Learn to Control Trigger Point Pain

I have always had some kind of body pain. As a child I thought everyone had the same level of pain—that is just life. So I did not question it or seek any kind of answer for my body pain. My parents were stoic people whose attitude was nothing could be done about pain—just keep working.

I remember going for my first massage and the therapist began talking about trigger points. I was so surprised and pleased to find that by working with the trigger points I was significantly improved. I had much less muscle tension and pain, circulation and flexibility were improved, and my attitude was hopeful. Chronic pain saps the joy from life; I was so happy to find I could find relief.

It took me along time to realize I could be working with these trigger points myself between trips to the massage therapist. I believe in being self responsible and proactive about my health. I believe in a Mind/body/Spirit outlook to life, therefore every physical, or emotional trauma we have creates a feedback loop between the mind and body with tension and knotted muscles.

When you work to eliminate your trigger points use this time to release the knotted emotions you have buried in your body. For example, if a bully hit you when you were a child, the memory of that incident is located in your body where you were hit and it has an associated link in your mind. The mind-link might include associated feelings of anger, fear, insecurity, or helplessness.

Trigger points can result from muscle trauma (from car accidents, falls, sports- and work-related injuries, etc.), muscle strain from repetitive movements at work or play, postural strain from standing or sitting improperly for long periods at the computer, emotional stress, anxiety, allergies, nutritional deficiencies, inflammation, and toxins in the environment. A single event can initiate a trigger point causing you to suffer the effects for the rest of your life.

Trigger points can be created by a slip and fall, or a motor vehicle accident at speeds as slow as 5 mph.  Muscle injury doesn’t even require landing a near fall is adequate to activate a trigger point. The referred pain often feels like an oppressive, deep ache and movement can sharpen the pain. Referred myofascial pain can be as intense as pain from surgery. In fact myofascial pain can mimic a heart attack.

Many of us have debilitating low back pain that has completely altered the way we live our lives. The body's instinctive reaction to a harmful "event" was to protect itself by altering the way you move, sit, or stand, which puts abnormal stress on your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints. Over time this created strength and flexibility imbalances in your muscles, as well as postural dysfunctions throughout your body. The most common place for a trigger point is in the muscle of the lower back called the quadratus lumborum located just above your hips. As the quadratus lumborum became increasingly dysfunctional the position of the pelvis was altered. The pelvis dysfunction creates abnormal spinal curvature thereby putting abnormal pressure on the disc, which over time begins to bulge. As this condition progressively worsens, one’s overall quality of life decreases often leading to Depression.

Trigger points may produce symptoms as diverse as dizziness, earaches, sinusitis, nausea, heartburn, false heart pain, heart arrhythmia, genital pain, and numbness in the hands and feet, restless leg syndrome, tooth pain, workout plateau, painful menses, or irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, neck and jaw pain, low back pain, sciatica, tennis elbow, and carpal tunnel syndrome. They are the source of joint pain in the shoulder, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle that is often mistaken for arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, or ligament injury.

Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic pain disorder. In myofascial pain syndrome, pressure on sensitive points in your muscles (trigger points) causes pain in seemingly unrelated parts of your body. This is called referred pain. (Definition by Mayo Clinic staff)

A trigger point is a hypersensitive spot in a muscle. "Referred" pain means that trigger points typically send their pain to some other place in the body, which is why conventional treatments for pain so often fail. A stimulated trigger point usually produces pain referred in a predictable pattern away from the trigger point, which can also cause contractions in muscles called taut bands. Triggered taut bands cause the dysfunction of the joints. 

"There is no substitute for learning to control your own musculoskeletal pain," says Dr. Simons. "Treating myofascial trigger points yourself addresses the source of that kind of common pain and is not just a way of temporarily relieving it." Drs. Janet Travell and David Simons, authors of The Trigger Point Manual, references research indicating trigger points are the primary cause of pain at least 75 percent of the time and are a factor in nearly every painful condition.

A trigger point is about the size of a mustard seed. The technique is to put sustained pressure on trigger point for a set period of time on a regular basis. There are various techniques that are relatively simple. The technique is to apply sufficient deep sustained pressure applied to the "knotted-up area." By working with the Trigger Point you will create soft tissue release that allow ins increased blood flow, a reduction in muscle spasm, the break-up of scar tissue, and help eliminate toxic metabolic waste. Also the body will experience a neurological release reducing the pain signals to the brain. This neurological release allows the neuromuscular system to remember and restore its proper function.

These factors that effect the length of time needed to completely release a trigger point include: number of trigger points you have, how long you have had your trigger point, how effective your current treatment is, and how consistently you can administer or receive treatment. It is impractical to see a massage therapist frequently enough to get a trigger point to release.

To learn more about trigger points and how to work with them I suggest Dr. Jonathon Kuttner excellent educational website. Here are a few of things you'll learn here: A. Trigger point reference chart. http://triggerpointcharts.com/  B. An instructional Video http://lifeafterpain.com/vault/treat-your-triggers/finding-triggers/

This website contains charts that will help you isolate where the trigger point is and where the pain to.  This page contains 26 trigger point referral chart thumbnails. To view a single chart, position your cursor over the image and click once. If you know which part of the body whose charts you want to view, click on its link below to go directly to that group of charts. http://www.webmanmed.com/painrefer_files/trigptcharts.html

Working with trigger points is not a cure all. However with consistent attention, eliminating trigger points diminishes pain and truly enhances one’s quality of life. Self-empowerment is essential to mind/body/spirit well being. You can do this for yourself now.

http://healing.about.com/od/therapies/a/triggerpoint.htm

http://www.triggerpoints.net/

http://www.myorehab.net/articles/article-archive.htm

Find Your Joy--

For us to fit into our society and be of service to humanity, our family and our culture we willingly assume roles. These roles are son/daughter, brother/sister, father/mother, worker/mentor/leader. However, sometimes we lose our sense of self to other’s expectations and pressures. We are so busy doing what is expected that we forget to honor our own gifts and talents. This drains the joy out of life and creates stress. Stress adversely effects Mind/Body/Spirit wellbeing. 

I had a dream that reminded me to honor, respect and accept my Authentic Self. The Authentic Self represents the best, most genuine self. It is the You, you are meant to be. This self is a composite of your skills, talents, acquired wisdom, core values and beliefs; it is both internal and external created. The Authentic Self is a revealed creation.

Within the Mind/Body/Spirit concept the Authentic Self would represent the best use of the gifts the Creator has given you. Being in harmony with the Authentic self allows you to be most effective in your work and roles while experiencing the real joy of being Authentic.

These quotations on the search for the Authentic Self show us the search has long been a motivating force in man.

The authentic self is soul made visible. ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

Our life is what our thoughts make it~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Who we are looking for is who is looking ~Francis of Assisi

This above all:
To thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.~ Hamlet, Shakespeare

The chief cause of human error is to be found in prejudices picked up in childhood~ Descartes

Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate ~Carl Jung

Being authentic is the ability to be true to oneself. Living an authentic life requires the ability to be true to our own wants, needs and desires and not live our lives by the opinion of others. Being authentic is the ability to make self-honoring choices and stand firmly in who we are in our core. Being true to ourselves gives us the insight and compassion to see others for who they are, not who we expect them to be. It frees us up from the judgment of ourselves and others and it gives others the freedom to be themselves as well.~ Victoria J. Reynolds

http://www.helium.com

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/authenticity

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201111/21-quotes-authenticity

Support Under-active Thyroid with Food Choices

The physical body is a complex interconnected system. Often I find the recommendations and suggestions I receive from physicians and recognized experts to be contradictory. The scientific research seems contradictory as well. Objective review of my needs seems contradictory—what is a person to do?

For cancer prevention, a diet filled with brightly colored vegetables, dark green vegetables, alliums, vegetables like onions and garlic, and cruciferous vegetables are recommended. Cruciferous describes vegetables that display a cross-like pattern made by the four-petal formation of the vegetables. This can be seen on a Brussels sprout, a head of cabbage and a broccoli bud. Mustard greens, kale, radishes, turnips, cauliflower and kohlrabi are also members of the cruciferous family.

However, cruciferous vegetables can have a depressing effect on thyroid function.

Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) exists when the thyroid gland doesn't produce enough of certain important hormones. This upsets the normal balance of chemical reactions in your body. In the early stages it seldom causes symptoms, however over time untreated hypothyroidism can cause health issues such as obesity, joint pain, infertility and heart disease.

Symptoms tend to develop slowly over a number of years. One might attribute the fatigue and weight gain simply to getting older.  As your metabolism continues to slow, you may develop more obvious signs and symptoms, which include: Fatigue, Increased sensitivity to cold, Constipation, Dry skin, Unexplained weight gain, Puffy face, Hoarseness, Muscle weakness, Elevated blood cholesterol level, Muscle aches/tenderness/stiffness, Pain/stiffness or swelling in your joints, Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods, Thinning hair, Slowed heart rate, Depression, and Impaired memory.

Untreated hypothyroidism signs and symptoms can gradually become more severe. Constant stimulation of the thyroid gland causes a release more hormones leading to enlarged thyroid (goiter). Over time one becomes more forgetful, thought processes slow, and depression may occur. Myxedema, advanced hypothyroidism, is rare but life threatening. Symptoms of advanced hypothyroidism include low blood pressure, decreased breathing, decreased body temperature, unresponsiveness, and even coma.

Anyone can develop hypothyroidism, however increased risk include if you:

            Are a woman older than age 60

            Have an autoimmune disease

            Have a close relative with an autoimmune disease

            Have been treated with radioactive iodine or anti-thyroid medications

            Received radiation to your neck or upper chest

            Have had thyroid surgery (partial thyroidectomy)

            Have been pregnant or delivered a baby within the past six month

Complications for untreated hypothyroidism can lead to these health concerns:

            Goiter. Although generally not uncomfortable, it can affect your appearance and may interfere with swallowing or breathing.

            Heart problems. Hypothyroidism may be associated with an increased risk of heart disease, high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, even sub clinical hypothyroidism, a more benign condition than true hypothyroidism, can cause an increase in total cholesterol levels and impair the pumping ability of your heart. Hypothyroidism can also lead to an enlarged heart and heart failure.

            Mental health issues. Depression may occur early and may become more severe over time. Hypothyroidism can also cause slowed mental functioning.

            Peripheral neuropathy. Long-term uncontrolled hypothyroidism can cause damage to your peripheral nerves for example your arms and legs. Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include pain, numbness, tingling and muscle weakness or loss of muscle control.

            Myxedema. A rare, life-threatening condition is the result of long-term, undiagnosed hypothyroidism. Symptoms include intense cold intolerance, drowsiness followed by profound lethargy and then unconsciousness. A myxedema coma may be triggered by sedatives, infection or other stress on your body. Signs or symptoms of myxedema require immediate emergency medical treatment.

            Infertility. Low levels of thyroid hormone can interfere with ovulation, which impairs fertility.

            Birth defects. Babies born to women with untreated thyroid disease may have a higher risk of birth defects

Life style and dietary choices that will help support thyroid function include eating several small, well-balanced meals throughout the day to keep your blood sugar consistent and help with energy. You should eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes and proteins. Snack on raw seeds, apricots, prunes, and dates and avoid refined sugars. When cooking use good quality extra-virgin olive, or coconut oil.

Snack on Brazil nuts--natural source of selenium, which reduces damaging thyroid inflammation, and build the powerful thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3),

Cook your cruciferous vegetables—to break down the goitrogens that block thyroid's iodine. Iodine is essential to make energizing thyroid hormones. Broccoli, cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables are loaded with this iodine-blocking compound, however, cooking cruciferous for little as two minutes destroys goitrogens as they are quite heat sensitive.

Some experts suggest rotating your dark green and cruciferous vegetable family choices in order to get their benefits while avoiding a build up of the goitrogens that can block the thyroid's iodine absorption. Four vegetable family groups: 1.  Kale, collards, arugula, turnip, cabbage, bok choy, radish greens, mustard greens, broccoli; 2.  Spinach, chard, beet, lambs quarters; 3.  Dandelion, leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce; 4.  Parsley, cilantro.

Eat lean protein with every meal to slow the absorption of carbs and prevents insulin spikes which are a proven thyroid suppressor. Protein is rich in the amino acid tyrosine, which is an essential building block of thyroid hormones. Iodine is directly related to thyroid function and is found in sea salt and foods made with seaweed.

There is a debate about whether or not soy products should be consumed by those with hypothyroidism since the isoflavones (phytoestrogens) in soy have adversely affect the thyroid. Soy can negatively affect the body's ability to absorb synthetic thyroid medications. Wait 3 or 4 hours before consuming soy products after taking medication. Also wait before calcium supplements, iron and antacids that contain magnesium or aluminum as they interfere with medication absorption. However, too much iodine can be bad for your health. Excess fiber intake can have an adverse affect on thyroid medication as it interferes with medication absorption.

Scratched or damaged nonstick pans increase the risk of thyroid problems because the coatings interfere with the ability of thyroid hormones to bind to the tissues that desperately need them. Exposure to second-hand smoke cigarette smoke increases your risk of thyroid problems. Tobacco's cyanide clogs the receptor sites on your thyroid, interfering with the gland’s ability to absorb the nutrients.

http://www.alivemedicine.com/news/article/current/2012/10/05/100512/underactive-thyroid-5-natural-ways-to-help

www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothyroidism/DS00353

http://www.ehow.com/way_5290249_diets-people-hypothyroidism.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/491733-cruciferous-vegetables-thyroid-control/#ixzz2IHKcSSu4

Nicholas and Helena Roerich: The Spiritual Journey

 I am reading the book Nicholas & Helena Roerich: The Spiritual Journey of Two Great Artists and Peacemakers, R. Drayer (2005). Years ago I was introduced to the work of Nicholas and Helena Roerich at a spiritual retreat. I was totally captivated by Nicholas’s painting Mother of the World (1930). To me it represents all concepts of mother love—the Creator for the Creation, Mother Mary as mother of all humanity, and the ensouled nature—Mother Earth, Mother Nature.

Life is often blessed with enlightened people, individuals of great spirituality, talent and intuition. Such individuals would be Siddhartha, Pythagoras, da Vinci, John Donne, William Blake, Carl Jung, Catherine the Great, Thomas Jefferson and The Dalai Lama. Some are widely recognized and others are treated with disdain. The Roerich’s contribution is not often recognized—most likely because their roots were in Czarist Russia.

The Roerichs were upper-middle class in a time and place where most people were peasants. At that time Russia, which lies on the border of Eastern and Western culture, was deeply religious and spiritual. Nearly everyone has heard the story of Rasputin, the "mad monk" mystic and faith healer who was introduced to Russian Czar Nicholas II and his wife. Supposedly Rasputin healed  Czar Nicholas II's heir Alexis of hemophilia. This is the Russian culture that impacted the Roerichs. They were nationalist with a great love for Russia and it’s cultural history but also idealists and artists that believed in the enlightening power of art, music, and the essential spiritual truth in all religions—there is only one Creator and he created all that is. When studied with a discerning eye all religions strengthen each other. Religious separate-ism is the politics of power.

Information from the Nicholas Roerich Museum website:

Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on October 9, 1874, the first-born son of lawyer and notary, Konstantin Roerich and his wife Maria. He was raised in the comfortable environment of an upper middle-class Russian family with its advantages of contact with the writers, artists, and scientists who often came to visit the Roerichs. At an early age he showed a curiosity and talent for a variety of activities. When he was nine, a noted archeologist came to conduct explorations in the region and took young Roerich on his excavations of the local tumuli. The adventure of unveiling the mysteries of forgotten eras with his own hands sparked an interest in archeology that would last his lifetime. Through other contacts he developed interests in collecting prehistoric artifacts, coins, and minerals, and built his own arboretum for the study of plants and trees. While still quite young, Roerich showed a particular aptitude for drawing, and by the time he reached the age of sixteen he began to think about entering the Academy of Art and pursuing a career as an artist. His father did not consider painting to be a fit vocation for a responsible member of society, however, and insisted that his son follow his own steps in the study of law. A compromise was reached, and in the fall of 1893 Nicholas enrolled simultaneously in the Academy of Art and at St. Petersburg University.

Helena Roerich was an unusually gifted woman, a talented pianist, and author of many books, including The Foundations of Buddhism and a Russian translation of Helena Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine. Her collected Letters, in two volumes, are an example of the wisdom, spiritual insight, and simple advice she shared with a multitude of correspondents — friends, foes, and co-workers alike. …Later, in New York, Nicholas and Helena Roerich founded the Agni Yoga Society, which espoused a living ethic encompassing and synthesizing the philosophies and religious teachings of all ages…. Prompted by the need to provide some income for his new household, Roerich applied for and won the position of Secretary of the School of the Society for the Encouragement of Art, later becoming its head, the first of many positions that Roerich would occupy as a teacher and spokesman for the arts.

Nicholas Roerich was involved throughout his career with the problems of cultural preservation. From an early age, when, as a teen-age amateur archeologist in the north of Russia, he unearthed rare and beautiful ancient artifacts, he realized that the best products of humanity's creative genius were almost always neglected, or even destroyed, by humanity itself…. In the earliest years of twentieth century, he traveled through the historic towns of Northern Russia, making paintings of their crumbling walls and deteriorating architecture. He then made appeals to the Russian government for efforts to maintain and restore these priceless links to the past.

Nicholas Roerich spearheaded the concept of an international pact to protect the best of world culture and worked with the US administration of Franklin Roosevelt to accomplish this. It was called the Treaty on the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historic Monuments (Roerich Pact). Washington, 15 April 1935.

“The High Contracting Parties, animated by the purpose of giving conventional form to the postulates of the resolution approved on 16 December 1933, by all the States represented at the Seventh International Conference of American States, held at Montevideo, which recommended to "the Governments of America which have not yet done so that they sign the 'Roerich Pact', initiated by the 'Roerich Museum' in the United States, and which has as its object the universal adoption of a flag, already designed and generally known, in order thereby to preserve in any time of danger all nationally and privately owned immovable monuments which form the cultural treasure of peoples, "have resolved to conclude a Treaty with that end in view and to the effect that the treasures of culture be respected and protected in time of war and in peace, have agreed upon the following Articles:” The entire pact is located on the Roerich Museum website.

Helena Roerich was inspired and received the spiritual teaching called Agni Yoga. Followers of the teaching believe the Roerich family and their associates were in communication with Master Morya, the teacher of Helena Blavatsky, one of the founders of the Theosophical Society. Seventeen volumes of Agni Yoga have been translated from the original Russian into English. Agni Yoga is sometimes called the Teaching of Living Ethics, the Teaching of Life, or the Teaching of Light.

Modernists who pursue Agni Yoga, also called Inner Light-Fire Meditation and Actualism Lightwork, view Agni to be a joyous exploration into life, consciousness for personal and planetary awakening. Agni Yoga is a meditation process that makes ancient Eastern beliefs of inner Light-Fire accessible to the current Western consciousness. Agni Yoga is considered to be active meditation, practical, grounded in the body and comprehensive. The practitioner works to engage the source of limitless life energy within to decode one’s soul language, and to release spiritual blockage to the free the flowing life energy that makes up one’s consciousness and soul competence.

As I read Nicholas & Helena Roerich: The Spiritual Journey of Two Great Artisits and Peacemakers, I am impressed by the spiritual dedication of Nicholas, Helena, and their sons Yuri and Svetoslav. The Roerichs were often naive and controversial. Sadly the idealistic spiritual seeker is often misunderstood by those who are inherently materialistic and power seekers. For myself I would rather seek inner spiritual fire and universal Christian brotherhood, rather than bind my soul to lifeless religiosity—but that’s just me.

The Roerich’s lives read as a spiritual adventure story; we should all be so lucky. Perhaps we are all heroes in our own great adventure story.

http://www.roerich.org/

 http://agniyoga.org/ay_info.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agni_Yoga

http://www.awakenment-wellness.com/agni-yoga.html

http://en.icr.su/

http://www.amazon.com/Nicholas-Helena-Roerich-Spiritual-Peacemakers/

Global Warming: Really ? !

If you are skeptical about the coming global environmental collapse, I suggest you give up your ostrich tendencies and pull your head out of the oil sands. Some of us do not believe anything until we see it for ourselves—but we don’t make a real effort to go out and see the world. We look out our back door and say everything looks OK—the environmental Doom’s-dayers must be crazy liberals. I remind you—the Earth is the Earth—it is one big ecosystem that does not care about man’s petty politics and national borders. If there is drought in Australia and Africa, and diminishing rain forests in South America, this effects the global climate—even Texas!

I am an avid television watcher and I have been judged harshly by my friends. It is true there is a lot of ridiculous trash on American (USA) TV but there is also some excellent information. A recent addition to DirecTV, TV via satellite, is a station called Cinemoi. I am most excited by the programming called Earth From Above by aerial photographer, Yann Arthus-Bertrand. One of the most heart wrenching moments in Arthus-Bertrand documentaries was to hear the interview of a man who lives in Southern Australia. It only took 40 years of questionable farming practices to decimate 1/3 of the continent into a dustbowl. A lake he swam in and drank from as a youngster is now a sand pit. Experts say they may never recover this land---the ground water is so fouled and acidic it kills plants and animals, and will burn through the soles of your shoes.

Aerial photographer, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, bases the Earth from Above TV program on his aerial photography. "Yann Arthus-Bertrand is an aesthete with the soul of a moralist. He uses the beauty of the world to beguile you into a photograph in which a larger lesson awaits. His lesson is about the planet in jeopardy."-----Richard Lacayo, Time magazine.

Yann Arthus-Bertrand is a French photographer, journalist, reporter and environmentalist who is best-known as an aerial photographer uncovers the story behind the landscape. The subjects are not always photogenic -- his prints show poverty and strife as well as green tranquility; and everywhere in his work is the encroaching hand of humanity and its enterprise. He keeps close track of the coordinates of his locations, so other photographers may track their progress over time. 



GoodPlanet, a non-profit organization set up by Yann Arthus-Bertrand in 2005, seeks to educate the public and raise awareness of environmental protection. In 2007 it was recognized as a public-interest foundation, enabling it to put its activities on a long-term footing. 

 The GoodPlanet foundation advocates a lifestyle respectful of the Earth and its inhabitants. It puts forward realistic and optimistic solutions and encourages each individual to act for the planet, relying on a series of programs that it continues to develop and strengthen with the aim of "putting ecology at the heart of our conscience".

I do not believe in a Doom's Day scenario. I believe the Creator inspires us with evolutionary answers. Life is about change, evolution and growth. The Creator is never static that is totally apparent throughout all of Creation in it’s cyclic and evolutionary nature. We have rolled over the old Mayan calendar and are now back to day one. Where do we go from here? I believe the answer lies in global cooperation and pursuing innovation such as permaculture. We all need to make sustainable choices. Choices must be made. The nationalistic political status quo won’t work. It is impossible to have a “Global Economy” and then pretend that Global environmental issues are irrelevant because your corner of the USA is clean and beautiful. The retrograde attitudes of US politicians must change—one cannot freeze yourself in time. There is no new continent to immigrate to, to hide in. We are a global community.

Central to permaculture are the three ethics: earth care, people care and fair share. They form the foundation for permaculture design and are also found in most traditional societies. Ethics are culturally evolved mechanisms that regulate self-interest, giving us a better understanding of good and bad outcomes. The greater the power of humans, the more critical ethics become for long-term cultural and biological survival.

Permaculture ethics are distilled from research into community ethics, learning from cultures that have existed in relative balance with their environment for much longer than more recent civilizations. This does not mean that we should ignore the great teachings of modern times, but in the transition to a sustainable future, we need to consider values and concepts outside the current social norm.

Permaculture is a branch of ecological design, ecological engineering, and environmental design which develops sustainable architecture and self-maintained agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems.

The core tenets of permaculture are:

•                Take care of the earth: Provision for all life systems to continue and multiply. This is the first principle, because without a healthy earth, humans cannot flourish.

•                Take care of the people: Provision for people to access those resources necessary for their existence.

•                Share the surplus: Healthy natural systems use outputs from each element to nourish others. We humans can do the same. By governing our own needs, we can set resources aside to further the above principles.

Permaculture design emphasizes patterns of landscape, function, and species assemblies. It asks the question, "Where does this element go? How can it be placed for the maximum benefit of the system?" To answer this question, the central concept of permaculture is maximizing useful connections between components and synergy of the final design. The focus of permaculture, therefore, is not on each separate element, but rather on the relationships created among elements by the way they are placed together; the whole becoming greater than the sum of its parts. Permaculture design therefore seeks to minimize waste, human labor, and energy input by building systems with maximal benefits between design elements to achieve a high level of synergy. Permaculture designs evolve over time by taking into account these relationships and elements and can become extremely complex systems that produce a high density of food and materials with minimal input.

The design principles, which are the conceptual foundation of permaculture, were derived from the science of systems ecology and study of pre-industrial examples of sustainable land use. Permaculture draws from several disciplines including organic farming, agroforestry, integrated farming, sustainable development, and applied ecology. Permaculture has been applied most commonly to the design of housing and landscaping, integrating techniques such as agroforestry, natural building, and rainwater harvesting within the context of permaculture design principles and theory.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2009/04/12/203939/australia-southwest-global-warming-drought-wildfire/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT_2VVXA7SY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture

http://www.7billionothers.org/content/goodplanet-foundation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0BkxFaDcKQ

earthactivisttraining.org

Scars, Adhesions and Referred Pain

We all have physical scar tissue. This healing process is so inherent to our daily lives that we take it for granted. We see the scars form, they happen naturally—so what is the big deal? Scar tissue is the body's way of repairing damaged tissues. Scar tissue shortens muscle tissue, which shows up as immobility, irritability and pain syndrome. Trigger points can be embedded in or around this scar tissue.

Trigger points create a type of muscle stiffness and are the result of tiny contraction knots in muscle and tissues where an area of the body is injured or overworked. Trigger points are something traditional doctors ignore and could be some thing overlooked in your case maybe for years. It is important to be knowledge empowered. If you have pain it is healthier to eliminate the cause of the pain. Many pain management techniques focus on masking pain rather than healing the body or helping the body heal itself naturally.

The healing process and scar formation can be initiated by something a simple as bumping into a corner of a table. We walk away, ignore the pain and go on with our daily lives. Most of the time this is not a problem—but some times this healing process triggers scar that if left unaddressed over time will result in pain and physical limitation.

When tissues in the body are interrupted by injury or impact, scar tissue forms as part of the healing process. Scar tissue helps mend together the separated tissues. Adhesions are scar tissues that form internally. Scar tissue is a dense fibrous connective tissue that forms over and/or around a healed wound or cut and is the body's way of repairing damaged tissues or of protecting surrounding tissues from foreign bodies.

We are familiar with acne scars, scars from cuts and scrapes, surgery. Internal adhesions form from procedures such as caesarian and hysterectomy surgery. There are also bone scars, as well as scars that form around breast implants and surgical mesh. Sometimes adhesions are present at birth. One example of excessive internal formation of scar tissue is a common complication that occurs in breast augmentation patients, known as capsular contracture. Keloids and hypertrophic scars are examples of excessive scar tissue formation, which happens externally.

Adhesion is the word used to describe bands of fibrous tissue that grows to connect internal organs. Adhesions can connect the loops of the intestines to each other, to nearby organs or to the wall of the abdomen. They can pull sections of the intestines out of place, which may block food from passing through the intestine. They cause symptoms such as crampy abdominal pain, vomiting, bloating, an inability to pass gas and constipation.

Some adhesions go away by themselves. Surgery can remove adhesions, however surgery can increase the risk of more adhesions. People who have experienced multiple back surgeries tend to have more adhesions, which can create the pain they were hoping to escape. Bony scar tissue, called a callus, will form on bone after a fracture.

While the degree of scar formation varies from person to person, there are some distinguishing characteristics: Becomes hard and non-pliable, Bands of fibers on or below the surface, Skin tightens or shortens, when crossing a joint, this contracture may limit range of motion, comprise function or cause deformity. Long-term effects the body’s formation of scar tissue can set the stage for future problems.

Since scars and adhesions are composed primarily of collagen, the scar tissue’s fibrosity prohibits adequate circulation, collagenous tissue creates physical limitations, and the lack of blood flow and lymph drainage occurring in scar tissue makes it vulnerable to dysfunction. The scar’s surrounding structures may resulting abnormal stress by nerve impingement, pain, numbness, limited range of motion and flexibility, postural misalignment, muscle atrophy, tissue hypoxia, and an increased potential for future injury. Some professionals and body workers believe that scar tissue is the root of a majority of physical imbalances and recommend addressing scar tissue early in its development to minimize secondary scar tissue issues.

When working with the scar it is important to be aware of the healing stage of the scar. Immediately after a wound heals, the scar is immature. The scar typically appears red and is painful, itchy or sensitive as nerve endings heal. Exercise, massage and heat application will have the greatest positive effect on an immature scar.

A mature scar tissue production, depending on the size and depth of the wound, will cease 3 to 18 months following wound healing. To reduce scar tissue in a mature scar a more disciplined, vigorous approach is necessary is needed to be effective.

Scar tissue is not a permanent fixture in the body. After the healing has taken place, the scar needs to be remodeled so it can tolerate the stress and forces that the body

Typically, adhesions show no symptoms and go undiagnosed. Most commonly, adhesions cause pain by pulling nerves, either within an organ tied down by an adhesion or within the adhesion itself. Signs and symptoms of adhesions are associated with the problems they cause rather than from the adhesion directly.

•                Adhesions above the liver may cause pain with deep breathing.

•                Intestinal adhesions may cause pain due to obstruction during exercise or when stretching.

•                Adhesions involving the vagina or uterus may cause pain during intercourse.

•                Pericardial adhesions may cause chest pain.

•                It is important to note that not all pain is caused by adhesions and not all adhesions cause pain.

•                Small bowel obstruction (intestinal blockage) due to adhesions is a surgical emergency.

It is very possible work with your own adhesions and scars. But I recommend that you consult with a physician, physical therapist, massage therapist or Rolfer to create an action plan. Some adhesions are life threatening especially in the abdomen. If you have had any kind of surgery I highly recommend ongoing massage is an excellent treatment and preventative for dealing with scar related trigger point pain.

Massage therapy can be performed during the initial immature stages but a gentle approach is needed. Body workers can improve scar tissue through specific techniques: Lymph Drainage, Myofascial Release, Deep Transverse Friction, Stretching, and Heat Application. Massage should never be preformed on an open lesion. Some do it your self-techniques for working with external scar tissue include:

Tip #1:  Rub Vitamin E oil on the scar. Vitamin E oil is considered an extremely efficient way of detoxifying skin scars and makes skin softer as well as lessening discolorations or scarring. As soon as the skin discolorations are slackened off to lessen the skin scars use vitamin E oil. Rub it on the parts of the skin with scars in a gradual spherical movement. Allow the vitamin E oil to go through the skin before putting on hot towel or cloth above the scarred area. This process will help slacken off the skin all the more and as well as extricate the dead cells and tissues. When the towel has cooled cleanse away the oil.

Tip #2:  Use baking soda for facial scars. Baking soda is an alkaline material, which is detoxifying and rids contamination from your body. Baking soda raises off dead skin cells permitting pores to be rinsed and dirt free lessening scars or even eradicate them. It is simple to use baking soda--blend a tablespoon of baking soda and a teaspoon of water then thoroughly mix them until it turns into paste consistency. Put the mixture on top of the scar and let it stay there for about two minutes before washing it off with clean water.

Tip #3:  Use citrus juice compress for skin scars. Citrus juices include elevated amounts of vitamin C that is useful in combating free radicals as well as for detoxify dangerous infection from your body. Lemon juice has the ability to eradicate dead and blemished skin cells to reduce and detoxify scarred skin. Immerse a washcloth in a concentrated lemon juice and place onto the skin for about 10-15 minutes or until the lemon juice had dried.

There are a number of home remedies and natural products marketed to prevent the formation of scars and to minimize the appearance of old scars. People are often interested in preventing are hypertrophic scars. They're red and raised and can be painful or cause limited movement in the affected area (called contractures). Hypertrophic scars usually diminish somewhat over time.  Home remedies used for preventing hypertrophic scars Include:

1) Vitamin E--Vitamin E, or tocopherol, is a fat-soluble antioxidant. It's found in capsule or liquid form at drugstores, grocery stores, health food stores, and online. The oil is typically applied to the affected area. Vitamin E has been shown to penetrate layers of the skin and reduce the formation of free radicals that can interfere with healing. Vitamin E also influences the production of collagen, a structural protein partially responsible for the strength and elasticity of skin.

2) Onion Extract--Onion, or Allium cepa, is an ingredient in one of the most popular scar gels found in drugstores. Onion extract has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and regulate the formation of collagen.

3) Topical Honey--Honey has been used as a dressing for burns and wounds for centuries. Honey had antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and could stimulate the growth of new tissue.  Honey is more promising as a wound dressing for skin ulcers and burns, there isn't enough evidence to suggest that it can help with hypertrophic scars.

Other home remedies often used for scars, include aloe vera, gotu kola, vitamin C, and zinc.

http://skincarebase.org/skin-scars/detox-skin-scars-3-tips-remedies-detoxification.html

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/qalibrary/f/remedyscars.htm

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/adhesions_general_and_after_surgery/article_em.htm

http://www.integrative-healthcare.org/mt/archives/2007/07/six_massage_tec.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_4485982_spot-massage-trigger-points-scar.html#ixzz2H8i9btxK