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Why It Takes Longer To Heal A Tendon Or Ligament

Why It Takes Longer To Heal a Tendon Or Ligament

Tendons and ligaments play an important part in stability and function of your musculoskelatal system. 

So when you strain, sprain or tear a tendon or ligament, it takes longer to heal than muscle injuries.

When you injure one of them, it’s usually a sprain or a strain. What’s the difference? Ligaments are sprained and tendons are strained.

Fun stuff, eh?

What Are Tendons And Ligaments?

Tendons are tough and flexible bands of fibrous connective tissue and they’re the structure in your body that connects a muscle to a bone. Basically, tendons hold you together.

On the other hand, while ligaments are made of the same stuff, they connect bone to bone. They help guide the joints through an appropriate range of motion and protect the joint from overextending.

WebMD.com says this about ligaments:

Ligaments are bands of tough elastic tissue around your joints. They connect bone to bone, give your joints support, and limit their movement. You have ligaments around your knees, ankles, elbows, shoulders, and other joints. Stretching or tearing them can make your joints unstable.

As an example, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) attaches the thighbone to the shinbone, stabilizing the knee joint. If you’ve ever had a skiing accident or basketball injury, it’s usually the ACL that’s damaged.

And yes, it hurts. Many times, this type of injury requires surgery to repair it.

Tendonitis such as tennis elbow or carpal tunnel syndrome occurs from overuse making the affected tendon inflamed, painful and swollen. VeryWellHealth.com explains it like this:

Specific tendons are prone to developing tendonitis, a problem where the tendon becomes irritated and inflamed. This causes pain when you move the muscle or bone. Tendonitis can develop as an overuse injury from repetitive motion, or be caused by stress or injury to the muscle or joint. Tendonitis often happens due to work activity or sports, but it can happen to anyone. You are at more risk of tendonitis as you get older.

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So Why Do They Take Longer To Heal?  tendonitis in knee, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome

A simple explanation of why it takes tendons and ligaments longer to heal from an injury is blood and oxygen – or lack thereof. Muscles get much more blood and oxygen to help them heal from an injury. Tendons and ligaments get a lot less – and that’s important because they still need blood and nutrients to heal. 

So what can you do to heal an injury to a tendon or ligament? (Yes, aromatherapy helps.)

This is one of those times where you really need to see your medical professional. If you can’t get to the doctor or emergency room as soon as an injury happens, here’s what HealthLine.com says that most doctors recommend. It’s called the RICE method:

In the meantime, however, whether it’s a strain or a sprain, immediate treatment is generally the same. Doctors recommend:

    • Rest. Try to keep your injured body part immobilized until healing is well underway. This may be easier with the use of immobilization braces and crutches, if needed.
    • Ice. Wrap ice in a towel to protect the skin and then ice the injured area for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day, while you recover.
    • Compression. Reduce swelling by wearing a compression bandage. Wrap the bandage so it’s snug but not uncomfortably tight.
    • Elevation. Keeping your injured body part higher than your heart can help reduce swelling and promote healing.
    • Medication. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatories and pain relievers, taken as needed, may help reduce your pain and swelling.

Aromatherapy For Injured Tendons And Ligaments

TendAid Blend for Tendons and Ligaments, Natural Pain ReliefThere’s certain essential oils that promote circulation which helps to get blood and nutrients to damaged tendons and ligaments.

If for some reason you can’t take over-the-counter anti-inflammatories (commonly called NSAIDS), then apply a blend of essential oils such as Plai, Lavender, Helichrysum and Wintergreen in a lotion or carrier oil all around the injured area.

TendAid Blend for Tendons and Ligaments was created just for this type of injury. It addresses the inflamed area, provides pain relief and stimulates circulation to damaged tendons and ligaments for faster healing.

You still need to see your doctor but TendAid can help you during the healing process. It may even make physical therapy less painful.

Be well – and take care of your knees – you’ll need them when you get old!

Blessings,

Melissa

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. 

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Are We Teaching Our Girls To Shine?

Are We Teaching Our Girls To Shrink,, #timesup movementWoohoo! It’s Women’s History Month which is awesome! It shines a light on the accomplishments of some amazing women from all walks of life who might otherwise simply be a footnote in history.

With that said, are we teaching our girls to shine or shrink?

I’m frustrated by the double standard that women still endure. Our lives are far more complicated and difficult than that of our male counterparts.

Why is it that we had to fight for an amendment simply to cast a ballot? That was the 19th Amendment to the Constitution passed in  March, 1919.

One hundred years later, we’re still fighting to be taken seriously in the board room, still fighting to be paid equal to a man and we bear the brunt of marriage and children (yes, actually we do) called the second and third shift. Work life balance

We still live in a patriarchal society where strong passionate women are considered bossy and yet a strong passionate man is considered a leader.

Why is that?

Honestly, tell me something. What’s the difference between two strong passionate personalities – one being female and one being male – who accomplish great things for themselves and the world?

Nothing.

Except perception and gender. 

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a MacArthur Foundation Fellow, author and national speaker who says this about what we teach girls:

We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful. Otherwise, you would threaten the man. Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage. I am expected to make my life choices always keeping in mind that marriage is the most important. Now, marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support but why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and we don’t teach boys the same? We raise girls to see each other as competitors not for jobs or accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing, but for the attention of men. We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are.

She really lays it out there, doesn’t she? 

And it’s all true.

Gender Differences

So, why is it okay to teach girls to aspire to marriage, but not boys? What’s the difference?

Why is it okay for boys to have unlimited ambition but not girls? What’s the difference?

Why do men get paid more than women for doing the same job? What’s the difference?

Why can men enjoy a drink at a bar but women are just “asking for it” if they do the same thing? What’s the difference?

I believe finally the tide is beginning to turn in our favor. The #metoo and #timesup movements have been able to shine a bright and long overdue light on sexual harassment and gender inequality.

It’s long past time that we began teaching our daughters in earnest that they never have to shrink or make themselves smaller to appease powerful men, get ahead or simply survive. 

Let’s Celebrate Women’s History Month Women's History Month, work life balance, gender inequality, gender differences

In honor of Women’s History Month, The Skimm offers up 19 women who have made a difference in sports, business, entertainment and politics such as:

Let’s make a pact right now to teach our girls that it’s okay to be ambitious – whatever that looks like to her; that it’s okay to be intelligent; that it’s okay to be successful beyond her wildest dreams.

Let’s also teach them that the same leadership qualities we hold dear in men are welcome and celebrated in women.

Let’s teach our girls that it’s okay if they don’t want to be married or have children and that it’s perfectly fine to excel in business, sports, politics, science, math and technology.

Please take a moment to tell me your thoughts on gender inequality. How has it affected you? Please leave your comments below – I’d love to hear from you.

I’m grateful that you stopped by today – want to talk about something? Fill out this short contact form and let’s talk!

Blessings,

Melissa

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Balance Your Emotions With Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy and Emotions, anxiety and panic attacks,

Like nearly everyone, I’ve had my emotional ups and downs at different points in my life. Sometimes, life-altering events blindside you and next thing you know, you’re a mess. Okay – at least I am. When that happens, you can easily support and balance your emotions with aromatherapy.

Pure essential oils are ideal for balancing your body, mind and spirit. Since they’ve been used for thousands of years, through observation (and testing) we know that certain oils help with certain emotions. 

How Do Essential Oils Help With Emotions?

Essential oils have naturally occurring chemical constituents that work in synergy with one another. Once inhaled, the aroma of a pure essential oil goes to work through your limbic system. 

I could give you the 60-minute explanation of your limbic system but I won’t. :)

I’ll just tell you that it’s the innermost part of your brain and home to your emotions. Your sense of smell is the only one that’s connected directly to the limbic system. 

What that means is when you inhale a pure essential oil from the bottle, it immediately gets into your system and starts working its “magic”. This doesn’t work with a fragrance oil, by the way as many of them are synthetic chemicals which your body doesn’t recognize.

WiseGeek.com offers a really good explanation of the limbic system:

The limbic system is the home of emotions, motivation, the regulation of memories, the interface between emotional states and memories of physical stimuli, physiological autonomic regulators, hormones, “fight or flight” responses, sexual arousal, circadian rhythms, and some decision systems. It is what gets “duped” when people get addicted to hard drugs. 

Why is this important? Because scents can affect your mood as well as trigger memories.

If you’ve ever smelled a rose and immediately thought of your grandmother, your limbic system was involved. That scent triggered a memory and its’ associated emotion. Your sense of smell sent a message to your limbic system and almost instantly, your emotions and body were affected.

That’s why aromatherapy works so well for your emotions.

Aromatherapy and Emotions

Here’s a list of a few oils and how they help your emotions:  Essential Oils and Emotions, anxiety and panic attacks, balance your emotions, limbic system,

  • Bergamot is excellent for anger, anxiety, depression, exhaustion, fear, insecurity and stress.
  • Lavender is universally known for its ability to calm and balance.
  • Sweet Orange is ideal for lifting your spirits.
  • Palo Santo works well for depression, fear, grief and loneliness.
  • Frankincense helps with grief and fear.
  • Feeling irritable? Try Lavender and Neroli.
  • Peppermint and Rosemary work well for fatigue.

You can inhale, diffuse or mix the essential oils with a carrier oil and apply to your skin.

I currently create blends with over 130 pure essential oils and can easily create a blend for just about any emotion – including happiness and peace!

Two very popular blends that I craft are Anxiety Ease Aromatherapy Roller Ball and Peaceful Ease Aromatherapy Roller Ball.

What’s the difference? Anxiety Ease helps you with anxiety and panic attacks. Peaceful Ease works well with anxiety and depression. I’ve also made my own blends for anger, grief, fear and even for letting go of a situation.

Aromatherapy should not be used as a miracle cure for severe emotions but it assists greatly when life gets out of sorts. Proper and daily use of pure essential oils can support and enhance your emotional outlook.

What emotions are you dealing with? Let me show you how aromatherapy can help you and your emotions. Fill out this contact form and let’s talk today.

Blessings,

Melissa

P.S. Who do you know that could use an emotional boost? Please share my name with them – I’d love to help!

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.