3 cups fresh corn kernels
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1.Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss corn and oil to coat and spread out on a large baking sheet. Bake, stirring once, until some kernels begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Combine basil, shallot, vinegar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the corn; toss to coat. Serve warm or cold.

Makes: 4 servings, about 1/2 cup each
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is stiffness, pain, and limited range of movement in your shoulder. It may happen after an injury or overuse or from a disease such as diabetes or a stroke. The tissues around the joint stiffen, scar tissue forms, and shoulder movements become difficult and painful. The condition usually comes on slowly, then goes away slowly over the course of a year or more.

Frozen shoulder can develop when you stop using the joint normally because of pain, injury, or a chronic health condition, such as diabetes or a stroke. Any shoulder problem can lead to frozen shoulder if you do not work to keep full range of motion.

Frozen shoulder occurs:
After surgery or injury.
Most often in people 40 to 70 years old.
More often in women (especially in postmenopausal women) than in men.
Most often in people with chronic diseases.

Treatment for frozen shoulder usually starts with ice and heat therapy. This is used to reduce pain and swelling. And physical therapy can help increase your range of motion. A frozen shoulder can take a year or more to get better. But if treatment is not helping, surgery is sometimes done to loosen some of the tight tissues around the shoulder. This surgery is often done with an arthroscope.

Massage therapy is a helpful treatment for frozen shoulder because it increases blood flow to the injured area and helps to reduce scar tissue. Regular massage treatments are needed to reduce muscle stiffness, and you may not start to feel relief until after several massage treatments.

A combination of techniques, performed by an experienced massage therapist, will provide shoulder pain relief and help your recovery during the “thawing,” or recovery stage of the condition. Deep-tissue massage is a common technique used to treat frozen shoulder. With this technique, the therapist applies steady pressure to the muscles to release adhesions or scar tissue that may be contributing to shoulder pain. A Japanese form of deep-tissue massage, called shiatsu, involves deep pressure on specific areas of the body, called acupressure points, to adjust energy flow (“Ki” in Japanese) through the body, thereby reducing pain. Deep-tissue massage techniques should be avoided during times of acute shoulder pain, inflammation, or swelling.

Other massage techniques for frozen shoulder include trigger point therapy, in which steady pressure is applied to targeted points within muscles to relieve muscle spasms, and Swedish massage, which involves gentle kneading and long strokes applied to surface muscle tissues to reduce stress and tension

Ice. Apply an ice pack to a bite or sting for 15 to 20 minutes once an hour for the first 6 hours. When not using ice, keep a cool, wet cloth on the bite or sting for up to 6 hours. Always keep a cloth between your skin and the ice pack. Do not apply ice for longer than 15 to 20 minutes at a time, and do not fall asleep with the ice on your skin.

Vinegar. No matter whether it’s the white or the apple cider variety, vinegar turns insect sting pain into a thing of the past. Pour it on the affected site, or mix it with baking soda to make a paste that you can apply to the bitten area. Out of vinegar? Try applying straight lemon juice instead.

Onion. Cut an onion, then rub it over the sting site. Doctors aren’t quite sure how this works, but the onion contains enzymes that seem to break down inflammatory compounds. Other people swear by smearing a crushed clove of garlic over the skin.

Call your doctor if any of the following occur during home treatment:
New symptoms develop.
Symptoms of a skin infection develop.
Flu-like symptoms develop.
Symptoms become more severe or more frequent

When it comes to sports, many of us have the same mentality: We are invincible! But eventually all athletes learn that tight muscles and injuries are a common part of an active lifestyle. I have a tendency to overdo it when training for beach volleyball, so I turn to a therapeutic yoga practice to help keep my body healthy and injury-free.

Yoga builds muscle, improves flexibility, and prevents injury, which is why so many professional athletes do it. Plus, it helps calm the mind in the midst of a hectic life. Shortly after starting your practice, some of the benefits you might notice include:
Increased flexibility and range of motion
Improved balance and strength
Relief of stress and anxiety

This yoga sequence is specifically designed to target common areas of muscle tightness in athletes. Whether you’re a beginning runner, strength-training buff, or tennis fanatic, these poses can help raise your game faster.

Triangle Pose
Downward Dog Pose
Cat Cow Pose
Chair Pose
Eagle Pose

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge joint that connects the lower jaw (mandible) to the temporal bone of the skull, which is immediately in front of the ear on each side of your head. The joints are flexible, allowing the jaw to move smoothly up and down and side to side and enabling you to talk, chew, and yawn. Muscles attached to and surrounding the jaw joint control the position and movement of the jaw.

The cause of TMD is not clear, but dentists believe that symptoms arise from problems with the muscles of the jaw or with the parts of the joint itself.

Injury to the jaw, temporomandibular joint, or muscles of the head and neck — such as from a heavy blow or whiplash can cause TMD. Other possible causes include:
Grinding or clenching the teeth, which puts a lot of pressure on the TMJ
Dislocation of the soft cushion or disc between the ball and socket
Presence of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in the TMJ
Stress, which can cause a person to tighten facial and jaw muscles or clench the teeth

Common symptoms of TMD include:
Pain or tenderness in the face, jaw joint area, neck and shoulders, and in or around the ear when you chew, speak, or open your mouth wide
Limited ability to open the mouth very wide
Jaws that get “stuck” or “lock” in the open- or closed-mouth position
Clicking, popping, or grating sounds in the jaw joint when opening or closing the mouth (which may or may not be accompanied by pain) or chewing
A tired feeling in the face
Difficulty chewing or a sudden uncomfortable bite — as if the upper and lower teeth are not fitting together properly
Swelling on the side of the face
May occur on one or both sides of the face

When the basic treatments listed above prove unsuccessful, your dentist may suggest one or more of the following treatments for TMD:
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). This therapy uses low-level electrical currents to provide pain relief by relaxing the jaw joint and facial muscles. This treatment can be done at the dentist’s office or at home.
Ultrasound. Ultrasound treatment is deep heat that is applied to the TMJ to relieve soreness or improve mobility.
Trigger-point injections. Pain medication or anesthesia is injected into tender facial muscles called “trigger points” to relieve pain.
Radio wave therapy. Radio waves create a low level electrical stimulation to the joint, which increases blood flow and relieves pain.

1. Maintain fluid balance in the body.

Your body needs to maintain the correct balance between sodium and potassium in the body in order to function properly, and without drinking water, this would not be possible.

2. Help to control weight.

Sometimes when you feel hungry, you are actually thirsty. It is easier than you think to get the signals mixed up. Grab a glass of water if you are not sure if you are truly craving food. It is also a calorie free drink as opposed to the many empty, sugary calories in a soda, and you will lose weight in no time.

3. Increase energy.

Since water is used in almost all the processes in the body, when you are low on water, you are low on energy. Try drinking a glass of water if you are feeling sluggish instead of caffeine, which can actually dehydrate you further.

4. Prevent depression.

Low levels of water in the brain can cause depression since water is required for optimal functioning of the brain. So if you are feeling down, grab a bottle and drink up.

5. Glowing skin.

Dehydration can make your skin look deflated and wrinkled. Drinking water can help your skin look younger, brighter, and healthier. You can boost the effect of water by using a moisturizer to “lock” the water in.

6. Digestion.

Water keeps things flowing in your intestinal tract and kidneys. If you want to keep things regular, down some water.

7. Prevent acne.

Drinking a glass of hot lemon water in the morning has been shown to help reduce breakouts caused by bacteria.

8. Prevent sickness.

Since water helps to move things along, it aids in getting rid of toxins and helps to prevent bad bacteria from staying in the body, such as infections that could get you sick.

9. Keep muscles functioning.

Have you ever worked out while you were dehydrated? You may have noticed your muscles did not feel like moving. Drink water to keep your body moving throughout your fitness routines.

10. Keep you looking slim.

When the body is dehydrated, it compensates by retaining water, causing you to look bloated and puffy. The best way to reduce puffiness is by regularly drinking water.

Frequently Reported Causes of Back Pain!

Bad Posture:     79%
Tiredness:         76%
Standing for Long Periods:  70%
Sitting Motionless:     71%
Weak Abdominals:    62%
Lifting:      63%
Stress:       70%
Injury:      48%
Bending at the Waist:     46%
Too much Exercise:        37%
Driving Seat Position:    47%
Overweight:      34%
Herniated Lower Vertebrae:   39%

What to expect during your massage for Osteoarthritic patients.

1. Long strokes, kneading and friction to the surrounding muscle tissue depending on the joint that is affected.

2. This technique focuses on improving flexibility and mobility of the joint.

3. Decrease the spasm and stiffness of the muscles around the effected area.

4. Concentrate on the myofascial trigger points. These trigger points reveal the source of the radiating pain.

5. The massage session usually lasts for about 60 minutes.

6. Massage oil, cream or lotion can be applied to the skin in order to reduce friction and for smoother strokes to aid in easy massage.