CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY FOR NEW BORNS AND BABIES

TRAUMATIC BIRTH AND VACUUM EXTRACTIONS
 
If your new born baby has had a traumatic birth, was stuck in the birth canal during labour, was a posterior lie breach birth, or was an assisted birth using forceps or a vacuum extraction then you should consider a short course of treatment to remove the trauma or tensions these situations can cause to a new born baby.
These extra tensions, strains and stresses that these birthing conditions can cause are retained in the body and may only show up years later as physical deformities or slower mental and cognitive development.
 

Posterior lie: the baby has his head down, but the back of his head is against the mother's spine.
During a posterior lie birth the pressures of the contractions and pushing by the mother on the baby, instead of passing down the back, up the neck and safely out through the stronger occipital bone, actually pass through the jaw, ears and temple of the head. These can have negative effects on the speech, eating and hearing centres of the body which are all now subjected to forces they are not designed to take.
This can lead to eating problems in the young baby such as vomiting, swallowing issues or breastfeeding problems.
Ear infections may be common in the first year of the baby's life. Speech or hearing can also be affected as the baby develops due to tensions retained in this area of the head.

Breach birth: the baby's bottom is down.

The biggest part of the foetus's body is usually its head. If the head fits through the mother's pelvis, then the rest of the foetus's body should slip out fairly easily. If the foetus is born bottom first, it is possible that the body will fit through the mother's pelvis, but the baby's head will get stuck at the level of the chin. This condition, known as
a trapped head, is very dangerous.

When the baby's head comes first, it has a chance to "mould" during labour. The bones of the baby's skull are not yet fastened together the way they are in a child or adult's skull, meaning that the bones of the baby's skull can move. If the baby is born from the breech position, the skull does not have a chance to change shape to fit the pelvis, and it is even more likely to get stuck.

If the baby's head gets trapped, the possibility of injury is high. Once the baby's body is born, the umbilical cord usually stops pulsating (just as it would during a normal delivery). This cuts off the oxygen supply from the mother to the baby. If the baby's head is still inside the uterus the baby cannot yet breathe on its own. Therefore, it is essential to deliver the baby as quickly as possible.

The life saving attempts to deliver the baby's head can cause injury to the baby's neck or head resulting in permanent handicaps. In extreme cases, if the baby cannot be delivered within a few minutes, the baby might die. Obviously, it is critical to avoid a breech delivery with a trapped head.

*All of these issues can be resolved with a course of Cranoisacral Therapy. The gentle techniques allow for the release of all strain and tension patterns within the baby's body due to the birth process and restore full head movement, improve coordination and allow for the normal development of the baby in the years ahead.

During a Vacuum birth the skull bones often become deformed by the cap placed on the baby's head. This deformation may last for several months, but should return to normal within time.

*If you would prefer to speed up this process and help the baby heal from the trauma, pain and possible physical damage that this process can cause the young skull and brain a course of Craniosacral Therapy is one of the best options.

The abnormal shape of the skull can be returned to its normal shape within few treatments.

Together with this any damage to the tissues underneath the bones can also be healed and repaired. Doing this at a very young age can alleviate the need to spend a lot of time and money later in life dealing with the possible results to the development of the brain 'cognitive or physical' or the speech or hearing centres.

CRANIOFACIAL ANOMALIES
Plagiocephaly is a condition characterized by an asymmetrical distortion (flattening of one side) of the skull.
Oxycephaly  is a congenital abnormality of the skull in which the top of the head assumes a conical or pointed shape because of premature closing of the lambdoid and coronal sutures.
Scaphocephaly refers to the condition where the head is disproportionately long and narrow.
Trigonocephaly is the premature fusion of the metopic suture, in which a V-shaped abnormality occurs at the front of the skull.
It is characterized by a narrow pointed forehead, a flat broad nasal bridge with a short nose, vertical folds over the inner corners of the eyes, an abnormal palate, abnormalities of the ear and crossed eyes.

These are all different forms of a similar condition, where a single or several sutures of the skull have closed up early, either in the uterus or during development in the first year or two.

In instances where the baby has been born with a misshaped head without any medical intervention, doctors will usually wait a while and then offer to treat the child using a special helmet which he/she will have to wear day and night for many months until the head is reshaped. It is possible that this technique may also cause other tensions to develop within the cranial system which can have other detrimental effects to further cognitive development.

*With Craniosacral Therapy the same outcome can be achieved in a much shorter time period, without the need for wearing a helmet by simply applying the gentle techniques and pressures of the hands to the baby's head, allowing the bones to reshape and achieve the correct rounded shape of the skull instead of the elongated or one side shape common in these cases.

JAUNDICE
A common condition in newborns, jaundice refers to the yellow color of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by excess bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is produced by the normal breakdown of red blood cells.
Normally, bilirubin passes through the liver and is excreted as bile through the intestines. Jaundice occurs when bilirubin builds up faster than a newborn's liver can break it down and pass it from the body.
Reasons for this include:

• Newborns make more bilirubin than adults do since they have more turnover of red blood cells.
• A newborn baby's still-developing liver may not yet be able to remove adequate bilirubin from the blood.
• Too large an amount of bilirubin is reabsorbed from the intestines before the baby gets rid of it in the stool.

High levels of bilirubin — usually above 25 mg — can cause deafness, cerebral palsy, or other forms of brain damage in some babies. In less common cases, jaundice may indicate the presence of another condition, such as an infection or a thyroid problem.

The most common types of jaundice are:

Physiological (normal) jaundice: occurring in most newborns, this mild jaundice is due to the immaturity of the baby's liver, which leads to a slow processing of bilirubin. It generally appears at 2 to 4 days of age and disappears by 1 to 2 weeks of age.
Jaundice of prematurity: occurs frequently in premature babies since they are even less ready to excrete bilirubin effectively. Jaundice in premature babies needs to be treated at a lower bilirubin level than in full term babies in order to avoid complications.
Breastfeeding jaundice: jaundice can occur when a breastfeeding baby is not getting enough breast milk because of difficulty with breastfeeding or because the mother's milk isn’t in yet. This is not caused by a problem with the breast milk itself, but by the baby not getting enough to drink.

*Craniosacral Therapy is very effective at treating and complementing orthodox medical treatments. CST will allow the body to process the bilirubin at a quicker rate, enhance the flow of other fluids around the body, improve the function of many of the young organs, and support the immune system.

EATING AND FEEDING PROBLEMS
As mention above, the birthing process can lead to problems with the baby's ability to eat, drink or swallow.
As long as the problem is not based on a physical-mechanical problem, such as malformed or misaligned muscles, it is possible to improve and correct the feeding ability of the baby.

*Treatment can strengthen and improve the function of the muscles of the mouth and the throat.
Improvement to the nerves that coordinate them can also be improved if this is the limiting factor.
In cases of breast feeding where the baby is having trouble latching on or remaining attached to the breast for the duration of the feed, it is possible that the tongue or muscles of the mouth and lips are at fault. Again these can be worked on and their function improved.

BABY COLIC AND VOMITING
It is not uncommon for newborn babies to go through periods when they appear abnormally irritable or seemingly cry for no reason. However, if you suspect your baby is suffering from colic, you may look for the following symptoms:

• cries vigorously for long periods, despite efforts to console
• symptoms occur around the same time each day or night, often after meal times, and usually ending as abruptly as they began
• shows signs of gas discomfort and abdominal bloating
• has a hard, distended stomach, with knees pulled to the chest, clenched fists, flailing arms and legs, and an arched back
• experiences frequent sleeplessness, irritability and fussiness

In most cases, colic is the worst pain a baby has thus experienced. It is usually manifested as an acute abdominal pain with intense spasmodic cramping, but since colicky babies cannot describe exactly what distresses them, it is hard for parents to know the precise cause of their distress. Infantile colic is most common in the first few weeks to four months of an infant's life; rarely does it endure past six months of age. 

*In these cases or where the baby is constantly vomiting Craniosacral Therapy can improve the stomach, reducing the pain and allow it to function properly.

Sometimes due to the birthing process the Vagus nerve can become more sensitised and as it travels down the neck into the stomach, which it controls, can be over stimulated and this can lead to the colic or vomiting problems.

*This is one of the times where a few light techniques to the base of the skull can alleviate this problem.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEVELOPMENTAL PROBLEMS

*In cases where the baby's physical or mental development is slowed, Craniosacral therapy has had excellent results.
If the baby is not moving a limb, head, arms or legs, as they should; has crawling or walking issues; co-ordination problems; is showing signs of slow mental and cognitive development, treatment can often help to improve their function, give them a 'learning spur', strengthen muscles and improve coordination.

SLEEPING PROBLEMS
Sleep problems are among the most common complaints that parents have about their young ones.

Needless to say, they can cause a lot of stress in the family. Kids end up tired and parents become exhausted from being up all night with the baby.

Typically, children with sleeping problems do not fall asleep easily and also wake up in the middle of the night. Whether a sleep pattern or habit is abnormal depends on the age of the child.

Sleep patterns in babies take time to develop into a normal sleep cycle (full night time sleep and awake during the day). Most new-born babies sleep an average of 16 hours a day. However, this can be one to two hours a time, depending on the individual baby. In fact, most babies do not develop normal sleep patterns, until about four to six months of age. 

Birth may be a factor in causing the child's sleeping problems, even if it was a natural, unaided birth.

Tensions within the membranes surrounding the brain can be the cause of the sleeping problems. Strain patterns within the bones of the head, as well as muscular tightness through the body ( in the neck, shoulders or chest) may be contributing factors.

*The light touch of the therapist on the head bones, chest and abdomen will alleviate these problems, release any tensions the baby suffer from and cure their sleeping problems, allowing him/her to fall asleep easily and finally allow the parent to enjoy a good and deep nights sleep.

EAR INFECTIONS- GLUE EAR
Young children often suffer from ear infections, cold and other mucus forming infections. These can lead to regular ear infections because the tubes in the ears, nose and throat of young children are smaller than those of adults and so these tubes can become blocked by the mucus and remain there or take longer to be removed by their body. In these cases doctors will often want to operate on the child, removing the adenoids and placing 'gomits' or 'tubes' into the ears to help remove the built up mucus and improve hearing.

*Craniosacral Therapy helps the body enhance its ability to remove the mucus and improve the immune system to reduce further infections.

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Breast milk jaundice: in 1% to 2% of breastfed babies, jaundice may be caused by substances produced in their mother's breast milk that can cause the bilirubin level to rise. These can prevent the excretion of bilirubin
Blood group incompatibility (Rh or ABO problems): if a baby has a different blood type than the mother, the mother might produce antibodies that destroy the infant's red blood cells. This creates a sudden buildup of bilirubin in the baby's blood. Incompatibility jaundice can begin as early as the first day of life. Rh problems once caused the most severe form of jaundice, but now can be prevented with an injection of Rh immune globulin to the mother within 72 hours after delivery, which prevents her from forming antibodies that might endanger any subsequent babies.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Jaundice usually appears around the second or third day of life. It begins at the head and progresses downward. A jaundiced baby's skin will usually appear yellow first on the face, followed by the chest and stomach, and finally, the legs. It can also cause the whites of an infant's eyes to appear yellow.
Since many babies are now released from the hospital at 1 or 2 days of life, it is best for the baby to be seen by a doctor within 1 to 2 days of leaving the hospital to check for jaundice. Parents should also keep an eye on their infants to detect jaundice.
If you notice your baby’s skin or eyes looking yellow you should contact your child's doctor to see if significant jaundice is present.
At the doctor's office, a small sample of your infant's blood can be tested to measure the bilirubin level. Some offices use a light meter to get an approximate measurement, and then if it is high, check a blood sample. The seriousness of the jaundice will vary based on how many hours old your child is and the presence of other medical conditions.

When to Call the Doctor

Your doctor should be called immediately if:

• jaundice is noted during the first 24 hours of life
• the jaundice is spreading or getting more intense
• your baby develops a fever over 100° Fahrenheit (37.8° Celsius) rectally
• if your child starts to look or act sick

Also call the doctor right away if the color deepens, your baby is not feeding well, or if you feel your baby is sleepier than usual. It is difficult to tell how significant jaundice is just by looking at a baby, so any baby who has yellow eyes or skin should be checked by the doctor.

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Treatments

In mild or moderate levels of jaundice, by 1 to 2 weeks of age the baby will take care of the excess bilirubin on its own. For high levels of jaundice, phototherapy — treatment with a special light that helps rid the body of the bilirubin by altering it or making it easier for your baby's liver to get rid of it — may be used. More frequent feedings of breast milk or supplementing with formula to help infants pass the bilirubin in their stools may also be recommended. In rare cases, a blood exchange may be required to give a baby fresh blood and remove the bilirubin. If your baby develops jaundice that seems to be from breast milk, your doctor may ask you to temporarily stop breastfeeding. During this time, you can pump your breasts so you can keep producing breast milk and you can start nursing again once the condition has cleared. If the amount of bilirubin is high, your baby may be readmitted to the hospital for treatment. Once the bilirubin level drops and the treatment is stopped, it is unlikely that treatment for jaundice will need to be restarted. Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD Date reviewed: June 2008

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HOW CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY CAN HELP WITH DEPRESSION

                              What is true healing?

There is a difference between healing and curing.

Healing is a natural process and is within the power of everyone. Curing usually consists of an external treatment, used to cover or eliminate symptoms. This external treatment often does not address the issues that caused the symptoms in the first place. Healing goes deeper than curing and brings together the often hidden aspects of a person's life as they relate to illness.

We live in a culture that fails to recognize how intimately the mind and body are connected. Therefore, it may take a leap of faith to trust the wisdom of the body. Covering up our symptoms with external ''cures'' prevents us from healing the parts of our lives that may need attention and change.

Emotional distress

Our emotions are one of the most powerful forces inside us determining our behaviour and the way we interact with the world. There are limits to the amount of emotional challenge we can deal with at any one time, and if too much comes our way, we can often feel overwhelmed.
Craniosacral therapy (CST)  helps us process unresolved emotions, freeing up our systems so that we feel less overwhelmed, much calmer and on top of things.

Introducing a contact that is respectful and considers a deep need for clear and safe boundaries is very liberating for people who have experienced physical, sexual or emotional abuse. People who are unable to let go of a difficult past experience often feel trapped in a state of confusion and anxiety, and can become even more distressed by the simple fact they cannot be themselves anymore.

CST works with sensitivity and brings a sense of what really feels OK and safe for the client.
Sometimes when we say we are ok, we may not be aware that in fact our body is giving a clear indication that it is not happy. A Craniosacral therapist can feel protective mechanisms and areas of numbness in the body that the client might not be aware of.
It is much easier to be objective and clear with someone else's system than our own, and when your nervous system is treated with a deeper care and clarity, this is when you are able to open up and let go far more than you would normally. Honouring your body's reactions and giving plenty space can help you let go of tension that you didn't know was there

When someone is going through powerful emotions such as grief, or anger, CST can help the situation become more manageable by getting in touch with the body and how emotions are held there. For example, if someone has an argument with their partner and is punched in the face, their nervous system will remember this in several layers: where they were when it happened, what the argument was about, a sense of anger, mistrust, fear etc, where they were hit, etc.
The memory will be stored in conjunction with what the body experienced. If the person is overwhelmed by this situation, the affected body parts will also go into overwhelm and will be holding themselves in a particular way. The point is, most experience is not just a mental thing, it includes the body's reaction too.
All too often emotions are dealt with on a mental level, leaving out the physical container of emotion, so the situation is only half-processed. CST is centred on the body, and allows your mental, emotional, and physical side to connect and release, allowing for a much fuller process to take place and leave you feeling much clearer.
The Craniosacral therapist can be in discussion with you as you explain your feelings, and be in touch with the relevant part of your system at the same time, integrating your body's response with the emotional response.
It is usually much easier to release emotional difficulties when a link between the mind and body are established.

Alternatively, some people find it very hard putting their emotions into words. Working directly with the body can be more comfortable way of expressing feelings held inside for those who find it difficult expressing things verbally. CST works with what feels comfortable for you.

REFLEXOLOGY FOR CANCER PATIENTS

Reflexology is a touch therapy which works by applying pressure and massage to certain areas on your feet and hands.Reflexologists believe you have ' reflex areas ' in your feet that relate to individual parts of your body. And thus by applying pressure to certain reflex areas, certain bodily functions or corresponding organs can be stimulated. It is one of the most popular types of complementary therapies in the Uk among cancer patients. As it is a complementary therapy it should not be used as an alternative to conventional medicine but rather as an additional therapy to conventional treatment.

How does reflexology work?

The human body is divided into different zones represented by a point in the foot or hand.
Our feet and hands have nerve endings. Reflexology works by stimulating these nerve endings which results in promoting relaxation, improving circulation, stimulating vital organs in the body and encouraging the body's natural healing processes. Unlike conventional medicine, reflexology works on the underlying problems within the body and through the body's nervous system.

Can reflexology help cancer patients?

 Reflexology aims to help muscles relax and encourage the body to use its own resources more effectively. As a result, reflexology is believed to help with a wide variety of conditions and disorders including:

   * coping with stress and anxiety, reducing tension

   * pain relieve

   * help lift patient' s mood and give them a feeling of well - being

Reflexology will not fix serious health problems but if used regularly it will enhance any other treatments you are receiving by keeping the circulation stimulated and the lymph system active.
You should also experience feelings of vitality and well- being after reflexology treatment which encourages the healing process throughout the body.


On your first visit, your reflexologist will ask you some general questions about your health, lifestyle and medical history. If they have any concerns that reflexology could interfere with your health, or with any drugs you are currently taking, they might ask to speak to your GP.
There may be situations where your doctor does not recommend reflexology.

INFORMATION ON CANCER FROM JOHNS HOPKINS

Cancer - Johns Hopkins

After years of telling people chemotherapy is the only way to try to eliminate cancer, Johns Hopkins is finally starting to tell you there is an alternative way.
Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at
Walter  Reed  Army  Medical  Center as well.

Cancer update from Johns Hopkins

1-Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they   have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell a cancer patient there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2-Cancer cells occur between six to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3-When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours.

4-When a person has cancer indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors
.
5-To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6-Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, etc.

7-Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8-Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumour size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumour destruction.

9-When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10-Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11-An effective way to battle cancer cells is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

Cancer cells feed on

1. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small amounts.

2. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

3. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.

4. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork.
Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

Advices

1. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans....
Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells.
To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells, drink fresh vegetable juice and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 F (40 degrees C).

2.Avoid coffee, tea and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties.

3. Water: best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

4. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic build-up.

5.Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

6. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs, etc) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.

7. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted or unneeded cells.

8. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor.
Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

9. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level
Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

Caution

1. No plastic containers in microwave. 
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave.

Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Do not freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as these releases dioxins from plastic.

Recently, Dr Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.

Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Coming Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc, should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper.

He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved the foam containers to paper...The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

STRESS

Some degree of stress in life is beneficial; most people would find a life in relaxed tranquility extremely dull. Healthy stress helps us to get things done and so,to success and achievement.
When stress becomes a problem, this is more often than not the result of continuous mental or physical pressures that individuals find impossible to meet. The trigger point varies from person to person, some people thrive on a degree of stress but excessive stress, or suffering from stress over a period of time, is generally not good for the health (90 % of medical conditions are stress-related).

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

Individuals vary in their reaction to stress, but if you frequently experience any four signs or symptoms in each of the three categories that follow, or any eight of them on occasions, consult your doctor and work on relaxation techniques to reduce your stress level.

Emotional signs:
-Irritability or over-excitability / Feeling depressed / Suspiciousness
-Intolerance of others or yourself / Aggressiveness or Anger / Tension
-Fussing over small things / Restlessness or Impulsiveness / Despondency
-Loss of concentration / Feelings of frustration / Feelings of panic
-Anxiety about minor things / Frequent crying / Feeling of being apart
-Nightmares or Disturbed dreams / Hesitating over decisions
-Loss of interest in sex / Illogical worries or Fears
-Feeling of loss of control

Behavioral signs:
-Increased alcohol consumption , use of medication, smoking, casual sex
-Overeating /Obsessive dieting or taking laxatives
-An eye tic / Gnashing or Grinding of teeth / Frowning / Hair twiddling
-Finger or Foot tapping / Nail biting/ Pacing the floor / Prone to accidents
-Scratching the scalp / Excessive concern about time / Increased lethargy
-Loss of interest in personal appearance / Loss of sense of humor
-Difficulty in getting to sleep or back to it / Difficulty in waking

Physical signs:
-Headaches / Dry mouth or throat / Butterflies in the stomach
-Indigestion/ Nausea / Constipation / Diarrhoea
-Unusual gain or loss in weight / Unusual gain or loss of appetite
-Skin problems- eczema, hives, rashes
-Ulcers / High blood pressure / Palpitations
-Excessive sweating / Cold sweats /Rapid or irregular breathing
-Tightness in the chest / Increase incidence of allergies / Frequent colds or flu
-Premenstrual tension( PMT) / Impotence or Frigidity

Having recognized the problem, there is much that you can do for yourself to help resolve it.
Look at the main cause of stress in your life and decide how you can reduce their levels.
Look at your workload and decide how to cut it down if you need to. Prioritize, Delegate, Eliminate.
Concentrate on problem-solving , unresolved problems continue to produce stress.
Increasing the amount of exercise you take will help, but you should not undertake a program of vigorous exercise without consulting your doctor.
Eating regularly and healthily is also important, you should feel better within two weeks if you improve your diet, cutting out caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine.

Learning how to relax your muscles and breath deeply and calmly will help you to manage stress more effectively.
Therapies that will help with stress are: massage,reflexology,acupuncture,craniosacral therapy,
reiki, kinesiology,yoga, meditation, aromatherapy...............

REFLEXOLOGY IN PREGNANCY

Are you feeling tired, uncomfortable, or nauseous in your pregnancy?
You may be surprised to know that an ancient form of healing called reflexology can actually help treat many comon pregnancy ailments and even help you during labour.

What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is the technique of applying gentle pressure to the reflexes (pressure points) on the feet or hands to clear the vital energy pathways that can become blocked due to the stresses and strains of life. It is thought that the hands and feet are like mirror images of the body, with various points representing different structures and organs.

A treatment involves the therapist applying pressure and movement to find the blockages and break up patterns of stress, restoring balance and relieving tension.

Is it safe in pregnancy?

Reflexology is generally considered safe in pregnancy, provided all is well with your pregnancy and your reflexologist knows that you are pregnant.
However, some reflexologists will not treat a pregnant woman during the first trimester.
The Association of Reflexologists (AOR) says that this is due to a misplaced patient fear that reflexology may cause a miscarriage.
The AOR says that there is no evidence that this may be the case; however, as miscarriages are more common in the first term of pregnancy, some reflexologists are not prepared to take the risk that the client may blame them should a miscarriage take place.

A miscarriage is a reaction of the body, NOT a reaction to reflexology. Under no circumstances has reflexology ever been shown to have caused the body to do something it didn't want to do.

When should be avoided?

Refleology is like exercise, it should be done gradually and within your comfort range.
However, there are some conditions where it should be avoided altogether and these include:

- Pre-term labour - at any time before 37 weeks gestation.
- Placenta previa - if Grade II or III after 32 weeks gestation.
- Hydroamnios - if there is too much amniotic fluid around the baby after 32 weeks gestation.

Women with certain conditions should seek medical advice before having reflexology. These include:

- women with a risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
- Women with a risk of pre-eclampsia.

In cases where the mother-to be is diabetic, she should check her blood sugar before and after treatments, as reflexology helps to balance the endocrine system and insulin production.

How can it help?

The AOR says: '' Nearly everyone can benefit from having reflexology during pregnancy.''

It is very successful in the treatment of a wide variety of pregnancy discomforts and conditions.

- morning sickness

- nausea and headaches

- pain and discomfort

- loss of bladder control

- backache

- stress and anxiety

- lack of sleep and fatigue

- digestive problems e.g. constipation

- fluid retention and swelling

- cramps

During labour itself, it can be used for relaxation and pain relief and research has shown that women who have regular reflexology treatments during pregnancy have far shorter labours than those who don't.

Both expectant parents will benefit from reflexology treatments during pregnancy to help couples during the emotional changes of pregnancy and birth.

As well as this, much research has shown that reflexology is excellent for maintaining or increasing milk supply as well as helping with postnatal depression and general relaxation.