Connective Communications

Cucumber is an excellent source of silica, which is a trace mineral that contributes to the strength of our connective tissue. Connective tissue is what holds our body together. Cucumbers are effective when used for various skin problems, including swelling under the eyes and sunburn. They also contain ascorbic and caffeic acids. These acids prevent water retention. That may explain why when cucumbers are applied topically they are often helpful for swollen eyes, burns, and dermatitis.

Cucumber is a vegetable that belongs to the same family as pumpkins, zucchinis and other squashes. It has a dark green skin, which reveals whitish or very light green flesh, when peeled. There are basically two types of cucumbers - the pickling varieties and the slicing varieties. Of these, the pickling variety is relatively small, around 2 - 4 inches long.

Today we see the cucumber as a provider of a very healthy juice beneficial for its places as an increaser of the flowing of weewee and as a complement to the outcomes of apium graveolens dulce and carrot juice for rheumatic statuses, while at the same clip being a soothing skin lotion.

As a beauty aid, the cucumber provides immediate relief to puffy eyes; a fresh cucumber can be cut into thin slices, and these placed on the eyes for 5-10 minutes. This works incredibly well after a tiring day at work in front of the computer, and helps to relieve stress and dark circles around the eye area as well. Grated cucumber can be used as a mask and tonic for the entire face and neck.

Cucumbers are scientifically known as Cucumis sativus, which belongs to the same family as pumpkin, zucchini, watermelon and squash.

Cucumber’s nutritional benefits include natural salts, enzymes, and vitamins essential for strong cell growth and repair. In addition, the high mineral content and minerals in cucumber peel offer a natural source for a fresh, powerful antioxidant. The alkalinity of cucumber is also a positive attribute, and because of its water base, the cucumber is also a top choice as a diuretic.

The high water content makes cucumbers a diuretic and it also has a cleansing action within the body by removing accumulated pockets of old waste material and chemical toxins. Cucumbers help eliminate uric acid which is beneficial for those who has arthritis and its fibre-rich skin and their high levels of potassium and manganese helps regulate blood pressure and help promote nutrient functions. The magnesium content in cucumbers also relaxes nerves and muscles and keeps blood circulating smoothly.

Cucumber is good for those who are dieting as it is very low in calories. It has a cleansing action within the body by removing accumulated pockets of old waste material and chemical toxins. It helps eliminate uric acid so it is good for those who has arthritis. Its juice is a nourishing vitamin for our hair and skin. It is also a good rejuvenator and makes us feel and look younger.

It is believed that cucumber helps in reducing swelling around the eyes or the big dark circles under your eyes. This is world-wide treatment which is being used to its maximum extent.

Business communications. The phrase seems somehow elusive. Most small businesses know that they need to have it, but are a little confused about what business communications really is. The fact of the matter is that business communications is not just one thing. There are many things that fall under the umbrella of this term, and it is important to make use of them in any business.

Copywriting

Copywriting, one the most vital aspects of business communications, deals with your interaction with potential and existing customers via your Web pages and advertisements. It tells them why your products or services are great for them. That's what makes it so crucial to your communications basket, it convinces them to purchase what your Website offers.

And copywriting to get publicity,through press releases you write, keeps your company in the public eye, and enhances your business image.

If you want to keep your customers updated about your company and at the same time, make them feel appreciated, you could send them a newsletter periodically. Here again, your copywriting needs to be spot on. You could include information about a special sale or a new product in your newsletter.

Special products like brochures, flyers, and special publications also require copywriting. They are considered business communications as they are products specifically designed to catch the eye and stimulate business growth. These products are good to have in your arsenal, and copywriters are needed to effectively get your point across.

Correspondence

The people who help keep your business going such as your suppliers, clients, financial backers, etc., are very important and you need to communicate with them on a regular basis. Nowadays, with all the advances in technology, business letters can be emailed or faxed. They can also be delivered by courier or sent the old fashioned way, through the post. Whichever method you choose, business correspondence is the life line of your organization.

Internal Communications

In-house communications deal how you communicate with other people within your business. It includes meetings, office memos, phone calls and messages. It comes into play whenever you discuss a company function, communicating your expectation levels in an easy-to-understand manner is vital to your operations, for example. Because it eliminates confusion and boosts the increases the productivity of your business

Promotional Items

These things are sometimes kitschy but they draw attention to your business. They communicate in that they bring awareness of your company. They communicate your presence and viability as a business. Many of these things are simple and can be easily carried around. Business cards are the most obvious of the promotion products, but other items can include things like pens, tote bags, shirts, appointment books, key chains, and funny little toys. While some of these items may be a little campy, at least they grab people's attention.

Connective Tissue Function

Connective tissue is an essential organ and as such has many functions and capabilities.

• Connective tissue is the vehicle of the unconscious and undifferentiated body functions.

• Connective tissue regulates energy processes and has primary control of the physiochemical and bioelectrical activities of the body.

• Connective tissue regulates a host of vital bodily functions such as temperature, water, mineral and energy balance, including glycolysis and respiration.

• Connective tissue forms the basis of the system of general and unspecific defense regulation, and along with its fibres represents a mechanical barrier to bacteria.

• Connective tissue serves as the physiologic reservoir of the human body for all essential nutrients.

Protein, carbohydrates and water are stored in the connective tissue as well as fat cells which contain fat not yet transformed into energy.

Water occurs in two different forms in the body:

1. As active hydrodynamic, available water

2. As inactive stored water.

The first form serves as a means of transport in the circulatory and lymph system as well as in connective tissue. It functions as a reactive partner and a solvent in the metabolic processes of cells and tissues.

Stored water (2) on the other hand is used to determine the volume of a molecule which is not a compact, but rather a diffuse, externally open molecule that extends over a large volume.

Evolution has cleverly placed its central reservoir for all essential nutrients, in the most imaginably convenient spot in the body, the connective tissue.

In this way the connective tissue fulfills two functions.

• Firstly, it is a hydro culture in which all cells of the body are suspended and nourished.

• Secondly, it is the ubiquitous reservoir for all the nutrients of the entire organism.

In this way every body cell can withdraw any nutrient from the tissue fluid in which it is bathed. If a nutrient deficiency occurs, every cell can at any time draw nutrients out of the connective tissue reservoir without any delay due to long transport routes.

The connective tissue is indeed another organ of the body, meaning the life quality of the cells is dependent upon the environment.

This view is logical due to the presence of nerve fibers in the soft connective tissue which represent the termination of the autonomic nerves. The axons of these nerves are able to release transmitter substances directly into the connective tissue, thereby exerting a regulatory effect.

A further characteristic of connective tissue is its ability to regenerate, for example, the formation of scars.

Connective tissue has another important function as a defense system against life threatening invasions from foreign cells such as bacteria. Connective tissue fibers represent a protective barrier that detains invading cells until the defense cells can do their work

A good healthy connective tissue is essential for health and beauty.

An accumulation of metabolic waste products impairs the function of connective tissue. In mild cases this leads only to cosmetic blemishes, but in more serious cases it will lead to health disturbances such as Fibromyalgia and CFS.

The same is true if disturbances occur in the water balance of connective tissue or if its composition deviates from the norm in one of many other possible ways.

Microoedeamas in connective tissue are the cause of many diseases.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) aims to clean and purify the tissue by draining it of pollutants.

Transport Systems of the Body

The human body consists of one third solid substances and two thirds of a liquid similar to seawater in composition. One could argue that this is evidence that we originally evolved from marine life.

Health is almost entirely dependent on the circulation of substances (metabolism), and so becomes a matter of efficient transport.

All substances that are transported in the blood must pass through the connective tissue to reach the cells. Waste products formed during combustion must also pass through the connective tissue in order to be removed by the blood.

These facts are crucial to understanding how MLD works.

Circulation

Parallel to the venous system we have another vessel system, the lymph system.

A good analogy for the circulatory systems would be to say that the arterial network forms the supply channels to the tissues, with the venous and lymph networks representing the drainage systems.

In turn, venous and lymph systems have their own differing tasks.

The venous system conducts blood back to the heart, but must also remove small molecular substances such as salt, sugar, water and gas from the connective tissue, and transport them.

The lymph system is responsible for removing large molecular substances and water from the tissue, and transporting them. Large molecules consist of proteins, immobile cells, cell fragments, waste products, bacteria, viruses, inorganic substances, water and large molecular fats.

Lymph Nodes

Lymph nodes can be regarded as filtering stations. Lymph will not leave an organ or a body region without being filtered through a lymph node. Lymph nodes represent direct connections to the circulatory system.

Lymph nodes are full of lymphocytes, plasma cells and phagocytes (all vital immune system units with their own individual purpose).

Lymphocytes will remain in the lymph nodes for several days but will only stay in the blood for at most 24 hours.

There are around 600 lymph nodes in the body, with around 160 concentrated in the neck region, hence the dreadful neck pain experienced during an infective episode.

Lymph nodes bind, attack and breakdown antigens but also concentrate deposits of glass, dust, mineral dust and dyes for elimination into the blood capillaries.

The majority of an organism's immunological reactions and activities occur in the lymph nodes.

Lymph nodes are generally devoid of musculature with the exception of those in the intestinal region which are able to contract. This is due to the enormous pressure and the pure volume of activity in the intestinal area.

The functions of the lymph nodes are:

• Biological filtering,

• Lymph Concentration (water is absorbed into the veins resulting in lymph thickening)

• Immunological function (lymphocyte replication), • Storage for substances that cannot be immediately broken down and eliminated.

Anatomy of the Lymph Vessels

The largest lymph vessel of the human body is the thoracic duct. It originates in the navel region and ascends through the diaphragm in front of the vertebral column. At the sternum it arches to the left and empties into the left subclavian vein.

It transports the lymph from the lower body and legs. It also takes some of the lymph generated in the thorax.

All lymph originating below the navel is transported by the thoracic duct.

The lymph of the skin and muscles of the head and neck is transported by the jugular trunk to the venous arch of that side. There are many lymph nodes in the neck and facial region.

The cervical lymph nodes are situated above and below the fascia of the tissue.

Of particular note to Fibromyalgia and CFS sufferers is that the brains "lymph obligatory load" flows through the lymph nodes of the neck.

This is a crucial factor to remember in treating Fibromyalgia and CFS patients, as will be discussed later.

The brain and spinal cord have no direct lymph vessels of their own: the pre-lymph from these areas drains via cerebrospinal fluid and along spinal nerves.

What is particularly interesting in the Fibromyalgia and CFS debate is that recent scientific evidence reports the discovery brain and spinal cord lesions in Fibromyalgia and CFS patients.

Readers should by now be able to deduce for themselves that it is no coincidence that these areas happen to be organs that have no direct access to lymph vessels.

The viral, chemical or bacterial trigger infection pre diagnosis was allowed to cause damage to these areas due to extreme lymphostasis during the infective period.

The lymphostasis is a direct result of musculoskeletal anomalies affecting the thoracic duct, the main drainage channel of the lymphatic system.

As I have spoken about a great length in previous articles, all Fibromyalgia and CFS patients present with some degree of musculoskeletal imbalance in the T7 area which as I have presented in this article is the main "crossroads" of the lymphatic system.

My working strategy includes the following:

• MLD focusing on specific areas of lymphostasis, working the tissues in specific directions,

• mobilization of particular musculoskeletal restrictions,

• improve overall musculoskeletal balance,

• simultaneously employ a sequence of rotational exercises,

The results normally include:

• reversal of chronic lymphostasis,

• improvement trigger point pain,

• reduction of stress hormone production,

• improvement overall immune function ,

• reduction of the fatigue experienced by true CFS and Fibromyalgia sufferers.

What is it?

The development of deep connective tissue massage therapy is credited to the German, Elizabeth Dicke. She had a medical condition in her legs that caused them to stay cold and discolored, and develop gangrene. One day while doing stretches in her lower back, she noticed warmth and a tingling sensation in her legs. When she continued the stretches, her legs gradually improved over time. She began to develop a massage technique based on her observations with two medical doctors, Kohlrausch and Teirich-Leube. This technique eventually came to be called deep connective tissue massage.

Deep connective tissue massage treats the body as a whole instead of just focusing on individual areas at a time. In this manner, it can treat the problem areas in the body by massaging connective tissues. Connective tissues fill the spaces in the body between muscles and fibers, and form a layer around blood vessels to protect them. They are very delicate and do not take stress well, therefore they can become injured and painful quite easily. Deep connective tissue massage aims to release myofascial restrictions in the body by healing injured connective tissues and breaking up any restrictive scar tissue.

How does it work?

During a typical therapy session, the massage therapist will focus on releasing tension from the deeper tissue structures of the muscle and fascia with deep, intense strokes. Oil or lotion is not usually used in this form of massage therapy. Deep connective tissue massage therapy works by physically breaking down adhesions in muscles, tendons and ligaments. These adhesions occur due to chronic muscle tension or injury and can result in blocked circulation, pain, limited mobility and inflammation. Deep connective tissue massage therapy also restores the length and flexibility of connective tissue by normalizing it and by improving the strength and overall health of the entire connective tissue system.

What are its benefits?

Deep connective tissue massage helps in relieving chronic tension, increasing the body’s range of motion, improves posture and enhances the natural harmony of the entire body and mind. It is a very powerful remedial tool for recovery from sports-related injuries, repetitive strain injury, osteoarthritis pain, fibromyalgia and muscle spasms.

Precautions

Because deep connective tissue massage is a very intense form of massage therapy, do consult a medical practitioner before signing up for a therapy session. It is not recommended for people with infectious skin diseases, rashes or open wounds, people who are prone to blood clots, people who have just had surgery and pregnant women.

Cucumber is an excellent source of silica, which is a trace mineral that contributes to the strength of our connective tissue. Connective tissue is what holds our body together. Cucumbers are effective when used for various skin problems, including swelling under the eyes and sunburn. They also contain ascorbic and caffeic acids. These acids prevent water retention. That may explain why when cucumbers are applied topically they are often helpful for swollen eyes, burns, and dermatitis.

Cucumber is a vegetable that belongs to the same family as pumpkins, zucchinis and other squashes. It has a dark green skin, which reveals whitish or very light green flesh, when peeled. There are basically two types of cucumbers - the pickling varieties and the slicing varieties. Of these, the pickling variety is relatively small, around 2 - 4 inches long.

Today we see the cucumber as a provider of a very healthy juice beneficial for its places as an increaser of the flowing of weewee and as a complement to the outcomes of apium graveolens dulce and carrot juice for rheumatic statuses, while at the same clip being a soothing skin lotion.

As a beauty aid, the cucumber provides immediate relief to puffy eyes; a fresh cucumber can be cut into thin slices, and these placed on the eyes for 5-10 minutes. This works incredibly well after a tiring day at work in front of the computer, and helps to relieve stress and dark circles around the eye area as well. Grated cucumber can be used as a mask and tonic for the entire face and neck.

Cucumbers are scientifically known as Cucumis sativus, which belongs to the same family as pumpkin, zucchini, watermelon and squash.

Cucumber’s nutritional benefits include natural salts, enzymes, and vitamins essential for strong cell growth and repair. In addition, the high mineral content and minerals in cucumber peel offer a natural source for a fresh, powerful antioxidant. The alkalinity of cucumber is also a positive attribute, and because of its water base, the cucumber is also a top choice as a diuretic.

The high water content makes cucumbers a diuretic and it also has a cleansing action within the body by removing accumulated pockets of old waste material and chemical toxins. Cucumbers help eliminate uric acid which is beneficial for those who has arthritis and its fibre-rich skin and their high levels of potassium and manganese helps regulate blood pressure and help promote nutrient functions. The magnesium content in cucumbers also relaxes nerves and muscles and keeps blood circulating smoothly.

Cucumber is good for those who are dieting as it is very low in calories. It has a cleansing action within the body by removing accumulated pockets of old waste material and chemical toxins. It helps eliminate uric acid so it is good for those who has arthritis. Its juice is a nourishing vitamin for our hair and skin. It is also a good rejuvenator and makes us feel and look younger.

It is believed that cucumber helps in reducing swelling around the eyes or the big dark circles under your eyes. This is world-wide treatment which is being used to its maximum extent.

Communication entails the conveying of a message from one person to another. It is an everyday occurrence, an on-going process, so much so that we overlook its strategic role in driving corporate performance and increasing profit margins.

Nicholas Goh, Managing Director of Verztec Consulting Pte Ltd, a Leading ISO 9001:2000 Certified Multilingual Communications Service Provider, is tuned in to the dynamic potential of strategic communications. Verztec offers Translation and Localization services, which have helped companies improve their bottom lines and foster strong employee involvement. He is pleased to share the following tip sheet on implementing strategic communications tools in the workplace.

The goal of corporate communications is influence. By bringing across certain messages, one can affect employee opinion about work -related issues. Opinions drive performance. Without conviction, employees might work without enthusiasm, performing only the work they must to stay employed. When a better offer comes along, they will not hesitate to leave. In the meantime, they certainly are not innovating or excelling on behalf of a company whose values and actions are inconsistent with their own beliefs. Getting employees to behave in a manner consistent with company goals is a driving force behind nearly all strategic communications efforts. This can be achieved via a number of ways.

Know Your Audience

Communication is a two-way process. It does not comprise writing or speaking alone. Until the writing is read, the speaking heard and the message understood, there is no communication. To ensure that your message is understood, it is essential that you know your audience and their likely level of understanding. If you are addressing your colleague from the same specialty or discipline, you can usually assume the same understanding equal to your own. When addressing members from other departments or specialty, it is seldom wise to assume any specialist knowledge at all--technical terms should be explained and the usage of obfuscating jargon reduced. When presenting some detailed aspects of your work to a varied audience comprising specialist colleagues and management executives from the upper echelons, identify the lowest common element of your audience--whether by ability or qualification--and pitch your work accordingly.

Involve Your Audience

Audience involvement results in commitment. If the talk is sensible, sincere and not stereotyped, your audience will be more perceptive to the message that you are trying to deliver. One way to do this would be to delineate the relevance and immediacy of effect that your message has on your audience. People are not likely to be interested in remote issues. When conveying certain changes that have been implemented, illustrate, with examples, how these relate to the environment in which your staff and colleagues work and how it will impact them. Good speakers can empathize with the hopes and struggles of the average member of the audience, appreciate their prudence and ruminate on details that concern them. Suggestions and recommendations should be characterized by an intelligent engagement in the welfare of the people they are addressing. Greater involvement leads to better dialogue, which leads to better understanding and greater acceptance of what you are proposing.

Persuade Your Audience

One of the most effective persuasion tools is passion. If you are passionate about your vision, it is easy for others to be swayed by your enthusiasm. Building excitement with an audience must begin with your own enthusiasm. You may have all the facts and details at your fingertips, but if you cannot package and present them with passion and conviction, you are not going to get the job done. Moreover, if you have anything short of total commitment and belief in what you are saying, people can see right through it. One of the best ways is to tell your audience why you are so excited; you can start off by completing the following sentence: I am excited to be sharing this with you because... If you can craft a single sentence that articulates your state of mind, it can go a long way toward rallying your supporters as well as convincing the skeptics.

Keep It Simple

The fundamental principle applicable to all active communication modes is to communicate simply and clearly in such a manner that the message can readily be understood. Refrain from dazzling graphics or lengthy ruminations. Extraneous communications is onerous and take time away from work. The challenge is to present your basic ideas in terms that are so simple that a ten-year-old can understand what you are saying. Use short sentences, one statement per sentence. When you are on the verge of using a long word, stop and think. There is almost always a simpler way of saying the same thing. Remember that audience interest wanes after ten minutes. It is thus essential to keep your message short and simple so that it can be registered. Furthermore, employees may not have the luxury of time to sift through verbal or written largesse to get at the underlying meaning.

Reiterate Your Points

The spoken word is ephemeral. Repetition of the major points is therefore essential to ensure that they are understood. Ideas can be abstract until they are implemented. Sometimes, after you leave the room, ideas can get scrambled to denote things about which you never dreamed. If you don't think your audience had assimilated your message, walk them through some implementation scenarios before you leave the room.

Connective Tissue Function

Connective tissue is an essential organ and as such has many functions and capabilities.

• Connective tissue is the vehicle of the unconscious and undifferentiated body functions.

• Connective tissue regulates energy processes and has primary control of the physiochemical and bioelectrical activities of the body.

• Connective tissue regulates a host of vital bodily functions such as temperature, water, mineral and energy balance, including glycolysis and respiration.

• Connective tissue forms the basis of the system of general and unspecific defense regulation, and along with its fibres represents a mechanical barrier to bacteria.

• Connective tissue serves as the physiologic reservoir of the human body for all essential nutrients.

Protein, carbohydrates and water are stored in the connective tissue as well as fat cells which contain fat not yet transformed into energy.

Water occurs in two different forms in the body:

1. As active hydrodynamic, available water

2. As inactive stored water.

The first form serves as a means of transport in the circulatory and lymph system as well as in connective tissue. It functions as a reactive partner and a solvent in the metabolic processes of cells and tissues.

Stored water (2) on the other hand is used to determine the volume of a molecule which is not a compact, but rather a diffuse, externally open molecule that extends over a large volume.

Evolution has cleverly placed its central reservoir for all essential nutrients, in the most imaginably convenient spot in the body, the connective tissue.

In this way the connective tissue fulfills two functions.

• Firstly, it is a hydro culture in which all cells of the body are suspended and nourished.

• Secondly, it is the ubiquitous reservoir for all the nutrients of the entire organism.

In this way every body cell can withdraw any nutrient from the tissue fluid in which it is bathed. If a nutrient deficiency occurs, every cell can at any time draw nutrients out of the connective tissue reservoir without any delay due to long transport routes.

The connective tissue is indeed another organ of the body, meaning the life quality of the cells is dependent upon the environment.

This view is logical due to the presence of nerve fibers in the soft connective tissue which represent the termination of the autonomic nerves. The axons of these nerves are able to release transmitter substances directly into the connective tissue, thereby exerting a regulatory effect.

A further characteristic of connective tissue is its ability to regenerate, for example, the formation of scars.

Connective tissue has another important function as a defense system against life threatening invasions from foreign cells such as bacteria. Connective tissue fibers represent a protective barrier that detains invading cells until the defense cells can do their work

A good healthy connective tissue is essential for health and beauty.

An accumulation of metabolic waste products impairs the function of connective tissue. In mild cases this leads only to cosmetic blemishes, but in more serious cases it will lead to health disturbances such as Fibromyalgia and CFS.

The same is true if disturbances occur in the water balance of connective tissue or if its composition deviates from the norm in one of many other possible ways.

Microoedeamas in connective tissue are the cause of many diseases.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) aims to clean and purify the tissue by draining it of pollutants.

Transport Systems of the Body

The human body consists of one third solid substances and two thirds of a liquid similar to seawater in composition. One could argue that this is evidence that we originally evolved from marine life.

Health is almost entirely dependent on the circulation of substances (metabolism), and so becomes a matter of efficient transport.

All substances that are transported in the blood must pass through the connective tissue to reach the cells. Waste products formed during combustion must also pass through the connective tissue in order to be removed by the blood.

These facts are crucial to understanding how MLD works.

Circulation

Parallel to the venous system we have another vessel system, the lymph system.

A good analogy for the circulatory systems would be to say that the arterial network forms the supply channels to the tissues, with the venous and lymph networks representing the drainage systems.

In turn, venous and lymph systems have their own differing tasks.

The venous system conducts blood back to the heart, but must also remove small molecular substances such as salt, sugar, water and gas from the connective tissue, and transport them.

The lymph system is responsible for removing large molecular substances and water from the tissue, and transporting them. Large molecules consist of proteins, immobile cells, cell fragments, waste products, bacteria, viruses, inorganic substances, water and large molecular fats.

Lymph Nodes

Lymph nodes can be regarded as filtering stations. Lymph will not leave an organ or a body region without being filtered through a lymph node. Lymph nodes represent direct connections to the circulatory system.

Lymph nodes are full of lymphocytes, plasma cells and phagocytes (all vital immune system units with their own individual purpose).

Lymphocytes will remain in the lymph nodes for several days but will only stay in the blood for at most 24 hours.

There are around 600 lymph nodes in the body, with around 160 concentrated in the neck region, hence the dreadful neck pain experienced during an infective episode.

Lymph nodes bind, attack and breakdown antigens but also concentrate deposits of glass, dust, mineral dust and dyes for elimination into the blood capillaries.

The majority of an organism's immunological reactions and activities occur in the lymph nodes.

Lymph nodes are generally devoid of musculature with the exception of those in the intestinal region which are able to contract. This is due to the enormous pressure and the pure volume of activity in the intestinal area.

The functions of the lymph nodes are:

• Biological filtering,

• Lymph Concentration (water is absorbed into the veins resulting in lymph thickening)

• Immunological function (lymphocyte replication), • Storage for substances that cannot be immediately broken down and eliminated.

Anatomy of the Lymph Vessels

The largest lymph vessel of the human body is the thoracic duct. It originates in the navel region and ascends through the diaphragm in front of the vertebral column. At the sternum it arches to the left and empties into the left subclavian vein.

It transports the lymph from the lower body and legs. It also takes some of the lymph generated in the thorax.

All lymph originating below the navel is transported by the thoracic duct.

The lymph of the skin and muscles of the head and neck is transported by the jugular trunk to the venous arch of that side. There are many lymph nodes in the neck and facial region.

The cervical lymph nodes are situated above and below the fascia of the tissue.

Of particular note to Fibromyalgia and CFS sufferers is that the brains "lymph obligatory load" flows through the lymph nodes of the neck.

This is a crucial factor to remember in treating Fibromyalgia and CFS patients, as will be discussed later.

The brain and spinal cord have no direct lymph vessels of their own: the pre-lymph from these areas drains via cerebrospinal fluid and along spinal nerves.

What is particularly interesting in the Fibromyalgia and CFS debate is that recent scientific evidence reports the discovery brain and spinal cord lesions in Fibromyalgia and CFS patients.

Readers should by now be able to deduce for themselves that it is no coincidence that these areas happen to be organs that have no direct access to lymph vessels.

The viral, chemical or bacterial trigger infection pre diagnosis was allowed to cause damage to these areas due to extreme lymphostasis during the infective period.

The lymphostasis is a direct result of musculoskeletal anomalies affecting the thoracic duct, the main drainage channel of the lymphatic system.

As I have spoken about a great length in previous articles, all Fibromyalgia and CFS patients present with some degree of musculoskeletal imbalance in the T7 area which as I have presented in this article is the main "crossroads" of the lymphatic system.

My working strategy includes the following:

• MLD focusing on specific areas of lymphostasis, working the tissues in specific directions,

• mobilization of particular musculoskeletal restrictions,

• improve overall musculoskeletal balance,

• simultaneously employ a sequence of rotational exercises,

The results normally include:

• reversal of chronic lymphostasis,

• improvement trigger point pain,

• reduction of stress hormone production,

• improvement overall immune function ,

• reduction of the fatigue experienced by true CFS and Fibromyalgia sufferers.

Connective Tissue Function

Connective tissue is an essential organ and as such has many functions and capabilities.

• Connective tissue is the vehicle of the unconscious and undifferentiated body functions.

• Connective tissue regulates energy processes and has primary control of the physiochemical and bioelectrical activities of the body.

• Connective tissue regulates a host of vital bodily functions such as temperature, water, mineral and energy balance, including glycolysis and respiration.

• Connective tissue forms the basis of the system of general and unspecific defense regulation, and along with its fibres represents a mechanical barrier to bacteria.

• Connective tissue serves as the physiologic reservoir of the human body for all essential nutrients.

Protein, carbohydrates and water are stored in the connective tissue as well as fat cells which contain fat not yet transformed into energy.

Water occurs in two different forms in the body:

1. As active hydrodynamic, available water

2. As inactive stored water.

The first form serves as a means of transport in the circulatory and lymph system as well as in connective tissue. It functions as a reactive partner and a solvent in the metabolic processes of cells and tissues.

Stored water (2) on the other hand is used to determine the volume of a molecule which is not a compact, but rather a diffuse, externally open molecule that extends over a large volume.

Evolution has cleverly placed its central reservoir for all essential nutrients, in the most imaginably convenient spot in the body, the connective tissue.

In this way the connective tissue fulfils two functions.

• Firstly, it is a hydro culture in which all cells of the body are suspended and nourished.

• Secondly, it is the ubiquitous reservoir for all the nutrients of the entire organism.

In this way every body cell can withdraw any nutrient from the tissue fluid in which it is bathed. If a nutrient deficiency occurs, every cell can at any time draw nutrients out of the connective tissue reservoir without any delay due to long transport routes.

The connective tissue is indeed another organ of the body, meaning the life quality of the cells is dependent upon the environment.

This view is logical due to the presence of nerve fibres in the soft connective tissue which represent the termination of the autonomic nerves. The axons of these nerves are able to release transmitter substances directly into the connective tissue, thereby exerting a regulatory effect.

A further characteristic of connective tissue is its ability to regenerate, for example, the formation of scars.

Connective tissue has another important function as a defense system against life threatening invasions from foreign cells such as bacteria. Connective tissue fibres represent a protective barrier that detains invading cells until the defense cells can do their work

A good healthy connective tissue is essential for health and beauty.

An accumulation of metabolic waste products impairs the function of connective tissue. In mild cases this leads only to cosmetic blemishes, but in more serious cases it will lead to health disturbances such as Fibromyalgia and CFS.

The same is true if disturbances occur in the water balance of connective tissue or if its composition deviates from the norm in one of many other possible ways.

Microoedeamas in connective tissue are the cause of many diseases.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) aims to clean and purify the tissue by draining it of pollutants.

Transport Systems of the Body

The human body consists of one third solid substances and two thirds of a liquid similar to seawater in composition. One could argue that this is evidence that we originally evolved from marine life.

Health is almost entirely dependent on the circulation of substances (metabolism), and so becomes a matter of efficient transport.

All substances that are transported in the blood must pass through the connective tissue to reach the cells. Waste products formed during combustion must also pass through the connective tissue in order to be removed by the blood.

These facts are crucial to understanding how MLD works.

Circulation

Parallel to the venous system we have another vessel system, the lymph system.

A good analogy for the circulatory systems would be to say that the arterial network forms the supply channels to the tissues, with the venous and lymph networks representing the drainage systems.

In turn, venous and lymph systems have their own differing tasks.

The venous system conducts blood back to the heart, but must also remove small molecular substances such as salt, sugar, water and gas from the connective tissue, and transport them.

The lymph system is responsible for removing large molecular substances and water from the tissue, and transporting them. Large molecules consist of proteins, immobile cells, cell fragments, waste products, bacteria, viruses, inorganic substances, water and large molecular fats.

Lymph Nodes

Lymph nodes can be regarded as filtering stations. Lymph will not leave an organ or a body region without being filtered through a lymph node. Lymph nodes represent direct connections to the circulatory system.

Lymph nodes are full of lymphocytes, plasma cells and phagocytes (all vital immune system units with their own individual purpose).

Lymphocytes will remain in the lymph nodes for several days but will only stay in the blood for at most 24 hours.

There are around 600 lymph nodes in the body, with around 160 concentrated in the neck region, hence the dreadful neck pain experienced during an infective episode.

Lymph nodes bind, attack and breakdown antigens but also concentrate deposits of glass, dust, mineral dust and dyes for elimination into the blood capillaries.

The majority of an organism's immunological reactions and activities occur in the lymph nodes.

Lymph nodes are generally devoid of musculature with the exception of those in the intestinal region which are able to contract. This is due to the enormous pressure and the pure volume of activity in the intestinal area.

The functions of the lymph nodes are:

• Biological filtering,

• Lymph Concentration (water is resorbed into the veins resulting in lymph thickening,

• Immunological function (lymphocyte replication), • Storage for substances that cannot be immediately broken down and eliminated.

Anatomy of the Lymph Vessels

The largest lymph vessel of the human body is the thoracic duct. It originates in the navel region and ascends through the diaphragm in front of the vertebral column. At the sternum it arches to the left and empties into the left subclavian vein.

It transports the lymph from the lower body and legs. It also takes some of the lymph generated in the thorax.

All lymph originating below the navel is transported by the thoracic duct.

The lymph of the skin and muscles of the head and neck is transported by the jugular trunk to the venous arch of that side. There are many lymph nodes in the neck and facial region.

The cervical lymph nodes are situated above and below the fascia of the tissue.

Of particular note to Fibromyalgia and CFS sufferers is that the brains "lymph obligatory load" flows through the lymph nodes of the neck.

This is a crucial factor to remember in treating Fibromyalgia and CFS patients, as will be discussed later.

The brain and spinal cord have no direct lymph vessels of their own: the pre-lymph from these areas drains via cerebrospinal fluid and along spinal nerves.

What is particularly interesting in the Fibromyalgia and CFS debate is that recent scientific evidence reports the discovery brain and spinal cord lesions in Fibromyalgia and CFS patients.

Readers should by now be able to deduce for themselves that it is no coincidence that these areas happen to be organs that have no direct access to lymph vessels.

The viral, chemical or bacterial trigger infection pre diagnosis was allowed to cause damage to these areas due to extreme lymphostasis during the infective period.

The lymphostasis is a direct result of musculoskeletal anomalies affecting the thoracic duct, the main drainage channel of the lymphatic system.

As I have spoken about a great length in previous articles, all Fibromyalgia and CFS patients present with some degree of musculoskeletal imbalance in the T7 area which as I have presented in this article is the main "crossroads" of the lymphatic system.

My working strategy includes the following:

• MLD focusing on specific areas of lymphostasis, working the tissues in specific directions,

• mobilization of particular musculoskeletal restrictions,

• improve overall musculoskeletal balance,

• simultaneously employ a sequence of rotational exercises,

The results normally include:

• reversal of chronic lymphostasis,

• improvement trigger point pain,

• reduction of stress hormone production,

• improvement overall immune function ,

• reduction of the fatigue experienced by true CFS and Fibromyalgia sufferers.