Kristine Byerley

If you have been living with a chronic condition such as back pain, joint pain and frequent headaches, there are numerous forms of therapy available for relief. To effectively treat these ailments, therapies tailored specifically for the individual are necessary. Although pain medication is an option, there should be supplementing, healing treatments so dependency doesn’t become a problem. Massage therapy with a holistic approach is helping many find relief as well as recovery.

MASSAGE TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS

Massage therapy has been proven to relax sore muscles, ease nerve pain and increase flexibility, among other benefits. When a holistic approach is taken, massage therapy can also calm anxiety and relieve stress. This is good news because chronic pain is usually also accompanied by various forms of mental and emotional strain.

Holistic therapy is based on treating the whole individual with the understanding that every part of a human being is connected. What causes physical pain can cause emotional pain and vice versa. There is an extensive list of various massage therapies that can be applied for treating pain and anxiety. However, some prominent holistic massage therapies are known to work well.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine therapy makes use of one or more alternative treatments to bring the patient’s body back into a natural balance. This is called the ying-yang balance by traditional practitioners of this and similar treatments. Acupuncture, acupressure and other alternative treatments are used along with massage therapy to encourage healing.

To improve the circulations of patients, a treatment called cupping might be used in traditional Chinese medicine treatments. This is when a specialized cup is placed on the patient’s back and other parts of the body. The practitioner will create suction in the cups to pull the blood to the surface of the skin. While this might sound unconvincing to many, there is evidence that cupping relieves chronic conditions like back pain.

Acupressure

Acupressure treatments are based on the same principle of manipulating bodily pressure points, which are called meridians. The kneading work is done with the tips of the fingers. Patients of chronic pain tend to respond positively to this combination of massage and acupressure in just a few treatments.

If you are struggling with chronic pain or anxiety, there is a combination of therapies that can benefit you. Touching bases with your doctor before deciding on any treatment is highly recommended.

Originally posted on KristineByerley.net

Occupational therapists provide mental health services to people who need help recovering from trauma, addictions, unhealthy habits, etc. There are other fundamental traits occupational therapists should have as they are expected to provide a solution to the mental and emotional needs others have. People’s lives will be significantly influenced by any advice or recommendations given by therapists. To ensure one is giving the proper help to their patients, occupational therapists must have the following essential traits:

Concise Observational Skills

A huge fraction of being a therapist requires that a person listens. So, it is important to learn how to listen actively. When a patient is speaking, all of their concerns must be regarded as highly important before forming any plan of action or prescribing a solution. Misdiagnosing can come from a lack of awareness of a patient’s needs which can also lead to malpractice. Thus, an occupational therapist must also have clear observational skills. A patient’s tone, word choice, body language, facial expressions, and overall cadence should be acknowledged before inferences are drawn. This will help therapists to find the best solution for their patient’s mental healing.

Problem Solving Abilities

In addition to listening, therapists must also be capable of providing solutions. Yes, it can be therapeutic for most people to simply vent their frustrations. However, this effect is only short-term satisfaction and the real issue still persists. The appropriate recommendations should be made to patients so that they have the opportunity to experiment with what may work best for them. Obviously, everyone is different, so one advised method may work differently for others. Therefore, it is good to have alternatives. For example, a personal may experience better therapy for their anxiety through the use of EFT tapping (Emotional Freedom Techniques) oppose to utilizing breathing techniques. Personal care counseling should be modified to that specific person.

Comprehensible Communication

Sometimes a deeper understanding of what someone is going through is therapeutic in itself. Having a word to define what one is going through can provide great relief for someone as they discover that they are not alone. Being a good communicator is very necessary to be an occupational therapist. Therapists help put psychological concerns into understandable words for their patients.

Originally posted on KristineByerely.com