Reena Jain mixes a few drops of various essential oils in a pre-determined combination. She infuses them into an ultra-sonic humidifier or a diffuser.

By Vaishali Vijaykumar
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Express News ServiceCHENNAI: Reena Jain mixes a few drops of various essential oils in a pre-determined combination. She infuses them into an ultra-sonic humidifier or a diffuser. Sprays of fragrance fill the air and enhance our mood instantly. All these therapeutic tools are part of her process to cure certain ailments with naturopathy and aromatherapy. In 2016, Reena began consulting and treating patients.
“Naturopathy, without the help of medicines, helps in curing ailments to a larger extent through air, water, ether, space, earth, diet and massage therapies,” says Reena, who has a Bachelor’s degree in Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences, a postgraduate diploma in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics from Medvarsity, an MD in Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences from Bharat Sevak Samaj, and a PhD from AMC Kolkata. Currently, she’s practising at Singhvi Hospital in Purasawalkam. Her keen interest in blending various oils for treatments led her to start Rena Essentials, an online-based brand, early this month. “I started curating hand-made blends for patients and they have all benefitted to a large extent. Apart from oils, we also sell organic wellness products. Today, the awareness among people about wellness, fitness and leading healthier lifestyles has become vital,” she says.
The brand has diffusers to blend oils for health benefits like increasing memory power, relaxation, reducing cold and flu, energisers and overall immunity boosters. When one inhales the aroma, it is said to cure the illness and ease the pain. Their rollon blends are easy to carry and have many benefits including easing muscle pain, reducing allergies, improving concentration, restoring hormonal balance in the thyroid gland, and it has antiaging properties. One of the most sought after products with Reena is the slat lamp. Himalayan salt lamps are decorative lights you can buy for your home. The decor items come in different shapes and sizes.


They are carved out of pink Himalayan salt and believed to have various health benefits. Advocates of salt lamps claim they can clean the air in your home, soothe allergies, boost your mood and help you sleep. “Salt lamps have always fascinated me and given me and my family excellent results. I’ve sourced them from the borders of Kutch and Pakistan to make them available to a larger section of society. My treatment sessions include deeply understanding the patient’s condition, his/her lifestyle, helping them change it and significantly improve their quality of life. The treatment can go on anywhere between two weeks to even three months depending on the severity of the ailments,” she says. Essential oils, skin rejuvenation packs, travel-friendly kits, pain relief packs, facial mists, Epsom salt and facial mists are a few other products sold at Rena Essentials. 

• BY MELISSA BINNS

If you've ever had a massage, then you know it's pretty much the best thing ever. The relief that can come from a good massage session is beyond words! That said, this seemingly magical practice can have its downsides. It is just not practical to be massaged all day every day, as much as we sometimes wish it was! Especially if you are getting a massage for recovery purposes or another specific reason aside from leisure.


Work with a professional massage therapist to figure out the right schedule for your needs. If you're dealing with chronic pain or an injury, weekly or biweekly should be enough. If you have a desk job you might only need one monthly. It all depends! Here are some pros and cons when it comes to getting frequent massages.

What are the Benefits of a Butt Massage

The Alternative Daily
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 You may have only clicked on this article thinking “surely they can’t be serious.” Though it may not be the most popular place on your body for a massage and you probably rarely think of your tush as anything other than something you sit on, this often neglected group of fat and muscle has a lot to offer. Butt massages are an excellent way to restore the stability of your whole body and increase flexibility and strength. Check out our list for a few reasons you should get a butt massage today.


The gluteal muscles of the buttocks are among the largest group in the body and are essential for a number of functions including stability, movement, and posture. The problem is, you may not even realize when your muscles are injured or weak, and this could lead to severe issues including lower back and hip pain and a decreased range of motion. Butt massages are designed to help treat and prevent these issues by pushing and stretching your muscles to help improve muscle stability, boost circulation through your lower extremities, and increase your range of motion.
Keep in mind; any massage should be done by a licensed professional in a certified massage practice in an appropriate manner. Improper techniques can lead to injury and could potentially make any health problems worse.


Increased flexibility
Whether you suffer from tight glues due to lack of use, inadequate stretching, or injury, it can be hard to loosen them up and reclaim full range of movement. Butt massage can help work these muscles and improve strength and circulation throughout your lower body.
Improved athletic performance
Any athlete won’t hesitate to affirm the importance of strong butt muscles for sports. Think about it, you use your butt muscles for squatting, running, and jumping. Even actions that seem like they only require upper body muscles such as golfing or throwing a ball still utilize your Gluteus Maximus. A physical therapist or massage therapist can work with you to decrease your risk of injury by assessing your glutes and addressing any muscular issues or misfires.
Decrease back pain
According to studies, nearly 80% of all Americans will experience some form of lower back pain. This can range all the way from a minor twinge to a debilitating injury. For many, this pain is chronic and lasts for years, hampering daily activities and preventing a full range of motion.
Sciatica is a sharp pain that is caused by a tight piriformis muscle which is under the glutes. This tension, in turn, puts pressure on the sciatic nerve in the lower back causing shooting pains to travel from the lower back and spread down through the hips, leg, and buttocks. It can often be incredibly painful and difficult to find relief. Massaging the butt takes the tension off the sciatic nerve and allows the tight muscles to unwind and relax.
Butt massage can ease chronic and acute pain by targeting problem areas and working on the tight muscles and tension that often lead to back issues. It removes the pressure on your spine, legs, and other parts of your back, allowing the contracted, wound up muscles to relax and repair more quickly.
This type of physical therapy can help relieve back pain from a number of other causes including bruised buttocks, herniated discs, tailbone pain, and tight glutes.
Reduce knee and leg pain
Any imbalance in the legs can lead to serious knee and joint problems over time. Inactive glute muscles are a common cause of this imbalance and can lead to chronic knee pain. Unfortunately, the glutes are often an overlooked source of knee problems and can be easily forgotten about. Try visiting a massage therapist and performing butt-engaging exercises to get your glutes firing again.
Pregnancy benefits
During pregnancy, women can often start to experience lower back and butt pain due to the increased weight they are carrying in their abdomen. Prenatal butt massage may help improve posture and decrease overall soreness by targeting sore fat and muscle groups in the tush.
In a professional setting, it is totally normal to ask your therapist about a bum massage. Don’t be weirded out. Your butt has muscles too and deserves just as much attention as the rest of your body.

Dr. Maro: Physical therapy helps older, injured pets stay active 



By Dr. Cynthia Maro / For The Ledger

   If your pet is slowing down or has ever experienced lameness — even slight — upon getting up or after a walk, he may be a good candidate for rehabilitative therapy.
Ollie, a 16-month-old standard poodle, had one leg that was 2 inches shorter than his other front limb. He had two surgeries to correct the growth plate defect and curvature of the shorter leg, but he was still having lots of pain, and even with surgery, his legs were three-quarters of an inch different six months after healing.
Surgeons at a university recommended an expensive, painful procedure that would require several months of recovery. A surgery resident knew the owners did not want to put their dog through more pain, so he called me to see if Ollie could begin rehabilitative therapy at my office.
Instead of starting underwater treadmill and physical therapy exercises, I first worked with Ollie to become pain free without using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen. I adjusted Ollie’s spine and joints, and my staff supported him with massage and laser therapy. His owners did stretches and exercises at home to help with scar tissue and adhesions built up from two prior surgeries.
When Ollie was moving more freely, we began underwater treadmill therapy. Within a month, his lameness resolved and his limbs were almost equal lengths.
Another dog, Shelby, came to the office for rehabilitative therapy because she was overweight and unable to exercise due to arthritis. She was in a cycle of gaining weight and getting less mobile and in more pain.
Shelby benefited from therapies similar to Ollie’s. When she began swim therapy, extra weight came off and arthritis signs went away, without pain medications.
If your pet is slowing down or has ever experienced lameness — even slight — upon getting up or after a walk, he may be a good candidate for rehabilitative therapy.
Pets who have had surgery to repair injury, cruciate tear, amputation or broken bone in the past can also benefit, even if it has been years since the injury.
Cats can also live happier and longer lives with therapy. If your cat is hiding more or sitting on lower perches instead of getting up on the window ledge, consider seeking a veterinarian trained in physical therapy modalities.
Pets with obesity, muscle loss, internal medicine diagnoses and endocrine disorders can also reap the benefits of improved muscle tone and organ function with rehabilitative and core conditioning.
If your pet fits any of the above profiles, he could benefit from physiotherapy, physical therapy and/or animal chiropractic adjusting techniques.
Up until the late 1990s, physical therapy for pets was not commonly recommended, nor was it taught as a post-injury or post-surgical therapy in veterinary colleges.
In human medicine, physical therapy has been used for post-operative recovery, injury rehabilitation and health maintenance for people with long-term illnesses and neurological disorders for decades. In veterinary medicine, it wasn’t until the late 1990s when the first post-graduate programs in physical therapy and rehabilitation became available to veterinarians. Even then, it took about 10 to 15 years for veterinary surgical specialists to routinely recommend therapy for post-operative patients.
Currently, some veterinary colleges in this country still have not included physical therapy in core classes for veterinary students.
When I studied rehabilitative veterinary medicine, I learned techniques, including massage, hydrotherapy, thermal treatments, cryotherapy, therapeutic ultrasound, laser therapy and other pain-control methods. Because I was already using acupuncture, animal chiropractic, prolotherapy, Chinese herbs and essential oils, when I added rehabilitative therapies, I discovered that long-term, conventional pain medications became unnecessary for my pet patients.
Conditions/pets that respond well to physical therapies:
1. Pets with amputations, limb or spinal deformities.
2. Trauma patients.
3. Patients with muscle loss due to hormone imbalances, such as thyroid or Cushing’s diseases.
4. Degenerative arthritis or nerve disorders.
5. Intervertebral disc disease.
6. Post-operative patients.
7. ACL/ligament tears and muscles strains (many pets can avoid surgery through physical therapy).
8. Bone growth disorders and development delay, such as swimmer puppies.
Rehabilitative therapies that benefit pets include:
1. Underwater treadmill.
2. Swim therapy.
3. Stem cell and platelet-rich plasma.
4. Strength and core-building exercises.
5. Laser therapy.
6. Therapeutic ultrasound.
7. Innovarius Sanawave.
8. Shockwave therapy.
9. Hot and cold therapy.
10. PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field therapy).
11. Electrostimulation.
12. Trigger point therapy/myofascial.
13. Massage therapy.
14. Prolotherapy.
These therapies have all proved to be beneficial for many of my patients and those of my associate, Dr. Alyssa Carver, who has been trained in rehabilitative techniques.
Not all veterinarians are trained in the above techniques, and even many specialists are not aware of how many animals can be saved from having euthanasia or more extensive surgeries with the right therapy program.
You can find a veterinarian with rehabilitative therapy certification by searching AHVMA.org or looking for veterinarians with CCRP certification or the initials/credentials VMRT following their names.
Dr. Cynthia Maro is a veterinarian at the Ellwood Animal Hospital in Ellwood City and the Chippewa Animal Hospital in Chippewa Township. She writes a biweekly column on pet care and health issues. If you have a topic you’d like addressed, please email ellwoodvet@msn.com.