by Pallas Hutchison
Have you ever noticed that people take better care of their cars than they do their bodies? Cars get regular oil changes, tune ups, maintenence to prevent major issues. When it comes to their health, people wait for something to go wrong before fixing it. Essentially, our culture has become reactive instead of proactive about our health. But how can you take care of someone else, whether as a parent, a teacher, or a healthcare provider, if you cannot first take care of yourself? This hypocrisy runs rampant in our current healthcare system. A great example of this is a personal experience I had a few years ago. My primary physician told me during a routine physical that I am obese. This one-sided diagnosis was based soley on a height/weight ratio. They didn't take into account my fitness level (muscle weighs more than fat after all), my diet, or the fact that I've had kids. Now, I am not a small woman but I can do what I need to without getting winded; I am comfortable in my own skin. The doctor in question is a small, round man that requires suspenders to keep his pants on. (I now have a different doctor.) The United States healthcare system should incorporate more holistic, Eastern concepts. I will prove to you the value of holistic healthcare first, by explaining what holistic healthcare means and give you an overview of the treatments available. Second, I will outline and compare Western and Eastern healthcare philosophies. Third, I will explain how utilizing these options can reduce the occurence of chronic conditions using personal experiences. Some terminology needs defining before we go any further. The term 'holistic' means it treats the entire being, not just a single organ system or joint dysfunction. It means that the mental and emotional state is taken into consideration. Somatization, a physical manifestation with emotional or psychological origins, is a concept that has been scientifically proven, accepted and subsequently ignored by the mainstream medical community. Alternative medicine is a term used to encompass most non-Western medical treatments. Complementary is the term that gets used when these alternative treatments are combined with traditional western medicine. Although the types of complementary and alternative healthcare options available vary by country and influence, they all include dietary guidelines (which includes herbal products or supplements), exercise, different types of bodywork, and relaxation techniques. The most commonly known are acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractics (spinal manipulation) and yoga. Yoga includes more than just the Western culture's use of exercise. Relaxation techniques include breathing exercises, guided imagery, mediation, prayer, and progressive muscle relaxation. Movement therapies include Feldenkrais method, Alexander technique, Pilates, Rolfing, Structural Integration, and Trager psychophysical integration. Tai Chi and Qi Gong are both from traditional Chinese medicine and combine movement, breathwork and focused mental stimulation. India gave birth to Ayurvedic medicine. Both Eastern and Western healthcare philosophies discuss homeostasis, or balance but the Western healthcare system only touches on the physical aspect of homeostasis briefly, without applying it to treatment plans or diagnostics. Eastern healthcare systems address the entire person, identifying and treating the cause as well as any symptoms that are present. Eastern healthcare teaches a healthy lifestyle. Western healthcare revolves around the physical ailments. Often, it just masks or eliminates the symptoms with pharmaceuticals. The United States healthcare system should incorporate for holistic, Eastern concepts because this will reduce the number of sufferers with chronic conditions. It is common knowledge that the human body is composed of multiple systems and other substances that function interdependently to create an intricate organism. People don't seem to draw the correlation between treating the whole body instead of just the aching joint. Countries with more holistic healthcare options have less occurrences of chronic conditions. My daughter has seasonal allergies. The doctor told me to give her Claritin or Zyrtec daily, which worked but had side effects. The holistic approach we use now is essential oils and local honey. To get ahead of the histamine reactions, we diffuse a blend of eucalyptus and lemon essential oils while she sleeps; this combination of oils supports the respiratory system. By introducing the pollen in the form of honey, her body can learn how to process it and reduce the histamine reaction; this is focusing on the cause. I know some people say that getting alternative healthcare treatments aren't a cost-effective option. However, insurance companies are beginning to recognize the value of, and cover or reimburse for, alternative medicine as preventative and rehabilitative care. Many practitioners offer sliding scale fees, wellness programs, &/or a discounted cash rate. Most choose their field because they wish to help people, not get rich. I also know that some people say it isn't as scientifically proven or backed by as much research as traditional, Western medicine. Drs Swartzberg & Malden, authors of the Wellness Self-Care Handbook, acknowledge the potential benefit from alternative healthcare options of acupuncture, chiropractics and massage but caution consumers against utilizing unregulated or unlicensed practitioners. In the last decade, a plethora of research, including double-blind trials and case studies, that have been published in numerous medical journals. Now you know more about the Eastern healthcare concepts and why integrating the holistic care into our current healthcare system will be beneficial. Western medicine is effective in treating emergencies; you can't cure a broken leg with an herb. However, medications are often overprescribed and holistic treatments are largely ignored by the mainstream consumers. As healthcare consumers, you can demand healthcare options that doesn't have a lengthy list of side effects. If you aren't willing to advocate your health, who else is?
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7/1/2015 0 Comments Learning Empathyby Pallas Hutchison
As a massage therapist, I specialize in pain management. I enjoy the challenge of identifying the specific muscle(s) involved and find fulfillment in removing that pain for my clients. No one should have to live in pain. I believe that statement to the very core of my being but sympathy for my client's pain is not empathy. As with many things, I learned empathy the hard way. In January 2015, I ended up in the emergency room with unexplained and excruciating pain. I didn't cry or scream during the birth of either child; I did both now. Despite the care of the EMTs, I screamed and passed out when transferred from their gurney to a hospital bed. After multiple tests, three different doctors prescribed different sets of medication but none could explain the source of the pain. Minor issues popped up but none should have left me completely debilitated, even when combined. Through all of this, fear permeated every cell of my body. I couldn't follow logic through the maze of pain. I had not injured myself; I simply woke up unable to move. Despite the doctors' willingness to prescribe medication, they kept asking if I was a junkie. Their insistence filled me with anger and embarrassment. The fear had intensified. If I couldn't find a cause, how could I fix it? The pain would never go away or I would become dependent on painkillers to function. For the weeks following, I needed help to walk. Using a walker at 30 brought feelings of shame and humiliation. I felt pathetic. Thankfully, this occurred during brutal snowstorms so client's were snowed in and school was cancelled. I had an excuse not to leave the house. The few occasions I did venture to a store, I felt the young clerks eyes following me. I don't know if she felt pity or disgust. Inwardly, I cringed, imagining she felt both. I had not realized how much pride I had. Since the doctors offered only pills and no answers, I turned to what I knew: alternative medicine. A friend and colleague used a combination acupuncture and massage to reduce the pain. A month and eight sessions later, I could move without a walker or a cane but the cause remained unknown. Next came physical therapy to help strengthen weak areas in hopes of preventing a relapse; it is still ongoing. After receiving a crash course in chronic pain, I am surprised to discover that pain is not my biggest problem. The feelings of helplessness, anger, fear, and shame are harder to combat. What I feel I should be able to do doesn't align with what I am actually able to do. Accepting my physical limitations will take time. Eventually, I may be able to return to martial arts but most days I'm happy to be able to carry laundry up the stairs or weed my garden. by Pallas Hutchison Last March, I introduced two product lines to my business. They both integrate easily into a massage practice. Becoming a distributor means that Oasis Massage earns commission on product sales, which provides an additional income stream. Low initial cost makes them even more attractive. I’ve hit a snag with this however. Retail products need to promote what I want my business to promote. To know if a product is a good fit, I have to spell out what I want my business to represent. The first product line is Young Living essential oils. Objectively, they provide an easy up-sell opportunity as an add-on for services and a retail item for clients to use on their own to improve their health. Subjectively, I have been studying and experimenting with essential oils since 2005; selling them at my business gives me access to wholesale pricing for personal use. I look forward to introducing classes on essential oils to share their uses and benefits as well as teach people to make their own products. Clients have shown interest and overall, I consider this a successful endeavor. The other product is the ItWorks body product line. Over the years, I’ve had many people ask about skinny wraps or cellulite treatments. I’ve always been hesitant to offer them. For one, they seem pretty hokey. For two, I’m not sure they fit with my business. The simplified concept behind the body wrap product, the most popular item in the product line, is botanicals remove waste products stored in fat calls resulting in a slimmer target area. I like that they aren’t intended as a substitute for a healthy lifestyle; rather they enhance one. To my surprise, they actually work. I tried one on my “mommy-tummy” and saw enough results that people began commenting. My concern isn’t in the product itself. It’s in the message that the product seems to be sending. It’s taken two months to fully identify why I haven’t been comfortable promoting this product. Other distributors kept offering suggestions on how to use other products in the line to create new services or promotional ideas to let people know that Oasis Massage was offering this great new product. The word ‘skinny’ kept coming up. Skinny is not synonymous with healthy. The other distributors appeal to vanity, not health. I’m not comfortable selling ‘skinny.’ I’ve mentioned previously that my sister had a hard time with body image as a child. Society, the media, the ballet community, and her siblings taught her that her body was not beautiful, that she was not beautiful, because she was not skinny. These two photos are of my little sister. The first one shows us together (she’s on the right) in Oregon in 1989. The other was taken in California in 2009. I won’t speculate as to her current feelings about body image but I will say that she has grown into a beautiful and outwardly confident woman. Promoting this product line makes me feel like I am passing judgement, like I am saying to my friends and clients “You’re fat; you need to lose weight.” Additionally, I am teaching my children this lesson indirectly as well. I want to heal people, not bring them down, not add to whatever insecurities they have. The question becomes how can I, as a business owner, promote a product that could put someone in that same head space? I can’t. I won’t.
What started out as a practical business decision, income diversification, has turned into a moral and ethical dilemma. What do I – and, by extension, my business – stand for? Writing this blog has reinforced my certainty. I won’t sell ‘skinny’ to my clients. Health isn’t a number on a scale or the size of a waistband. Health is the body working, as it is supposed to, to achieve homeostasis. Health incorporates all aspects of life and includes the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs of the being. By teaching my clients about self-care and promoting self-awareness, they can make informed choices about their lifestyle. The links below are provided to show how body image gets distorted for men and women. Most links are videos that show some inspiring projects about self-image. Recommended Links: 6/11/2015 1 Comment Life Without a Microwaveby Pallas Hutchison
When I moved in June 2013, I made the decision to toss out my old microwave and not replace it. A few people commented that I may miss it but in truth, I didn’t. I quickly adapted to using an actual kettle to heat water for tea and cocoa. The following March, a friend signed up as a Pampered Chef consultant and I agreed to host a party for her, not realizing she would need a microwave. Her dismay to find that appliance missing added a bit of comedy to the event. Some things I’ve noticed about life without a microwave:
Here’s some other blogs about life without a microwave:
6/4/2015 1 Comment Emotions & the Pain Cycleby Pallas Hutchison Still on the topic of stress, let’s look at emotions. Did you know that they can have a psychosomatic effect on the body? That means emotions can create a physical change. Sometimes, this is a good thing. Forcing a smile can improve your mood because it causes both dopamine and serotonin to release in the brain. Serotonin and dopamine are pleasure hormones. On the other hand, “those suffering from depression will often experience chest pains, even when there’s nothing physically wrong with their heart” (Mercola). Imagine this scenario: Someone you care about dies. You grieve. While you’re grieving, you develop a medical condition. You get scared/upset/angry and you still grieve. Your condition gets worse. You get depressed as well as scared/angry/upset and you still grieve. It’s a vicious downward spiral, leaving you feeling out of control emotionally and physically. The cycle has to stop somewhere. There has to a point where you take control of your life again. There is a link below to several research articles done to validate the concept of emotions having a psychosomatic effect. I’m not trying to sell the idea to you. I’m more interested in how to combat the cycle.
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Pricing current as of January 1, 2024 ; subject to change without notice.
Pricing current as of January 1, 2024 ; subject to change without notice.