blog technical problems: front page whackiness

We're temporarily having technical difficulties with this blog's front page. If you do not immediately see blog posts here, then go to the blog post archive and select a date. Hot topics on this blog include:
Pain Relief issues like wrist pain and carpal tunnel symptoms, stretches for back pain, exercises for neck pain
How hip-hop stars are giving troubled kids a brighter future
One swimming woman's journey across the Atlantic
The latest stem cell studies and future research needs
Eating healthier and consuming less
Natural pain relief methods and alternative medicine
Recovery from injuries: for athletes, work-related injuries, hobbyists
Therapeutic effects of play for children
Healthy weight loss: goal-setting, changing your mind about weight loss
Starting a new exercise program and selecting the best home gym equipment for your fitness goals

Therapeutic Pain- painful healing for recovery's sake

Even if your goal is to get out of pain, sometimes the road to relief requires you to endure just a little more pain. To understand this process better, Read this article:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Therapeutic-Pain---When-Post-Therapy-Pain-and-Soreness-Are-Good-For-You&id=1766087

Are you in pain? How did you get there? Did your pain come on suddenly, from an accident, or gradually?

Pain is an important signal. Even if we don't like its discomfort, we must respect pain and understand its purpose. Practice tuning in to your pain. What are your muscles trying to tell you? What is your body feeling, beyond the pain? Are there deeper connections to these painful symptoms?

For recovery, try to understand therapeutic pain. If you avoid going through it, you may force your body to stay in an injured state longer.

Soreness, Muscle Pain and Muscle Spasms? Are your work or play to blame?

Have you been feeling intensely sore? Getting muscle pain and muscle spasms? Maybe your work and play are causing you pain.

Before you settle into a rocker, know that an active lifestyle is good for your health! But you might be overdoing it. To know if your work and play are contributing to your pain and soreness, read this article:

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Your-Work-and-Play-Are-Causing-Intense-Soreness,-Muscle-Pain-and-Muscle-Spasms&id=1752469

Are your muscles are working too hard? Maybe you can't turn them off? Being in pain, or getting spasms, is going to curb your activity level. Plus, life is not as enjoyable when you are in pain.

Don't Give Up Your Active Lifestyle! Just learn to make the modifications you need, so you can enjoy those activities without pain!

* For your free copy of our '10-Day Support & Coaching Guide to Pain Relief', visit http://www.PainFreeU.com, and Sign Up Today!

Chronic Pain- Eating pain into your life

If you have chronic pain, healthy eating is important. You could be eating foods that actually increase pain and inflammation. In his new book, Dr. Neal Barnard reveals which foods fight pain and which foods cause pain.

If you have arthritis or joint pain, migraines or headaches, chest pain, kidney problems, knee pain, and even cancer, it's vital to know what's in your foods.



Some foods trigger pain only if you are allergic to them, like dairy or night-shade vegetables. How can you tell? Systematically eliminate certain foods from your diet and feel if your pain decreases. For example, if you consume yogurt alot because you think it's a "healthier dairy product", you might be lactose-intolerant.

Eating foods like soda and chips, and processed meats, cause other health problems, in addition to pain and inflammatory diseases. (Note: if you have a condition that's an "-itis", that means inflammation is affecting your body)

For more information on pain relief, healthy eating, and disease prevention, Go to http://www.SupportandCoaching.com . Subscribe to their Ageless Living newsletter today!

More Articlesabout pain relief, natural therapies & Meet Nina

If you'd like to read more articles about pain relief, natural therapies and alternative medicine, go to Nina's bio page at ezinearticles.

Nina Schnipper is the Support & Coaching team director at Higher Spa in Basalt, Colorado. She offers a pain relief guide, "10-Day Support & Coaching Guide to Pain Relief": you can get your own free copy of the guide at http://www.PainFreeU.com.

Again, to find out more about Platinum Author Nina Schnipper, and to read her articles about pain management and natural therapies, go to...
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert_bio=Nina_Schnipper

Got pain? Sign Up for Nina's '10-Day Support & Coaching Guide to Pain Relief' at PainFreeU.com!

Back Pain and Back Muscle Spasms: 3 Ancient Therapies give relief plus cure

Ancient homeopathic medicine therapies provide both relief for back pain and cure for its causes. Today's allopathic medicine remedies mask symptoms, but western medicine is not meant to cure deeper causes.

Read this article and discover three ancient therapies that can actually cure the problem as they relieve it:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Back-Pain-and-Back-Muscle-Spasms---3-Ancient-Therapies-That-Relieve-and-Cure&id=1653874

If you haven't tried these therapies, but you are still getting back pain and muscle spasms, they can provide long-lasting natural relief.

Chronic Pain and Exercise: How to modify your work-outs so you stay active, healthy and pain-free

When you suffer with chronic pain, exercise can be difficult. Exercise can leave you sore. If you have fibromyalgia, an autoimmune disorder, or myofascial pain syndrome, you already feel sore so often that you don't dare "risk" feeling sore after exercise.

However, we all know the importance of getting regular exercise. Some of the many benefits include:
* Weight Control
* Improved energy
* Better sleep
* Mood regulation
* Increased metabolism
* Boosts immune function
* Lowers risk for cancer
* Reduces heart disease
* Eases joint pain
* Relieves symptoms of arthritis
* Prevents illness

The list could go on. Obviously, exercise is a critical part of a healthy lifestyle. With modifications, chronic pain sufferers can exercise, too.

This article describes this process:

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Chronic-Pain-Sufferers-Can-Modify-Their-Work-Outs-So-They-Stay-Active,-Healthy-and-Pain-Free&id=1634271

Committed to exercise, and using modifications, pain sufferers can also reap the benefits. (And Exercise is Medicine, so maybe one day they will not need those modifications because they may become pain-free!)

In Pain? Recovering from an Injury? 7 tips to spark your energy levels

When your body is in pain, or healing from an injury, your natural energy may be drained. You will relieve pain and recover faster if you foster your body's natural healing process and avoid draining its energy.

This article describes how the healing process affects your energy, and 7 ways to get it back for optimal recovery.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Pain-Sufferers---7-Ways-to-Regain-Your-Energy-When-Youre-Healing-From-Pain-and-Injury&id=1597494

Share your questions and ideas here!


Get a free subscription to the '10-Day Support & Coaching Guide to Pain Relief'; it's loaded with articles, videos, and other health tips for a pain-free lifestyle, naturally.
Go to http://www.PainFreeU.com,
and get yours (while they're still free)!

Natural Thai therapies for pain relief

Have you tried ancient pain relief methods from Thailand? Based in an ancient, sacred form of medicine called Ayurveda, Thai therapies have many health benefits.

*Relieve pain
*Recover faster
*Sleep better
*Ease soreness
*Reduce stress
*Improve energy
*Regulate mood
*Boost metabolism
*Get Healthier!

Read more about how Thailand's remedies can soothe your weary muscles and improve your health:
http://www.ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Treat-Muscle-Pain-and-Relieve-Symptoms-With-Natural-Thai-Therapies&id=1535452

So, the next time you need natural relief, "Try Thai!"

Relieve that sore low back with stronger legs!

Is your back often sore, tired, and overworked? Maybe it's your work, your sports, your hobbies...

Maybe your back muscles are doing more work than they should be. Maybe they need a break. Here's a way to retrain those muscles and relieve their workload:
http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Are-Your-Lower-Back-Muscles-Sore-and-Overworked?-Get-Stronger-Legs!&id=1539410

It won't take long to feel immense relief, when you're working your legs harder and your back less.

Remember to change your exercises every 4-6 weeks. Give your muscles new challenges. Avoid injury and repetition.

Progress gradually. But remember that you can use heavier weights for larger muscles like legs. If you have a preexisting back injury, use caution and seek guidelines from your orthopedic doctor (or physical therapist).

Tone your legs, all the way to relief!

Sore, overworked muscles? Studies reveal massage offers relief

Do your muscles often get sore and fatigued? Do they feel overworked?

Massage has been one of Americans' favorite kinds of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). 2 New research studies indicate that massage therapy was found to relieve muscle soreness and tension from muscles that get overworked. Read more here:

http://ezinearticles.com/?2-New-Muscle-Soreness-Studies-Reveal-Efficacy-of-Massage-For-Relieving-Overworked-Muscles&id=1308149

There are many styles of massage therapy to enjoy. However, when muscles are sore from working too hard, they usually need just smoothe, fluid Swedish massage. It can be light or medium pressure, but avoid firm pressure (or Deep Tissue therapy) when you are feeling sore. Your body needs to recover.
Techniques of Swedish massage are most often those studied in massage and pain relief research.

Prevent Upper Back Muscle Spasms with 4 Exercises

Are you having difficulty relieving tension and muscle spasms in your upper back? It doesn't have to be so hard. Most people try one of these exercises, but missing the one that they need the most.

In fact, read this article and learn which one you might be missing. And discover how to get relief, simply:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Back-Muscle-Spasms---Prevent-Spasms-and-Upper-Pain-With-These-4-Simple-Exercises&id=1449175

Were you doing your stretches the right way or wrong way? Do you know why cardio helps relieve pain? Read the article above, make an exercise plan, and then stick to it!

Relieve Neck Pain with Muscle Activation methods

It is simple to relieve neck pain with muscle activation techniques! Maybe you have tried to stretch your neck to loosen tension and make it feel better.

But where there is muscle tension, there are patterns. Tension represents muscles out of balance. Some are being overworked, and others are not working hard enough.

It's fine to treat the overworked with muscles. Stretch them, get a massage, and apply ice to them.

But don't forget those muscles that should be working harder!

This is why Muscle Activation is effective in treating neck pain. Discover more about these methods, and how to use them to relieve your own pain:
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Relieve-Neck-Pain-Naturally-and-Retrain-Weary-Muscles-With-These-3-Muscle-Activation-Secrets&id=1441745

When we treat all the muscles that are causing pain, then we can get rid of it for good! Learning muscle activation secrets may be the missing link in your healing!

Holistic Treatment to relieve your upper back pain and stiff neck

Are you looking for relief for your stiff neck and painful upper back muscles?
Millions of Americans are getting natural relief from holistic treatments.

Holistic treatments for pain are natural approaches. They may be used to complement a healthy lifestyle of exercise and nutritious eating. They are healthy alternatives to surgery, medications, and injections. This is why they are categorized as Complementary and Alternative Medicine, or CAM.

To get relief for your stiff neck and painful upper back muscles, read more about 4 helpful holistic treatments:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Relieve-Upper-Back-Pain-and-a-Stiff-Neck-With-These-4-Holistic-Treatments&id=1454875

If you are feeling pain in the muscles of your upper body, these holistic therapies and others can provide relief.

Relieve Low-Back Pain with natural Thai massage

Maybe you have gotten massage to relieve your back pain. But there are many styles of massage therapy, and every massage therapist practices a different combination of techniques.

Have you ever received Thai massage for back pain? With origins in Thailand, this healing art may be more effective for relieving pain in the lower back than many other types of massage therapy.

Read this article to learn more about Thai massage, and why it may be one of the most effective natural therapies for relieving your low-back pain:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Thai-Massage-is-One-of-the-Best-Massage-Therapies-For-Relieving-Low-Back-Pain&id=1277669

Muscle Relief applied: Superior topicals

For your muscle relief, you should know that "Not all topical ointments and analgesics are created equal."

What to look for in a topical muscle-soothing balm? Natural ingredients and herbs to de-stress muscles, like tried-and-true rosemary. And a combination of land and sea plants to detoxify and nourish.

We appreciate the better-quality ingredients in Elemis' Musclease product. It's a blend of essential oils and phytonutrients (plant-based nourishment). It's concentrated, with a Guarantee. High-quality ingredients are key, and we like their combination, with an algae base for extra nutrition for your body. Unique and progressive!
Elemis Musclease Active Body Concentrate



The pain relief experts at Higher Spa want you to know more about what to look for in a topical product offering muscle relief.

Yes, they can be effective at giving temporary relief from soreness and tension. But Beware! Many creams, lotions, gels, and other topical products are made with cheap ingredients that can cause more harm than good.

Look in the ingredients for "menthol" or "camphor". Do they use pure herbs, or just fragrance or perfume? Even some of the most expensive brands out there say "parfum" in the ingredient listings even though they claim to be "of the earth".

Having tested dozens and dozens of products for strained muscles and tension relief, we're glad to have found Musclease. Check out the other Elemis products, too. Their relief products offer a great pick-me-up in the middle of your hectic day!

Hooray for Sunlight!

Happy extra-daylight!
I celebrated my first day of Daylight Savings by skiing at Sunlight Mountain. Actually, I realized later that it was a cosmic coincidence. But a fun day, full of sunshine and blue skies, and fun times skiing with a friend.

So, it's that time of year. We feel gifted with extra sun and daylight.
More fun, more smiles, t-shirts and shorts season is just around the corner...

Don't forget: more vitamin D (from the sun) = Stronger Bones!
So, wear your sunscreen, but know that...
Healthy bones need at least 10 minutes a day of sunshine!

Here's my friend, Kathy Kania, high atop Compass Mountain,
with Mt. Sopris peeking through the clouds in the distance. Stunning and inspiring!

I raise a glass of sunshine to your bones!
Keep Movin', Nina (Support and Coaching team Director at Higher Spa)