Rajam Roose, HHP
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www.RajamRoose.com
619-964-5821
3103 Falcon St. Ste. I
San Diego, CA 92103 |
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| Greetings!
Hope this newsletter finds you and your family in good health! Towards the end of this month will be winter solstice, the longest night of the year. Maybe this is why we fill our homes and neighborhoods with so many lights during the winter season, to help comfort us during the long winter nights. Speaking of comfort, my famous soaps are now available at the office. A fragrant hand-crafted bar of soap is a simple indulgence that enhances a feeling of relaxation and being pampered.
Recently, I have learned a new technique that I'm very excited about and have used it on several clients with great results. The work is so gentle, yet quickly can relieve pain. This work is known as dermoneuromodulation (how's that for a mouthful) or DNM, and there are very few practitioners using this amazing therapy. DNM was developed by a physical therapist, who is currently living in Canada and has been studying the nervous system for some time. She has been developing DNM over a period of decades and was gracious enough to share her work.
This holiday season, it's more important than ever to be sure to get a good night's rest. With end of the year work deadlines, kids out of school, or taking the family on a long vacation; being well rested can help you get a handle on any stressful situations that may come your way. Lack of sleep causes or exacerbates symptoms such as anger, anxiety, depression and/or irritability and those aren't the kinds of moods you want to have for the holiday season!
If finding the right gift is making you lose sleep at night, look no further! I've ordered some beautiful holiday themed gift certificates that will make a wonderful gift for a family member or a friend. You can either purchase a specific service or purchase a dollar amount and then the recipient can decide what service they would like.
May you have a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends!
Warmly,
Rajam Roose, HHP
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Are You Getting Enough Sleep at Night?
A good sleep has so many proven benefits from strengthening the immune system to resting the mind; it's no wonder sleep deprivation has been used as a form of torture. You may find this article helpful if you are having trouble getting to sleep or if you are waking up throughout the night. There are several steps you can take to get a good night's rest, we'll start with how to create a sanctuary in your bedroom and finish with how to recognize ways you may be sabotaging your sleep pattern. On a side note, drinking extra amounts of coffee or green tea throughout the day will NOT make up for not getting an adequate amount of rest.
The Bedroom
The most important step in improving sleep quality starts in the bedroom. Your bedroom is your sanctuary and the way you have this room set up can affect your ability to get a good night's sleep. If you are using the bedroom as a general living space you may find it difficult to relax your mind at bedtime.
It's important to take the TV and the computer out of the bedroom and find another place in the house for them. However, if you must have a TV in the bedroom it is more helpful to watch the TV from cushions on the floor or in a chair. Watching TV in bed will make it difficult for your mind to associate the bed with sleeping. Basically, when you use the bed only for sleeping, you can help familiarize your mind to associate your bed with sleep which will contribute to a well rested night. If you are falling asleep with a partner who watches the TV in bed, but you are having stressful dreams or waking up in the middle of the night; try the following experiment. For one month, have the TV turned off when you are getting into bed and see if that doesn't improve your sleep.
This also goes for reading in bed, if you are finding it difficult to get to sleep at night but you enjoy reading a book before bed, try reading in another room and going to bed when you are ready to sleep. If you do read, make sure it's not a mystery or suspenseful story that will keep you up for hours into the night wanting to find out the end of the story!
Bedtime Routine (not just for kids)
You can train your mind to anticipate sleeping if you establish a bedtime routine and repeat it every night before bed. If you are one of those people who think you need to read a book or watch a movie in bed in order to fall asleep; the truth is that you've just trained yourself to fall asleep doing those things. Watching a movie or TV can make it difficult to sleep well throughout the night as well as create stressful dreams. Instead, try and change the routine to one that is more conducive to rest. For example, if you have a cup of tea at 9:30 and then are in bed at 10, repeating that pattern will help your body prepare for bedtime.
Create Your Routine
So, you've decided to try a routine and have moved the TV out of the bedroom, now you just need to get into a relaxing state of mind before bedtime. Here are some ideas you can use to create your routine:
Take a warm bath or shower, candles in the bathroom can provide a relaxing ambiance
Help yourself to a warm cup of tea, not black or green tea as they are stimulating and better suited for the morning. Some relaxing teas would contain chamomile, peppermint, passionflower, or hops. If you don't like herbal tea, you can use some warm water with lemon and honey.
Dim the lights in the living room and listen to some soothing music for fifteen or twenty minutes before bed.
Keep the room on the cool side will also help you sleep better, as studies have shown the optimal temperature for sleeping is 60 to 68 degrees F.
Stuffiness or smells can remind you of your day and prevent your mind from clearing out and switching off. Every day, either in the morning or afternoon, it may be helpful to open the windows and shake out the bedding to freshen up the room.
Light and Noise Control
Keeping the bedroom dark is helpful as we associate light with daytime and being active. You can use heavy curtains to block out any light that may be disturbing your sleep or use an eye mask. At home, we use double honeycomb blackout blinds and they work very well. If sound is an issue, you may want to invest in sound dampening products. If you live near a busy road, heavy curtains and double pane windows can block out sound.There's a great place in San Marcos that sells soundproofing stuff, you can check out their website HERE. There you can also find a lot of useful information about soundproofing. Or, if noise is a problem and you don't want to spend a lot of money, you can invest in a pair of earplugs to wear at night.
Are You Sabotaging Your Sleep?
There are a few things to avoid before bedtime that may impede your good night's rest. These are: coffee, chocolate, and alcohol, which will all disrupt sleeping patterns. Also, exercising within two hours of bedtime will increase the body's temperature and have an arousing effect, making sleep difficult. If you find you are doing any of these things, see if cutting them out makes a difference in improving in the quality of your sleep.
There may be many reasons for insomnia, some of which may require medical attention, if you are experiencing insomnia that you cannot resolve on your own, it's a good idea to schedule a visit with your physician.
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What is Dermoneuromodulation (DNM)?
Recently, I've been very fortunate to learn a new technique called dermoneuromodulation or DNM. This type of therapy is on the cutting edge of manual therapy and is based on the recent science that deals with understanding our nervous system. DNM addresses the neural component of pain, which many other types of manual therapy have completely ignored. In fact, it is our nerves that are creating the pain we feel, not our muscles! This type of work is very exciting to me because it addresses a part of the body that most massage schools completely ignore-- the nervous system!
Our skin is loaded with thousands of nerve endings that come up into the skin from deeper layers of tissues in the body. When a muscle is under a constant state of contraction, a nerve can become "caught up" within the fascia of the skin and in order to ensure that it continues to receive oxygen and other nutrients, the nerve will send out signals of pain and/or tension to restrict the surrounding area. In fact, when I've used this technique, I've noticed that the tension within the surrounding muscle tissue will seem to 'melt away.'
DNM is very gentle and consists of a light "skin pulling" to release the entrapped nerve. Nerves need blood, space and movement and the DNM work allows for that to happen. Although this work is very gentle, it has been highly effective in my clients who've come in to my office with pain, and left feeling much better. Not only is it a gentle therapy, but it's so easy that you can be shown how to use it on yourself.
Here's what one client had to say about her session:
"After more than 2 years of mid-back spasms & SI joint pain that continued to get worse under chiropractic care & with massage therapy, I was at the end of my rope- too young, at 32, to start seeing orthopedic specialists who would poke, prod & medicate me. I (finally) found Rajam, who felt DNM was a good option for me. I had 3 weekly sessions, made some permanent postural & strengthening changes, and have not had a spasm since. The SI joint pain became minimal after 1 week and has only continued to get better. I am not "magically cured", rather, DNM allowed my body to reset itself, so the changes I made had a chance to be effective. I finally have real hope of living pain & painkiller free and am so thankful Rajam took the time & had the interest to learn DNM techniques and apply them in her practice. I don't think I would be walking, sitting, standing, or working out comfortably without her. Words cannot describe how relieved I am. Thank you so much!
-Suzanne S."
Suzanne makes an excellent point, the DNM has allowed her nervous system to "reset itself" and learn to move without pain. When the pain has diminished, there is improved movement and this leads to overall tissue health. If you have a constant or nagging pain, feel free to give me a call and see if DNM may help!
Here are some interesting facts about our nervous system:
1. The nervous system has its own blood supply
2. The nervous system has the capacity to create inflammation in muscles and other tissues of the body by releasing certain chemicals.
3. Nerve tension creates the ropey feel of "tight" muscles.
4. When you have impaired range of motion, or you have trouble moving your arm or leg as far as you once could, it's NOT the muscles that are restricting movement-- it's nerves trying to protect themselves from being loaded under further tension!
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The Precious Gift of Health & Relaxation
Have you heard your friend or loved one bemoan the fact that he or she never has any time for themselves? For this holiday season, consider giving something special, like a massage, reflexology or spa session. Gift certificates make great presents because they are easy to wrap and inexpensive. For the busy person, there are few things more precious than some time spent just to relax.
I'm now carrying Christmas & Holiday themed gift certificates at the office. Choose from an assortment of beautiful certificates that come with matching envelopes. Check out my services menu from my website HERE or make the certificate for any dollar amount so the recipient can decide what services they want!
If you would like to come by for gift certificates, please call ahead to schedule a time to meet at the office or you can pick them up when you come in for your appointment. I can also mail them to you. Please call 619-964-5821, all major credit cards accepted.
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Hand-Crafted Soaps are now Available!
These make great stocking stuffers
These soaps have a naturally high glycerin content and there are NO dyes, fillers or perfumes or other such nonsense. Just pure soap. These soaps have a luxurious, rich lather and are pleasantly scented with high quality essential oils.
Here's what one happy customer had to say:
"Personally I have all of my adult life suffered from very delicate skin on my face and due to being very active outdoors have had keratosis and very dry irritated skin. I have access to any medication there is, and have tried everything to alleviate my constant discomfort. Some items have helped usually temporarily and not completely. "After being given a bar of Rajam's soap...."I soon discovered I was no longer picking at my skin, and feeling the lesions and damage. The skin was like new for me and no longer exhibited the problems I had forever." John A. Ciccone, DPM
Pacific Beach, California
Basic ingredient list: Palm oil, coconut oil, olive oil, kukui nut oil, kaolin powder, therapeutic grade essential oils, calendula petals*, spirulina powder*, ground cranberry seeds*, alkanet root powder*, rosehip powder*
*Only in some soaps for color
Here are the scents I have for this holiday season:
Breathe Happy
(rosemary, tea tree)
Evergreen
(juniper berry, rosemary, lemongrass)
French Lavender
Lavender Mint
(French lavender, peppermint)
Holiday Spice
(bergamot, orange, lavender, cinnamon)
Lemon
(Bolivian lemon, litsea cubana, lemongrass)
Lemon-Mint
Lemon Spice
(allspice, lemon)
Tea Tree
(tea tree, rosemary, peppermint)
Tuscan Hills
(red mandarin, bergamot, orange)
The bars are 5oz each and sell for $6
(not including CA sales tax)
These soaps sell very fast as many people purchase them in bulk, please call ahead to schedule a time to come by the office for purchase or pick some up when you come in for your session-- Thank you!
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De-Stress Holiday Special
November & December Only!
Purchase a 90 min. massage & receive a complimentary Back Scrub w/Mud Mask with your massage session
(a $25 value)!*
619-964-5821
For more information about the mud and scrub treatment (including ingredients), please check out this link to my web page
Spa Therapies
* The wrap must be used at time of initial session. May not be used with any other coupon, pkg rate or special unless the difference is paid for a 90 min massage. Due to preparation time, Special must be mentioned when scheduling appointment-- Thank you!
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Rajam Roose
Therapeutic Massage by Rajam Roose, HHP |
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