Do You Have Hip Pain (Sciatica)? Did You Know Your Acupuncturist Can Help?

Do You Have Hip Pain (Sciatica)? Did You Know Your Acupuncturist Can Help?

If you’re living with hip pain, you know how bad it can be. Surgery is expensive as well as risky. So, what should you do to get rid of your hip pain? Have you considered Acupuncture?

First let’s talk about the different types of hip pain, as well as some of their causes.

Hip Pain Caused by Sciatica

You may have people talk about their sciatica acting up. Your sciatic nerve is a large set of nerves that starts in your lower back and your sacrum, where your lower back is fused to your vertebrae. This is between your hip bones and pelvis.

The sciatic nerve can get pinched by the muscles and joints it runs under. A few of the causes of Sciatica are:

  • Bulging or Herniated Disc. You have “disc disorder” if your back’s discs are bulging or herniated. Bulging discs are known as contained disc disorders which means their gel-like center is still inside, or contained, by their outer wall. Herniated discs, as opposed to bulging discs, are called non-contained disorders.
  • Spinal Stenosis in the Lumbar. Spinal Stenosis is the name for a nerve compression disorder. This usually happens with older adults, but not always. A common cause of spinal stenosis is degenerative arthritis.
  • This funny word is a disorder that usually affects your lumbar spine. You get Spondylolisthesis when one of your vertebra slips out of place. This causes the spinal nerve root to compress, and frequently makes sciatic leg and hip pain.
  • Sometimes, you get sciatica the old-fashioned way; from an injury. If you’re in a car accident, or you’ve fallen, or even if you’re just playing football, you might compress your nerves and get sciatica.

Hip Pain Caused by Iliotibial Band Syndrome

If you’ve developed Iliotibial Band Syndrome, also known as IT band syndrome, your Iliotibial band becomes inflamed, and rubs the outside of your knee joint. This can give you pain throughout your legs as well as your hips. The more Iliotibial Band Syndrome is ignored, the worse it gets, and the more hip pain you’ll experience. Make sure you’re taking care of it immediately. These are the common causes of Iliotibial Band Syndrome:

  • The most common way you’ll get IT band syndrome is overuse. There are usually other things that contribute to your IT band syndrome, however, the main characterization of IT band syndrome is overuse.
  • Tight Tissues. If your muscles are tight in your hips, as well as along the side of your leg, this can cause or contribute to IT band syndrome.
  • Weak Hip Muscles. According to research from Stanford, weak hip muscles are one of the bigger causes of IT band syndrome. If you have weak muscles in your hip, your running form breaks down. This puts a lot of stress on your knee’s tissues, for this reason, you can get IT band syndrome from weak hip muscles.
  • Poor Running form. As mentioned above, if you’re using a poor running form. This could cause your IT band syndrome.

So, What Can an Acupuncturist Do?

Acupuncture works by relaxing tight muscles, improving blood circulation, regulating the nervous system, and releasing neurotransmitters to reduce pain. Acupuncture has been shown to be an effective treatment for sciatica without the side effects of prescription pain medications like NSAIDs and muscle relaxers.

There are many techniques and strategies to manage and fix back pain and hip pain. If you’re suffering, call (310) 652-3200, email, or use our contact form to see how we can help you feel better and pain-free.

5 Ways to Stay Mentally Sharp With Age

Staying sharp with age is high on the list of many. Nobody wants to feel a noticeable mental decline or like they aren’t as smart as they once were. Being proactive about this aspect of health is essential to maintaining a healthy brain. Here are 5 ways to sharpen your mind as you age: 

Sleep

Getting a full night of sleep every night is like taking a sip from the fountain of youth. Sleep is a sure way to improve memory and cognitive function overall. With that being said, make sure to do everything in your power to ensure that you are getting to sleep at a reasonable hour. This may mean putting the phone down an hour before bed and meditating. It is crucial to mental longevity that the sleep schedule is on par with health standards.

Eating the Right Foods 

Usually, we don’t connect the food we eat to how our brain functions, which should change. The food you eat can make you think clearer and maintain better mental function with age. Our brain loves fatty foods like healthy oils, avocados, and coconut milk. Anything rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids is going to be good for your mind with age.

Pick up a Hobby that is Right-Brained and Stay Active 

Artistic activity helps mental concentration, so take a painting class or join a book club. Activities where you use your brain keep you sharp and thinking on your feet. This also improves mood and can make the transition into older ages easier. For even more of a mental boost, do these activities with others. Being social keeps you healthy and improves multi-tasking skills.

Exercise is also a fantastic hobby to stay awake and mentally aware. Exercise also reduces endorphins, which helps with mood and mental clarity. Getting in a steady exercise routine is recommended throughout life and especially as you get older.

Age doesn’t have to be scary, take these tips, and maintain the best cognitive level that you can for the rest of your life.

Three Holistic Treatments That Will Help You Sleep Easier

Three Holistic Treatments That Will Help You Sleep Easier

Even though sleep deprivation is viewed as a benign problem in America, it can lead to a severe decline in your mental and physical state as you age. According to a study by Neuroscientist Adrian Owen, people who sleep less than four hours perform duties as if they were almost nine years older. Increasing your sleeping hours can reduce that consequence; however, that extra shut-eye time often doesn’t come easy for some people. Instead of forcing your eyes to close or taking vasts amount of sleeping medication, we wanted to provide some alternative holistic treatments that can maximize your sleep and overall health.

  • Massage Therapy

The soothing muscle contractions and neurotransmitter stimulation during massages increase muscle relaxation and your brain’s ability to sleep quicker. The type of massage treatments that are the most effective is Deep tissue, Swedish, and Myofascial release.

  • Acupuncture

Sterile needles precisely placed by a qualified acupuncturist improve circulation and reduce pain and stress. Many studies have shown that properly executed acupuncture treatments can actually help those who suffer from sleep apnea.

You can receive all of these treatments and more at Relax Holistic.  We are conveniently located in West Hollywood,

4 Benefits of Practicing Meditation

Meditation is great for all ages but becomes increasingly helpful during stressful times and with age. Meditation benefits spiritual, physical, and mental sectors of life. Making a goal to meditate more has the potential to add a multitude of benefits to the value of your lifestyle. Here are four specific benefits that meditation could bring to your life:

Good for the Heart 

Meditation has been shown to improve hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and high cortisol. With that being said, it could positively impact your heart health. It could provide a natural cure for conditions that harm heart health.

Regulates Sleep Schedule 

Mind tired and body wired? Meditation can help the mind and body get on the same track. This could mean an easier time going to sleep and relaxing the mind and body when the time comes. Meditation can potentially cure insomnia with practice and in combination with other holistic health practices.

Increases Strength of Mental Health 

Meditation is a way to take a step back and look at the here and now. Learning to be still and clear the mind is a skill that will be applicable in nearly any stressful situation. Practicing meditation will allow your mind to handle stress and anxiety in a multitude of situations better. Meditation has been proven to give the mind more control over sleep, which has helped some insomniacs with their struggles getting to sleep.

Meditation also helps those with depression. Studies have shown that groups who have practiced meditation have shown fewer cases of depression and anxiety. Meditation decreases ruminative thinking and negative thoughts. It also has been found to help those struggling with an addiction to alcohol or other substances.

Weight Loss 

Meditation allows the mind and body to connect and listen to each other. This might help you realize that your body wants more natural foods and physical exercise. The mind has the potential to become increasingly aware of what the body needs to live fully. Meditation allows those struggling with their weight to look within and see what is best for their body and lifestyle. It allows you to think clearly while not being self-critical. 

Meditation increases the mind-body connection that leads to a happy spiritual, mental, and physical balance. A life full of mindfulness and meditation is life on a path towards balance and fulfillment.

Detox Teas: Do They Actually Work?

These Instagram famous detox teas have gotten some attention from celebrities, followers, and doctors because of their claimed effectiveness. Cardi B and Kylie Jenner are two of the celebrities who have claimed that Teami Blends tea is what keeps them from getting bloated.

Fit Tea, Flat Tummy Tea, and MateFit are some other brands that celebrities such as Hilary Duff and Kim Kardashian gush about. Can we attribute the health of these celebs to these detox teas?

There is More to Health than Drinking a Magic Tea

Tea alone won’t make you miraculously look slim and glowing. There is more to health than that. This is the main message that health experts want people to know when trying to live a healthy lifestyle. If you eat unhealthily but drink your Flat Tummy Tea before bed, you aren’t necessarily going to feel and look 100%. This always seemed common sense, but some health professionals are saying that all this tea is… is tea. There might actually be nothing significant about these detox teas.

It May Reduce Water Weight, but So Will Any Laxative 

Nutritionists say that some of these teas contain laxatives. Laxatives may help you lose water weight, but the water weight will be gained right back next time you drink water. This might give users the effect of reduced bloating, but this is in now way detoxing your body from anything but water. 

Lack of Regulation is a Concern 

Health professionals are concerned because the FDA does not regulate these teas. These teas haven’t proven any substantial results, and manufacturers can add anything they want in these teas. Team has stated that their ingredients are 100% all-natural. CNN contacted the other tea brands, and they refused to comment.

What are the Risks? 

These teas can be pricey, so investing in a tea that isn’t going to reap any results should be enough to think twice. Some of the teas contain Vitamin K, which in excess can result to blood clotting. Valerian root is another potential ingredient that can react with anti-anxiety medicines or anti-depressants.

With this being said, drinking tea is great. Stick to green tea or matcha to get some safe and natural health benefits. Weight loss is best reached by pursuing a holistic health routine. Exercise and a natural diet will give sustainable results that will leave you feeling better than detox tea ever will.

Five Ways to Naturally Increase Cognitive Function

Diet, exercise, mental health care and small lifestyle changes  can make a huge difference in the way the brain works. Feeding our minds the right nutrients is crucial to staying alert and focused. These five tips can make or break daily productivity, increase cognitive function and decrease the chances of Alzheimer’s.

1.Eating Certain Foods

There is no single food that can promise strong cognitive function forever, but there are foods that have been proven to increase brain power. A diet high in leafy vegetables such as: broccoli, spinach and kale may help slow cognitive decline.

Naturally fatty foods also feed the brain. Some of these foods are: coconut milk, nuts, avocados and fish. Foods high in fat can decrease chances of Alzheimer’s disease.

2. Exercise 

Regular exercise changes the brain to improve cognitive function, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Exercise reduces anxiety, helps sleep patterns and increases quality of life. Exercise is great for the brain because it often clears the mind and allows relaxation. This might seem like it would exhaust the brain, but it actually increases focus. Exercise helps the mind fall asleep better at night also.

3. Getting the Right Amount of Sleep

Exercise helps the mind and body wind down and get to sleep, which is another essential lifestyle pattern that is best for brain activity. Nobody works well or can focus with lack of sleep. It may be fine for one night, but the body and brain take far too long to recover from poor sleeping habits. This confuses the mind and decreases focus. It is important to have a steady sleep schedule so the brain can take a break at night and feel recharged for the next day.

4. Avoiding These Foods

Stay away from bread and sweets, no matter how tempting. Eating healthy foods instead of reaching for a muffin at lunch can save the mind from crashing mid-afternoon. The sleepiness that happens after lunch is from eating the wrong foods that aren’t doing the mind any favors. It may be hard to stay away from unhealthy carbs and refined sugars, but the energy levels will be rewarding and make this lifestyle change worth it.

5. Meditation 

A Forbes article discusses that meditation can preserve the aging brain. Meditation also eases anxiety and depression, which can lead to a healthier life and increased focus. One study found that just 2 weeks of meditation increased the focus and memory for students taking the GRE. In a previous Relax Holistic blog post, we discuss how to begin a meditation regimen today.

Being conscious of how lifestyle choices affect cognitive function will bring the body one step closer to a healthier, happier life. These 5 tips are doable for most lifestyles and worth trying for the noticeable increase in brain function that will follow.

Four Overlooked Foods That Can Help You Live a Healthier Life

Four Overlooked Foods That Can Help You Live a Healthier Life

Sooner or later, everyone faces the question, “Should I start eating healthier? If so, what foods will truly make me healthy?” We’ve put together a list of some of the most nutrient packed overlooked foods that can make you healthy and improve your overall well-being.

1. Cauliflower

They might not be appealing, however, Cauliflower is one of the most surprisingly healthy foods you can eat. If you implement cauliflower into your diet, you can gain nutrients like potassium and vitamins C, K, and B6. You can easily add it to any dish and they are a lot more delicious than you would imagine.

2. Grapefruits

A commonly overlooked food, Grapefruits, can provide a bounty of health benefits you would not expect. Grapefruits work as an excellent source to curb any large food cravings due to its high composition of water. Grapefruits also have minerals and vitamins that can flush toxins out and help you have cleaner skin.

3. Avocados

Avocados are loaded with a large amount of vitamins that aren’t typically found in one single food. A single 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving can provide you with vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, Potassium, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, and vitamin E. Avocados are also a good source to lower blood sugar levels as well as reduce physical ailments. Who knew that one small fruit could pack such a punch?

4. Brown Rice

Love rice, but want kick it out of your diet? Then move onto the healthier alternative, brown rice. Brown rice provides high levels of manganese, is a good source for fiber, and is less sugary than normal white rice. However, you must make sure that you wash brown rice before you cook it in order to get rid of any toxins.

5 Ways Acupuncture Helps Patients After Head Injuries

acupuncture

Acupuncture and Healing

According to research by the American Stroke Association, a person under 50 increases the chance of suffering a stroke by three times after an injury to the head or neck. These findings are extremely important in modern medicine. However, research is also showing that acupuncture is a great treatment option for those who have suffered damage due to a stroke.

In fact, acupuncture is already the most popular treatment modality for stroke patients in China. Chinese practitioners have effectively used holistic health treatments like acupuncture on patients for centuries. Patients who receive acupuncture treatments twice a week for ten weeks report significant improvements in their balance, walking, and mobility. It also promotes a good overall mood and positive emotions. With more ease in their daily activities, patients see an improvement in their quality of life.

Causes of Stroke after Injury

Scientists have found that a major cause of stroke after a serious head or neck trauma is due to tears in the blood vessels of the head or neck from the injury. If these artery damages can be assessed at the time of the injury, an acupuncturist can treat a patient to help heal the injuries quickly and efficiently. With treatment, patients can help to prevent a stroke in the future. Because of this, it now appears that acupuncture can actually help reduce the risk of a future stroke in people who have suffered prior head or neck injuries. So how does this ancient holistic medicine practice help? Here are a few ways that acupuncture helps to prevent strokes after a head or neck injury:

Acupuncture Can Facilitate Nerve Regeneration

Research has proven that acupuncture helps to repair damaged nerves. Tests from researchers demonstrate that patients who received treatments show increased nerve regeneration. There have even been some interesting case histories involving re-wiring taking place in the brain following damage to the spinal cord. However, this has not been fully tested yet. Of course, every case is unique. The best advice is to visit a licensed acupuncturist. They can give a face to face assessment of what treatments might be possible given a patient’s own unique and specific circumstances

Prevents the Aggregation of Blood Cells

When blood cells aggregate, they tend to stick together. This process occurs more often around tears in blood vessels or skin, such as after an injury. This is similar to how your blood coagulates on your skin after you receive a cut that breaks the skin. However, when blood cells coagulate around blood vessels in the head or neck, a stroke can occur. Regular acupuncture treatments keep the flow of blood regular and help prevent this aggregation of blood cells.

Dilates Blood Vessels by Triggering the Release of Hormones

In addition, acupuncture helps to stimulate the local sensory nerve endings in the skin and muscles in a patient’s head and neck. Nerve endings there send impulses into the spinal cord and brain. However, these nerve endings also release various chemical substances into local tissues that are near the treatment of acupuncture. These chemicals help local blood vessels to dilate, which causes blood flow to increase. Both of these help to promote local tissue healing.

Helps Surviving Nerve Cells Find New Pathways

Nerve endings create impulses that travel into the spinal cord. Research has recently shown that acupuncture has a stimulating effect on brain cells. This stimulation causes a proliferation of new cells in the brain. These biochemical responses also stimulate nerve endings, causing them to induce regeneration if possible. In fact, according to scientific researchers, acupuncture has been shown to “increase the release of nerve growth factors (NGFs) to make nerve cells survive and axons grow, synthesize neurotransmitters, (and) metabolize toxic substances”.

Helps Your Brain Bypass Damaged Areas

As shown above, acupuncture helps a patient’s brain create new nerve endings, pathways, and even brain cells. It also aids neural pathways in creating better connections with the right and left brain. The body will naturally use these connections to bypass damaged areas of the brain and nervous system. In fact, researchers have taken this concept to new levels, using specialized techniques based on acupuncture to regenerate neurons in the brains of rats. Although medical advances like these are in our future, techniques like acupuncture help pave the way for research such as this.

Relax Holistic is the the Premier  ‘go to’ clinic for  Acupuncture healing.

At Relax Holistic, our stroke patients have shown major improvements after having acupuncture treatments. Our staff  have personally witnessed how it works so well for patients. They report reduced swelling, improved circulation and overall range of motion. We have even seen it instantly restore a patient’s speech after a major stroke. Call us to learn and experience how acupuncture works.

5 Super Foods That Remove Nasty Toxins From Your Body

5 Super Foods That Remove Nasty Toxins From Your Body

Harmful toxins are everywhere and are increasing every day, say holistic health experts. Humans are using more pesticides, chlorine, formaldehyde, heavy metals such as lead, and other nasty toxins every day. Over time, these toxins will accumulate in the tissues and cause symptoms. Toxins produce free radicals and oxidation, which can cause problematic changes in cell structure such as mutations in DNA. There are many ways to detoxify your body. For a start, be aware of what toxins you may be exposed  to, in water, in foods, chemicals in the environment, mercury fillings in your mouth, artificial colors and flavors, pesticides in foods and wines and inhaled during gardening. Eating  50 g of fiber a day, using  detoxifying herbs and antioxidants as well as breaking a sweat daily is a start to cleaning up your blood and tissues.

Holistic health specialists know that our bodies accumulate harmful toxins over time. However, they warn, we shouldn’t wait until we start feeling bad enough to seek professional help. Your body has an amazing ability to clear itself out of toxins. However, you need to give it the right materials it needs to properly cleanse itself. So what foods can you enjoy to help your body rid itself of harmful toxins? Here are some super foods holistic health experts recommend eating more of to help your body, help itself:

Cilantro and Parsley

Heavy metals in the human body, such as aluminum, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, lead, cause many harmful health conditions. In fact, experts have found that heavy metals like these facilitate the formation of certain diseases. Studies have shown that cilantro and parsley both effectively remove mercury, lead, and aluminum. In fact, Miso and cilantro are often mentioned together as very powerful detoxifying agents. A miso broth with cilantro and green onions is not only a powerful punch to free radicals, it is also pleasing to the palate.

Onions and Garlic

Both onions and garlic are part of the allium or lily family. And both are full of phytonutrients and antioxidants. But in addition to being full of nutrition, they both help fight free radicals in your body and help boost immune efficiency. Onions are also rich in quercetin, an antioxidant that helps ward off free radicals. And Garlic is a natural antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial that helps to sweep your digestive tract free of toxic waste while helping to maintain healthy intestinal flora.

Green and Black Tea

Tea leaves (green tea in particular) have been in the forefront of holistic health for thousands of years. Tea, in general, contains a high concentration of antioxidants due to a powerful presence of polyphenols.  These polyphenols help to fight free radical damage. However, green tea contains more of these powerful compounds than other leaf teas. Uses of green tea run deep in ancient Chinese and Indian traditions to help cleanse and fortify the body. Research shows that the enzymes present in green tea help increase the body’s defense mechanisms against cancer-causing toxins.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Holistic health experts are known to tout the many benefits of Cruciferous vegetables; broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts,  cabbages, radishes, and turnips. Green leafy vegetables like kale, chard, mustard greens, collard greens and spinach are also Cruciferous. Experts explain that these vegetables are widely known for being rich in glucosinolates. This compound not only inhibits cancer cell growth but also acts as a detoxifying agent. In fact, glucosinolates trigger the liver to produce detoxifying enzymes that block free-radical attacks on your DNA.

Lean Meats, Proteins, and Dairies

Amino acids, found in high-quality animal products like meat and dairy, are essential to help your body rebuild itself. Your body uses amino acids to repair the damage that toxins and free radicals do to you. Your body cannot create essential amino acids by itself and gets its supply from what you eat. Choose lean meats such as chicken or fish, or fat-free dairy like yogurt all contain amino acids. Make sure the animal products you consume come from animals that eat only their natural, native diet and raised in healthy surroundings.

Your Holistic Health Expert Has the Best Nutritional Advice

Toxins are everywhere in our modern society and are all but unavoidable in today’s world.  Beyond prescribing a healthy diet, your Relax holistic healthcare professional can perform treatments such as acupuncture, and moxibustion. These also remove toxins from your body. For those with larger concentrations of toxins, homeopathic medicine, compounds, and supplements such as red clover, dandelion, milk thistle, bentonite clay and chlorella may help as well.

 

If You Haven’t Tried Smile Exercises, You’re Missing Out on Natural Health

natural health

You might think it sounds silly, but just like the rest of your muscles, you need to exercise your face muscles as well. You do curls to tighten and strengthen your biceps, why not do exercises for your face? You’ll save a lot of money and avoid going under the knife by doing these smile exercises instead of surgery like facelifts. Your holistic doctor will be happy, and you get to enjoy knowing that you’ve embraced natural health. These exercises will enhance your smile, reduce visible lines, and increase blood flow. With extra toned face muscles, you will look younger and healthier. You don’t need any expensive equipment, or a gym membership to do these exercises. All you need is a mirror.

The Smile Exercise

This is the first exercise you’ll want to do to begin rejuvenating your face the natural health way.  The first thing you’re going to do is start with your face and lips relaxed. After that, stretch the corners of your mouth to the sides without letting your lips separate. Once you’ve got your mouth in position, hold for ten seconds. After ten seconds you’ll expand and stretch part of your lips to expose about half of your teeth, and hold for another ten seconds. After that ten seconds, you’re going to smile as wide and hard as you can, showing all your teeth. Again, you’ll hold this for ten seconds. Once you’ve completed your last step, do all the steps in reverse until you get to the relaxed state.

The Smile Line Eraser Natural Health Exercise

The next step in your natural health journey to facial rejuvenation is the smile line eraser exercise. This exercise will get rid of the fine lines that appear around your mouth. This exercise has a name in yoga, which is the fish pose. First, you’ll purse your lips as dramatically as possible by sucking in your cheeks and rolling your lips out. Try to smile while you’re doing this, and hold your pose as long as you can before releasing.

The Silly Rabbit

If you have kids this is a fun one to do with them, which gives you the opportunity to teach them about natural health early. Smile as wide as you can without opening your lips. Once you’ve got your big smile on, wiggle your nose like a rabbit, then hold this pose for five seconds. For best results, you should do these 10 times.

The Face-Lift

Your final smile exercise is the aptly named Face-Lift. To do this one, open your mouth slightly with your upper lip relaxed, flare out your nostrils and wrinkle your nose in an exaggerated motion. Then, pull up your upper lip and hold it that way for 10 seconds. After ten seconds, slowly release your lip. This is another exercise you’ll repeat 10 times.

Try not to laugh, though smiling is encouraged. If you do this you’ll save a lot of money on a facelift, and you’ll avoid any surgery or toxins, keeping yourself in natural health. The doctors at Relax Holistic can help you create a full natural health plan, from exercise to diet. You can call (310) 838-1600 for the Culver City location, (310) 652-3200 for the West Hollywood location. If you prefer to do things online, you can request an appointment from any page on the website, or fill out the contact form on the homepage.