Blue Orchid Massage Blog

Homemade Facial Scrubs and Masks

7/21/2017

In addition to making your face feel clean and renewed, a good facial scrub can prevent breakouts and exfoliate dry skin. Next time you're ready for a facial, try making a scrub or mask at home: you'll save money, and with a little practice you can swap out ingredients and create a unique blend that suits your preferences.

Chamomile and Oatmeal Scrub

Best for: Normal to Oily Skin types
¼ cup chamomile tea (brewed and cooled)
¼ cup oatmeal (lightly ground)
2 Tbsp honey
2 drops almond oil

Combine all ingredients. Gently rub all face, leave on for a few minutes than wash off with warm water.

Oatmeal Exfoliating Scrub

2 heaped tsp fine oatmeal
1 tsp baking soda.

Combine with enough water to make a thick paste. Leave on for a few minutes than wash off with warm water.

Egg White Mask

1 egg white
1 teaspoon of orange juice
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder

Whisk egg white, orange juice and turmeric powder together. Leave mask on for 10 to 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water.

Honey Lip Scrub

1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
2 tsp white sugar
A dash of lemon juice.

Mix ingredients together to make a sugary paste. Gently sweep mixture back and forth over lips.

Honey, Lemon and Oatmeal Facial Scrub

4 Tbls honey
1 tsp lemon juice
½ cup oatmeal
¼ cup buttermilk

Grind oatmeal in blender or food processor. Combine honey, lemon and buttermilk in bowl with ground oatmeal. Mix until it becomes a paste. Use on face and neck for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Avocado Mask

1/2 ripe avocado
1 teaspoon plain yogurt
1 teaspoon of honey
1 teaspoon virgin olive oil

Mash avocado until it's soft then mix in yogurt, honey, and olive oil until it forms a paste. Use on face and neck for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

9 Ways To Relieve Plantar Fasciitis Pain

7/16/2017

What Is Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a chronic inflammation of the "bowstring-like" plantar fascia ligament that stretches underneath the sole. The plantar fascia supports the arch in your foot, acting like a shock-absorber. If tension and stress become too great, small tears can develop in the fascia that become inflamed and irritated.

The main symptoms are:

Heel pain
Foot pain
Stiffness
Tenderness

Pain is usually the worst right after awakening with the first few steps, after long periods of standing, or rising from sitting, and worse after exercise.

What Causes Plantar Fasciitis

Standing on your feet for a long time.
If you have recently started to exercise, increased your workout, or exercise on a different surface.
Wearing shoes with poor arch support or poor cushioning.
Tight calf muscles or Achilles tendon
Injury to the foot
Pregnancy
Obesity

Often there is no apparent reason for plantar fasciitis

What You Can Do To Relieve The Pain

Plantar Fasciitis Stretches

Plantar Fascia Massage

Rest
Stop or reduce any activities that may cause your foot to hurt. Avoid walking or running on hard surfaces.

Physioadvisor.com.au

Ankle exercises
Write the alphabet with your feet every night. This will increase circulation and strengthen the ankle muscles.

Ice and Heat
Ice your heel at least once a day. You can also use contrast baths, which alternate hot and cold water. Make sure to end with a cold bath. You can also use a heating pad on the low setting.

Frozen Water Bottle
Roll a frozen water bottle under your foot. This can be especially helpful in the morning. You can also freeze and use a golf ball instead.

Supportive Footwear
Wear shoes that have the right arch support and heel cushioning for your feet. Your doctor may do a gait analysis to identify problem areas and prescribe orthotic inserts.

Splint At Night
Wear a splint at night to stretch the plantar fascia ligament and the Achilles tendon.

Physical Therapy
Your physical therapist can instruct you in a series of exercises to stretch the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon and to strengthen lower leg muscles, which stabilize your ankle and heel.

Are You Stretching Properly?

7/14/2017

Several studies have been done the last few years focused on the proper time to stretch.
What they’ve found is pretty amazing and completely opposite of how most of us stretch today.

The Findings

Static stretching before exercise is counter-productive and could be potentially harmful. Think of it like extending a rubber band to its limit. When you stretch to the maximum you are more likely to pull a muscle.
When stretching before exercise, your body may think it is being overstretched. To make up for this, your muscles contract and become short and tense. The result is you aren't able to move as freely or as fast.
It was discovered that static stretching before exercise has a negative impact on athletic performance regardless of the subject’s age, gender or fitness level.
Several studies have found static stretching before playing sports makes you slower and weaker!

What should you do instead?

Warm up with a light jog. You want to increase your heart rate and blood flow to the muscles, which also warms up the body.
Dynamic stretching mimics the body’s movements during physical activity with running, jumping, kicking and pumping motions, and primes muscle groups that will be used during a full workout.
Once you're done with your work-out, stretch to your hearts content!

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports

8 Ways To Relieve Carpal Tunnel Pain

7/11/2017

What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when the median nerve is compressed or pinched in the carpal tunnel.

The median nerve and 9 tendons run through the narrow, rigid carpal tunnel at the base of the wrist.
The median nerve runs from the forearm to the hand and provides sensation to the palm side of the thumb, the first and second fingers and part of the ring finger (but not the little finger.)
Swelling or thickening of the lining of irritated tendons narrows the space in the carpal tunnel and causes compression of the median nerve. The result may be weakness, numbness, tingling, or pain in hand or fingers (except the little finger). Some people may experience pain in their forearm or elbow.

What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Diabetes
Thyroid dysfunction
Pregnancy or menopause
Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis
Fractures or trauma to the wrist
Poor positioning of wrists while using keyboard or mouse
Prolonged exposure to vibrations from using power tools or hand tools
Repeated movements that overextend your wrist

What You Can Do To Relieve The Pain

Ice
Apply ice to your wrists and forearms twice a day for 15 to 20 minutes each time. The cold reduces swelling and helps ease the pain.

Heat
Immerse your hand and forearms in warm water — temperature between 92 and 100 degrees — and gently move and flex your hand and wrist. Repeat three to four times a day.

Rest
If you do any activity that flexes or bends your wrists repeatedly, you should take a 5 minute break every hour. During this time you can stretch and ice your wrists and forearms.

Splint
Wearing a splint at night keeps the wrist in a neutral position, alleviating compression on the nerve. You should also wear a splint during any activities that bring on symptoms or pain.

Professional Massage
Massage helps by breaking down scar tissue and adhesions in the muscles of the wrists. Your therapist will also massage and stretch the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the forearm, wrist and hand, relieving pressure on the median nerve.

Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a natural alternative to try, especially before deciding on surgery for carpal tunnel. Acupuncture can reduce pain and increase mobility. It can also work as a complementary treatment if you do need surgery, as acupuncture can speed up your recovery process. Learn More

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