For many women, the toughest part of early pregnancy is morning sickness. If you are suffering from nausea, vomiting, or both, you need safe measures that will bring you some relief. Your best course of action for managing morning sickness is home treatment. By following a few proven guidelines, you are likely to gain significant relief from nausea and vomiting. Home treatment measures for morning sickness include:
Changing what, when, and how much you eat.
Taking ginger, vitamin B6, or vitamin B12, which may reduce nausea and/or vomiting during pregnancy.
Avoiding foods and smells that make you feel sick.
Trying acupressure, which seems to work for some women.
Taking doxylamine with vitamin B6, which you can buy without a prescription. Talk to your doctor before taking this remedy.

If you have severe, persistent nausea and vomiting, see your doctor or nurse-midwife immediately. This uncommon complication of pregnancy can lead to dehydration and malnutrition, sometimes requiring prescribed medicine or hospitalization

#MorningSickness

10 Useful Corrective Poses for Scoliosis

Yoga promotes strengthening of muscles of legs resulting in taking some stress off the spine. Yoga teaches breathing technique and use of various poses to correct the shape of spine. It may be a bit painful in the initial stages but goes a long way in helping a person.

Cat Pose

Child Pose

Seated Forward Bend

Warrior Pose

Triangle Pose

Downward Facing Dog Pose

Bridge Pose

Locust Pose

Shoulder Stand

Corpse Pose

#Scoliosis

• Handful of parsley
• Handful of spinach
• 2 carrots, greens removed
• 1 garlic clove

Directions

Wash and dry the parsley, spinach, and carrots.  Peel the garlic and juice with remaining ingredients. If the juice is too thick, add water to desired consistency.

Fresh juices are best consumed within 2 to 3 hours of preparation and should be refrigerated.

“Living with scoliosis my whole life meant back pain. Monica’s expertise and superb skill, has kept me pain free from stress and body pain! Thank you Monica!”

Nick Sotack, Actor/Singer/Dancer, New York, NY

On October 1st there will be a price change to services.

Baseball finger, also known as “mallet” finger, is a finger injury which involves damage to the extensor tendons used to straighten the finger. In a patient with baseball finger, the finger is bent and cannot be straightened. The classic cause of this injury is a “jam,” in which the finger is forcibly bent by being slammed into something, or by having something such as a baseball slam into it. This condition is very treatable.

At the time of injury, people usually experience significant pain in the “jammed finger”. Sometimes baseball finger is accompanied by a fracture, which may be closed or open. It is not uncommon for the tip of the finger to swell and bruise, and sometimes people lose their nails or develop blotches of blood under the nail. The involved finger can be hot and tender, and moving it is usually painful.

In many cases, baseball finger can be treated with ice, elevation, and splinting. Ice and elevation keep the swelling down, which will increase patient comfort while the finger heals. Splinting the finger will support healing and reduce strain on the finger. It is important that patients use the splint as directed; even though it can be annoying and sometimes painful, the splint should not be removed until it is safe to do so, or healing may be impaired.

There are also surgical management options available. Surgery may be recommended when the finger is broken, is not responding to treatment, or appears to be severely injured. A hand and wrist specialist can perform the surgery to repair the injury. Splinting is usually needed after surgery to keep the finger immobile while it heals.

It can take several weeks for the finger to fully heal, and during the healing phase, people should take care to avoid re-injury of the damaged finger. The finger can also be vulnerable to damage in the future, and it’s important to gently stretch and flex the finger after healing to redevelop strength.

Often, people can treat a baseball finger at home with ice and splinting. However, if the finger is extremely painful or does not respond to treatment, medical attention should be sought. It is possible that the finger might be fractured or that more aggressive treatment might be needed. It is especially important to see a doctor if signs of infection set in, or if feeling is lost in the tip of the finger.

Menopause is the permanent end of menstruation and fertility, defined as occurring 12 months after your last menstrual period. Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States.

Menopause is certainly not an easy passage for women or their partners. Those infamous hot flashes are the most recognizable symptom, but the effects of menopause include a host of other problems: dry skin, night sweats, poor memory, urinary incontinence, insomnia, anxiety, mood swings, headaches/migraines, bone loss, erratic menstrual cycles, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and depression. For women in the midst of change, menopause is a daunting laundry list of symptoms that only seems to produce greater challenges each day.

Massage therapy is very helpful in dealing with the following common symptoms of menopause:

◾Stress
The body changes of menopause, coupled with societal perception of what these changes mean can be extremely stressful. Massage is very good at lowering stress and stopping the spiraling effects of increased cortisol production in the body. Excess cortisol exacerbates the bodily symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and anxiety.
I work with the client’s breathing to bring awareness to the sensations in the body while performing both Swedish and Deep Tissue techniques. I have found focused breathing to be extremely helpful in stress reduction, and it is a technique the client can practice in her daily life when stressful situations (and hot flashes) arise.

◾Abdominal Pain
Changes in reproductive organs during menopause can cause increased abdominal and low back pain. Skillful abdominal massage, as well as massage of the low back can significantly reduce pain in this region.

◾Circulatory Benefits
Circulation is generally improved with any massage, and is especially beneficial in reducing fluid retention which can cause painful breasts and also help regulate hot flashes and night sweats. Enhanced circulation is also invigorating, and helps with the fatigue experienced so frequently during this time.

#Menopause

Trigger Point—Utilizes rhythmic rocking movements to relax the body and mind.

Do you want to prevent back pain? Try a few basic exercises to stretch and strengthen your back and supporting muscles. Repeat each exercise a few times, then increase the number of repetitions as the exercise gets easier. If you’ve ever hurt your back or have other health conditions, such as osteoporosis, consult your doctor before doing these exercises.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Using both hands, pull up one knee and press it to your chest. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg. Return to the starting position and then repeat with both legs at the same time. Repeat each stretch two to three times — preferably once in the morning and once at night.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Keeping your shoulders firmly on the floor, roll your bent knees to one side. Hold for five to 10 seconds. Return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side. Repeat each stretch two to three times — preferably once in the morning and once at night.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Arch your back so that your pubic bone feels like it’s pointing toward your feet. Hold for five seconds and then relax. Flatten your back, pulling your bellybutton toward the floor so that your pubic bone feels like it’s pointing toward your head. Hold for five seconds and then relax. Repeat. Start with five repetitions each day and gradually work up to 30.

Position yourself on your hands and knees. Slowly let your back and abdomen sag toward the floor. Then slowly arch your back, as if you’re pulling your abdomen up toward the ceiling. Return to the starting position. Repeat three to five times twice a day.

Sit on an armless chair or a stool. Cross your right leg over your left leg. Bracing your left elbow against the outside of your right knee, twist and stretch to the side. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on the opposite side. Repeat this stretch three to five times on each side twice a day.

Sit on an armless chair or a stool. While maintaining good posture, pull your shoulder blades together. Hold for five seconds and then relax. Repeat three to five times twice a day.