SPECIALISTS REQUIRED

ART THERAPY

While doing therapy on your own is always your first choice, there may be times when a specialist is required.

A medical professional like an art therapist is going to be able to work with you through emotional problems and help you learn how to cope with your concerns.

While this doesn't seem like it would be something which would affect your health directly, sorting out your emotional health often leads to health in other areas.

But many people aren't interested in going to a shrink and talking about their problems – and this is fine.

In the art therapy sessions, you can focus more on expressing those feelings and problems in another way.  Whether by drawing, sculpting or simply sketching your ideas, you can begin to understand how your mind is processing the world around you.

The therapist can then work to figure out what the real problems are and help you to change your thought process through other pieces of art.

And don't worry: you don't need to be a professional artist for this to work.

Art therapy is defined as a form of expressive therapy.  Therapists offer another way of conversing with their patients through the use of paints, chalks, or other types of media.

The main thought process behind art therapy is that there is healing in the way that the brain changes when it does something artistic.  Thus, when someone creates a painting of their illness, they might be igniting the centers of the brain that can activate a healing response.

But it's not just the artistic process that allows the client to reap health benefits – within the art itself are answers to the problems of the person who is creating the art.

Certain symbols and images will repeat themselves in the art therapy process and signify different issues.

For example, repeated pictures of the family can tell the therapist that there is something to explore in relation to the family dynamics.  Pictures of the client by themselves might indicate the fact that they are lonely, etc.

While art therapy is mainly used in psychological settings, patients benefit in numerous ways:

• Increased confidence
• Lowered stress
• Reduced anxiety
• Less chance of depression
• Enhanced communication skills
• Better social skills
• Potential for a stronger immune system

The art process taps a different part of the brain than logical thinking and discussion.  In that way, the patient is able to tap into the creative aspects of 'solving' their disease.

Related to art therapy are numerous other expressive forms of therapy:

• Dance therapy
• Music therapy
• Drama therapy
• Inscape therapy

When you are in an art therapy session, you might begin by talking about the issues you are having.  As you are talking, the therapist is looking for clues as to how you might feel more comfortable getting to the root of your troubles.

They might have art tools set up around the office which might call to you and then you might be asked to create an image or a form that represents the way you feel about your particular issues.

After you are done creating, you and your therapist would talk about what it means.  Having the outside opinion of your art helps you focus in on details that you hadn't even thought of – but that are relevant to the healing process.

For example, recognizing that you picture yourself as much larger than you actually are will show you the differences between your reality and actual reality.  In cases of eating disorders, art therapy that entails drawing an outline of the body help the patient see how their actual body shape compares to their drawing of what they feel their body looks like.

Art therapy is a way to express your feelings so that you're not holding them in and causing your body to become sick. 

You can find numerous art therapists in day care centers, rehabilitation clinics as well as in nursing homes and traditional therapy offices.  Each art therapist has a specialty or certain mediums that they like to use in their sessions, so if a particular art style appeals to you, try to find a therapist that practices with that style.

IRIDOLOGY

If you've ever looked into someone else's eyes to see if they were lying to you, you were practicing a rudimentary form of iridology.

This alternative medicine practice is not widely known, but it entails the study of the iris of the eye (the colored part) to see what kinds of illnesses may be present in the body.

By comparing the iris coloring to a particular iridology chart, the practitioner can help to find a potential problem and begin to formulate a treatment plan.

On these iris charts are a sort of map of the body in relation to features that show up in the iris.  For example, if you have a certain fleck in one part of your eye, it's thought that you might have more problems with your digestion, etc.

But this does not mean that iridology is something that can diagnose an illness or a disease.

Instead, the patterns and the colors of the eye are meant to help the practitioner determine whether a patient needs further testing and treatment.

Iridology is used in the following way:

• The practitioner employs a flashlight, a magnifying glass and some sort of recording device that allows them to take a picture of the iris.

• Over time, the practitioner watches for changes in the iris.

• By comparing the changes to an iridology chart, the practitioner can help the patient see what might be going on in their body.

But understandably, there is a lot of skepticism about this form of alternative medicine.

Since everyone's eyes vary during their lives, it seems like every trip to get them checked out would yield a new finding and potentially a new disease and need for treatment.

But physicians – naturopaths, for example, who use iridology as just another tool in their assessment of a patient - find that it helps to guide them to areas of the body to check in testing.

And since the process is painless and risk free, there's no side effects.

ROLFING

While this form of alternative medicine sounds harsh, rolfing is actually just another form of tissue manipulation – like massage is.

But instead of focusing on the relief of muscular tension, rolfing works on restoring the balance of the body in relation to gravity.  By helping to realign the body and to adjust the motion it follows during activity, rolfing helps a patient:

• Improve their posture
• Reduce their pain
• Experience fewer headaches and overall body aches
• Have easier breathing
• Enjoy more energy

Acting in a similar way to deep tissue massage, rolfing is the manipulation of the connective tissues in order to 'teach' the body to hold itself properly.

When your body can support itself correctly, you will be able to prevent misalignments that can cause injury and disease. 

Because our muscles and connective tissue can become tightened over time – especially with our sedentary jobs – it's easy for them to fall into positions which are not healthy for our well being.

Rolfing works on the connective tissues in the body and teaches them to release this tension for good.

For most people, rolfing is not the painful experience that many have heard it to be.  It is simply a deeper massage that helps restore energy in the body, rather than relaxing the body.

While you will feel relaxed after a rolfing treatment, more patients report being energized by the process.

Some clients will have pain during their treatments, especially if they have very tight muscles or they haven't been active in a few years.  But this pain subsides quickly as the muscles are moved into a healthy arrangement.

And unlike massage, rolfing's effects will last long after the initial treatment.

MASSAGE

Few people in the world would turn down a massage, if offered to them.

The gentle or firm caress of the skin helps to release muscular tension while also helping to realign the body so that it is free of pain and tightness.  Unlike rolfing, massage is focused on the release of stress within the muscles – not necessarily helping the body balance itself.

Of course, this can be a welcome 'side effect.'

Massage works through the direct manipulation of the muscles with the hands and body weight. 

A masseuse will push into the layers of muscle until they feel them release.  By using a number of techniques, the massage therapist can attack various tense spots and help them loosen up.

They aren't using their hands to push the muscles either, but rather they are using their body weight to help the hands sink into the muscle layers. 

For example, on your back near the shoulders, there are several layers of muscles that can be stimulated.  Some massage practitioners will start by relaxing the outer muscles, allowing the inner muscles to become exposed and accessible for more stimulation.

It's a long and drawn out process, but since much muscle tension is deeper than the surface, it's necessary for getting the full benefits of the massage.

These techniques include:

• Kneading  taking pieces of flesh or muscle into the hands and rubbing

• Tapping  using the tips of the fingers to tap at the muscles

• Cupping  cupping the hands to help release muscular tension

• Stroking  using a lighter touch to sooth the outer muscles

These techniques are aided with a specially designed massage table that will support the body and place it in the proper position for the masseuse to access the muscles they need to touch.

The massage therapist will also use massage oils, lotions, or gels to help the hands move easily along the skin.

This helps the pressure be even on the muscles that are being manipulated, plus it soothes the client and helps them relax into the massage session.

Massage can take on many different forms:

• Deep tissue massage  This massage is best for those with extreme muscular tension.  For those who sit at their desks all day or those who workout regularly, deep tissue massage will work hard to soothe sore muscles.  While this can be too painful for some people, it's certainly going to reduce your tension.

• Swedish massage  The most often taught and used massage, Swedish massage uses long strokes to help release tension in the body.

• Sports massage  This is used on professional athletes when they are injured or after an intense workout, but it can also be used on average runners and aerobic fanatics.  By working on the muscles, the massage therapist helps to break up the lactic acid that builds up and causes soreness.

• Myofascial release  By working on the face, the therapist helps to relieve tension that surrounds the shoulders and the neck.  This helps to realign the spinal column in order to promote health.

But there are also Hellerwork, barefoot, craniosacral, neuromuscular, shiatsu, hot stone massage and many others.

Just as everyone likes a certain favorite food, there will probably be one type of massage that works better for you than any other one.  Make sure to try out several different kinds of massage when you're first trying out massage for your aches and pains.

The benefits of massage include:

• Reduced pain
• Less muscle tension
• Fewer headaches
• More flexibility
• Less soreness after a workout
• Increased circulation
• Improved lymphatic system function

Not that you needed any more reasons to schedule a massage.

Massage should be done on a regular basis in order to reap the most benefits.  Once to twice a week is a good suggestion for the beginner to massage.

You can find massage therapist at some chiropractic offices, spas, and massage therapy offices.

After you have a massage, it's a good idea to drink plenty of water in order to flush out any toxins that may have accumulated as the tissues of your body are stimulated.