Quality Care

 

"Creating feelings of hope can motivate the patient to make progress."

En Español | It is of upmost importance for the patient to promote a relaxed state when facing a disease, as stress can be extremely harmful as it debilitates our inmune system. The opposite is also true, a relaxed state promotes beneficial hormones to be released and support our system, as it has been shown in studies that it reduces the recovery time after facing surgery.

Different techniques are at our disposal and easily available to help us achieve a relaxed state, such as:

  • Meditation

  • Massage

  • Energy balancing

  • Breathing Exercises

  • Guided Imagery

Meditation

Mediation is the silent quality that erases the worries in our minds and reduces our stress.

Meditation is the act of sitting calmly in a quiet place with your eyes closed, paying close attention to your breaths. Some people also choose to repeat a word or phrase as they breathe in and out to help them focus on their breathing cycle. 

 

Meditation is a practice that will put you in touch with your inner self. Although it is not necessarily a religious activity, it may also help you connect with your spiritual side. 

 

The two most popular forms of meditation in the U.S. are Transcendental Meditation, in which students repeat a mantra (a meaningful word or phrase) and Mindfulness Meditation, in which students focus on their thoughts and their sensations. 

 

If traditional meditation is not for you, there are many types of active meditation, such as drawing, walking, dancing, and martial arts. What is important is to practice these activities in a conscious way, looking to reconnect with your divinity, your superior self, and your pure essence.

 

How to meditate: 

Sit and consciously observe all that is around you, paying attention to every detail, and fixing your gaze on one object in particular. 

  • Concentrating on the chosen object, focus on all the noises you can hear, from closer ones to far more distant ones, trying to unify them in one single sound.

  • Focusing both on the object and on the unique sound, search for the tone which you feel is more monotonous and fix your attention on both aspects, sound and object, until the object becomes the extension of the sound, not being able to distinguish one from the other.

Taking in mind that each person will require different amounts of time to achieve this level of concentration, take long and profound breaths while closing your eyes and letting yourself feel all the different sensations your body can perceive. This way, you’ll engage the left side of your brain, silencing your mind. 

Massage

Massage therapy is an excellent addition for the recovery treatments, it promotes a sense of well-being and helps balance mind, body and spirit. 

Massages not only promote relaxation, but also provides medical benefits. They can be used to manage pain, reduce inflammation, improve circulation, relieve nerve compression, improve digestion, and increase flexibility.

The way massage work, is by improving the flow of lymph through the lymphatic system, it also improves circulation, and the re-balance of the muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems. By doing so, the rate at which the body recovers from injury and illnesses is accelerated, alleviating stress and revitalizing the body.

Massage may not be appropriate for all, and depending in your condition some might be more beneficial than others. Always check with your doctor before receiving a massage, especially if you have any of these conditions:

  • Heart Failure

  • Kidney Failure

  • Infections

  • Blood clots

  • Bleeding disorders

  • Contagious skin conditions

  • Cancer

  • Rheumatoid arthritis

  • Patients with few platelets or white blood cells

Types of Massage

Craniosacral Massage: Therapists apply gentle pressure to the head and spine to correct imbalances and promote the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.

Deep Tissue Massage: This massage works on the deeper layers of your muscles, tendons, and ligaments to release tension and improve circulation through slow forceful strokes. It is commonly used for muscle damage from injuries.

Integrative Touch: A gentle form of massage used to provide comfort and relaxation through gentle, non-circulatory techniques. It is most used in hospitalized patients and those in hospice care.

Lymphatic Massage: Light pressure facilitates the flow of lymph (a body fluid that helps prevent infection and disease) throughout the body, contributing to the improvement of the immune response. It complements treatment of autoimmune disorders, cancer treatments, and surgery.

Muscle Relaxation: This technique involves slowly tensing and releasing each muscle group individually, starting with the muscles in the toes and finishing with those in the head.

Myofascial Release: Through gentle pressure and body positioning it relaxes and stretches the muscles and fascia (connective tissue).

Reflexology: Works by applying pressure to specific energy points on the feet to achieve benefits elsewhere in the body.

Reiki: It is the offering of gentle, healing touch. The hands are placed just off the body or lightly toughing the body. The intention of Reiki is to create deep relaxation, help speed healing, and reduce pain. Reiki enhances the spiritual connection of the patient. 

Swedish Massage: uses long gentle strokes, vibration, kneading and deep circular movements to reduce pain and anxiety.

Trigger Points Massage: Pressure is applied to the area a tender muscle has been damage, used to alleviate muscle spasms and pain.

RESOURCES

American Massage Therapy Association

National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork

Lymphatic Massage

North American Vodder Association of Lymphedema Therapists (NAVALT)

Reflexology

The American Reflexology Certification Board (ARCB)

Energy Balancing

Energy Balancing is the release and redirection of stagnant energy in the body to improve the balance and flow of the vital energy. This technique of redirecting the energy is said to made stronger by practitioners who pass their hands over a patient's body.

There are different modalities to energy healing, such as Reiki, energy balancing, healing touch, and matrix energy.

Healing Touch and Reiki are two modalities, and may be used as an intervention for the relief of pain, anxiety and stress promoting healing on all levels of your being. Specialized Energy Healers may also be able to direct the energy and work in all the energetic levels of the human body, including the mental and emotional bodies.

In practicing the healing touch, the healer creates an intention, based on unity and love, which is then transformed into energy. The healer feels a flowing energy emanating from his or her hands which are then placed on the pathological area of the patient, allowing the healing energy to travel through the patient. The healer will focus on its hands and the energy flowing through them, unifying the patient, the disease, and his energy in one concept of love. This transfer of energy enhances the patient’s spiritual connection. 

Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises is the most effective way to balance our emotions. Our chest, the area where our heart and lungs are located, is not just where our emotions generate, but it is also where we find the tools to better manage them. We can promote a proper balance and flow of energy through our bodies with breathing exercises.

Breathing Techniques are best if done in a conscious manner, acknowledging each breath, retention, and exhalation. 

 

Breathing Technique example

Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Take a slow, deep breath, inhaling as much air as possible through your nose for 5 seconds. As you inhale, your belly should inflate and should push against your hand. Hold your breath for other 5 seconds, and then exhale slowly for 5 seconds through the nose. 

Start with small steps, eventually you can deepen the exercise by increasing the counts in each step one second at the time.

Guided Imagery

Guided imagery is a technique in which patients use their imagination to visualize improved health, or to "attack" a disease. Some studies indicate that positive thinking can have an effect on disease outcome. 

A trained therapist or a guided imagery audio can move you into a deep state where images come up in your mind, which can help you uncover important realizations about your emotional, spiritual, and physical health.

RESOURCES

Audiobook

Health Journeys for People Undergoing Surgery. By Belleruth Naparstek