The Healing Power of Touch

Touch is healing. In regards to well-being and your wellness regimen, touch is a valuable resource and aspect of self-care that offers numerous health benefits. As a Professional Licensed Massage Therapist with over 22 years of experience, I have witnessed the benefits first-hand, both as a practitioner and recipient. Consider the following ideas to access the healing power of therapeutic touch:

• Hug a special someone (with their consent of course). Live alone? Hug yourself…hug therapy has been shown to release helpful pleasure hormones like oxytocin and reducing high blood pressure.

• Cuddle a four-legged furry friend. I treasure every second I spend visiting my grand kitty. My mood improves immensely as I pet that darling cat, or any friendly critter for that matter! Pet therapy is proven to decrease pain, ease stress, and lessen depression.

• Schedule an appointment for self-care. I practice what I preach and receive some form of bodywork and/or pampering at least once or twice a month. Therapeutic bodywork such as Massage Therapy, energy modalities like Reiki, or Reflexology can reduce inflammation, improve sleep, relieve tension, and boost immune function. Even a facial, manicure, or pedicure provides the benefits of human touch.

Invest in your health, especially at this time of year to ward off seasonal illness such as the flu and to feel your best during the upcoming holiday season. Check out all of my resources to Live Well & Be Well at my website. I encourage others to follow my 3 Key Concepts to Soothe - Nourish - Rest in order to better manage chronic conditions. As with any health recommendations, speak to your doctor before implementing lifestyle changes that could alter your health.

Be Well! ~Tiffany Anderson, LMT, RMT, BS, CHES

“Sometimes a hug is all you need to make you feel better.” - Daily Quote

The Coconut Oil Fad

For nearly 4 years I have followed the dietary plan outlined in The Starch Solution and rid my diet of oil…and yes, that especially includes coconut oil. My results? Miraculous! I no longer have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Also, I am maintaining a lean weight of 131 pounds as a post-menopausal 53-year-old woman who has dual hip replacements, Hashimoto’s disease, and arthritis. I take very little medication, have an active lifestyle, and sleep well.

I admit being sucked into the draw of using coconut oil for cooking before I adopted a plant-based diet. Not once did I fully research the effects of coconut oil in my diet nor did I consider the fact that, like any other oil, coconut oil is overly processed and offers no nutritional benefits. Worst of all, this artery clogging substance is simply one more fat that led me to excess weight and poor health. Educate yourself! Do you trust corporate food manufacturers and believe they have your best interest at heart…or are they simply trying to sell you a product? Click the link below to read a fascinating article by Dr. Jeff Novick, MS, RD. He discusses the research surrounding coconut oil and how marketing turned it into a miracle cure.

Be Well & Make Informed Decisions in Regards to Your Health! ~Tiffany

Got Pain? Get Poked!

In 2011 I received my first hip replacement. Prior to surgery I had been receiving regular acupuncture to manage both the pain and stress leading up to my prognosis. Followers of my website and book may recall that I took a medical mystery tour in my mid 40’s for over a year. I was desperately trying to discover why I suddenly experienced jaundice, liver failure, then heart failure with no known cause. I was vibrant and fit one day and rapidly faced death within a handful of months. Thankfully my journey offered resolution and recovery. After my first surgery in 2011 I received weekly acupuncture. This was an effective way to help me recover and manage pain alongside minimal prescription medication use. Acupuncture served me well during my recovery throughout both hip replacements, one revision, and is a crucial aspect of my wellness regimen to this day. Are you curious about acupuncture? Learn more here and read on for a perk!

During the month of November my local acupuncture clinic, Wasatch Community Acupuncture, is offering $10 treatments to POCA members (I am a patient member! Join and learn more here.). The clinic is also hosting a fundraising event on Monday, November 19th called ‘Pokesgiving’ to benefit the Utah Food Bank. What Pokesgiving is, according to my patient monthly newsletter…”All day long we are going to offer walk-in treatments in exchange for a monetary donation that will go directly to the Utah Food Bank. You decide how much to donate.” This is a great way to care for yourself and others at the same time. The clinic plans to be busy and will also take appointments to accommodate as many people as possible that day

Wasatch Community Acupuncture is located at 470 E. 3900 S., Ste 103 in Salt Lake City, UT. For more details about the November offerings at Wasatch Community Acupuncture call 801-364-9272 or email them at info@wasatchacupuncture.org. Check it out! Live outside of Utah? Visit POCA and use their clinic search tool to find an affordable acupuncture clinic near you.

Be Well! ~Tiffany

Living with Invisible Disability?

KRCL 90.9 is my local community radio station. I am a sustaining member and have been listening to this station for over 25 years. One of the programs I enjoy is called RadioActive. In honor of Disability Awareness month speakers recently discussed invisible disabilities. My own arthritis, Hashimoto’s disease, and titanium parts that allow me to walk are hidden to others, though each of these conditions require constant care, pain management, and remind me minute by minute that I have limitations. I relate well to the term invisible disability. A representative from an advocacy group called the Disabled Rights Action Committee Utah shared resources on the radio show to help those of us that may experience discrimination and misunderstanding from those we encounter on a regular basis.

Did you realize that 1 in 5 people worldwide live with a disability and 45% of Americans live with one or more chronic conditions? Many of these conditions are not visible to the naked eye…hence the term ‘invisible disability’. This can be problematic when needing a handicap restroom, using a handicap parking spot, or accessing health services. Personally, I have been confronted, reprimanded, and treated harshly more than once when using a handicap stall simply because I don’t “look the part” of someone with limitations. Click the link below to hear the radio program in it’s entirety and better understand the wide range of disabilities and how we can better treat one another with dignity.

Be Well! ~Tiffany

Pain Management Resources

Before, during, and after three life changing surgeries, I chose to use a variety of methods* to manage pain. Prescription medication did play a minor role in my recovery plan. Hip replacement is a gruesome and invasive surgery that forever changes the body of the recipient. My physician and surgeon both supported my decision to use opioids very sparingly. After my third revision surgery I stopped using prescription pain medication after nine days simply because I couldn’t stand the constipation, poor sleep quality, and drugged feeling. As a supplement to prescription pain killers, I found that complementary and alternative methods such as acupuncture, Reiki, Guided Imagery, and therapeutic massage were, and continue to be, the most effective treatments to help me sleep, minimize pain, and recover. I function more effectively and am pleased with the quality of life I have today thanks to these pain management tools.

My pain level varied throughout my recovery and varies continually to this day. Chronic conditions and chronic pain are like that…some days are better than others. Each of the methods I discuss here have been documented and well researched (see links added) as safe ways to manage pain. They are also affordable and well worth my time. Some days I can get by simply using ice packs for hip, shoulder, or low back pain. Weekly Epsom salt soaks soothe away my muscle aches, arthritis pain, and the ‘creaky’ feeling known to those of us that live with metal inside our body. Regular acupuncture visits provide me with a ‘tune-up’. I leave an acupuncture appointment feeling calm, inflammation decreased, and with even the most severe pain quieted or often erased altogether. How are you managing pain? Do you have one or more methods outside of prescription pain killers that work for you? Chat with your doctor about any or all of the treatments described above...they just might offer the relief you’ve been looking for.

Be Well! ~Tiffany

*Resource: Chapter 4, Pain Management - Before, During and After Surgery, pg. 65, Butternut to Bionic: A Resource Guide for Hip Replacement Surgery <<Read a FREE excerpt

“Acupuncture is a very ancient form of healing that predates recorded history.”

History of Acupuncture