals that form on nerveendings. They are deposits of calcium anduric acid and are the culprits for many healthproblems as they impede normal nerve andblood supply to the parts of the body thatcorrespond to that nerve reflex.Live Pain FreeThrough reflexology compression thesecrystals can be broken down and thenremoved by blood and lymph circulation.Ingham introduced her Ingham Method inthe 1930s. In 1938, she published a book,“Stories the Feet Can Tell,” compiling andexplaining her experiences and theories. In1951 she published “Stories the Feet HaveTold.” Her work continues today throughthe International Instituteof Reflexology in St.Petersburg, Florida.Many people assumethat massaging the feetis the same as receivingreflexology. Reflexology isnot considered massageby certified reflexologists.Unless a massage therapisthas been specificallytrained in this modality heis not offering authenticreflexology therapy.Massage is regardedas external — workingprincipally on themusculoskeletal system— whereas reflexology is internal as it workswith nerve reflexes that connect internally tothe organs, glands and systems throughoutthe body.Where to find a qualified reflexologistA certified reflexologist will never medicallydiagnose or prescribe, and not all reflexologypractitioners are equally trained and certified.Many states do not have minimum trainingand licensing requirements for reflexologistsas they do for massage therapists. Therefore,it is important to ask where someone trainedand whether he has documented certification.Enjoy Better Health Through Reflexologythat related to every organand gland in the body.The International Institute of Reflexologyand the American Reflexology CertificationBoard are the two most respected trainingand certification organizations in America. Soif possible, look for an IIR or ARCB certifiedreflexologist.Both of the above organizations havewebsites with referral pages that lists qualifiedtherapists in your area. They are respectively,www.reflexology-usa.net and www.arcb.net.Reflexology treatments can be givenon the feet or hands, but treatment tothe feet is recommended, as it is overallmore therapeutic.Hand treatments arerecommended forconditions such as carpaltunnel syndrome andin cases where it is notpossible or convenientto work on the feet.Reflexology cannot in anyway harm the body. Most3
Natural Sore Throat Relieverspeople find reflexology as relaxingas having a full body massage.Treatments are given fully clothedeither on a massage table or in azero gravity or La-Z-Boy type ofrecliner.Natural Sore ThroatRelievers (Right In Your Cabinet)The nationally popular andrespected Dr. Oz, Professor ofSurgery at Columbia Universitysays, “Every patient that I operateon at New York PresbyterianHospital gets a reflexology typetreatment.” Dr. Oz is one ofa small number of allopathicphysicians and surgeonswho recognizes the value ofcomplementary medical practices.Mary Poppins may think a spoonfulof sugar helps the medicine godown, but raw honey actually ismedicine when it comes to sorethroats. Raw honey is a natural antiseptickilling off the germs behind your sore throat whileeasing any throat-irritating coughs. Simply take aspoonful every few hours for soothing relief.As the fee-for-service structurecontinues along with the rising costof medical treatment in the U.S.,we will likely see more and morepeople turn to holistic alternativeand complementary practices toassist the traditional treatmentof existing conditions, as well asfor their preventative health careneeds.4Note: Most regular honey found in stores has beenprocessed with heat that destroys much of itsmedicinal and nutritional value. That’s why you shouldonly buy organic raw honey. You’ll often find it in yourgrocer’s health or organic food section.Salt Water & TurmericDo you remember Mom telling you to gargle withwarm salt water when you complained of a sorethroat? That’s because Mom knew what she wastalking about. The salt water clears out collectedphlegm and mucus relieving the feeling of fullness anddifficulty swallowing.Want to get a leg up on your mother’s sound advice?Try adding both a half teaspoon of salt and a halfteaspoon of turmeric, a natural anti-inflammatory, toa half cup of warm water and gargle with that for fastrelief.Slippery ElmOk, maybe tea or powder made from the inner bark ofthe North American slippery elm tree isn’t right in yourcabinet. But it should be.Slippery elm has long been a natural treatment forsore throats. Mucilage found in the tree’s inner barkexpands when mixed with hot water to make yourtea, coating and soothing your throat all the waydown.You can find herbal teas with slippery elm for sorethroats at most health food and grocery stores.Herbal lozenges made with slippery elm can help too.February 2012Rory Foster is certified by theInternational Institute of Reflexologywhere he trained under Dwight C.Byers, the world’s leading authorityon Foot and Hand Reflexology.Rory is in private practice at theMulticare Centre for IntegrativeMedicine in Louisville, KY. He ison the faculty at the Universityof Louisville and on the teachingstaff at the Baptist East Hospital/Milestone Wellness Center. ContactRory at 502.426.8666, throughemail at rory.reflexology@gmail.com or through his webpage www.RoryFoster.byregion.net.Raw Honey
By Steve He fferon, CMT, PTAWhether you have “mystery pain” or aconfirmed diagnosis, there are twogeneral approaches for recovery.The first is to find out what is going on inyour body and tackle the problem head-onwith physical solutions. The other school ofthought considers health to be one gigantichead game with some form of “law ofattraction” giving you the key to healing.I’m here to tell you today that bothapproaches are wrong and right.Addressing the physical causes of pain anddisease is often critical to recovery. Butignoring the role your brain has to play inrestoring good health can keep you in painindefinitely.The truth is you can influence speedierrecovery simply by changing the way yourbrain approaches the problem. Today I’ll giveyou three “mind tricks” you can use to quicklyreduce pain and get back on your feet fasterthan ever.Distraction and the “Placebo Effect”Live Pain FreeYou’ve probably heard of the placebo effectbefore. Patients given a fake treatment oftenrecover even though they didn’t get the realthing. Sometimes a placebo works evenbetter than the real treatment.Take, for example, a study reported in TheNew England Journal of Medicine. In it, 180candidates for the most common type oforthopedic surgery - arthroscopy of the knee- were divided into three groups. Two groupsreceived two forms of real knee surgery whilethe third only received three minor incisions intheir knee to simulate arthroscopy. Two yearsof follow up found those who got the fakesurgery reported outcomes in both pain andThe Truth About “Brain Healing”The Truth About “Brain Healing”function as good or better in every instanceas those who had the real procedure.Scientists have known for years that placeboscan influence healing and pain relief merely bychanging the patients’ expectation of results.But it’s kind of hard to fake yourself out witha placebo. Fortunately, you can get the samekind of pain relief as the placebo effect notby faking yourself out, but by distracting yourbrain from the pain.Researchers behind a brand new studypublished in Psychological Science foundusing the part of your brain that controlshigh-level cognitive functions like workingmemory and attention reduces pain just likethe placebo effect.Want the same pain-relieving effect foryourself? Try working on a complex puzzle orother mentally challenging activity to distractyour brain from the pain.Laugh Off PainDid you know depression and pain are closelylinked? This isn’t exactly news for most butnow we have a better idea why.Researchers at the University of Oxford useda functional MRI to monitor brain activity in5
The Amazing Plant of Immortalityhealthy volunteers when exposed to a painstimulus. After literally making the studyparticipants sad with negative thoughts anddepressing music, the researchers discoveredtheir saddened emotional state changed howtheir brains processed pain. Simply being sadcaused participants to process pain moreemotionally causing pain to feel worse thanwhen in a neutral emotional state.Clearly the takeaway lesson here is tomaintain a positive outlook. You can beat thepain. You can overcome the condition, or atleast lessen it enough to make a significantimprovement in your life. What you believedeep down does make a difference.Depression and sadness aren’t always easilyovercome, but one way to quickly improveyour mood is to laugh. Try watching a funnymovie or enjoying a fun activity with family orfriends to lift your spirits and shrug off pain.ReferencesChanging the OutcomeBuhle JT, et al. Distraction and Placebo: TwoSeparate Routes to Pain Control. PsychologicalScience. 2012 Jan 18.The way we think about our health directlyinfluences the likelihood of recovering frompain, illness and disease. No surprise there.But ongoing research shows that the way wethink about any given health condition andour likelihood to overcome it may be a moreimportant factor in our recovery than howsevere the actual condition itself is.If you think you can do a thing or think youcan’t do a thing, you’re right. - Henry FordMoseley JB, et al. A Controlled Trial ofArthroscopic Surgery for Osteoarthritis of theKnee. The New England Journal of Medicine.2002 Jul 11;347(2):81-8.Berna C, et al. Induction of Depressed MoodDisrupts Emotion Regulation Neurocircuitryand Enhances Pain Unpleasantness. BiologicalPsychiatry. 2010 Jun 1;67(11):1083-90.PreventDisease.com. Your Perception AboutYour Illness Is What Makes The Difference In TheOutcome. 2012 Jan 30.The Amazing Plant of ImmortalityBy Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, MFTThe ancient Egyptians called it the “Plantof Immortality” because it can survive andeven bloom without soil. The plant took anhonored position as an offering at the funeralsof the pharaohs and was even used in theembalming process.6Yes, aloe vera is great for burns - sunburnor otherwise. And as a natural antibacterial,applying aloe can help heal all but thedeepest of cuts, scrapes and bruises fasterwhile helping prevent infection.But if you really want to know the full healingpower of aloe vera, try drinking it. Here’sjust a handful of the extraordinary healthFebruary 2012While it won’t quite grant you immortality, thisdesert plant has many proven health benefitsthat just may prolong your life. Many use gelfrom its leaves to cope with sunburns everysummer without ever recognizing its otherpowerful medical uses. Of course, I’m talkingabout the aloe vera.
Natural Anti-inflammatoryRubbing aloe vera on sore joints can helpease painful inflammation and speedhealing of wounds. But drinking aloe veraprovides even more powerful systemic antiinflammatory and wound healing effects.Of course, a great side benefit of loweringsystemic inflammation usually includesreduced muscle and joint pain.Drinking aloe vera can significantly lowerblood sugar, total cholesterol, and LDLcholesterol according to a new double-blindplacebo-controlled clinical trial.Overall, 80 percent of patients receiving thetreatment, which cost about the same for thefull course of treatment as a single week ofchemotherapy, went into remission - with nomajor side effects, except one. It put a majordent in local oncologists’ pocketbooks andthe FDA swooped in to shut down the entireoperation shortly afterwards in spite of thesuccess, lack of ANY patient complaints, andan application already filed for it to be treatedas an Investigational New Drug. Sadly, BigPharma won that battle.Eases Digestive DisordersOral CareAloe vera is widely known for its abilityto reduce symptoms of many digestivecomplaints and even help cure many ofthem. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’sdisease, Celiac disease, ulcers and acidreflux are just some of the more commoncomplaints helped by drinking aloe vera ona regular basis. Aloe vera also serves as anatural laxative and cathartic, meaning it’llhelp you go both easier and faster.Toothpaste with aloe vera instead providesa virtually identical significant reduction inplaque and gingivitis as toothpaste withfluoride. Of course, aloe vera doesn’t carrythe same health risks. Try swishing yourmouth with aloe vera juice before swallowingto improve the dental benefits of your dailyroutine and dump the fluoride toothpaste.Lowers Blood Sugar & CholesterolFights CancerLive Pain Freelive, and 94 of them survived. The treatmentwas found to enhance the patients’ immunesystems while blocking blood supply to thecancer cells, leading to rapid shrinkage oftumors and eventual death of the cancercells.Simply drinkingaloe vera won’tcure cancer, but ithas been shown tostimulate the body’snatural defenses tohelp suppress tumorgrowth and cancer-causingcell mutations. A speciallyextracted mucilaginouspolysaccharide molecule fromthe aloe vera plant was used totreat 100 hospice care patientsgiven only two to three months toThe Amazing Plant of Immortalityimprovements you may experience as aresult:Where to Find Aloe VeraNot every aloe plant is fit forconsumption. While the gel fromvirtually all aloe leaves can be safelyused topically, the most commonaloe vera plant safe for consumptionis aloe barbadensis.You can find organicaloe vera suitablefor consumption ineither juice or capsuleform. Look for it at your localpharmacy, grocery store oronline.7
“Thanks for Giving My Life Back to Me”ReferencesSikarwar M, et al. Aloe vera: Plant ofImmortality. International Journal of PharmaSciences and Research. 2010;1(1):7-10.Aloe Vera. National Center forComplementary and Alternative Medicine.2011 Apr.David RH, et al. Wound Healing. Oral andTopical Activity of Aloe Vera. Journal of theAmerican Podiatric Medical Association.1989 Nov;79(11):559-62.Abdullah K, et al. Effects of Aloe vera onGap Junctional Intercellular Communicationand Proliferation of Human Diabetic andNondiabetic Skin Fibroblasts. The Journal ofAlternative and Complementary Medicine.2003;9(5), 711-718.Huseini HF, et al. Anti-hyperglycemic andAnti-hypercholesterolemic Effects of Aloevera Leaf Gel in Hyperlipidemic Type 2Diabetic Patients: A Randomized DoubleBlind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. PlantaMedica. 2011 Dec 23.De Oliveira SM, et al. Effect of a dentifricecontaining Aloe vera on plaque and gingivitiscontrol. A double-blind clinical study inhumans. Journal of Applied Oral Science.2008 Jul-Aug;16(4):293-6.“Thanks forGiving My LifeBack to Me”“Hi Guys,It’s been about a month since I got my Losethe Back Pain package. I have had sciaticafor about 2 years now, it was so bad Iwanted to chop my leg off!! I consultedphysiotherapists and chiropractors but Ididn’t get any relief at all.I started very gently and slowly with myexercises because I haven’t even beenable to walk for 2 years. I started tosee results almost immediately. I am nowwalking without limping and managing mostof my exercises. I’m feeling better everyday. I even took my grandson to the zoothis week and managed to walk all day.Thank you somuch for givingmy life back tome.”BarbaraPerth, AustraliaComing Next Month!8February 2012Slipped discs, bulging discs and herniated discs arefrequently blamed for back pain and sciatica. Nextmonth we’ll explain why that’s often not the case and what you can do to end the pain if your backpain really is disc related.
Dr. Al Sears Clinical Nutrition Specialist . (Right In Your Cabinet) Raw Honey Mary Poppins may think a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, but raw honey actually is medicine when it comes to sore throats. Raw honey is a natural antiseptic killing off the germs behind your sore throat while
