A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy

Thursday, December 10, 2009

This shows that keeping yourself stress-free has more benefits than just relaxation.

Stress and Pain Age the Body and Brain

By Lara Evans Bracciante

Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, June/July 2005.
Copyright 2005. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.


Chronic stress ages the body and can make cells appear up to 17 years older than they really are, according to a recent study reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. While researchers and healthcare practitioners have long thought as much, this study reveals exactly how stress takes its biological toll on the body.

The researchers compared 39 healthy mothers who were raising chronically ill children to 19 mothers of the same age whose children were healthy. The mothers' ages ranged from 20 to 50. Through blood and urine samples, researchers found that women with the highest stress levels had weaker immune cell function, higher oxidative stress, and a shorter life span of cells, significantly increasing risk of age-related diseases. This was the case even after adjusting for lifestyle factors such as obesity, smoking, and age.

Researchers note it is the perceived stress that matters. When two people are given the same stressor and one discerns it as manageable while the other is overwhelmed, it is the latter who suffers more on a biological level. Consequently, stress management techniques such as massage, yoga, meditation, breath work, exercise, and counseling are key to health.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Holiday Stress
Tips to Stay On Top

Written By Editorial Staff of Massage & Bodywork Magazine

Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, October/November 2000.
Copyright since 2000. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.


Here "it" comes -- holiday stress. As families negotiate where to spend Thanksgiving, and millions of us are making the empty promise to ourselves to start early on holiday shopping, the anxiety begins to build. And it only gets crazier from here. Choir practice for the kids, family gatherings at every turn, office parties, treks to the mall, baking...you know where this is headed. So what can you do about it? You may not be able to control the chaos of the season, but there are some steps to make sure you survive it unscathed.

1.Take time for yourself. YES, get a massage. Soak in a mineral bath. Listen to the silence of a snowfall. Even if there seems no possible moment you can claim as your own, close your eyes, breathe deep from your belly several times, exhaling the air loudly from your mouth. Do this whenever you need a "moment."

2. Utilize catalog/online shopping. Don't fight the crowds. From the convenience of your home or during an office lunch hour, catalog and online shopping can eliminate the headache of holiday stress tenfold.

3. Eat right. Some of the best goodies come out this time of year. While you shouldn't deny yourself the opportunity to have a piece of grandma's pumpkin pie, don't overdo it. Remember to eat plenty of vegies and fruits to help stave off the winter's bombardment of colds.

4. Give yourself the advantage. Consumption of alcohol, nicotine, drugs and caffeine elicit the body's stress reaction. Remember moderation, you'll be happier and calmer in the long run.

5. Don't skimp on the exercise...but allow yourself to be excused from the routine when need be. Exercise helps melt the stress away and can provide that moment of clarity in a hectic day.

6. Don't try to be Martha Stewart. It's easy to get caught up in the spirit of the holidays with new decorating ideas, fancy dinners and the whim to make all your gifts this year. Be realistic and honest with yourself. Don't set yourself up for failure. Hire a caterer. Have friends help by having a craft day. Forgo making the gift wreath and give a gift you'll know they'll appreciate -- a massage.

7. Remember the spirit. When it's all said and done, no one will remember that the turkey was a little dry, that the sweater didn't fit, or that you were a few minutes late for rehearsal. What do they remember? The precious moments with family and friends.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Breathe....You'll feel better

I'm sharing the following article because recently I was working on a client and I realized that she was holding her breath during her massage. She had mentioned before the massage that she had been having trouble sleeping and was feeling very stressed despite having recently finished a stressful segment in her life. I mentioned what I had noticed, and she admitted that she hadn't even thought about her breathing, let alone it being irregular. Once I had pointed it out, and she became consciously aware of her breathing pattern, she promptly fell asleep on my table. Goes to show just how important something that we don't even think about every day can be.
************************************

Breathing for Life
Are We Suffocating Ourselves?

By Sonia Osorio

Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.

Massage restores proper breathing, a key element to physical and emotional vitality.
I didn't breathe during most of my 20s -- or at least I didn't breathe fully.

I had no idea my chronically tight shoulders, constricted intestines, insomnia and unyielding jaw tension were so closely related to my limited breath. To regain my health, I had to relearn how to breathe. And, though I still have to remind myself to do this from time to time, I understand how healthy breathing supports the body's ability to heal itself.

Breathing is a process still categorized as "unconscious" by most medical texts, yet many of us need to relearn how to breathe properly -- both consciously and fully. It is our unawareness of this life function that may sap us of life-giving energy.

Breathing involves the whole body, our whole being, in fact. The word "inspiration" comes from the Latin root "spiritus," meaning not only breath, but vitality, the animating principle, the soul. To breathe is not only to inspire, but to be inspired, to nourish our body and our spirit, to take into ourselves the vitality that is our birthright and to feel the creative energy that is our life force.

"Every breath is a sacrament, an essential ritual," says environmentalist David Suzuki in his book The Sacred Balance. "Air is a matrix that joins all life. As we imbibe this sacred element, we are physically linked to all our present biological relatives, countless generations that have preceded us and those that will follow."

If breath is so essential, then why don't more of us do it correctly? Sure, we all know how to breathe, or rather, our bodies do. But breathing occurs on several levels. The autonomic function creates the basic urge to breathe -- something governed by our nervous system. But often even this essential function is reduced to a series of shallow breaths if we're stressed, tense or nervous -- the makings of a typical day in today's society. Over time, this becomes a learned pattern so that even when the stressful situation has long gone our body is still functioning in shallow-breath mode, taking in a fraction of what it needs to be fully nourished.


Old Mechanisms, Modern World
The shallow breathing pattern we often fall into is associated with the "fight-or-flight" response, when our body senses imminent danger or attack. Stress directly provokes this response: we feel under attack, though there's no direct predator, only an on-going feeling of having to "fight" or "flee" from the source of our stress. Since we don't confront our "attacker" or have the opportunity to feel safe from the perceived threat, our nervous system remains on constant alert, limiting our breath to help divert blood away from certain organs and into the muscles to prepare us for action. We are modern creatures reacting with age-old mechanisms to perceived threats.

On top of our biological responses, we get other messages, subtle and not-so-subtle, to hold our breath. We're told to "suck in our guts," we multitask without having time to "catch our breath," we're not expected to express too loudly and we learn to numb out what's raging through us. We're bombarded daily with demands from work, household and family. We have to process incessant input in the form of noise, visual stimuli, smells and pollution from all kinds of sources. Why would any body in its right mind want to take all that in?


Don't Hold Your Breath
Breathing incorrectly for three minutes is enough to lower the amount of oxygen to the brain and heart by 30 percent. If this goes on for years, there's an increased risk for conditions ranging from chronic headaches, digestive disturbances and neck, back and shoulder pain, to more serious illnesses such as high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma and chronic fatigue. In fact, some experts estimate that improper breathing can be associated with 50 percent to 70 percent of all diseases.

Emotional reactions also affect our breath: fear, anger, sadness and low self-esteem can make us hold or limit our breathing patterns. However, breathing fully can have a positive effect by helping move these emotions through the body, instead of allowing them to constrict our breath, tighten our muscles, and affect other systems and organs in the body.


Replenishing Ourselves
"Every inspiration is an opportunity to resource and replenish ourselves," says Montreal musician and composer tienne Larouche, who has worked with voice and breath since a young age. "As we inhale, we can release, so energy can come into the body, making our breath always available, without forcing."

We may not think of inhalation as release, as that is normally associated with exhalation. But, breathing fully is precisely about release -- release not only of tension, but of control. Conscious breathing is not about controlling the breath, but about increasing our awareness of the process. It should leave us feeling revived by allowing us to completely take in the oxygen we need to nourish our blood, muscles and brain as we inhale, and completely expel accumulated toxins and stress as we exhale.

Full, relaxed breathing can, among other things, improve our resistance to stress, lower blood pressure, improve sleep, ease pain, and help release muscular and emotional tension. And, it can calm and focus us. Studies have shown that when the breath is relaxed, brain-wave patterns change, the mind quiets and the body relaxes.

Conscious breathing is not only calming, it has distinct effects on our blood chemistry and immune system. Studies have shown that the level of white blood cells, related to our immune response, actually rise when we are in a calm, relaxed state. A recent study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that participants who used techniques such as breathing, muscle relaxation and visualization had a 26 percent to 39 percent increase in their immune response.

Such techniques have also been of benefit to pre- and post-surgery patients -- reducing anxiety and pain, improving recovery times and reducing length of hospital stays. Women who learn deep-breathing techniques and apply these during childbirth have shorter labor times, less complications during delivery and faster healing post-delivery.


Be Here Now
A Pennsylvania study examining brain-wave patterns demonstrated we can hold one thought for the length of one inhalation and exhalation, with each full breath, a new thought enters. This is one of the basic principles of meditation: single-focused attention, slow, full breath. Even a few minutes spent following our breath in this way -- breathe in, hold one thought, breathe out, release the thought -- can have dramatic changes on how we cope with stress and its effect on the body and the mind.

Beyond the physiological perks, there's an emotional and spiritual benefit to conscious breathing. We can use it to remind ourselves we are here now, in this body and in this moment, not ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. There's peace to be found in being present for ourselves: as we focus on our breath and our bodies, we can focus on our emotions, we can regain perspective and then take action from a place of calmness.

Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, who has written numerous books and lectured worldwide on meditation, peace and mindfulness, says: "Our breathing is the link between our body and our mind. Sometimes our mind is thinking one thing and our body is doing another, and mind and body are not unified. By concentrating on our breathing, we bring body and mind back together and become whole again. Conscious breathing is an important bridge."

It's a bridge many of us would benefit from crossing, a place of great perspective and of life-giving breath.


Sonia Osorio is a massage therapist in Montreal, Canada. She has practiced yoga, dance and meditation for several years, and writes for various health care publications. She can be reached at nightskye@sympatico.ca.

Monday, October 05, 2009

Leg Cramps: From annoying to debilitating, and more common than one may think

Most people from time to time will admit that they don't always feel 100%. When asked what doesn't always feel right, people will usually say their backs hurt, or their neck/shoulders are stiff. Less often, people will throw in that, oh yeah, sometimes they get cramps in their legs or calves. Most people don't outright lead with that, but if probed, or if someone else mentions it, it becomes more and more common that people realize that leg cramps aren't that uncommon. The major difference between whether people even acknowledge the cramps or not is usually how severe the cramps are.

When I was dancing in college, we had extremely long days with very little breaks in inconsistent temperature studios, and dancing in multiple studios with different flooring each day. About my junior year, I started waking up in the middle of the night finding that my legs had curled into the fetal position, and my calves had completely siezed up so badly that straightening my legs felt like my muscles and tendons were being ripped to shreds as I moved. (Turns out it wasn't so much the cramping that hurt, as it was the pain of trying to move and stretching my legs out that woke me up screaming.) Several times in the morning, I would have to have my poor roommate physically grab my ankles and pull my legs straight so I could get out of bed, and the one morning she wasn't there, I had to roll out of bed, crawl to my desk chair, and pull myself to standing in order to get the cramps straightened out. After much trial and error, I realized that my two main problems were dehydration and lack of potassium, in addition to the various flooring changes (different levels of cushioning). When I consciously started eating lots of bananas and keeping hydrated, the cramps went away. Even now that I'm not dancing anywhere near as much as I used to, I still can tell when I'm not eating right or over-thirsty because less occasional, but still severe cramps keep me in check and are a strict reminder to keep bananas in the house.

Since then, I've looked in on this leg cramp issue every so often and found that my personal assessment was not far off from what the experts are finding out. Every so often I have clients who complain of leg cramps, and I recommend potassium, hydration, and calcium whether the cramps are mild or severe, and I also look for specific muscle groups in the calves and legs that are tight. Massage can usually be very effective for relaxing the cramping muscles, but the best treatment is keeping the cramps away in the first place.


Enjoy, and stay hydrated!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Aromatherapy and Massage
A Partnership Born of the Senses

Written by: Karrie Osborn


Aromatherapy, a process utilizing the purest essence of a plant, is a 4,000-year-old technique that has enhanced the health of everyone from modern-day pop divas to the scholars of ancient Greece. The art of massage has its own deeply rich roots, with even Plato and Socrates touting the value of hands-on bodywork for good health.

Separately, these two therapeutic traditions hold individual prowess in the realm of personal health and well-being. Together, however, they become a formidable health alliance that can address not only a person's physical health, but the health of the mind and spirit as well.

A Natural Complement
Our senses were designed to work best in conjunction with one another. Our sense of taste would not be as acute without our nose lending its support to the process. Our auditory senses might seem hollow if we weren't gifted with sight as well. Indeed, there exists a quiet partnership between all our five senses that's built on synergy.

And so it is with touch and smell. This is why aromatherapy is such a natural complement to massage and why more and more therapists are pairing the two as they see how the partnership nurtures body, mind, and spirit.

Let's see how it works. Essential oils are extracted from herbs, flowers, and plants with the intent to improve a person's health and well-being. Addressing everything from arthritis to whooping cough, effects of the approximate 3,000 oils found globally can range from sedative to stimulating and antibacterial to antispasmodic. The benefits derived from aromatherapy during a massage come in part from the contact the essential oil has on our skin, but even more so how it affects us when it's inhaled and absorbed through the soft-tissue linings of our nose and mouth.

The scientific explanation suggests that the essential oil's molecules, when inhaled, lock onto receptor cells at the back of the nose, sending an electrochemical message to the brain's limbic system. This message appears to trigger memory and emotional responses, causing messages to be sent to other parts of the brain and body. "In this way," says aromatherapist Danila Mansfield, "the production of euphoric, relaxing, sedative, or stimulating neurochemicals is stimulated."

Judith Fitzsimmons and Paula Bousquet, authors of Aromatherapy Through the Seasons say the use of essential oils creates a multi faceted effect: "The real beauty of aromatherapy is that it works on a cellular and physical level and also in the emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and aesthetic areas of your life."

It's really quite amazing when you think about it. Imagine an area the size of a small apricot pit, a 1-inch square area, filled with millions of sensory neurons that can capture, process, and store 10,000 odors. This is our olfactory system at work, and part of its job is to create a personal history for us based on scent, says clinical aromatherapist va-Marie Lind-Shiveley. "None of our other senses so well establishes a memory database." She says our response to scent is both physiological and psychosomatic. "Within an instant of smelling an aroma, we can be sent back to the first moment we were introduced to it."

By enabling us to recognize, revisit, and/or reclaim these various emotions and memories, aroma-therapy allows another avenue of access for healing during a bodywork session. It creates a path through which the somatic experience can find its full strength.

When the powerful effects of aromatherapy are combined with massage, it can take us to another level, says aromatherapy educators Shirley and Len Price. "When, during a massage, the touch of the therapist is combined with the mental and physical effects of the essential oils, the client is helped to achieve a temporary separation from worldly worries, somewhat akin to a meditative state." Helping clients reach this level of relaxation is a primary goal of massage therapists and aromatherapists alike, so it makes sense that a partnership could beautifully exist.

A Scent Journey
Scent is not simplistic," Lind-Shiveley says. "It is voluminous." She illustrates this point with a quote from Helen Keller: "Smell is a potent wizard that transports us across thousands of miles and all the years we have lived. The odors of fruits waft me to my Southern home, to my childhood frolics in the peach orchard. Other odors, instantaneous and fleeting, cause my heart to dilate joyously or contract with remembered grief."

If you decide to do some personal exploration into the world of scent therapy, proceed with due caution in both the quality of the oils you buy and how you dose and administer them. There is a dichotic nature inherent in aromatherapy. It is gentle, yet powerful, subtle, yet intense. There are essential oils strong enough to cause miscarriage, but there also are many oils safe enough to use on infants. The key is knowing how to utilize nature's gifts to provide the best, most effective therapeutic collaboration possible. Talk with your massage therapist about incorporating the science of aromatherapy into your sessions or if she can refer you to an aromatherapist in your area.

Examples of Essential oils and their benefits:

Balancing oils
Bay Laurel * Cedarwood * Geranium * Myrrh

Clarifying oils
Cypress * Juniper * Lemon * Peppermint

Comforting oils
Bergamot * Frankincense * Melissa * Rose

Energizing oils
Eucalyptus * Grapefruit * Lemongrass * Rosemary

Focusing oils
Angelica * Basil * Jasmine * Samboc * Lime

Sedating oils
Chamomile * Clary Sage * Marjoram * Patchouli

Uplifting oils
Lavender * Orange/Mandarin * Pine * Tea Tree

Karrie Osborn is contributing editor to Body Sense.

Originally published in Body Sense magazine, Spring/Summer 2005.Copyright 2005. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.

Monday, August 31, 2009

As fall approaches, we leave behind our summer activities and start up with lots of new activities. Mainly we get wrapped up in school, but often sports or new ventures begin during this time as well. While Massage Therapy is very valuable to everyone who moves in any way, there are ways you can keep yourself keep pain from your new activities (or even your old ones) on your own. Regular exercise including stretching (between your massage appointments, of course) can do wonders. If I had a nickel for every one of my clients who I've advised to stretch, I wouldn't be doing massage anymore! Here is a very basic stretch to just get you movng and loose, and possibly inspire you to stretch your views on stretching.
Enjoy!
-Karen

Ease Into Movement
Written by: Karrie Osbourn
Article Courtesy of: Massage & Bodywork Magazine

From our first venture into the school gymnasium as kids, we’ve been taught to stretch. As adults, stretching is as common a morning routine as brushing our teeth or combing our hair.
Mind-body fitness expert Anat Baniel wants us to know how to move and stretch carefully and start our day out right. Baniel, author of Move Into Life: The Nine Essentials for Lifelong Vitality (Harmony Books, 2009), believes excessive stretching is an activity that is contrary to the health and longevity of our muscles.

“Muscles are meant to contract and relax,” she says. “Stretching them puts stress on them and rips muscle fibers, forcing them to constantly repair themselves after each time you stretch. Your body’s movement shouldn’t cause repeated damage. It should be more harmonious and flow naturally.” Baniel says her method of stretching actually increases flexibility and motion without damaging muscles. Follow these simple steps:

1. Stand up, spread your feet comfortably, gently bend down, and let your hands move toward your feet. Notice how far you go, without forcing, and come back to standing.

2. Stand, spread your legs comfortably, bend your knees a little, and put your right hand just above your right knee, on your thigh. Put your left hand just above your left knee. Then lean on your legs with the weight of your upper body resting on your hands. Begin to round your back and at the same time pull your belly in; look down at your belly. Then gently arch your back, push your belly out, lift your head, and look up. Repeat process.

3. Come back to standing, bend forward, and take your hands down toward your feet, as in Step 1. Is there some change already?

4. Now stand with feet apart, and knees bent a little; this time lean with both hands on your left leg, just above the knee as before. Gently and slowly round your back and look down, then arch your back, free the belly muscles (push them out), and look up. Go back and forth four or five times. Then stand and rest for a moment. Feel how you stand.

5. Repeat Step 4, this time leaning with both hands on your right knee.

6. Stand up with your feet spread comfortably and bend down. Can you can bend more easily and further than before? Are your toes closer to your hands? “They should be,” Baniel says, “because the variations provided by this exercise supplied your brain the information it needed to figure out how to let go of tight muscles and tendons.” Baniel’s approach to vital, creative, and energetic life is based not only on the all-important regimens of diet, exercise, and stress management, but upon providing the brain with what it requires for us to grow, evolve, and thrive as individuals.


Karrie Osborn is contributing editor for Massage & Bodywork magazine. Contact her at karrie@abmp.com.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

I will have more on Prenatal Massage and its benefits at a later time, but until then, This little article speaks volumes on the subject.

Massage Shown to Reduce Prematurity, Low Birth Weight and Postpartum Depression

Courtesy of Massage Mag.com

posted:8/24/2009

New research from the Touch Research Institutes shows that pregnancy massage reduces prematurity, low birth weight and postpartum depression.Pregnant women diagnosed with major depression were given 12 weeks of twice-per-week massage therapy by their significant other or only standard treatment as a control group, according to a PubMed release.The massage-therapy-group women versus the control-group women not only had reduced depression by the end of the therapy period, but they also had reduced depression and cortisol levels during the postpartum period.Their newborns were also less likely to be born prematurely and of low birth weight, and they had lower cortisol levels and performed better on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment habituation, orientation and motor scales.The Touch Research Institutes has conducted groundbreaking research into a variety of applications of massage therapy. It is located at the University of Miami (Florida) School of Medicine.This research was published in "Infant Behaviorial Development."Previous research reported on by MASSAGE Magazine showed that pregnancy massage by fathers was found to reduce pain in their pregnant partners, alleviate prenatal depression in both parents and improve their relationships; Therapeutic Touch significantly reduced the anxiety of pregnant inpatients with chemical dependencies; and massage therapy eases anxiety and depression, as well as leg and back pain, in depressed pregnant women, and their newborns seem to benefit as well.

Saturday, August 01, 2009

10 Natural Ways to Relax and Rejuvenate
Easy Ways to Manage Stress and Build Immunity

Written By: Monique N. Gilbert
Originally published in
Massage & Bodywork magazine, April/May 2005.Copyright 2005. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.

Protecting the immune system and managing stress are vital aspects of living longer, feeling younger, and being healthy. Here are 10 ways to reduce stress, boost your immune system, and slow down the hands of time.Physical activity.

1. Regular exercise -- whether it's walking or dancing -- strengthens your cardiovascular system, heart, muscles, and bones. It also stimulates the release of endorphins, improves mental functioning, concentration/attention, and cognitive performance, and lowers cholesterol, blood pressure, cortisol, and other stress hormones.

2. Yoga and stretching. The slow movements and controlled postures of yoga improve muscle strength, flexibility, balance, circulation, mental focus, and calmness.

3. Hand hygiene. The most effective measure in preventing the spread of germs is good hand hygiene. Washing your hands as soon as you come home, and always before you eat, greatly reduces your exposure to bacterial and viral infections. Carry alcohol-based hand wipes to control exposures away from home.

4. Laughter and humor. There is truth to the saying that laughter is the best medicine. Laughing reduces stress hormones like adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol and benefits the immune system.

5. High nutrient diet. Eat foods rich in antioxidants (strawberries, oranges, tomatoes), omega-3 fatty acids (walnuts, salmon, soybeans), and folate (dark green, leafy vegetables). Antioxidants neutralize molecules that can cause heart disease, cancer, and premature aging. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular-enhancing, and immune-regulating properties. Folate prevents age-related cognitive decline, ensures DNA integrity (important during pregnancy), and promotes healthy red blood cells.

6. Music. Listening to your favorite music is a great method of reducing stress and relieving anxiety.

7. Sleep. Sound sleep has a profound impact on stress levels, immune function, and disease resistance. Your body and immune system do most of their repairs during sleep, so strive to get in seven to eight hours each night.

8. Positive thinking. Optimism can counteract the negative impact stress, tension, and anxiety have on your immune system and well-being. Often it is how you perceive things that determine if you get overwhelmed, both mentally and physically.

9. Tea. Regularly drinking green and black teas throughout the day can help strengthen your immune system and your body's ability to fight off germs and infections.

10. Hydrotherapy. Relaxing in a hot bath relieves sormuscles and joints, reduces stress and tension, and promotes sleep. Add music, soft lighting, and scented oils to create a spa experience in the privacy of your own home.

Monique N. Gilbert, B.Sc., is a health, nutrition and lifestyle coach, certified personal trainer/fitness counselor, and author of Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health Guide and Cookbook. She has offered guidance in natural health, nutrition, fitness, and stress management since 1989. Contact her at www.moniquengilbert.com.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

This is a nice article about something that I try to stress to my clients and wish everyone was more comfortable doing. I've always said thatthe best massages are accomplished when there is good communication between the therapist and the person receiving the massage. We aren't mind-readers!
Your Massage Session
Vocalize Your Needs

Written by: Laurie Chance Smith
Provided by: Massage & Bodywork Magazine


When a massage therapist’s hands touch the skin, the effect reaches down to the muscles and ligaments, and then positively influences the circulatory, lymphatic, and nervous systems. Healing touch, a sensitive style of communication, speaks safety and comfort. “The beauty of massage lies in it being such a simple, direct form of human contact,” says Susan Mumford in The New Complete Guide to Massage (Penguin Group, 2006).

Massage is a safe therapeutic art, considered by many to be a vehicle for mental, physical, and emotional health. People seek massage for myriad reasons—from simple relaxation to addressing muscular injuries. An intuitive therapist is likely to pick up many clues about your needs from an intake interview before the session, and even by the way you sit, talk, and walk. The written and verbal information you provide and the questions you ask are also crucial for a successful bodywork session. Mention particular issues you’d like to have addressed and feel free to ask about the techniques being used in your session.

Inform your therapist of short- or long-term medical conditions. Massage is used cautiously, or not at all, in some situations. For example, massage is generally avoided when a person has fever, open wounds, or certain skin disorders. People with long-term medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, or osteoporosis, should seek a doctor’s advice before massage. With medical supervision, a trained bodyworker often helps ease long-term pain and stress, usually with gentle strokes and personalized techniques.

During the session, vocalize your needs as they arise. If the room is too warm or cold, say so. Herbal and aromatherapeutic oils add healing benefits to massage. Tell your therapist if you are sensitive to an herb or essential oil, if you’d like him or her to use more (or less) massage oil, or if you don’t care for an oil’s scent.

What if you feel pain during massage? In Massage: Mind and Body (DK Publishing, 2003), Larry Costa says we must “distinguish between comfortable and uncomfortable pain.” When working on sensitive areas of your body, the therapist will begin slowly then move toward deep-tissue work. “You may experience some discomfort to begin with, but this should diminish after a few minutes as the muscles relax,” Costa says. This is comfortable pain. “Pain that causes you to wince, cry out, or tense up is probably not doing you any good.” Ask your therapist for less or more pressure, depending on your needs.

“The healing touch of massage is one of the best gifts you can give your body,” writes Esme Floyd in Body Massage (Carlton Books, 2004). Touch, a basic human impulse, soothes the body and relaxes the mind, promoting physical and mental wellbeing. Massage sessions provide a safe space for you to relax, reflect, and feel comfortable in your own skin.

Laurie Chance Smith is a Texas-based
writer and photographer who works for national
and international markets on a plethora of
topics. She can be reached at
lauriechancesmith@yahoo.com.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

MASSAGE: YOUR KEY TO HEALTH

Written by: Laurie Chance Smith
Article courtesy of Massage & Bodywork

The notion of healing has always fascinated humans. And the healing power of touch, for both body and mind, has been recognized for millennia. Ancient Egyptian artwork depicts doctors utilizing a relaxing hand massage, and the Greek healer Hippocrates, often touted as the father of modern medicine, suggested that physicians become adept at “rubbing” their patients to increase health. Among the countless ways to maintain strength and vitality, “massage is the most basic healing tool,” writes Kristine Kaoverii Weber, author of Healing Self Massage. Therapeutic touch is an instinctive and eloquent form of communication that has been molded into a healing art. Larry Costa, author of Massage: Mind and Body, writes that massage has many “physical and mental benefits, including ... relieving muscle soreness, increasing flexibility, easing chronic pain, reducing tension headaches, boosting the immune system, promoting restful sleep, and improving concentration.” Massage positively affects the body’s circulatory, nervous, and immune systems. By encouraging blood flow through the veins, massage benefits the entire body. The calming effects of massage on the nervous system often produce a sense of serenity and wellbeing.

Regular massage also stimulates the lymphatic system, which enhances the function of the immune system. From easing arthritis and asthma to improving digestion, the benefits of massage therapy run the gamut.
Massage helps relieve daily stressors and eases recovery from many serious illnesses. In The Complete Book of
Relaxation Techniques, Jenny Sutcliffe points out that massage can relieve pain by stimulating the production of endorphins—the body’s own painkillers—and, by increasing the sensory input to the brain, thereby blocking out the pain messages.

The positive physiological and psychological effects of massage were demonstrated in a recent study of patients undergoing care for cancer. When given massage, study participants at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston exhibited increased relaxation, better sleep, and improved immune function, along with relief from fatigue, pain, anxiety, and nausea. In Ayurvedic Herbal Massage, author Gita Ramesh says regular massages can “relieve stress and help to promote a long and healthy life.” In the Indian healing system of ayurveda, massage is considered a form of whole body exercise that increases stamina and energy, while simultaneously delivering an inexpressible quality of stillness and joy—a time to be present. Massage realigns the entire body, promotes deeper and more natural breathing patterns, and helps restore individual resources of vital energy. The moments spent in massage are an opportunity to experience oneself as completely accepted.
Regular massage is a gift to yourself. Through the power of structured, healing touch, massage helps the body run smoothly, like keeping a musical instrument in perfect tune.

Massage rejuvenates the body from the outside in, with side benefits that include improved complexion, better posture, and a relaxed disposition on life. For additional information about the numerous benefits and types of massage, visit www.massagetherapy.com.

Laurie Chance Smith is a Texas-based writer and photographer who works for national and international markets on a plethora of topics. She can be reached at
lauriechancesmith@yahoo.com.

Friday, July 03, 2009

Welcome Back

I started this blog several years ago with the goal of providing information about Massage Therapy and its benefits, but I have let it fall by the wayside. Now after some major life and professional changes, I have decided to bring it back to continue the original mission, and will be making some interesting changes. In addition to articles that I write, I will also be including articles written by other massage professionals. This will give another look or side to some things that you may hear about often, and will allow me to provide information about topics in which I may not be the most expert of experts. (Hey, knowing and accepting my limits is a strength, right?)

Another part of the mission of this blog is to spread understanding and education about Massage Therapy, so if, while reading any articles, suddenly realize that you know someone who may benefit from some of the provided information, please feel free to forward the information to them or contact me for more information on anything.

So feel free to peruse the articles that I have previously written in the past, and stay tuned for more interesting articles to come!