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Dance of Life
Biodance, more commonly known as biodanza, literally means the dance of life.
It is described in Wikipedia as “a system of self-development that uses music, movement and positive feelings to deepen self-awareness. It seeks to promote the ability to make a holistic link to oneself, emotions and to express them. Biodanza also claims to allow one to deepen the bonds with others and nature and to express those feelings congenially.”
Biodanza was created in Chile in the 1960s and is now practiced in at least 30 countries.
To analyse the effects of an aquatic biodance based therapy on sleep quality, anxiety, depression, pain and quality of life in FM patients, researchers assigned 59 patients to 2 groups: experimental group (aquatic biodance) and control group (stretching), for 12 weeks.
Significant differences in the experimental group were seen on sleep quality (49.7%), anxiety (14.1%), impact of fibromyalgia (18.3%), pain (27.9%), and tender points (34.4%).
This video discusses and demonstrates what Biodanza is all about.
In this next video, Biodanza is performed in the water. Although the voice on the video is speaking Portuguese, you can still see what Aquatic Biodanza looks like even if you don’t understand Portuguese.
Anyone tried this one yet?
Six Word Fridays: FINE
The Six Word Friday prompt this week is FINE – (Fine china. Fine toothed comb. I’m fine…really, just fine. Pay the fine. Fine.)
The challenge with this kind of post? To keep each line I write to only SIX {6} WORDS!! (we don’t count the number of lines, syllables or letters…just the number of words!).
Examples have included:
- Six word photo caption
- A verse, each line composed of six words
- A story, told six words at a time
- A six word quote {or six words of a quote}
- A wish {a musing, a lesson…anything at all!}
What other choice do I have?
Pull the Trigger
Trigger point injections (TPI) is an option many of us choose to treat pain.
TPI is a procedure used to treat painful areas of muscle that contain trigger points, or knots of muscle that form when muscles do not relax. Many times, such knots can be felt under the skin. Trigger points may irritate the nerves around them and cause referred pain, or pain that is felt in another part of the body.
TPI is used to treat many muscle groups, especially those in the arms, legs, lower back, and neck. In addition, TPI can be used to treat FM and tension headaches. The technique is also used to alleviate myofascial pain syndrome that does not respond to other treatments.
What Happens During a Trigger Point Injection?
In the TPI procedure, a health care professional inserts a small needle into the patient’s trigger point. The injection contains a local anesthetic that sometimes includes a corticosteroid. With the injection, the trigger point is made inactive and the pain is alleviated. Usually, a brief course of treatment will result in sustained relief.
Injections are given in a doctor’s office and usually take just a few minutes. Several sites may be injected in one visit. If a patient has an allergy to a certain drug, a dry-needle technique (involving no medications) can be used.
The effectiveness of TPI for treating myofascial pain is still under study.
Further Reading:
There is No Life Without Water.
Ever since I discovered the wonders of my warm water class, I have gone on and on and on about the wonders of water.
Like all water exercises, water walking is easy on the joints. “The water’s buoyancy supports the body’s weight, which reduces stress on the joints and minimizes pain,” says Vennie Jones, aquatic coordinator for the Baylor Tom Landry Fitness Center in Dallas. “And it’s still a great workout. Water provides 12 times the resistance of air, so as you walk, you’re really strengthening and building muscle.” You do not bear weight while swimming and walking, however, so you’ll still need to add some bone-building workouts to your routine.
You can walk in either the shallow end of the pool or the deep end, using a flotation belt. The deeper the water, the more strenuous your workout. And it can be done in warm or cold water.
What you need: A pool! That’s it – but for deep-water walking, a flotation belt keeps you upright and floating at about shoulder height.
How it works: You’ll stand about waist- to chest-deep in water, unless you’re deep-water walking. You walk through the water the same way you would on the ground. Try walking backward and sideways to tone other muscles.
Try it: Stand upright, with shoulders back, chest lifted and arms bent slightly at your sides. Slowly stride forward, placing your whole foot on the bottom of the pool (instead of just your tiptoes), with your heel coming down first, then the ball of your foot. Avoid straining your back by keeping your core (stomach and back) muscles engaged as you walk.
Add intensity: Lifting your knees higher helps boost your workout. You also can do interval training – pumping arms and legs faster for a brief period, then returning to your normal pace, repeating the process several times.
Find a class: If you’re new to water exercises, an instructor can make sure your form is correct, says Jones. Plus, it can be fun to walk with others. To find a class near you, call your local YMCA, fitness centre or Arthritis Foundation office.
Don’t forget the water: You still need to drink water – even while exercising in the pool.
