Coconut oil massage improves weight gain and height in infants

July 31, 2008 at 9:35 pm · Filed under Integrative Medicine, Baby, Pain Management

photo credit: myreado2

Irrefutably, the power of touch is immensely soothing for an infant.  After having spent many months immersed in a warm, fluid environment, the outside world can feel extremely barren, cold,  and unpredictable.  Infant massage has been shown to alter hormone levels in babies and reduce anxiety and stress while promoting relaxation.  Physiological effects of massage include mobilizing fluids, washing out metabolic  waste products (i.e. lactic acid) that build up in muscles, and promoting blood flow.  Muscles, after being massaged, have decreased spasm. The tactile stimulation can activate nerve fibers carrying touch sensation and the sensory input from those fibers can decrease pain signals to the brain via the Gate Theory of pain. Thus, reducing the perception of pain.

In many cultures, massage with tropical oils is routine.  The tropical oil massage provides multiple benefits.   Oil based substances improve skin barrier function and protect the skin.  Massage has been shown to improve thermoregulation.  A compelling study from India looked at the effects of massage with  coconut oil, mineral oil, and placebo (powder).  Coconut oil massage caused greater weight and height gain rates compared to placebo in preterm and term infants.  Read the rest of this entry »

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Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Trigger points, and Treatment Options

April 13, 2008 at 8:47 pm · Filed under Pain Management

Myofascial pain syndrome can be considered, at least partially, a side effect of our modern lifestyles. It is caused by numerous factors: trauma, tension, inflammation, overuse, overload, poor posture, stress, repetitive strain, poor sleep, emotional stress, or other medical conditions, such as nerve entrapment, thyroid dysfunction, vitamin insufficiencies, metabolic dysfunctions. Myofascial pain is pain localized in the muscles and surrounding tissues. The constellation of symptoms includes achiness, fatigue, poor sleep, chronic muscle tightness, and limited range of motion. Sometimes, myofascial pain can produce numbness and sensory disturbances. If myofascial pain occurs in the neck, it can cause ringing in the ears, loss of balance, or chronic headaches.

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