That's Fit

Try to find a person who doesn't enjoy a massage to relax. You'd be hard-pressed. Of all the stress-relieving techniques out there, massage is my absolute favorite.

Certainly, massage relieves muscle pain and soreness, but it appears to be most popular for stress relief. It's effectiveness is largely due to the fact that manipulating the muscles releases endorphins, the brain's natural opiates, which encourages a feeling of well being and confidence. Studies show massage can be helpful for various ailments. But when looking at the list, one can't help but notice many of the benefits involve the mind more than the body. Consider the following from a Mayo Clinic article:

I'm a writer and yet I've never filled a journal. I've started many. But then I get distracted with other projects and life and writing for work ...

But one of my dearest friends has filled 37 journals in the past 10 years. Why? It's one of her main stress relievers. She swears by it. It's helped her recognize unhealthy patterns and make healthy changes. Sometimes it's easy. Sometimes it's painful. Sometimes excruciating.

It's the only place she can be honest. The only place she's free. It's a look in the proverbial mirror. And clarity looks back. "My journals save me," she says. "They're solace. A release."

Wow. Sounds good. Maybe I'll dust one off and fill the pages for once in my life.

One of the elements I miss most about Southern California since moving to Northern Virginia almost three years ago is the ocean: it's proximity to where I live, visiting it often, seeing the sun set in it, driving Highway 1 with the windows down and smelling it, surfing and swimming in it, everything.

I remember when years ago I'd break up my long and traffic-clogged commute between a newspaper in Thousand Oaks and my apartment in Los Angeles by taking a detour and following Kanan Road from the 101 freeway to Malibu and having a cocktail on the sand at Paradise Cove. Just looking at the ocean relieved my stress from the work day more than any cocktail could. Breathing the air, smelling the salt, feeling the breeze, watching the waves, basking in the sun. It was heavenly and I'd continue my drive home a happier person.

I'm not the first to practice or suggest visiting the ocean or another body of water as a means of stress relief. Nor am I the first to start or suggest imagining such a visit. I find both methods highly successful, even if they leave me with a sad case of nostalgia.

Chronic pain is something that millions of people deal with every day of their lives. According to this article, over 30 billion dollars were spent on sore necks and backs alone in 2005. But often times doctor visits and pills don't do the trick. It can be like taking a medication lottery for pain, hoping that the next prescription will bring relief.

But what if someone could enroll in a four week "boot camp" that trains the body to mitigate the chronic pain caused by his or her body's system going haywire? It doesn't cure the pain, but it allows for the person to address its unrelenting nature and helps them combat the ever-present discomfort.

Patients of this boot camp are taught to move and exercise in ways that address biological, psychological and social elements of chronic pain. They're also seen by professionals to guide them: a physician, an occupational therapist, a physical therapist, a biofeedback therapist, a clinical psychologist and a movement specialist all lend their expertise. One women who partook in the program was able to take her first ballet class in over a year thanks to the regimen. It may be pricey, but some people may be willing to foot the bill if it means less pain!

Have you ever seen one of those Shiatsu massage chair accessories? They fit over certain chair backs and allow you to comfortably sit down while receiving a deep massage. Gadgets like these are growing in popularity, and with steep price stickers, it makes you wonder if they're really effective.

A professor at Duke University states that when you sit down on that chair, or stick your feet in a mechanical masseuse, or don the head spa, it will definitely start to make things feel better. However, those people with chronic pain are mostly getting the placebo effect.

There's nothing wrong with that either, of course. As this article asserts, feeling better is all the same! But before you drop all that money on an expensive gadget, check out their list of technological pain relievers to see how a clinical professor of neurology reviewed them. In the long term, the price paid for such gizmo's could definitely be cheaper than paying a professional to give you a massage. But if they go unused, it may be a waste of money.

Let's just admit it: sometimes researchers spend money on doing silly studies. But here's a study that has been a long time coming. Dating back to the time of Hippocrates (the father of modern medicine), massages have been used to not only reduce stress, but relieve pain. That was a long time ago, but the men in lab coats have some research now to back up that claim.

The study involved over 600 men who were at least 64-years-old. Two hundred of these guys were lucky enough to be the recipients of 20-minute massages to the back. Scientists watched the potential pain relief over 4 days as the subjects enjoyed the back rub. Using a 10-point scale, those men reported a quicker level-drop in pain than those who did not receive massages.

It's important to note that this treatment was complementary to any drugs they were taking (like morphine). The study has a few explanations. First, massages could have alleviated the anxiety associated with surgery. After all, we already know it relieves stress, so that's an easy one. But it could also have something to do with the releasing of endorphins, which uplifts mood and possibly blocks pain. Then again, the article also states some of the men may have just been more appreciative for the massage! Either way, I'll know what to ask for if I ever go under the knife.

More good news about dark chocolate, this time for those suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

It seems dark chocolate, which contains a high cocoa content and no milk, can alleviate CFS symptoms like no other chocolate can. And this makes it a tried and true prescription for patients of this condition who are urged to consume moderate amounts of the dark stuff.

Researchers believe it's the polyphenols found in large quantities in dark chocolate that do the trick because they affect levels of serotonin in the brain. The chocolate doesn't seem to affect weight gain, though. Participants didn't put on any pounds during dark chocolate pilot studies.

I don't know about you but for those plagued by profound fatigue, this seems like one great recipe for relief!

If you think sex can't be had due to a headache, how wrong you are. At least, according to headache specialist Dr. Vincent Martin. Amazingly, it's just the opposite. Oh, let the good times roll!

Martin stated this week that the increase in serotonin levels which happens during sex eases the pathways in the brain that can lead to and sustain a headache.

Now, this isn't to say that sex is the answer to all headaches or there would be massive tardiness in the corporate world every day. But, with the act itself being quite a bit more powerful than popping a few ibuprofen or aspirin, perhaps this new headache cure will be tested soon by, well, many.

Want to know some other natural remedies for your headache? Click here.

I wish it were simply in my genes to be sleek, slender, and fit. It's not. I have to work for my body. If I work at eating a lot and exercising not a lot, my body responds -- with extra pounds. If I work at eating right and exercising with a vengeance, my body rewards me with a more toned and trimmed look. That's just the way it goes, for most of us anyway. Not for Oscar winner Hilary Swank, who recently credited her slim, toned body to nothing more than good genes. Damn her!

"I think I've been blessed with my father's metabolism," says the 33-year-old actress who does enjoy some benefits of working out. She really loves power Pilates, and uses the exercise primarily for stress relief. Ultimately, though, it's dad who gets the credit.

"I try and get out as much as I can," she says, "but I think in the end I really have to give it up to my genes."

Ah, to be Hilary.

A recent study out this week stated that doctors are finding ways to 'turn off the pain' when treating some patients so that they are not distracted while administering treatment.

ER and trauma surgeons could probably benefit from this type of research I would guess. Being able to put the human equation aside and perform highly stressful medical work in order to save a life sometimes would be absolutely necessary. Turning off the brain's pain center (or distracting it) would seem to accomplish this task.

This study looked at functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as 14 doctors (and 14 others in a control group) were observed while some patients were pricked by acupuncture needles in the mouth area while others were 'pricked' by cotton swaps. One hurt patients in terms of pain response while the other inflicted no pain (obviously).

If you've ever seen those magnetic bracelets being hawked in magazines or on television, have you ever bought them? I know a few people that swear by them for wrist pain. But then again, some people justify their purchases with irrationality, I've found.

Still, I've never used them. According to new research this week, those products are not useful when it comes to the pain management many bracelet wearers are seeing.

Specifically, the study referenced pain from arthritis or fibromyalgia. But for the billion-dollar industry consumed with selling with magnets for use as pain relief products, this study is taking issue with that. To respond, that industry will need to provide valid, scientific evidence that magnets do somehow bind to pieces of the human anatomy in order to whisk pain away.

Tension headaches are generally a complete pain in the, well, head. But, do you know the difference between a headache, a tension headache and a migraine headache? There are different treatments for each, according to some.

If you have a tension headache, you may experience a painful pressure across the forehead instead of to the sides of the head. Feel that sharp pain instead of gradual, consistent pain? That's a sign of a tension headache.

Poor posture, stress and even eyestrain can cause tension headaches, so a reminder here is prudent since so many of us work at a computer all day long: sit straight up (looking at your computer monitor), take visual breaks frequently and move during the day (don't sit in one place). If you still have a tension headache, I've found ibuprofen to work great, but other painkillers may do just as well (like acetaminophen).

Ahhhhhh! The healing power of ice. Almost two years ago I was involved in a really dumb auto accident, and life has been quite weird since. Lots of treatment, lots of shots, and lots of other strange efforts to cure what is simply diagnosed as a chronic muscle spasm in my low back. It's often crippling, but certain treatments seem to help for short periods of time. The last treatment wore off two days ago, and I've been left in pain once again. Today I decided that I had to do something, and apparently freezing my butt off... literally....was worth the try.

I also broke my right foot this past winter (I sound pretty klutzy right?) Putting my bruised and swollen foot in the ice pool at the fitness center I attend helped relieve a lot of pain. Now, this pool isn't just chilly. It's freaking FREEZING! Close to 30 degrees, I've been told. Painfully freaking freezing. It took every ounce of will I had back then to just keep my little foot in the water. Imagine how I felt today when my husband logically coerced me to go give it a try for my big back! He's crazy.

Now, I'm the girl who grabs a jacket when the temperature drops down to 75 degrees. Born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, I simply don't do cold very well. I knew this ice bath deal was going to kill me. Nonetheless, like a crazy person I drove to my health club purposely to become a member of the Polar Bear Club. Terrified yet hopeful, I kept driving in the right direction. Got in the locker room, and threw on the old bikini. Fun. Fun.

Yes, it seems that having fun in bed can not only be good for your relationship, but it can also be good for you!

Many people simply enjoy a healthy sex life because sex is pleasurable. Now there's another reason to stay in bed; there are substantial health benefits of sex. It seems that enjoying sex regularly (which means at least twice a week), can do wonders for everyone both physically and psychologically.

Here are a few benefits:

• Having regular sex, reduces the risk for heart disease
• Weight loss and overall fitness
  
• Bladder control in women
  
• Natural release of endorphins, which relieves stress
  
• Women and men who feel more confident with sex are also more confident in life

The health benefits of sex will make you feel wonderful and you will gradually notice that the more sex you have, the more bounce you will have in each step (and the more sex you'll want.) Happiness isn't sex itself, but sex does ultimately play a role in human happiness. And, that something to smile about.