Massage for Machado-Joseph Disease

By Starla Brewer, student

Simply put hereditary ataxia is defined as the inability to maintain muscle control and smooth movement as a result of some kind of genetic abnormality. However few things are this simple and Machado Joseph Disease is one of them. Machado Joseph disease is something my husband’s family has dealt with for many years and I have researched diligently over the course of 15 years. When I was given the assignment to choose a pathology and write a blog about the effects of massage therapy on that pathology I knew immediately what my subject matter would be. I thought with all of the advancements in the past 5 years since the last time (and death of my husband’s last remaining sibling we had contact with) I had done any real research. I also thought with the fast growing interest in complementary medicine modalities and insurance companies now paying for treatments such as massage therapy and acupuncture I would find some information. How sorely wrong I was! Yes, great advances have been made in diagnosis and identifying the cause of this as well as all other forms of hereditary ataxias including DNA testing. 

Machado-Joseph Disease- also known as Type 3 spinocerebellar ataxia is a dominantly inherited progressive, often fatal form of ataxia. People with MJD have difficulty with speech and eventually swallowing. Their gait is a lurching staggering with lack of balance that makes them appear to be drunk. Some can develop symptoms resembling those of Parkinson’s disease. The symptoms of MJD can have a very wide range due to the repeated expansion of the the ATXN3 gene. MJB is one of about 30 autosomal dominant inherited ataxias. There are three subtypes of these ataxias listed as fallows in article Machado-Joseph Disease: from first descriptions to new perspectives By: Conceição Bettencourt and Manuela Lima at Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. “these subtypes can be divided into three major categories: 1) "polyglutamine" ataxias, caused by CAG repeat expansions that encode a pure repeat of the amino acid glutamine in the corresponding protein; 2) non-coding repeat ataxias, caused by repeat expansions falling outside of the protein-coding region of the respective disease genes; and 3) ataxias caused by conventional mutations in specific genes (deletion, missense, nonsense, and splice site mutations)”.  While onset, life expectancy, neuroligcal signs and the degree of incapacity can very widely they all have in common the degeneration of the cerebellum and resulting loss of muscle control. With only 1-5:100,000 people having one of these ataxias there have been few treatment studies done. The focus has been identification and diagnosis testing leaving very little information about treatment. For this reason I am addressing them as a whole.

Until recently western medicine has done very little to address treatment. Typical treatment plans have been focused on drugs to reduce spasticity and rigidity of muscles, with supportive care using assistive devises such as canes, walkers and wheelchairs and occasionally physical therapy. A case report published in the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork titled Gait Characteristics, Range of Motion, and Spasticity Changes in Response to Massage in a Person with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: Case Report drew the fallowing conclusion “Positive changes in gait speed, stride length, and swing and stance phase percentages were observed in one person with incomplete AIS(D) SCI after specific application of MT. Further study is war- ranted to determine the extent to which massage may affect musculoskeletal and neural impairments that limit gait in people with incomplete SCI, and the methods or routines that, when applied, will yield the most benefit. “. I have talked to family members with MJD and people with these ataxias in forums. Many have been told nothing of massage or that massage would be ineffective or have other pathologies that make massage contra indicated. Those that have tried massage focus only on a general relaxation and pain management. Of those who reported using massage to relax the results varied widely. Most felt a short lived relief of muscle rigidity and spasms lasting up to 72 hours after the massage. One said they found a 30 minute head and neck massage seemed to improve their balance and ability to focus on muscle control.

 Thomas L. Clouse M.D. who has Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA-14) has come up with some very promising results using exercise and positive thought processes. And offer the most advice I have found thus far with detailed descriptions of how people with ataxia can’t slow dow the progression of the disease but, can maintain mobility and a higher quality of life longer. I am going to continue researching this topic and will update when more information of how massage can affect those with hereditary ataxias. 

SOURCES:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3123549/

http://treato.com/Ataxia,Massage/?pix=2

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/machado_joseph/machado_joseph.htm

http://rarediseases.org/rare-disease-information/rare-diseases/byID/110/viewFullReport

http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/types/sca.php

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1138/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3088529/

http://walkingwithataxia.com/MY%20JOURNEY.htm

Huntington's Disease

Western medicine describes Huntington’s disease (HD) as a defect of chromosome 4 that affects a persons’ ability to feel, think, and move. Caused by a degeneration of nerve cells in the brain, symptoms vary from person to person depending on what starts degenerating first. The defect that causes all of this damage is found in DNA called the CAG, with any slight mutation, it causes it to repeat more than necessary. On average, a persons’ CAG repeats around twenty times, with HD, repeats can happen more than double the average number.
An inherited or familial disease, it is passed down through generation to generation. Depending on whether the gene passed down was dominant or recessive, you have a fifty percent chance of getting HD along with a fifty present chance of passing it down to your children. HD can also happen sporadically during sperm development causing the mutation that will give the person Huntington’s down the road.
First named Chorea which is one of many symptoms of HD, later to be studied and described by George Huntington of which the disease is named after. Symptoms most commonly start becoming noticeable in adulthood, however; cases of early onset symptoms appearing in childhood to teen years have happened.

The wide array of symptoms includes:

-Behavioral disturbances

-Hallucinations

-Irritability

-Moodiness/ mood swings

-Restlessness/ fidgeting

-Paranoia

-Psychosis

-Abnormal and unusual uncontrolled movements (Chorea) including:

·       Facial grimaces, head turning, eye shifting/position, quick/sudden/jerky/slow movements of fingers, feet, arms, legs, face, and torso

·       Unsteady gait/clumsiness/lack or balance/stumbling/uncoordinated

-Dementia

-Disorientation/confusion

-Loss of judgment

-Loss of memory

-Personality change

-Speech change/impairment

-Anxiety/stress/tension

-Difficulty swallowing/eating

-Rigidity

-Tremors

-Apathetic

-Passive

-Depressed

-Angry/hostile outbursts

-Trouble with driving/learning new things/answering questions/making decisions

-Difficulty changing clothes

-Changes in handwriting

-Problems with walking/ falls a lot

Symptoms start out slow then progressively get worse over time.

Diagnosis maybe be difficult, numerous steps must be taken before being clinically diagnosed such as: medical and family history will be evaluated, testing intellect and emotion stability, testing movement/balance/and coordination along with strength, sensation, and reflexes. Blood tests will be drawn to examine chromosomes in blood. Brain scans will also be taken such as; CT, MRI, and occasionally PET scan.
There is no known cure for HD only medications that help and/or slow symptoms from progressing. Life expectancy when symptoms start to arise is around ten to thirty years. Cause of death can range from infection, injury, and suicide.
Little research has been done whether traditional Chinese medicine helps with HD, although; I was able to find a case study of a professor who suffered from HD and received acupuncture. After examining his medical history, pulse, and tongue; the acupuncturist diagnosed him with quote “Qi and blood stagnation, internal wind, spleen and kidney deficiency.”  Treatments happened two times a week and after five weeks of treatment there was a noticeable difference in being able to walk better, dress dependently, and an increased ability to read more. Key points were found on scalp along with other points along body.

Resources:

"50/50: A Huntington's Disease Documentary with Shana Martin." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 20 June 2014.

"Acupuncture for Huntington's Disease." Gancaonet RSS 20. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 June 2014.

Board, A.D.A.M. Editorial. "Huntington's Disease." Huntington Disease. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 28 May 2013. Web. 19 June 2014.

"CBS Special on Huntington's Disease/Chris Furbee." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 20 June 2014.

"Huntington's Disease: Read About Treatment Options." MedicineNet. Medicinenet.com, 15 Apr. 2014. Web. 19 June 2014.

" ." Huntington's Disease Society of America. N.p., 2014. Web. 20 June 2014.

Massage and Scoliosis

An abnormal curvature of a person's spine is classified as scoliosis. This spinal deformity reportedly affects over six million people around the US. About 80% of all cases show and develop during infancy and adolescents (between the ages of 4-15) which is when our spines experience the most growth. Adults can be diagnosed with scoliosis but most health care professionals believe it was just missed during childhood. As the research continues, there are some theories as to how this deformity is caused including: connective tissue disorders, nervous system abnormalities, hormonal imbalances, genetic factors, or consistent physical or emotional stress. Sometimes scoliosis can have an adult onset originating from a car accident or other physical traumas or stress to the body.

This condition can be in a correctable/functional or permanent state. Functional Scoliosis is a structurally fine spine that appears curved from other structural issues within the body such as: different leg lengths or inflammatory conditions including appendicitis. Any child or adult can develop functional scoliosis by leaning more on one leg than the other while standing if it becomes a true habit.

Though Scoliosis is said to be idiopathic (not having a known cause), manual therapists that are trained structurally have found that many idiopathic scoliosis cases which were labeled as permanent were actually caused by an unleved/unbalanced sacral or cranial base. Today, termed idiopathic scoliosis cases are popping up less and less. Resent studies are showing that lowered bone density is playing a large part in these deformities.

These uncomfortable curves can develop either in the thoracic or lumbar spine, although thoracic abnormalities are more likely to progress than in the lumbar region. An irregular 10 degree misalignment of the spine is considered a mild case. Once the curve has reached 70 degrees off the optimal straight alignment, it can cause the rib cage to push up against the heart and lungs. This can make it very difficult to breath and makes the hearts job intensely difficult. These curves cause one side of the spine's muscles to shorten and the opposite side to become elongated and weakened. This can bring on back pain, sciatic, and headaches.

Western medicine has three choices of action to take: Observation, Orthopedic bracing, and/or surgery. Observation is used for mild cases and is the simple act of watching to make sure the deformities don't progress. Orthopedic bracing is the updated version of the non-removable torso cast that used to be implemented. The brace is the most common treatment and doesn't improve the state of the curve but keeps it from worsening. This is mostly applied during the child's spinal growth phase and can only be removed for one hour each day or night. Surgery is used to stabilize the spine in severe cases. Small pieces of bone are removed from the patient's pelvis, placed between their vertebrae, and held in place by metal rods, hooks, and wires until the bones fuse together.

MASSAGE CHOICES
Alternative approaches are not quite as invasive or uncomfortable! Cranial-Sacral Therapy can be very helpful in restoring some mobilization of the body and bringing balance back to the spine. This therapy is a gentle manipulation and mobilization of the fascia with gentle traction along with it. Deep Tissue massage and Tui Na with assisted stretching can relieve muscular pain and enhance circulation. By elongating the shortened side of the spine with deep techniques, it can relax the spine and take away some of the strained or pulling feel in the back. Deep work on the overstretched side of the spine covering the ribs is contraindicated.

By: Madison Nicolet-Lloyd

Resources:

http://www.integrativehealthcare.org/mt/archives/2008/04/two_massage_the.html

http://erikdalton.com/media/published-articles/scoliosis-and-massage-therapy/

Energy Healing: Encountering Negative Energy

Q: I’m very interested in Energy Healing.  I’ve been working on trying to open my heart so I feel more connected to doing this.  The other day I interacted with a person who I felt negative energy from.  It wasn’t anything specific, just a feeling I got that made all of my defenses go up.  What can I do about this? How do I come from my heart when I feel negative energy I should protect myself from?

A: What a deeply provoking question.  This gets into a concern that many people studying Energy Healing have.  I’ll do my best to address some important aspects of this.

First, it is ok for our defenses to go up.  We have them for a reason – to help keep us safe.  The key is to notice that they are going up and not ignore them.  Then we ground ourselves to find our heart, which may be something to work on over time.  It’s not bad or a failure to not be able to find our heart in this case – it can be very difficult and that’s ok.  Just be curious about how someone like the Dalai Lama is able to do it.  If he can, well then… we can learn too if we have the desire to do so.

There are 2 scenarios that come to mind here, and they are directly dependent on how much experience and training we have, plus our personal views on life and spirituality.

In the 1^st scenario, we may be somewhat inexperienced and new to Energy Healing.  We may feel our heart is not fully open yet, or we feel fear that seems too strong to “get over”.

In this case, I recommend learning and practicing an Energy Protection Meditation.  There are many methods available in different schools of thought.  Since my training is in Medical QiGong – based in Taoist Philosophy and Oriental medicine – I prefer a specific and very old Shamanistic Meditation called “Ren Wu Zang” (Man 5 Animals).  Here’s a link to a really nice article an Acupuncturist wrote with directions for the meditation:  http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=32831

When learning and practicing Energy Protection Meditations it can be very helpful to involve space clearing techniques like burning sage, sweetgrass, or moxa.  Other options are spritzing Rose Hydrosol, diffusing essential oils from protective trees like Cedar, Birch, Fir, or Pine, and even wearing a protective essential oil or attar blend – choose from oils known for their sacred or spiritual connection like Frankincense, Champaca, Blue Lotus, or Kamala Attar.

When you have practiced the meditation on a daily basis until it becomes somewhat easy to “call up” on the spur of the moment, use it whenever you feel the need to energetically protect yourself.  As long as you have a dedicated practice of self-cultivation going on, the stronger you become inside, the less you will need this meditation.

In the 2^nd scenario, there has to be the understanding that ultimately no one has the “power” to harm our Spirit. Someone or something may have the power to create fear – doubt – confusion within us, but then it is our own emotions that harm us and we only think it is them.

Can you send the negative person thoughts of unconditional love, that they may find their own heart and experience peace?  They are only an aspect of you in the realm of Oneness.  Or think about them briefly and then repeat something like the Ho'Oponopono mantra to the Universe for a while.  No need to spend any of your energy and effort on them beyond this.

A Note on Receiving Energy Healing:

If you ever feel that someone can read your energy or try to "heal" you and it is happening without your consent or full trust, remember that true healing comes from a place of love.  If what they are doing is not coming from this place, they are only doing something to themselves and not to you.  What I mean is that, someone may pick up and be able to empathically feel your energy, but if they don't know what to do with it, it's only their experience – positive or negative.

 Anything they try to tell you or manipulate you with is purely their own ego.  Anything they try to heal is only an expression of their own ego.  The only way it can affect you at all is if you allow it to through fear/doubt/confusion.  And in that case, it is your own fear causing any effect, not really the "power" of the other person.

A true healer will set up the circumstances for healing to happen and then allow and encourage it to come from within YOU, not force it or do anything to you.  The healer’s energy and support may be a catalyst for you, but ultimately healing comes from inside of YOU.  The circumstances happen in the energy of love, and part of life is being here to create this for ourselves and others.

~Cynthia McMullen is a Certified Medical QiGong Therapist who studied this Energy Healing art with Tao Shih Pei Wo Lun in Anchorage, Alaska, author Jerry Alan Johnson in Pacific Grove, California, and numerous Taoist priests from China.

INSIGHT: Emotions Stuck in our Earth Element

Insight: Last night in Acupuncture class we were discussing the Earth Element and how the emotion of "worry" or "rumination" wears down our Earth Qi.

"Rumination" is like chewing on something, then bringing it back up rather than swallowing it and allowing it to digest.

This made me think of the times we have some kind of emotionally impacting EVENT, and then can't seem to get that event out of our minds - it keeps popping back up into our thoughts, or we keep bringing it back up in our conversations.

We say "why can't I just LET IT GO??" Here's the insight: We don't have enough Earth Qi to finish chewing and swallow it so it can digest. If it's in our digestive system (Metal Element) we can let it go - but it's not getting there.

This also makes a lot of sense with an old esoteric Acupuncture treatment that uses a series of points along the Stomach (Earth) meridian to clear toxic emotions that overwhelm us to the point of not being able to function normally.

I think it would be worth the effort to strengthen our Earth Element in the case of emotional events we can't seem to process and let go. How do we do this? Here's a few ways off the top of my head, I'm sure there's many more:

Do these with a conscious intention to allow the emotional event to process and be purged.

1. Abdominal massage with essential oils. We could even use an oil specific to the type of emotion or event. (Emotional Energy of Aroma is my essential oil workshop topic for April)

2. Moxa Belly Bowl with 64-point acupressure treatment to the lower legs, emphasis on the ST & SP meridians.

3. Acupuncture along the ST meridian while receiving Medical QiGong Qi emission to the middle burner. (See my upcoming workshop, joint with Lamar on April 6th.)

Also consider doing a short cleansing fast or home enema (internal bath) AFTER one of the above treatments, and only if it feels right. In some cases the bodywork may need to be repeated several times, sometimes once will do the job.

This follows the treatment concept I find immensely effective of putting the body in the right circumstances energetically to heal, and allowing it to use it's own internal intelligence to handle the details. In this way, we don't concern ourselves with figuring out HOW to emotionally resolve the event, we ALLOW the event to resolve.

If this sparks any insights for you, or you work with this concept I would love to hear your feedback on it. Thanks! 

Learn tons of great information from my On-Line Essential Oils Course series. You can study here at our school in Alaska from anywhere in the world!

TCM Cupping Therapy

By Danielle Shones

Traditional Chinese Medicine is rooted in the ancient philosophy of Taoism and dates back more than 2,500 years. TCM is better known for the use of herbs, acupuncture/moxibustion, massage therapy, TuiNa and Tai Chi to treat and even prevent illness.  Although Cupping is a lesser-known treatment it is a big part of Oriental Medicine.  Cupping is a term applied to a technique that uses small glass cups or bamboo jars as suction devices that are placed on the skin. Once suction has been established, the cups either sit stationary over a particular point, such as the Shu Points, along the back or may be gently glided along the skin. The suction of the cups causes the skin and superficial muscle layer to be lightly drawn upward. Cupping is much like the inverse of massage, rather than applying pressure to a muscle, it uses gentle suction to pull the muscle and surrounding tissue upward. Generally, cupping is combined with acupuncture in one treatment, but it can also be used alone. The suction and negative pressure provided by cupping can encourage blood flow and promote healing. In addition it will help break adhesions between the skin and underlying connective tissue, allowing for freer moving joints and looser muscles.

Archaeologists have found evidence of cupping therapy being practiced from as early as 1000 B.C. and not just in China. Cupping Therapy developed all through the Middle East and Egypt and even Japan. Of course the history of Chinese cupping is a long history of healing and innovation. It was an ancient Taoist medical practice widely used in the courts of Imperial China. This ancient method proved to be effective against common disorders associated with the pulmonary system. The Chinese expanded the use of cupping technique to surgery, this was called wet cupping. Other ancient cultures including the Egyptians and early Greeks also embraced the therapeutic uses of cupping. Even Hippocrates, known as the father of modern medicine, used cupping for internal diseases and structural problems. Cupping techniques soon spread through the medicine world, throughout Asian and European civilizations.  Each country used their own name for cupping and had their own unique methods. Ge Hong was a practicing Taoist, an alchemist, and a medicinal herbalist.  He was the first to introduce cupping to Imperial China, as stated in the Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies. Ge Hong along with other medicine men used animal horns for cupping. To this day in some medical articles of the empire, cupping is referred to as the horn technique of healing. This has led researchers to believe that cupping was indeed a Chinese invention and its practice is older than recorded in history. These ancient cups were mostly used to draw out pus and blood in the treatment of boils but as TCM evolved, cupping evolved with it. Other styles of cups were made out of sections of bamboo, pottery and eventually glass. Today, most acupuncturists use cups made of thick glass or plastic, although bamboo, horn and pottery cups are still used in some countries. Glass cups are the preferred methods of delivery, because they don’t break easily such as pottery or deteriorate like bamboo, and they have the added benefit of allowing the practitioner to see the skin during treatment.

 

There are several different techniques in using the cupping therapy. The most traditional method and probably best known is fire cupping – A small cotton ball is lightly coated with alcohol. The cotton ball is then ignited and inserted inside the cup which will evacuate the air.  Once all the oxygen is burned up the cotton ball burns out and suction is formed inside the cup against the skin. Air cupping or handpump method - similar to fire cupping except no flame is needed instead the cups are equipped with a nipple that a pump can easily attach to and the suction is created via pumping the air out of the cup. Lastly there is the method of moist or wet cupping – this is the oldest and according to most literature the most effective method. The skin is punctured before treatment. When the cup is applied and the skin is drown up, a small amount of blood may flow from the puncture site, this is believed to help remove harmful substances and toxins from the body. Once the suction is established there are several techniques that can be done with the cups. Herbal cupping consists of applying the appropriate herbal tincture to the inside of the glass, and then the glass cup is applied to the skin with the appropriate amount of suction. With stationary cupping the cups are applied to the skin and then left in the same spot for up to 15mins. Massage or gliding cups are slightly different. This is done by applying oil to the skin first, inducing only a small suction inside the cup and then gently lifting the cup and gliding it across the skin but still maintaining the vacuum effect. With Momentary cupping the cups are “popped” on and off the skin rapidly, this is most easily accomplished with the handpump system.  Hot cupping is done with Moxa, also known as mugwort. Acupuncture needles are warmed with smoldering dried mugwort, and then applied to the appropriate area with the cup creating a vacuum effect around the needle. 

In 2008 the British Cupping Society (BCS) was established by a group of medical professionals and cupping therapy experts. The BCS was the first society to conduct a scientific investigation into the effects of cupping therapy and continue to promote the benefits of cupping today. According to the British Cupping Society & WebMD cupping therapy can be used to treat:

§  Blood disorders such as anemia & hemophilia
§  Rheumatic diseases such as arthritis & fibromyalgia
§  Fertility and gynecological disorders
§  Skin problems such as eczema & acne
§  High blood pressure (hypertension)
§  Migraines
§  Anxiety and depression
§  Bronchial congestion caused by allergies or asthma
§  Varicose veins

While cupping is considered reasonably safe especially air cupping, which does not include the risks involved with fire. There are still things to consider before using cupping therapy. Patients with inflamed skin, cases of high fever or patients who bleed easily are not suitable candidates for cupping. In addition pregnant women should not have cupping on their stomach or lower back. And if you are moving the cup along someone’s skin it should not cross any bony areas such as the ridges of the spine or the shoulder blades. The bruises that appear are a result of the skin being drawn up into the cup where the blood vessels at the surface of the skin expand; leaving circular marks anywhere a cup was applied. These bruises however are usually painless and disappear within a few days of the treatment. Leaving the clients body feeling looser, detoxed and well on their way to healing. 

References:

1.       National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine (NCCAM): http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/chinesemed.htm

2.       Academy of classical Oriental Sciences-History of Chinese Medicine Cupping: http://www.acos.org/articles/chinese-medicine-cupping/

3.       Acupuncture Today – Cupping:

http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/abc/cupping.php

4.       WebMD – Cupping Therapy:

 http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/cupping-therapy?page=2

5.       British Cupping Society:

 http://www.britishcuppingsociety.org/

What to do With Expensive Essential Oils

Post by Touch of Tao.