The subject of colloidal silver recently re-emerged for me as a health topic.  I rememeber hearing about this stuff years ago and reading that it was supposed to be helpful for several ailments and for general health purposes.  At that time in my life, I kind of took what I heard as fact and often I didn’t take the time to evaluate things further, if it even occurred to me to do so.

Several years later, as a dad and a husband who has blessed people counting on him, I am much more cautious.  It’s unfortunate, but I feel that it is absolutely true that we cannot simply accept the claims manufacturers make about their products without further investigation.  Our health and the health of those whom we hold dear is far too precious to be blindly entrusted to corporations whose greater interests aren’t necessarily completely altruistic.  Let’s face it…they have a product to sell.

I decided to do a little investigation on the topic myself, so I headed over to trusty Google and searched for colloidal silver. As expected there are sites selling colloidal silver and sites warning of the dangers of colloidal silver.  As I dug into the SERPs (search engine results pages) I found the following:

MayoClinic, a trusted online source for health information, says the following about the topic, “Colloidal silver is not considered either safe or effective in any of the health claims manufacturers make.” and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) also parrots that “over-the-counter colloidal silver products are not considered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be generally recognized as safe and effective for diseases and conditions”, and “Colloidal silver can cause serious side effects. One is argyria, a bluish-gray discoloration of the body. Argyria is not treatable or reversible.”

There are a number of sites that promote the use of colloidal silver as having significant health properties, but these all seem to be commercial in nature and have a financial interest in your faith in the product.  The NCCAM (above) also stated that “The FDA has taken action against a number of colloidal silver companies (such as websites) for making drug-like claims about their products.”

Given the, apparently, uneven balance of opinions surrounding this topic it would seem to be something to approach with much caution at the very best; and perhaps, until further evidence arises that supports the safety and efficacy of these products, perhaps they are better left on the shelf.

[Curious George note:] (for those who want to know more)
Amazon has a bevy of books on the topic, but again, most seem to sway far to one side or the other. One book I found that seemed to be a bit more unbiased is Colloidal Silver Medical Uses, Toxicology & Manufacture.  It also happens to be the most recent I found on the topic, having been published this year.  Jeanne Stockinger gives it this review.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Have you used colloidal silver? What other information do you have that may help others make an informed decision? Leave me a comment if you wish…

Undoubtedly, the most common complaint that I hear from new clients is that their previous massage therapist went too deep and even that their sessions were painful. I never want you to experience pain on my massage table, period.

I always aim to avoid pain by listening and responding to your words and to the movements of your breath and body. In my therapeutic massage sessions I guide my clients in effective breathing so that they can get the fullest benefit from their sessions. However, the best indicator a massage therapist ever has of your comfort is your word. Please don’t be shy to speak up about what pressure is right for you. We love that!

Be well,

Joshua Guffey

Hello massage-lovin’ peoples!

I wanted to give you heads up on something that I’m going to be doing.  Starting now I’m going to be publishing helpful posts for you on various wellness related topics. The types of things I’ll be posting will be focused on and intended to improve your life in some way.  They may not always have anything to do with massage.  But rather they may often simply fall into the broader category of life balance and wellness.

One such topic that I’ll be starting that is related to massage is a series of posts on “How to get the most from your massage“.  If, when you read any of these posts, you find that something is unclear or you have a question (or you just want to chide me about a typo), please… do leave me a comment.  I am notified with these comments and I will respond.

In fact, I am thrilled to receive your comments because it shows me that someone out there is listening.  And it creates a conversation among everyone who wishes to participate, which is a whole lot more fun than just hearing myself think.

So keep an eye out for the upcoming series of posts titled “How to get the most from your massage“.  If you want to be sure that you get to read them all (they’ll be good-I promise) you may subscribe to my email newsletter.

BEST MASSAGE I HAVE EVER RECEIVED !!!

This one gives the best massages I have ever received. I have been seeing this therapist for years now and he is the best! He has done deep tissue work on me that has completely relieved the pain in one session. Whether you need deep tissue work or just a relaxing, rejuvenating massage, this is the one to try first. : )

-VL G wrote on Yelp, 8/18/08