Regular massage:

It's a handy alternative to drugs

Don't want to take a load of medication? Try giving yourself a regular massage, known in Ayurvedic medicine as 'marma therapy'

'As a small boy, Imran Ali suffered from asthma. Instead of taking drugs, he was treated by his brother, Dr Mosaraf Ali, with neck massage, known in Ayurvedic medicine as marma therapy. The result? No asthma symptoms.'

This is an example of what we naturally do immediately injured - reach for the injured area and rub or soothe - Instinctive basic massage.

A treatment combining neck massage, diet and breathing exercises  have been put together to ease asthma and eczema plus a range of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, chronic fatigue, depression, gut problems, sugar cravings, loss of libido, PMS and stress.

 

 

Pregnant women should avoid the mess caused by stress

Most of us like to think that pregnancy is a time when women bloom contentedly.

But it seems that's a faint hope for many women dealing with the pressures of modern life.

According to a new survey of 1,100 pregnant women by Tommy's the baby charity (supported by Johnson's Baby), nearly 90 per cent experienced some degree of stress (and not just from morning sickness).

Reducing your stress level is important for mums-to-be because stress can lead to a greater risk of complications such as miscarriage and premature delivery.

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Medical support

Even open-minded Western doctors were sceptical, until researchers at the University of Leeds found that massaging stiff neck muscles can lower abnormally high blood pressure - a major cause of heart attacks and strokes - without drugs.

According to Professor Jim Deuchars and colleagues, whose study was published in The Journal of Neuroscience, links between neck muscles and the brain play a crucial role in controlling adequate blood supply to the part of the brain that controls 'involuntary' functions, such as our blood pressure, and our hormonal system, which governs most of the body's functions.

For your brain to work well, it needs oxygen and glucose, which come from the blood supply in the arteries running up the neck.

If your neck muscles are stiff they prevent the blood flowing smoothly.

You also need good-quality blood, he says, to nourish the brain well, which is why the suggested treatment includes dietary measures.

Eight in ten people suffer from neck pain or stiffness, partly due to spending hours at computers, watching TV and driving. But the damage can date back to the head, neck and shoulders being squeezed in the birth canal, and to forceps or ventouse delivery.

Whiplash injuries are also a big contributor. Below are suggested home treatment that should help between professional treatments.

• Massage round your jaw and the lower bony part of your face, from the ears down, with your fingertips, every night for at least five minutes. Also massage your neck from the back of the skull down to your shoulders for five to ten minutes. At a sore spot, rotate your fingertip on it until the soreness subsides. Trade massages with your partner or flatmate if possible.

• Do gentle breathing exercises and practise gentle stretching, core strengthening and mind calming exercises like Pilates, swimming and Yoga

• Eat fresh food, if possible organic, with plenty of vegetables and fruit (pomegranates have been shown to help blood flow). Eat in its raw if possible

Avoid fungal foods such as mushrooms, vinegar and blue cheeses; highly acidic foods (oranges, grapefruit, pineapple and tomatoes); also sugar, salt, caffeine and alcohol.

NB: anyone who is taking asthma drugs should always check with their doctor before changing or reducing their medication.

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Info last updated at 15:07pm on 16th October 2007