tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308733832024-03-13T20:46:04.878-05:00A Caring Touch: Massage TherapyInformation, education, and more about Massage Therapy, Prenatal Massage, or any other random thoughts that pop into my head.Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-78980171635494787892019-10-02T08:00:00.000-05:002019-10-02T08:00:11.603-05:00Find Your "Away"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ok, I'll admit it: I love going to the grocery store. Yes, people are cringing at the thought of this chore. It can be frustrating to find the time, make the list, deal with the cart with the funky wheel that doesn't roll straight, and then groan when the checkout total comes up. However, I like it, and actually look forward to it. Why?<br />
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When I go to the grocery store, I am on my own time. I can walk through the aisles without anyone talking at me, asking me to do things for them, or telling me what I should be doing. I also look at grocery shopping as a mental challenge - I love looking through the sales and coupons to see if I can maximize my savings. It also lets me unleash some of my creativity and imagination in that I can explore exotic ingredients and wonder what I can make with these foods for my family. (Although, those exotic ingredients usually go unpurchased because I have a family of picky eaters, but hey, I can still imagine!) Plus, when I do purchase food to bring home, it makes me feel good that I am providing for the needs of my family. It gives me a place where I can get away from my home life that isn't work and give me some head space, even if it is only for an hour or so.<br />
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One thing experts across the board say when it comes to personal health and well-being is to find some time for "you". Everyone needs to find a place to get away from their lives every so often. Some people have the luxury of being able to take girls' weekends, mini vacations, or date nights. Perhaps it is setting aside time to exercise, meditate, or read a book that is their time "away" from life. Others don't have the luxury of time, girlfriends, or a family that lets them have a moment of peace. So everyone's version of what it takes to get away from the everyday stress and take time for themselves is different. Some people need dead silence, some take the opportunity to do something they have always wanted to do. Some are happy to just have nothing happening around them. It is important for our physical and mental health to get away from the constant stimulus and routine we are bombarded with every day and just recover for a bit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My preferred "away", but I'll take what I can get!</td></tr>
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So the takeaway from this is basically - find your "away", whatever it is, and embrace it. Even if your "away" isn't traditional, everyone needs the time to get some space and stimulate parts of themselves that they end up suppressing because they are just getting through the day-week-semester, etc. Even though my personal "away" can still have the potential to be stressful (rushing through the store with limited time, the checkout line is long and slow, or that darn cart with the funky wheel), it is still <i>my</i> time that I look forward to, and I usually feel better when I leave because I know that as soon as I get home, my phone will be ringing, my kids will likely be fighting with each other, and my husband will have a list of stuff he needs me to deal with before I've even hung up my keys. Determine what allows you to get some space and make sure you allow yourself to get "away" regularly.<br />
<br />Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-53486491595339680012019-09-18T08:00:00.000-05:002019-09-20T09:19:08.184-05:00Massage Tips: How To Make a Hot Towel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As mentioned in the above video, a hot towel is a fast and easy way to get some moist heat relief for pain.<br />
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The article that was mentioned in the video was <a href="http://bit.ly/heat-or-ice" target="_blank">this one: Should I Use Heat or Ice On My Injury?</a><br />
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Here are the steps and details of the video:<br />
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<b>What you need:</b><br />
2 hand towels<br />
Water<br />
A microwave<br />
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<b>Steps to make a hot towel:</b><br />
1. Soak one hand towel in water and wrap it into a tight ball<br />
2. Put the wet towel in a microwave for 60 seconds (1 minute)<br />
3. Take your dry towel and lay it flat over your sore area<br />
4. Take your hot towel and fold it into a manageable shape such as a rectangle<br />
5. Lay the hot towel over the dry towel and wrap the edges of the dry towel around the wet one.<br />
6. Let it sit until it loses it's heat, or you start to feel better. Usually around 20 minutes is the longest it retains it's heat.<br />
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<b>So what is the dry towel for?</b><br />
The dry towel is simply there to keep the hot towel from burning or causing any irritation on the skin. If you are putting the hot towel over a piece of clothing, you might be able to get away without the dry towel, however I'd personally still advise you to use the dry towel just to keep an extra layer of protection and not get your clothing wet.<br />
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<b>Why is moist heat important?</b><br />
Moist heat is recommended for heat healing because since our skin and muscles are porous, a water based heat is more readily absorbed so rather than simply heating up the surface of the skin, the heat gets deeper into the area and therefore is more effective with the heat doing it's job.<br />
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I hope this hot towel tutorial helps you out with your fast moist heat needs!<br />
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<br />Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-41781218882723241002019-09-04T08:00:00.000-05:002019-09-04T08:00:09.634-05:00How Long Should My Massage Be?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the first things people notice when they are scheduling a massage is that unless they are looking for a very specialized service, there are usually options for different lengths of massages. So how long of a massage should you get or do you need? Everybody’s needs are different and every therapist has different goals/procedures for each length of appointment, so just to break things down, here is how I personally look at appointment lengths and the benefits of each.<br />
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<b>15 Minutes</b>: In my practice, this is the shortest appointment length that I offer. I almost exclusively use this time for chair massages which are simple massages focused on the back, neck, and shoulders that don't require the client to disrobe, so the whole time is used efficiently. I also use this length for infant massages because depending on why I’m working on the baby, forcing the baby to stay still for long periods of time can stress them out, so I keep the sessions short.<br />
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<b>30 Minutes/Half Hour</b>: Many people get massages of this length as an introduction to a therapist or to massage in general so they can gauge if it is something that will work for them. Likewise, I usually recommend this length to someone who has something specific like an injury or a chronic issue. 30 minutes gives the therapist the time to determine how the issue is doing, and time to do the work. While it is possible to work on multiple areas of the body in this short time, the more areas being worked on means the less time spent on each area, which still works for some people who just want a bit of quick relaxation without any heavy focused work on anything specific.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAIK4rP6gdP4MvnwnWTGTaBVjLolhEsxlfSYBJ__9Y2H7NSNZMDPXGGdkyO4S28ahxWW_-edAcDOqbGfIZb5PlPEhFxnG9c-h9qhqPv4iO1TESMhfG5i4XyIrg8V9fxRJCtOw/s1600/adult-body-close-up-275768+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="How Long Should My Massage Be? A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy, State college, PA" border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAIK4rP6gdP4MvnwnWTGTaBVjLolhEsxlfSYBJ__9Y2H7NSNZMDPXGGdkyO4S28ahxWW_-edAcDOqbGfIZb5PlPEhFxnG9c-h9qhqPv4iO1TESMhfG5i4XyIrg8V9fxRJCtOw/s320/adult-body-close-up-275768+%25281%2529.jpg" title="How Long Should My Massage Be? A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy, State college, PA" width="320" /></a><br />
<b>60 Minutes/One Hour</b>: This is probably the most common appointment length I see. It is the standard time for a “full body massage” which includes massage on the hands and arms, neck, shoulders, feet and legs, plus the back of the body. You get the complete body worked on as well as having time to provide extra attention to any specific 'trouble' areas such as the shoulders, neck, feet, etc. Some people will also request a one hour appointment if they really have a problem area or injury that needs a lot of focused work so all the time can be focused on that issue.<br />
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<b>90 Minutes/Hour and a Half</b>: Sometimes an hour just isn’t enough time to get through everything that needs attention during a massage. Some people will request a 90 minute massage when they want to relax with a full body massage, but also know that they have specific issues that need more attention than can be addressed without lessening the work on another body part. Or sometimes people just want the extra time to treat themselves to some bonus relaxation and quiet time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvZEUVuFX9h1ETl44zio9WN12LFmMd58l4BLnrYDV5g42-l0SEvFnwPlBgSqck2qVwFyb-iOc1VKOj1jfYZi4ZFRtUV54rCuXfCUw10gNuRu5lwIkQTbgTTYgC3dTNTmm65tX/s1600/bathroom-beauty-salon-candlelight-3188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How Long Should My Massage Be? A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy, State college, PA" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrvZEUVuFX9h1ETl44zio9WN12LFmMd58l4BLnrYDV5g42-l0SEvFnwPlBgSqck2qVwFyb-iOc1VKOj1jfYZi4ZFRtUV54rCuXfCUw10gNuRu5lwIkQTbgTTYgC3dTNTmm65tX/s320/bathroom-beauty-salon-candlelight-3188.jpg" title="How Long Should My Massage Be? A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy, State college, PA" width="211" /></a><b>120 Minutes/2 Hours</b>: I personally don’t do many of these but do occasionally, and many other therapists also offer it. Usually when a massage is this long it includes not only massage for the whole body, but can also include additional modalities such as stretching, energy work, hot stones, or a host of other things depending on the therapist. The therapist has lots of time to focus on everything from relaxation to addressing injuries, without any work being rushed. While it is possible for therapists to offer longer appointments, anything beyond this time can start to get taxing on the therapist. While we may seem to have super powers, we are human after all, and we do get tired!<br />
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<b>What if I pick an appointment time that’s too short?</b> Sometimes therapists will let you extend your appointment - meaning if you start with a half hour and realize you need more work, you can ask if you can extend to an hour. However this is 100% dependent on the policies of the therapist/company and the therapist’s schedule after your massage. Often if they have an opening after you they may be able to extend an appointment, but a therapist will likely never bump or delay another client just to extend an appointment. If a therapist can’t extend, they may work with you to schedule another appointment at the next earliest availability.<br />
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So the answer of which massage length is right for you completely depends on what you are looking for. If you want full-body relaxation, 60 minutes should do it. Just want regular work on those chronic knots in your shoulders? 30 minutes focused on the neck and shoulders should be fine. If you are ever in doubt, just ask your therapist what they recommend.Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-51431204868665798632019-06-26T08:00:00.000-05:002019-06-26T08:00:00.951-05:00Giving in or Giving up? Who's Happiness is Most Important?
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDM4CL9NF4AhFgdqQ-1z-nrbc90LTJyWJJp5BUSLxwYw82-ktQBLaAcTuNYrkrI3oAsrRbLSjZBlq9t6kkg3-l9mMqlDU-WAA50IffhZTQjcRnJRvwRJO3CpT8Z62TrSNdH1g/s1600/IMG_5222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Window of Massage Room at A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy - Before" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDM4CL9NF4AhFgdqQ-1z-nrbc90LTJyWJJp5BUSLxwYw82-ktQBLaAcTuNYrkrI3oAsrRbLSjZBlq9t6kkg3-l9mMqlDU-WAA50IffhZTQjcRnJRvwRJO3CpT8Z62TrSNdH1g/s200/IMG_5222.JPG" title="Window of Massage Room at A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy - Before" width="150" /></a><a href="https://acaringtouch-mt.blogspot.com/2018/03/what-do-we-have-to-be-afraid-of.html" target="_blank">Several posts ago</a>, I wrote about the window in my massage room. I had taken down the blinds to put a window film on because I hated the dark, stuffiness of the room and wanted the warm, natural light. It was an instant hit with the office staff and several of my regular clients also commented on how nice it was because the room stayed light and bright even on some of our very frequent cloudy and rainy days, so it was a welcome change. I even started jokingly calling it the “Vitamin D Room” because it was a chance to lay and get a relaxing massage in the sun.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Changing the window was pretty radical - not only because I took a risk in altering the room, but also because massage therapy rooms are traditionally very dark, so people can close their eyes and simulate the conditions that one would go to sleep. I kind of liked the total out-of-the-box change - which for me is soooooo not normal. </div>
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Unfortunately, not everyone agreed with me. I started getting rather bad reviews from new clients (including one review absolutely tearing apart everything about my practice and warning people to never patronize me because of the “blaring light streaming in through the window”), and since the service industry lives and dies by reviews, I felt I had no choice but to cover up the window.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
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On a personal level, I was disappointed in losing my light. I felt like my mood was much improved with the brighter room, and I looked forward to coming in to work more. I was also disappointed that more people weren’t receptive to my “radical” idea that a massage therapy room could be bright and relaxing and my massage therapy skills outweighed the physical appearance of the room. However, on a professional level, it was a wake-up call and reminder that my personal preferences don’t really matter - what matters is the comfort of my clients.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
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One thing I am noticing throughout our world right now is that everywhere - be it in running a business, patronizing a business, working for a business, interacting with people, schools, etc. - we tend to strongly push the agenda of what WE, personally want and expect, no matter how it effects others.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
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I recently read a book by the Dalai Lama, and one thing that stuck out at me was his statements that every human, no matter what race, class, or socioeconomic level has but one desire - and that is to be happy. Whether for each individual happiness means wealth, peace, health, or a combination of a bunch of things, everybody wants the same thing.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Everyone wants to be happy and content, and when a person’s individual wants and needs are met, we are happy. So if that is what we want, who are we to deny that to another human being who wants the same thing? In the process of focusing on ourselves and what we want, we can’t be blind to the option that our desires could have a detriment to anything else. Or should we operate and go through life only focusing on ourselves? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
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Many people do subscribe to the thought process that ‘whatever I want is the correct thing, and to hell with whatever anyone else wants’. Others are totally on the other side of the scale in that ‘my needs don’t matter at all, doing whatever everyone else wants makes me happy’. So how can you find that happy medium? How can you do what you want and what makes you happy without being a total doormat? I think that one way to find the middle ground is to look at the situation this way: What ultimately (not on the surface level) will bring me happiness and will my happiness cause any detriment to the desire of another person?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
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As a business owner, those reviews brought me back to this. Even though my occupational category is in the “health care” field, ultimately I am in the service industry. My personal preferences can't take precedence over the preferences of the people I serve. If I expect them to come to me for their goals of health and relaxation, how can I accomplish those goals if they are uncomfortable? Some may call me a pushover for covering up my window - that I gave in to a bad review. However, I am preferring to look at that bad review as a window into the insight of my clients. I may not agree, but the greater good says that my preference might not be the best for the expectations of my clientele, and making my clients happy ultimately is what will make me happy.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5mhFRaW6aw8LJ8-bkRzldDGEh0epWG1vXVgMmaxoLVa8R8jgryMXxh37nUD2fParMd1KYNWuoe4EITCmgQ716bxNTCl8filvMGQ0BdCcLPQTcOhDJ3B8yL95GkxzsYBzadwD/s1600/IMG_6054+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Window of Massage Room at A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy - After" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5mhFRaW6aw8LJ8-bkRzldDGEh0epWG1vXVgMmaxoLVa8R8jgryMXxh37nUD2fParMd1KYNWuoe4EITCmgQ716bxNTCl8filvMGQ0BdCcLPQTcOhDJ3B8yL95GkxzsYBzadwD/s200/IMG_6054+2.jpg" title="Window of Massage Room at A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy - After" width="150" /></a></div>
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But just because I have decided to put my clientele’s needs above my own personal desires, doesn’t mean I have to totally give in to something I don’t want. In making a new curtain for the window, I used a fabric that cuts the light level while still not making it so dark that it looks like a cave, instead the room now has a cool blue glow. Will this work? Will my reviews change from here out? Maybe, and maybe not. Will my clients that liked the light be disappointed? Maybe, and maybe not. Will covering my window keep me from getting bad reviews? Absolutely not - you can’t please everyone, no matter how hard you try to provide excellent and professional service, there will still be things that pop up about the room that I have little to no control over. There will be mistakes made in the future, and I will always make decisions that not 100% of people agree with, but that is part of being human and a rant for another time. I feel like in this case I have found a compromise, so I don’t see it as giving up. So if we all subscribed to the thought that we know what we want and it is ok to go after what we want, but also consider how what we want affects not only another person but the overall greater good, how much different would this world be?</div>
<br />Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-81711490002165771352019-04-10T15:35:00.000-05:002019-04-10T15:37:35.059-05:00How Often Should I Get A Massage?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2WBtlF-FfBJuCKldWlP9FpjDRAgkiT0eG6wqChUoTZaA1FaLxxtE2ks2d7A7kNsXCN6ZTN6EHNWNSfdMGlE2xw9-mCtgvpWJMSloqKQd5fTRqBK8Tc7QHa9ih7gU2UX9iZjY/s1600/traditional-chinese-3666269_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How Often Should I Get A Massage? - A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2WBtlF-FfBJuCKldWlP9FpjDRAgkiT0eG6wqChUoTZaA1FaLxxtE2ks2d7A7kNsXCN6ZTN6EHNWNSfdMGlE2xw9-mCtgvpWJMSloqKQd5fTRqBK8Tc7QHa9ih7gU2UX9iZjY/s320/traditional-chinese-3666269_1920.jpg" title="How Often Should I Get A Massage? - A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy" width="320" /></a></div>
We all know that massage is good for us. It benefits both our mental health by relieving stress and giving us a sense of calm, as well as helping any pain or physical issues we may have. One question I am frequently asked is, "How often should I get a massage?" I often hesitate with this response because it isn't a standard one-size-fits-all answer. The frequency that you should receive massage depends on a few different factors.<br />
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Firstly, why are you getting the massage? Is it for stress relief? Maintaining your overall health and keeping everything working? Keeping away a recently healed injury? If the massage is more for maintenance or not geared toward a specific goal, most people find that one massage every 4-6 weeks is a good time span to go between massages before your body starts to feel too crunchy and angry with itself. The goal of these massages are usually more relaxing and maybe taking care of a few "trouble spots" but overall just a calm, quiet time for you to take care of yourself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpFkqiLk59ccgpmwDTUa_xaOt1s_V57o6TCaxybHrcUFhy6BJ5ZJVAxVlrXDQ8r-wEGA8oqYRK4svGM4vvT3CCUCSu8lm7mAWMwZjmP-qBsjH7UYnZ1-k1ZgMfXxLYkqu0XRs/s1600/neck-3739667_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="How Often Should I Get A Massage? - A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy" border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="1600" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpFkqiLk59ccgpmwDTUa_xaOt1s_V57o6TCaxybHrcUFhy6BJ5ZJVAxVlrXDQ8r-wEGA8oqYRK4svGM4vvT3CCUCSu8lm7mAWMwZjmP-qBsjH7UYnZ1-k1ZgMfXxLYkqu0XRs/s320/neck-3739667_1920.jpg" title="How Often Should I Get A Massage? - A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy" width="320" /></a></div>
If you have an injury or something chronic like 'that thing in your neck that hurts every time you turn your head but you've learned to live with it', you may need massage a little more frequently - at least at first. In the case of helping to repair an injury, I generally recommend a little more intense of a schedule such as 2-3 massages during the first week or two, then we "wean" off the massages with more time between each session such as one a week for 3 weeks, then once every 2 weeks, etc - adding or subtracting as needed, until the issue is resolved. The reason for the more intense schedule is because the goal of this massage is to help the body heal and almost "reprogram" itself and not fall back into it's injured state, then as healing happens, the muscles re-learn what is "right" and the massage goals become more maintenance and less repair.<br />
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Now there are always special situations don't fit into this mold. For example, I leave the recommendations for prenatal massages up to the client because although, with the constant changes in the body, massage every week would be fabulous, but sometimes that isn't practical. A mom-to-be may want to schedule appointments around her doctor's visits, or she has child care for other children that she needs to coordinate, or perhaps her doctor recommends a different frequency. So in situations like this, I make recommendations, but leave it flexible and up to the client's preferences.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjoRSBS_TacrTOij4Sccpy0evE51qMJdRecXUxU1EuFxNqRAZzysUWKeDXpqh3qkBj0rFeSOU48CN0I3jrQmgASVCh1mF1yr7deCA9n_NpdV4vlr6mq6iwQlbM9t6stFP-dRy/s1600/agenda-3991875_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How Often Should I Get A Massage? - A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjoRSBS_TacrTOij4Sccpy0evE51qMJdRecXUxU1EuFxNqRAZzysUWKeDXpqh3qkBj0rFeSOU48CN0I3jrQmgASVCh1mF1yr7deCA9n_NpdV4vlr6mq6iwQlbM9t6stFP-dRy/s320/agenda-3991875_1920.jpg" title="How Often Should I Get A Massage? - A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy" width="320" /></a></div>
Other small things in life can also dictate how frequently one can or is able to receive a massage. Some people like to coordinate massages with other doctor's appointments such as physical therapy or chiropractic adjustments. Other times, people have issues with distance to travel or work schedules, and finally some have financial considerations that may influence how frequently they receive a massage. These considerations must also come into play when deciding when to come back for your next massage.<br />
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Sure, as a business owner who makes a living off of performing massages, it would be easy for me to tell people that they need to come in for massage at least once a week every week, but as a humane human being who is supposed to be looking out for the health and well-being of my clients, there is no one "best" answer as to how frequently they should get a massage. This is another reason why it is important to have a comfortable and confident relationship between therapist and client. They should be able to work together to determine the best frequency and schedule for the massage routine that works best for you.Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0State College, PA, USA40.7933949 -77.860001240.745305900000005 -77.9406822 40.8414839 -77.7793202tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-68817169846036793362019-03-25T10:00:00.000-05:002019-03-25T10:00:01.130-05:00You Can't Massage A Pregnant Woman's Feet - Myth or Fact?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThHircXxpQosCUMvyhhPZjkX9H7f1kFSxUHvJ7mzOFGndAhDO4GMjD3CMiB_flB-qHHhm6HqVF8ODv7I-9NTHxaQrO2OYnW08ZIXQxWlTRqzvWnz2_k5CURn9bGogPLK2ZFC-/s1600/adult-alternative-medicine-care-356053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="You can't massage a pregnant woman's feet - Myth or Fact? A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy, State College PA" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThHircXxpQosCUMvyhhPZjkX9H7f1kFSxUHvJ7mzOFGndAhDO4GMjD3CMiB_flB-qHHhm6HqVF8ODv7I-9NTHxaQrO2OYnW08ZIXQxWlTRqzvWnz2_k5CURn9bGogPLK2ZFC-/s320/adult-alternative-medicine-care-356053.jpg" title="You can't massage a pregnant woman's feet - Myth or Fact? A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy, State College PA" width="320" /></a></div>
I was recently watching an evening tv drama in which a character and his pregnant wife were in a class and the instructor said, "Time for foot massages! Now who can remember what part of the feet we completely avoid?" To which the character (a doctor) replies "The ankles". This reminded me how often I hear things like this in regards to massaging pregnant women's feet. It was nice that the show actually mentioned that foot massage is ok while pregnant, however it stated to "completely avoid" the ankles without any explanation as to why.<br />
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Not massaging a pregnant woman's feet is one of the more commonly heard "tips" when it comes to prenatal massage. Many pregnancy books and sites claim that foot massage can cause lots of problems, most commonly that it send a woman into early labor, so it is best to completely avoid it. Some statements are a little more lenient (like the tv show I was watching) and say that foot massage is ok, but with certain limitations. So what is the truth? The fact is that, like many things, somewhere there was a small grain of a fact and over time it bloomed into something that became a full-blown myth, urban legend, whatever you want to call it. So how exactly did this myth come to be?<br />
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<b><i>Myth origin #1</i></b>: I've mentioned this in a <a href="https://acaringtouch-mt.blogspot.com/2018/03/will-prenatal-massage-send-me-into-labor.html" target="_blank">previous article</a>, but one culprit here are two widely heard of, but often misunderstood, massage modalities known as acupressure and reflexology. In these types of massage, pressure is applied to a specific point on the body (acupressure) and in the feet (reflexology), and depending on where certain points are located, the points can have an effect on certain parts of the body. The fear comes that if certain reflexology points are touched, it can cause labor to start.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhugrN7cqq3mhlWTXbJYWlSu1gccNGCVpBvmvCDcR-jiMxSa5-17m9R4E6qmcUu45CJYVoluzPC26q6IolmSI0k1qouTDc5L8B7Y-8tjme8A3u5jTZvUIsOjN_psueXJCKZ-IW/s1600/Reflexology+chart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="You can't massage a pregnant woman's feet - Myth or Fact? A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy, State College PA" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1239" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhugrN7cqq3mhlWTXbJYWlSu1gccNGCVpBvmvCDcR-jiMxSa5-17m9R4E6qmcUu45CJYVoluzPC26q6IolmSI0k1qouTDc5L8B7Y-8tjme8A3u5jTZvUIsOjN_psueXJCKZ-IW/s320/Reflexology+chart.jpg" title="You can't massage a pregnant woman's feet - Myth or Fact? A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy, State College PA" width="247" /></a><i><u>Facts</u></i>: While acupressure and reflexology can have an effect on certain parts of the body, very specific things need to happen. In acupressure, static pressure needs to be applied directly to the specific point and held for 3-5 seconds. Not something you generally see in a gentle massage where the strokes generally keep moving. As far as reflexology goes, there are points located on either side of the heel that relate to the ovaries and uterus, as well as the fallopian tubes arching over the foot. Not exactly located in the ankles, but loosely in that general area, hence the source for the advice to avoid it. Once again though, just a gentle massage over this area is not reflexology per se, only if you specifically target this area with direct and sustained pressure. Another reason "ankles" may be lumped into this is because there is one specific acupressure point higher up on the outside of the lower leg (about 3 finger widths up from the ankle bone) that has, in some studies, had a small effect of making contractions stronger once labor has already started, but no actual proof that pressing on that point can trigger or start labor. Basically, acupressure and reflexology can't be done by accident; they are very focused and purposeful types of massage that you can't "trigger" unknowingly, so no gentle, normal types of massage done for foot relief should create any problems.<br />
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<b><i>Myth origin #2</i></b>: Another direction that I've heard this myth come from was not actually from the massage world. Originally, there was concern about cheap or low-end manicure and pedicure salons who didn't clean their tools correctly, which left the opportunity for women to get infections in their cuticles from the poorly sanitized instruments. Infections during pregnancy are always a concern, so women were encouraged to stay away from cheap nail salons - which, like the old game of telephone, turned into "stay away from all nail salons" -> "Don't get manicures or pedicures while pregnant" -> and finally, (since some salons include a foot or leg massage with their pedicures) -> "Don't get massages on your feet or legs while pregnant". So you can see how something with a small, good intention, can spiral into something much more vague and universal.<br />
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<i><u>Side fact</u></i>: In all the talk about massaging feet, many times the phrase "and legs" gets lumped in there as well. This one gets a little trickier, because there are some small legitimate concerns about massaging legs during pregnancy. The fact is that due to the increase in a woman's blood volume during pregnancy, and thanks to gravity, a woman's legs can get much more tired, swollen, and heavy while pregnant. Massage can help immensely with these issues, however with this increased blood volume, there is a slim chance that a woman can develop issues such as blood clots in her legs or certain kinds of swelling or edema that a doctor needs to monitor. This does not mean that leg massage is completely off limits, it is just better if any lower extremity massage is done very lightly, or done by a professional who is trained to know what to do and what to look for so that the massage can be done safely. Nevertheless, just because the possibility of concern may be there, if the doctor says everything is fine, the instances of an actual problem can be very slim, so once again, even though there is a small grain of truth in there, it doesn't mean that massage as a whole needs to be avoided when, in the right hands, it can actually be very helpful.<br />
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Overall, every pregnant mother does need to be careful about what she does to her body. Despite the plethora of information at our fingertips, with that also comes a plethora of mis-information. If a woman is concerned about whether something heard or read is fact or a myth, she should always ask her doctor. The doctor will give straight information, and even be able to specifically check for any conditions that may make a massage unadvisable. A massage therapist who is specialized prenatal massage should be able to clear up the difference between myths and facts and explain to you why. There is nothing wrong with hearing a myth and striving to be careful, however the best way to be careful is to know the facts behind the myth so that the myth doesn't steer you away from something that might actually be helpful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbejjFsCj-oS4PJX3undWR6Ecw38_e44XsgKcdyHN42hxo9tEqjI_c-CSmumhqrHCiPNPFEHhoESssY8LO6sUNO-Be2U00lk8bIkvyuR7fWFQuQEs6keGx64dueRAWa7WhPIYF/s1600/adorable-baby-baby-feet-266011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="You can't massage a pregnant woman's feet - Myth or Fact? A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy, State College PA" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbejjFsCj-oS4PJX3undWR6Ecw38_e44XsgKcdyHN42hxo9tEqjI_c-CSmumhqrHCiPNPFEHhoESssY8LO6sUNO-Be2U00lk8bIkvyuR7fWFQuQEs6keGx64dueRAWa7WhPIYF/s320/adorable-baby-baby-feet-266011.jpg" title="You can't massage a pregnant woman's feet - Myth or Fact? A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy, State College PA" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0State College, PA, USA40.7933949 -77.860001240.745305900000005 -77.9406822 40.8414839 -77.7793202tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-66358518141687739282019-03-15T09:48:00.000-05:002019-03-15T09:48:09.360-05:00Massage For a Sinus Headache<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One day last year I woke up with a nasty sinus headache. Before reaching for my bottle of decongestants, I decided to try and massage out the pressure first. Then I flipped on the tv and saw a news report about the opioid crisis and a theory about one reason it is so bad is because people get over-prescribed medications. So I sat down and while I was massaging out my sinuses, I recorded a video about how I was doing it, so that perhaps I could help someone else stay away from their bottle of decongestants. I know that massaging away one sinus headache isn't going to make that much of a difference in the grand scale of things, but personally, any time I can fix my pain without something I have to swallow is preferable for me!</div>
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P.S. I hate how I look and sound in video and this was a BIG leap out of my comfort zone, so if you watch it, enjoy and please be nice!</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BBRVFc2bP0M/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BBRVFc2bP0M?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-87026598006738445742019-03-01T12:00:00.000-05:002019-03-09T15:48:26.394-05:00The most memorable thing about having a newbornMany of my prenatal clients are understandably nervous not only about their upcoming labor and delivery, but also what happens after the baby arrives - as far as what to expect and how a newborn will impact their daily life. This happened to me with both of my newborns, and has happened to so many other people I know who have newborns, I had to make it pretty, and now I do give this advice to my moms-to-be as a humorous warning that though you will be suffering from many sleep-deprived nights, one glorious night will come where you sleep completely through - and what happens immediately after that. It will come, so be prepared.<br />
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<br />Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-40616916503678363942019-01-24T11:23:00.000-05:002019-01-24T11:23:24.731-05:00Why Do I Have To Do Paperwork Before My Massage?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4i-rk4ipdtWFAN8DNcXBo72rrgXxy0rSDvIUfvfR2-B5_z25-Vvyl1ijWXWrnpyzuCjG3iYAxZVQH3xMpR1P21Tw8b4YNWZRn3YLtarYpHBDrlpCy0HgHgckzaYsXYy9avOkr/s1600/StockSnap_KU273L0WTW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Why do I have to do paperwork before my massage?" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4i-rk4ipdtWFAN8DNcXBo72rrgXxy0rSDvIUfvfR2-B5_z25-Vvyl1ijWXWrnpyzuCjG3iYAxZVQH3xMpR1P21Tw8b4YNWZRn3YLtarYpHBDrlpCy0HgHgckzaYsXYy9avOkr/s320/StockSnap_KU273L0WTW.jpg" title="Why do I have to do paperwork before my massage?" width="320" /></a></div>
If you go in for a massage, chances are that you will be asked to provide some personal information before the massage begins, and that is usually done by filling out paperwork. Every massage therapist and company is different, and your overall experience with paperwork will be different, but why do we make you fill out that paperwork in the first place?<br />
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We know you come in for a massage to relax and escape from the everyday, and filling out paperwork is not something you do for fun. So why do we make you do it? Well, it is for your good as much as ours.<br />
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Every therapist is different and prefers/needs different types of information. I actually have different forms with different information for specific types of massages (prenatal vs. regular, etc), but overall, they serve the same purpose. Personally, in my practice, for a new client, I have two pieces of paper that are handed to the client before a massage. The first page is basic information including medical history such as allergies, surgeries, chronic issues, etc. Why does this matter? The short answer is that we don’t want to make anything worse. We need to know allergies so that we don’t use a lotion or oil with an ingredient that will give you a reaction. If you have had any surgeries or other chronic issues, we want to know so that we don’t pull or stretch or work on anything that had previously been repaired. While some surgeries leave an obvious scar such as a knee replacement, others like plates in your neck may not be as easy to see, so we have to adapt our technique accordingly. My second page of paperwork is given at every visit, even if the client sees me every week/month/etc. This page asks the client to specify what specifically brought them in for massage that day, and what they want me to be focusing on or avoiding, as well as any immediate changes in health.<br />
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Now every therapist is different, and some may never give you a shred of paper, but may ask you questions, to which they may go and write the info down themselves. Some therapists may not ask you a single thing about your medical history, but I’ve never known a legit massage therapist who doesn’t at least ask about allergies. Also, you don’t need to worry about what information you put on that paperwork. As health care professionals, massage therapists are bound by the same HIPPA laws as your doctor, so we can not share any information with anyone without written consent from you.<br />
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In my own experience, I’ve had a range of emotions from my clients about paperwork when they come in for massage. Some just go through the routine without questioning anything, some outright complain about “having to fill out that thing again”, and some have fun with it - I once had a regular older male client check the box marked “pregnant” and then admitted with a laugh that he just wanted to see if I was actually paying attention to the paperwork.<br />
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So as much as all of us hate dealing with paperwork, it can be considered a 'necessary evil'. Records need to be kept because massage does deal with a human being’s health, so to help us provide the best care, we need to keep everything in writing. With the digital age, there are many paperless and digital options coming into common practice, but it will still involve you answering questions in some form. Nevertheless be assured that we hate paperwork as much as you do, and we hate giving it to you as much as you hate filling it out, but overall, it is there for the best.Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-81076104912430999072019-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:002019-01-09T08:00:01.320-05:00To Tip or Not To Tip Your Massage Therapist?<style type="text/css">
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I recently had a client come in for a massage who admitted that she hasn’t really had many massages before. She asked “Is this like a haircut where there is one price listed and then I’m expected to pay a tip on top of that price?” It was an interesting way to put it, but I do get asked this question frequently by clients. Tipping is often something that many people aren’t sure what exactly the protocol is when it comes to massage because massage exists in so many different forms and is used for so many different reasons.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
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According to Wikipedia, “<i>A gratuity (also called a tip) is a sum of money customarily given by a client or customer to a service worker in addition to the basic price.</i>“<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Many times when we hear the term ”service worker” or “service industry” we immediately think of restaurant servers, taxi/Uber drivers, or hairdressers. We tend to view massage therapists in mainly one of two ways: spa employees or health care professionals. This creates an odd divide for individuals who do relatively the same thing. You usually wouldn’t think twice about tipping your hairdresser (service industry) but would never dream of tipping your doctor (health care industry). But ultimately, massage therapists can fall into both categories. They provide a service to individuals, so they qualify as members of the service industry, however they are also responsible for improving your health, so they are also members of the health care industry.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
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Two big things also help make tipping confusion stronger; Environment and purpose. If someone is an employee in a spa, it seems like a no-brainer that, like a hairdresser, you give them a tip. However, if someone providing the same service in a doctor’s office, tipping may not seem as natural. Likewise, the purpose or reasons a person receives a massage can change the perspective as well. Some people get massage purely as a relaxing treat, while others get massage for therapeutic or medical reasons. This can change their perspectives on if a tip is warranted. This is probably the reason I get this question. I work out of a chiropractors office, but I am self employed and my rate doesn’t include gratuity built in. Plus, I may be in a health care setting, but, (at least in the state of Pennsylvania) every massage therapist, even those that work exclusively in a spa setting, has to have a license to practice just like medical professionals.</div>
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So I guess this whole article is a very long-winded roundabout of a very simple question and answer: should you tip your massage therapist? The answer that I give to anyone who asks me is: A gratuity is never required, however it is always appreciated.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Bottom line, massage therapists are members of the service industry. They provide you a service - making you feel good. They also are members of the health care field - so it is their job to make your health and well-being a priority. If you choose to and you feel it is appropriate to tip your therapist (unless their employer or organization specifically forbids it), it is never required but always appreciated. There is no right or wrong answer, it is all in how you view your therapist and the care that you get from them.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
<br />Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com01200 W College Ave, State College, PA 16801, USA40.784488 -77.8740340.736399000000006 -77.954711 40.832577 -77.793349tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-81423608420647496342018-12-27T08:00:00.000-05:002018-12-27T08:00:00.609-05:00Should You Talk or Not Talk During Your Massage?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Massages are supposed to be a relaxing experience. But does relaxing mean the same thing to everyone? Case in point; one question that I frequently get asked: "Should you talk or be completely silent during a massage?" Well, like many areas of massage, there really isn't one answer because everyone is different, and their needs as well as reasons for coming to massage are different.<br />
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One side of the argument says that you should be relaxing during a massage, so that means be quiet, listen to calm, quiet music, and just mentally let yourself enjoy the quiet to allow yourself to relax. The other side of the argument says some friendly banter allows the person receiving the massage to ask questions and get educated about things going on with their body, and can also be a form of relaxation therapy in itself by allowing the client to expend any pent up energy, frustrations, or just basically having someone to talk to.<br />
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Sometimes the technique itself can work better if there is talking versus no talking. Cranial Sacral or Myofascial work is more effective when the therapist can quietly concentrate on the sensitive and intricate things they are working on, while something like stretching or deep tissue work might require communication between therapist and client to make sure that the modality is working and not too much, as well as some conversation about what caused the issue in the first place.<br />
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I have seen forums and routine questions throughout the massage industry about what other therapists think of this topic. I've seen answers that range from therapists who find it fine to be sociable and chatty, while others state that they prefer to work in silence and have gone as far as to gently tell chatty clients to be silent 'for their own relaxation benefits'. There are also factors such as the environment or the rapport of the staff that can influence whether talking is discouraged or encouraged during a massage.<br />
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Personally, as a therapist, I believe that it is ultimately up to my client - the person receiving the massage. After all, they are the ones coming to me for relief, healing, relaxation, or whatever their reason. I should allow them to achieve their goals however they need to. Some people do want the silent, quiet relaxation, and it can be a calming, almost meditative session that lets them fall asleep and me to put extreme focus on what I'm doing. Other times, people will ask questions, vent frustrations, relate plans they are excited about, etc. I used to wonder how they were able to relax while being so chatty, but I realized that perhaps they don't have anyone else to talk to so they need an outlet to vent or just enjoy speaking to another adult before they can unwind. In these cases, the talking is therapeutic and relaxing in itself, so I don't discourage it. I do, however, strive to let them lead the conversation or lack of it. The only time I usually try to initiate conversation is when I'm either asking about conditions, giving instructions, or reassuring a fear or concern. I work with many Prenatal clients, and many first-time moms can get concerned with all the strange things that are happening to their bodies, so sometimes I need to reassure them and will sometimes tell them about my own experiences in the same situation to help put their minds at ease and give them a chance to relax.<br />
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That being said, I do believe the answer of "to talk or not to talk" is up to the person receiving the massage, and what their goals of receiving the massage are. Sometimes quiet silence is needed and wanted, and sometimes chatting, venting, or letting off steam is just as important to their relaxation and healing. If my client wants to talk, I'll talk, but if they want to be quiet and go to sleep, I'm not going to engage them in deep conversation. I'm there to provide my clients with what they want and need, and everyone's wants and needs are different but no less right or wrong.<br />
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Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-2737750565022831722018-12-12T09:53:00.000-05:002018-12-26T23:32:46.637-05:00Self Care: You Have Permission To Stop.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week was what I call "Hell Week". Hell Week is simply the week that leads up to something big, in this case, the Special Holiday Performance at CPDW, the dance studio where I teach. Hell Week is usually filled with a heavy mix of rushing to finish costume construction for all my students, keeping parents informed and reinforced on the weekend's schedule, coordinating who needs to be where, preparing to spend 48 hours locked in a theatre, and worry that the performance will go off without any problems. Add on top of that dealing with every day issues such as family, kids that still need to get to everything, husband's work needs, the approaching holidays, and oh yeah, my regular job. It is a week where I live off of daily lists of schedules to keep my brain straight, don't sleep well due to stress, and drink a LOT of wine. (Yet, when it is all over, I gleefully look forward to preparing for the next one. Go figure.)<br />
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So one day last week, I did something very strange for me to do during one of the busiest weeks of the year - I went back to sleep. This week usually includes lots of late nights dealing with work and costumes that can't get done until the kids go to bed. That morning, oldest child had to be up half an hour earlier than usual, so after getting her sent off successfully, and after youngest child was securely sent off on the school bus, I went back to bed and slept for about 2 1/2 hours. After waking up, I felt amazing. My list was still there, and I was rapidly running out of time to get stuff done, but I felt so good, I didn't care. Usually when something comes up that sucks 2 1/2 hours out of the busiest week of the year, it doubles my stress, but when I woke up, I felt great - and realized that it was ok that I felt like that.<br />
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Also that week, I made a conscious decision not to ride our new exercise bike. Seems silly, but at the beginning of December, I realized that if I kept up with riding through the month, I could hit a milestone 200 rides by Christmas*. I had riding on my daily list of things to do this week, but early on, I realized that riding would stress me out too much if I either tried to squeeze it in, or if I skipped and left the unfinished checkmark on my list. So I flat out decided not to ride at all this week. And I felt good about that. Not about not exercising, but that allowed myself to remove something from my schedule without feeling guilty about it.<br />
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I haven't felt so unstressed about decisions in a long time. It has made me realize that stopping is a good thing. It is not easy. I'm the go-go-go type that always has so much going on, I never rest. Despite all the studies and research that say "take time for yourself", "calm your mind for a bit", "it's better for your overall well-being", how often do we really do that? I know I don't. And if I do, I usually feel guilty about it because I'm not go-go-going, and that is what everyone expects of me, including what I expect of myself. So this Hell Week, I finally gave myself permission to stop.<br />
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Why has this concept escaped me for so long? Fear and guilt are the two things that spring to mind immediately. Fear that I won't get everything done, and guilt that I'm not working hard enough to to get everything done. However, looking back at the week - I did get the costumes done in plenty of time. (Enough time to actually repair a bunch when the first design failed). All the kids got where they needed to be, and the world kept turning. And I actually felt physically and mentally good about it. Maybe I really just did need the sleep. After Hell Week wraps up, I generally get sick - maybe my body saw this as an opportunity to ward off the inevitable illness that will hit me sometime in the next 2 weeks (So far, so good - knock on wood).<br />
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So from here on out - one of the reasons I'm writing this is to remind myself, come next Hell Week, or whenever, it is ok to stop and take time for myself. And for you - if you need to hear it, You have permission to stop. Whether it is a nap, a detour to a few quiet minutes at your favorite coffee shop, or a weather-permitting walk outside. No fear - it will get done. No guilt - you are not doing yourself any favors by destroying yourself. Nobody will think less of you. Take a little time for yourself because it is ok to stop.<br />
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*Update: one day later than planned, but I did it!<br />
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<br />Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-73732311455761724202018-05-03T13:53:00.000-05:002018-05-03T13:53:36.973-05:00Holes Are For Donuts, Not Massage Tables<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXy1VLyVORbPOv8219cNQr6BObaT2TkmfNAtn0v2UC5TWW7PFIkYTN_FLhEhko5V4gDDpkJYysexayXZb_pJkE6Y1FiDk-ixC_9ujvC6ARggH6ML3R12MCn9tqfAmj77iPy-C/s1600/baby-1533545_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXy1VLyVORbPOv8219cNQr6BObaT2TkmfNAtn0v2UC5TWW7PFIkYTN_FLhEhko5V4gDDpkJYysexayXZb_pJkE6Y1FiDk-ixC_9ujvC6ARggH6ML3R12MCn9tqfAmj77iPy-C/s320/baby-1533545_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Every so often, I get a new prenatal massage client who takes their first look at my massage table, then they say, “Oh, I thought you had one of those tables with a hole in it”.<br />
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Yes, such a thing exists. There are some massage tables that have a hole or some other indentation cut into them to allow extra room for a belly and/or breasts to extend beyond the flat edge of the table when lying face down. You might look at this and say “Great! Perfect for prenatal massages! Who needs their back worked on more than pregnant women?” And when I first started in massage school, I agreed. - I even started saving up for one of those tables. Then I got some real training.<br />
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Every massage therapist should come out of massage school with a basic knowledge of how to do a prenatal massage without hurting the mother or baby. However, there is a difference between a basic education and a specialist with advanced training. One of the first things I learned when pursuing my over 80 hours of advanced prenatal and infant massage certifications was that those table holes are not only not recommended, they can actually cause more harm than good.<br />
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How? Well, the human body is not stupid. Since we learned to walk upright, our bodies have learned to adapt to the forces around us, including gravity. The laws of gravity say that a heavy object will pull straight down to the center of the earth. When a pregnant woman’s belly begins to grow, there are muscles under and around the belly, particularly one known as the broad ligament, that knows to grow not only out, but also slightly down, working with gravity to support the growing belly. Now take that belly that is growing out and down, and pivot it 90 degrees as if the woman is laying flat on her stomach. The contents of that belly aren't a solid mass - things move in there, so when the stomach is then put at an angle to be affected by gravity, that heavy belly will be pulled straight down and the ligament that is designed to grow out and down, is now being pulled straight out and up. This can cause a strain on that ligament and ultimately more pain in the belly, hips, and low back.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRzbORki3pyeljy-D6SK_OE_kAI74rcdgaCyVSJHWJvHaL3dKV4iikpIZ_y27rra8IzvmOXRMZfCsYmGfWgHWSBtXKm9XWUqxyeio-HXulW9qXMG4WVg7KMN4urFXFVgMW7ht/s1600/Broad+Ligiment+plum+line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="When baby becomes a plumb line - why "table holes" are not advised for prenatal massage" border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1600" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRzbORki3pyeljy-D6SK_OE_kAI74rcdgaCyVSJHWJvHaL3dKV4iikpIZ_y27rra8IzvmOXRMZfCsYmGfWgHWSBtXKm9XWUqxyeio-HXulW9qXMG4WVg7KMN4urFXFVgMW7ht/s400/Broad+Ligiment+plum+line.jpg" title="When baby becomes a plumb line - why "table holes" are not advised for prenatal massage" width="400" /></a></div>
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The second reason this type of table is discouraged is because those holes are a universal size, shape, and location. Pregnant women are not a universal size or shape. The chances that that hole is going to properly fit every pregnant woman are slim to none, so how exactly is squeezing yourself into a hole not made to fit you comfortable (or safe)?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1TWDfzwMxiPYKP1ldVt6cEc_imtnAMZ4xxfodZGLsJHs5AJL-bHWsUSunpwgJVu6DF8TW5m_tzvz8-7hzi4RGrIg-ICWPrI7j0eDNJxLEBqwUaFHN_wLk5i2IrXCl0bacPuL/s1600/eb12ee4bc4ee81bcfbf5890be886452e52289271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1226" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1TWDfzwMxiPYKP1ldVt6cEc_imtnAMZ4xxfodZGLsJHs5AJL-bHWsUSunpwgJVu6DF8TW5m_tzvz8-7hzi4RGrIg-ICWPrI7j0eDNJxLEBqwUaFHN_wLk5i2IrXCl0bacPuL/s320/eb12ee4bc4ee81bcfbf5890be886452e52289271.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
These reasons are why I use a side-lying position with specially designed pillows, bolsters, and wedges that allow a woman to relax in a more natural position with everything properly supported without adding any extra strain to anything. I can still get to the back, shoulders, and every body part that needs work without causing the already tense and strained muscles any more problems.<br />
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So why do those tables exist if they cause so many problems? Well, the purpose they were designed for is to allow people with that basic training to work on pregnant clients without having to alter their routines or work with a very limited knowledge of how to do a proper prenatal massage. They are especially found in spas where the therapists are instructed to do massages a certain way within a certain time frame, so the tables allow things to stay “as is” without having to add time to the massages, or provide the need for extra equipment or therapists with special additional skills. They are basically an excuse for therapists who don't have advanced skills to charge more for a "specialty service" without having the skills to back them up. Will those tables cause problems for every pregnant woman? Probably not. However, for something so specialized as a pregnancy massage, do you really want to take a chance? You probably should want to look into a therapist that has the skills and training to do the massage correctly, not what is easiest.<br />
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Think of those tables like iPhoto. iPhoto allows you to do some very basic editing of pictures, take away red eye, blemishes, crop, etc. They can take a so-so photo and make it ok and it is a fabulous tool for that. But if you are getting married, and need a professional photographer, what would you think if they only used a cell phone and iPhoto for your wedding pictures? You would probably prefer to hire a photographer that had a real camera, multiple lenses, and used photo editing software that would make the average person’s head spin. Prenatal Massage is the same. You could see a therapist that has a tool to make the job 'easy', or you hire a professional who knows what they are doing in depth and the end results between the two will be very different. There is a difference between “giving a pregnant woman a massage” and “Providing a prenatal massage for a pregnant client”. The difference lies in the skills and training of the therapist as well as the tools used. Leave the holes to donuts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahdgwB-EESDNHuV5L3EBGLb8bDB5czIaTBn3KRhxTr4Yz-H-9g2kKXy72QD6vIk80IjK3iML2Zni0nluZHnMeCoK9EMwOCaHYQBbnnU-7-aWYMsN_7Pf8alcsQeSx4GbCvnjy/s1600/pregnant-woman-1910301_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahdgwB-EESDNHuV5L3EBGLb8bDB5czIaTBn3KRhxTr4Yz-H-9g2kKXy72QD6vIk80IjK3iML2Zni0nluZHnMeCoK9EMwOCaHYQBbnnU-7-aWYMsN_7Pf8alcsQeSx4GbCvnjy/s320/pregnant-woman-1910301_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Side note - I know that there are alternatives to both side-lying positions and table holes such as body-positioning systems and so called “Preggo Pillows” both of these solutions claim to also allow pregnant women to lay face down, but also provide more customized and more moveable support to prevent the strain and other issues I’ve spoken about above. There isn’t as much research on them, however this is where I use personal common sense. When a pregnant woman is laying face down, even with support, she is laying ON her baby - with her whole body weight. Even with support, add in the pressure of the massage on her back, and it can’t seem good for the baby - or comfortable for the mom. However, I know therapists and women who have sworn that these systems are fabulous so I can’t condemn them the way I do table holes, but looking at simple physics and having been pregnant myself and knowing how it feels to 'roll over' on the baby, I personally would never recommend those systems.<br />
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Prenatal massage can help the pain that comes with being pregnant - a lot. But just like everything else in the world, products are created to monetize and capitalize on solving problems without actually needing the skills to solve the problem. The health care world is no different. So before you schedule your next appointment in massage - or anything else relating to your health for that mater, don't get blinded by what fancy or trendy tools will be used, but do your homework then decide for yourself if something that looks trendy is the best thing for your health and comfort.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe27UUjTUokZv2bXPxqgw3tuW-9G2xoKc2yXpn0PuzgpqiSDcPerc-M9tp4_d5MLJMqKI7cKaxfpNJoOQFVGR7M0c0HZZNerrbxvtzUNyVHXSfu9LfMg7KBp07-64f5lb7_RbQ/s1600/a055db7d29af13bbbfc607c58f733d58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe27UUjTUokZv2bXPxqgw3tuW-9G2xoKc2yXpn0PuzgpqiSDcPerc-M9tp4_d5MLJMqKI7cKaxfpNJoOQFVGR7M0c0HZZNerrbxvtzUNyVHXSfu9LfMg7KBp07-64f5lb7_RbQ/s320/a055db7d29af13bbbfc607c58f733d58.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<i>Don't believe me? Here is more info to back me up:</i><br />
<i><a href="http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/prenatal-massage/">http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/prenatal-massage/</a></i><br />
<i><a href="https://www.massagemag.com/pregnancy-massage-tables-think-before-you-buy-13458/">https://www.massagemag.com/pregnancy-massage-tables-think-before-you-buy-13458/</a></i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.turningtidesmidwifery.com/blog/pregnancy-massage-tables-versus-positioning">http://www.turningtidesmidwifery.com/blog/pregnancy-massage-tables-versus-positioning</a></i>Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-89074373807668437022018-03-28T08:00:00.000-05:002018-03-28T08:00:09.375-05:00What Do We Have To Be Afraid Of?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xTlLgmUzNA-AmUw7il5QETMHQmgJ4GJLSlz4Db9-pZNHMqhH5wLXLilgiERKN6HssUq1-eibjUFBUsOGEVHVWwLYKA6HLx9KfOpOYpb5eOPzT4H0NUYYMexljqQcIxzrsUbx/s1600/hourglass-time-hours-sand-39396.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1207" data-original-width="1600" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xTlLgmUzNA-AmUw7il5QETMHQmgJ4GJLSlz4Db9-pZNHMqhH5wLXLilgiERKN6HssUq1-eibjUFBUsOGEVHVWwLYKA6HLx9KfOpOYpb5eOPzT4H0NUYYMexljqQcIxzrsUbx/s320/hourglass-time-hours-sand-39396.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
I am a chronic procrastinator. I've done it since I was a kid. If I had a project or report that was due in a month, I'd be pulling an all-nighter to start it. My procrastination has spilled over into adulthood. Loading the dishwasher - doesn't happen until the tower of dishes in the sink is unbearable. Usually I always have an excuse such as "I'm too busy", "This isn't a priority right now", etc. Sometimes things I procrastinate on cause me to be annoyed, and other things have caused me major anxiety. So recently I've been taking a look at my procrastination to get to the root of why I do it so much. I've discovered I have poor time management skills and I'm a little lazy. I also shut down when I get frustrated, hoping that my defiance will fix the situation which never works. But I have discovered that a small part of my procrastination stems from an odd sense of fear.<br />
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I have a window in my massage room that faces the parking lot. I decided that I wanted to remove the blinds and put decorative contact paper on the window to allow more natural light through but keep the window not see-through so I purchased the window film - 5-6 years ago. Then it sat in my closet. Every so often I'd look at it and say "I really should do that project", but always found a reason not to - I didn't have time, I didn't have the right tools, cutting/measuring supplies, etc. Always had a reason.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_vK4xsHIblIkYZ0ZCzCoOMcMlaCw_TNBgSanxGM3eqHD1upDmTzqw7xtrC53leEvJYAyMj2ZKhovTYThcV4gvy0Vklh8qvspE_8fUxO6I3GyFkvHdruF3yOImuQtlbJVcKph/s1600/IMG_5213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_vK4xsHIblIkYZ0ZCzCoOMcMlaCw_TNBgSanxGM3eqHD1upDmTzqw7xtrC53leEvJYAyMj2ZKhovTYThcV4gvy0Vklh8qvspE_8fUxO6I3GyFkvHdruF3yOImuQtlbJVcKph/s200/IMG_5213.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
Finally, the window had enough of my procrastination. I was pulling up the blinds and heard a 'CRACK' before the whole thing fell on my head. The blinds were unsalvageable, so I decided this was finally my opportunity to end the procrastination. As usual, I found excuses to not come in the next day - or the day after that. Suddenly, a new client scheduled a last-minute appointment. Now I was out of excuses and out of time. So I packed up every supply I could think of and went in early to fix the window. Turns out the project went really easily, took almost no time, and ended up looking amazing. The whole staff complimented the result and has been raving about how good it looks since then. Now I look at the window and think "What took me so long?"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSSVtzw7kYJcJARML4CjegkayLTE5oJ8GdMvdSbI32Br5jDdykoqacALuZLXYiPpH34WIabZEdh4zeDtW3KD6I6bme-ZlAChlr0RCNiRw1jSv1ug45eLWvSBzE9TXo_o6tBD_/s1600/IMG_5222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSSVtzw7kYJcJARML4CjegkayLTE5oJ8GdMvdSbI32Br5jDdykoqacALuZLXYiPpH34WIabZEdh4zeDtW3KD6I6bme-ZlAChlr0RCNiRw1jSv1ug45eLWvSBzE9TXo_o6tBD_/s320/IMG_5222.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
So I started thinking about it. I decided that the big thing that was holding me back from doing the project was fear. I was afraid that: 1. I overestimated my skill level in being able to do it so I wouldn't be able to do it right, 2. The end result wouldn't look good and the building owner would be mad at me, or 3. My clients wouldn't like it. I was afraid of failing at the end result so I chose not to pursue it. But did I really have a reason to fear it? Would it have been the end of the world if the window treatment hadn't worked out? I could have found an alternative. I'm good at finding unconventional solutions, so why did I let something so simple stop me? I started thinking about other places that I procrastinate and realized that fear is a big driver. I will put off scheduling meetings because I am afraid I will say something wrong and make a fool of myself. I put off tasks that could potentially cause a conflict. Dishwasher - that's just laziness - I can't blame fear on everything. But why do I have these fears? Is it my personality? Do I have some sort of chemical imbalance? Is it that people have repeatedly told me throughout my life that I will most likely fail and I don't want to prove them right? Why am I afraid of seemingly small and trivial things?<br />
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I guess scientists have been studying fear forever and why people are afraid of things, so it is no answer that I can give. The only thing I can do is train myself to recognize when I am using fear as an excuse and try to make myself answer - is this something that really needs to be feared? Is this fear justified? Will there be real consequences if my fear comes true?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqU3yw6McGeWk3p5z94roCd895rXvC1ikV60qXRKq06fEK8hjtT0rWjAAOf_mAriUN8wRumWp97cjQiuik7_v63yFCWGd1FSyAicDbYwD_aO-24hPvDpIbsiJ7hOonHxvpWRX/s1600/fear-3196246_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="1600" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqU3yw6McGeWk3p5z94roCd895rXvC1ikV60qXRKq06fEK8hjtT0rWjAAOf_mAriUN8wRumWp97cjQiuik7_v63yFCWGd1FSyAicDbYwD_aO-24hPvDpIbsiJ7hOonHxvpWRX/s320/fear-3196246_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
How different would our lives be if we didn't let stupid, unfounded fears stop us? The fear doesn't always show up as fear - it can show up and hide itself as lots of different things, so how do we know that our excuses are or aren't fear? Fear is so often portrayed as a weakness, I think people don't want to admit that they can be capable of being afraid. For me, I'm trying to start recognizing this pointless type of fear when I make excuses and trying to ask myself "why am I afraid of this" and "Seriously, what is the worst that can happen, and is that really so bad?" If I start to do this with my routine fears, I wonder if I'll be able to let this spill over into bigger things, and who knows where that can lead?Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-3600528063051586932018-03-14T08:00:00.000-05:002019-03-09T14:27:30.341-05:00Will a Prenatal Massage Send Me Into Labor?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUy-gcHM2WTOpaTWWba2GF9NfnqdIt9Nyp0ppUdnkhBva3FRfKIRO9xyX25pFbpD-y8OTqzS7E68Jf2yUqzaqqIuho03JlWiqL9TwTbCUMJZPg_q7bvkUGq_bJZi4jG7N41UOt/s1600/woman-1235716_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUy-gcHM2WTOpaTWWba2GF9NfnqdIt9Nyp0ppUdnkhBva3FRfKIRO9xyX25pFbpD-y8OTqzS7E68Jf2yUqzaqqIuho03JlWiqL9TwTbCUMJZPg_q7bvkUGq_bJZi4jG7N41UOt/s320/woman-1235716_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Massage therapy has many incredible benefits, especially during pregnancy. However I have had pregnant women tell me is that they are in pain, their backs and muscles ache, but they won't get a massage because they don't want to go into labor. There are a lot of myths and old wives tales about how massage can affect the body. Some are based in fact, some are nothing more than urban legends.<br />
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So where does this come from? Several places, actually. One of the most common thoughts is based on the concept of accupressure - a generalized term for types of massage that utilize pressure on certain points in the body and that pressure makes things happen in other parts of the body. The fear comes from the thought if any of these points are touched on a pregnant woman during a massage, the body will immediately try to "eject" the baby. This simply is not true. First of all, the points used in acupressure are not that sensitive. In order to do any type of pressure or point work, pressure must be put on the point and held for 3-5 seconds. A simple massage will not make that happen.<br />
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This does not mean that acupressure has absolutely no effect on the body. There are a few points that, when pressed at the proper times, may be able to help labor progress and help strengthen contractions, but it can't initiate anything. (I am speaking on this not just from research, but from personal experience: my oldest daughter was 2 weeks late and I was looking at an induction so I spent the whole weekend before that rubbing and putting so much pressure on every point that was supposed to "send me into labor" that I had black and blue marks. Did it work? Not in the slightest.)<br />
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Now you may know someone who has had the experience of "she got a massage and that night she went into labor." Well, that may be partly true, but mostly a coincidence. The answer behind this phenomenon is a little less tangible. What happens in this case is that the massage is most likely not what "started" the labor. Instead what the massage did was relax the body and take away some of the physical and mental stresses that the body was under. The human body doesn't like to do anything, especially anything new or big, when it is under a lot of stress, so when the body relaxes and the stress goes away, it allows the hormones and nerves to act like a signal to the body that says "Ok, everything is good - go ahead with starting that big thing you need to do." So it wasn't the massage that started the labor, the massage relaxed the body enough that labor was able to start.<br />
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Having said all of that, I have in my studies met people who claimed that were certified in something called “Induction Massage”. I have tried to look up information on this, but personally I have yet to find anything about this as a technique or a modality taught in a school. I also asked an advanced prenatal massage instructor about it and she had not heard of it either. So I’m not saying that it is completely impossible for there to be a type of massage that can send someone into labor, but as a disclaimer, I have not been able to find any specific information about this particular certification.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFGmv3dORdyjO7dafAqo-oWJQiO56o4_AIoVIseNnj8WJ-XlGaafvhSvedSfz1u370uN50IplaK4-cFSuQDasMlW9Ceky8PF2s2e9ZJSkIcHoPffypQThRXZXwRQ9sC2_wiqu/s1600/eb12ee4bc4ee81bcfbf5890be886452e52289271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1226" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFGmv3dORdyjO7dafAqo-oWJQiO56o4_AIoVIseNnj8WJ-XlGaafvhSvedSfz1u370uN50IplaK4-cFSuQDasMlW9Ceky8PF2s2e9ZJSkIcHoPffypQThRXZXwRQ9sC2_wiqu/s320/eb12ee4bc4ee81bcfbf5890be886452e52289271.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
There is never anything wrong with a pregnant mother wanting to be super careful about what happens to her body, and going into labor early is way up there in the top “pregnancy fears” for every mom. But the benefits of a nice, relaxing prenatal massage can far outweigh the fear that it will trigger labor. The best way for a mom-to-be to protect herself is to make sure that any prenatal issues or conditions that may have discussed with her doctor are disclosed to the therapist before the massage, and to make sure she is seeing a therapist who is a Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist, not just one who “can do prenatal massage”. When in doubt - ask the doctor both if massage is safe for this particular pregnancy, and if he/she can give a referral to a properly trained therapist.Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-45193161991506298222018-02-21T08:00:00.000-05:002018-02-21T08:00:19.144-05:00"Don't your hands get tired?" <head><title>Don't Your Hands Get Tired?</title>
</head><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OxINZPt1AjOPeE5wBrlRP3Qq0eL_50XObUoCx_qQ6v9S5LVm34EuAo0o2L8qjcZbQfNiF6gk_PReDObgDbkVEOonWkx-IxWbNVtQULEaXluxGYPIZlYSlSrUVT7IFo3QaqvT/s1600/pexels-photo-286951.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy - " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1256" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OxINZPt1AjOPeE5wBrlRP3Qq0eL_50XObUoCx_qQ6v9S5LVm34EuAo0o2L8qjcZbQfNiF6gk_PReDObgDbkVEOonWkx-IxWbNVtQULEaXluxGYPIZlYSlSrUVT7IFo3QaqvT/s320/pexels-photo-286951.jpeg" title="A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy - " width="249" /></a>One of the questions I get asked most frequently as a massage therapist is "how do you do massages all day and not have your hands get tired?" Well, I never really thought about it until recently. I was in hour 4 of a marathon 8-hour corporate massage day and the I-lost-count-ith person asked me this question. My usual response to this question is "proper training" and a joke then the question usually dies there. But what exactly is it about this proper training that lets me keep using my hands for so many hours at a time without getting tired? There are a few factors involved:<br />
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<b>1. Muscles - the right ones</b><br />
The 'proper training' I refer to means that in learning how to do the actual massage strokes and techniques I use, I have also learned the proper way to do those strokes and techniques. I've learned how to properly hold my hands, move my arms, how to apply pressure by using the right muscle groups and positions. You know how when you ask someone like your spouse to rub your shoulders and they squeeze for a few seconds then complain their hands hurt? That's because they are probably just using their fingers and top parts of the hands instead of the whole palm and forearm muscles - the fingers have smaller muscles than the palm of the hand, so they get tired more quickly. Learning how to use the proper larger muscles to do the work instead of the smaller hand muscles demonstrates how proper training in how to do things rather than trying to replicate what it looks like to do things can really make a difference.<br />
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<b>2. Things aren't always as they seem</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqanK-iQyUJyFnOhUNcTsT8yMVx2wwQnp2N0csqBSNe5_v7QXGx8Ow_qSxLvyRMgzdt7WrZAq5_nJl-aS8r7HUBYhKybi12vh9ttn7lh8WaPcMn2jRXTy8myWw_4MhSpXlpZ3M/s1600/massage-2277448_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy - " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" don="" get="" hands="" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqanK-iQyUJyFnOhUNcTsT8yMVx2wwQnp2N0csqBSNe5_v7QXGx8Ow_qSxLvyRMgzdt7WrZAq5_nJl-aS8r7HUBYhKybi12vh9ttn7lh8WaPcMn2jRXTy8myWw_4MhSpXlpZ3M/s320/massage-2277448_1920.jpg" t="" tired="" title="A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy - " width="213" your="" /></a></div>
So hands aren't the only thing I actually use to do a massage. Yes, look at any massage video and it appears that hands are the only things being used, however in addition to using my hands, I also use something that can't be seen - gravity and my body weight. I use my hands to a point, but I also use what is called "Proper body mechanics" to press harder and apply deeper pressure without using my actual muscles and therefore not tiring myself out. Yet another benefit of proper training.<br />
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<b>3. I have a past...</b><br />
One thing in my past gives me an advantage to not getting tired doing massages that has nothing to do with proper training. I used to be a professional dancer, which although many people think isn't a big deal, as far as body conditioning and endurance goes, I qualified as an elite-level athlete. I was used to beating my body up with cardio and strength challenges for 12+ hours a day, so standing and using significantly less muscles for multiple hours is not a big deal because instinctively my body is used to a lot more.<br />
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<b>4. Proper self care</b><br />
After many years of beating myself up, massage may be "easy" on my body, but it isn't all easy. I'm significantly older and heavier than I was when I was dancing, plus even though I still teach dance, I am nowhere near keeping up with the cardio work that I used to do, so I have to rely on other things to keep myself functioning well. Nobody can function in any way if they don't practice some levels of self care. I rest when I can, I massage myself and use heat on my hands when I've had a particularly long day. Massage has left my hands very sensitive especially to cold, so I own multiple pairs of gloves and almost always have a pair nearby to keep my hands safe and comfortable. I get massages myself when I can (not nearly enough - I know, but who follows their own advice?) and I rely on the amazing chiropractors/Applied Kinesiologists at Integrative Health Care Associates that I work with to keep me running. There is much more self care I should be practicing to make things even better, but for now, I'm hanging in there.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgn1eHb03tZJ13qF3jAvhGE9IkbpnrxRlyxngrGL63rwMTT9EoKuRnVDpUGWCBpD6QTH50IVUdL0rTv5n6BLVdvyyp0mN1Aq92So4lx5YJCGNSUSQlAStetJbL5UGLaZNaDuE/s1600/back-pain-1491803_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy - " border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" don="" get="" hands="" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgn1eHb03tZJ13qF3jAvhGE9IkbpnrxRlyxngrGL63rwMTT9EoKuRnVDpUGWCBpD6QTH50IVUdL0rTv5n6BLVdvyyp0mN1Aq92So4lx5YJCGNSUSQlAStetJbL5UGLaZNaDuE/s320/back-pain-1491803_1920.jpg" t="" tired="" title="A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy - " width="320" your="" /></a></div>
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All in all, there is no one answer to "Why my hands don't get tired". (Although, they do - I'm human after all, but I know how to work with and through the fatigue and how to best treat it afterwards.) The only important thing to know about my hands and massage is that as a properly trained professional, my goal is to provide you with the best, most effective massage that I can give you - using whatever "tricks of the trade" I need to make that happen.Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-74988232552706773242018-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:002018-01-31T08:00:32.786-05:00Should I Use Heat or Ice On My Injury?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYeOBMOytV7aVUOAz3rHxtFBfaFG4INNN1-lK7XUW28nzdoUChjY_7T6irytCmR7xgUlUrjICB20_kJBQXqCF-fXm_K-OTEOnBNVZTf24r0D1B59xbpIKZF-F0iJaDqk1ydYt/s1600/Heat+vs+cold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Should I use heat or ice on mu injury?" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYeOBMOytV7aVUOAz3rHxtFBfaFG4INNN1-lK7XUW28nzdoUChjY_7T6irytCmR7xgUlUrjICB20_kJBQXqCF-fXm_K-OTEOnBNVZTf24r0D1B59xbpIKZF-F0iJaDqk1ydYt/s320/Heat+vs+cold.jpg" title="Should I use heat or ice on my injury?" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If something hurts, one of the things that people tell you is to "Put ice on it" or likewise "Put heat on it". A common question that my clients ask me is "Which one should I use?" Both have their benefits, and either one can be used - depending on what is causing the problem.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Let's look at Heat</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First of all, what does applying heat do? When heat is applied to an area of the body, it causes your muscle fibers to soften, loosen, and relax. It also attracts red blood cells to the area which help increase your circulation and those red blood cells then bring nutrients and good stuff to the area. Also, as the heat makes those fibers relax, any nasty stuff like lactic acid and toxins that were hanging around in the area or tangled in the muscle fibers are then carried away by those same red blood cells. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCZQjq5P9nJlbA_wbx28Ro5imzEQ3JkAJdJO9gb8-OL6ws0ysw2r-EW6jn4V2rYEL8PyfAAUcCgELQ0DTfspVbGHph5VYYPk4aLV8DXjVQP5F7aVRd4q9XfXjAKCAPrF8kGXH/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-25+at+12.26.06+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="when to use heat vs ice" border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="406" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCZQjq5P9nJlbA_wbx28Ro5imzEQ3JkAJdJO9gb8-OL6ws0ysw2r-EW6jn4V2rYEL8PyfAAUcCgELQ0DTfspVbGHph5VYYPk4aLV8DXjVQP5F7aVRd4q9XfXjAKCAPrF8kGXH/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-01-25+at+12.26.06+AM.png" title="When to use heat vs ice" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>When to use heat</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Heat is best used when muscles are tight or in the case of an injury such as a muscle pull or an overuse / repetition injury. Lifting too much weight or being a weekend warrior and being sore the next day could use heat to relax muscles and take away the lactic acid that is causing the soreness. Heat also helps muscle spasms relax. If you sit in front of a computer for work too long and constantly have neck or low back issues, some heat can help those stiff and 'stuck' muscles soften. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>How to apply heat</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are a number of ways to safely apply heat. You can use an electric heating pad, a hot water bottle, or one of those popular rice-filled pillows that you can microwave to get warm. However the best type of heat to use is moist heat. Since your skin is porous, adding a little moisture lets the heat soak into your muscles a little more for a deeper, more effective treatment. You can add moisture to your heat by sprinkling a little water on your rice pillow before microwaving it, and some electric heating pads have a thin sponge that you can dampen and slide in under the cover. Another method is to make a simple hot towel: Take a regular hand or dish towel, soak it in water, wrap it up and put it in the microwave for about 60 seconds. Take a dry towel and lay that on your sore area, then lay the hot towel on top of it, then either take another dry towel and lay it on top, or if the bottom dry towel is long enough, you can wrap it up over the hot one, then just let it sit until it cools off. They key for using any type of heat application is to make sure that the actual hot object is not touching your skin directly and there is some sort of barrier (A towel, a cover, etc) between the heat element and your skin to prevent burns. Most doctors recommend either heat or cold treatments be done in increments of 20 minutes on the sore spot, then 20 minutes off, then repeat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Now about cold</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cold is usually recommended when you need the opposite effect of heat. Cold makes things condense or shrink so it is used to make things smaller, decreasing things like inflammation, swelling, and bleeding. You may have heard of R.I.C.E. in first aid - Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation as a first step for an acute injury. The ice keeps the swelling following the injury from getting too bad so that a proper diagnosis can be made, then it can help calm down the side effects of that injury.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>When to use cold</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cold is best used if there is swelling or inflammation that you want to decrease. Conditions such as tendonitis, bursitis, or a sprain or strain on a joint where there is swelling or irritation can be calmed down by cold. Occasionally, even migraines are advised to use cold to numb the nerves and decrease pain levels. Cold is also useful if there is a chance that an injury could leave a bruise since cold can help slow internal bleeding, therefore making a bruise less severe.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYR7icGHWqc2C1x8Yn63Gib-FiETRsW8UmIivy6wTHBfzFqCxSTqmgeCUwR884oONoGtukJ3lptMLej2yO0c8QQizZyMHP_lz7rdZgAyiiABdlK2Q_ysecLP1zoKzx6AUj1db/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-25+at+12.23.30+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="When to use cold vs heat" border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="784" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYR7icGHWqc2C1x8Yn63Gib-FiETRsW8UmIivy6wTHBfzFqCxSTqmgeCUwR884oONoGtukJ3lptMLej2yO0c8QQizZyMHP_lz7rdZgAyiiABdlK2Q_ysecLP1zoKzx6AUj1db/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-01-25+at+12.23.30+AM.png" title="When to use cold vs heat" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>How to apply cold</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just like with heat, whenever using an application of cold, you want to make sure there is a barrier such as a towel between the cold object and your skin. You don't want to risk frostbite or the cold object sticking to your skin because that will just make things worse. Ice or an ice pack is a quick and easy way to get cold applied. In a pinch, you can always use the "mom trick" of grabbing a package of frozen vegetables for a short term fix. You can also freeze that same rice pillow that you have on hand for heat applications as well. Physical therapists often have a mixture of water, salt, and rubbing alcohol that freezes very cold but stays pliable so it can be wrapped around an area such as a joint to keep it cold for a long time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>My personal thoughts on heat vs. cold</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Over the years, I've sustained many injuries and while I try to stick to what the research and doctors tell me, when it comes to heat vs. ice I have found that truly, the best thing to use is whatever feels right for your body. Yes when I roll over my ankle I put ice on it, but personally, when my hip flexor tendonitis flares up, I will usually use heat on it because if feels good and I know my body will respond positively to it. When my hands are swollen at the end of a marathon day of massages, I dip them in a hot paraffin bath - cold really bothers my hands so I usually turn towards heat even if the research says that this condition should have a cold application. So ultimately, there is research, there is recommendations, but if you really want to know which you should use for your pain - ice or heat, check to see what your doctor says and try it, but if it doesn't feel like it is working, or if you are more comfortable with another method, don't be afraid to use whichever temperature feels best for you.</span>Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-35730709839931845502018-01-17T07:00:00.000-05:002018-01-25T10:22:20.133-05:00The Bare Minimum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSV0Jlxv6qIJkZkH-k2YmO3gffSCuCuq_L3W5Ix4-N-ToHUtCLTDpVXm_zF1QhQ5LOPEJvrzelvNLGMFBdjwKPRWQCynZn37egiIk4krNbpqQr4CGJSK0poZ0P_braRsnglVg/s1600/StockSnap_RQSFDM0ASW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSV0Jlxv6qIJkZkH-k2YmO3gffSCuCuq_L3W5Ix4-N-ToHUtCLTDpVXm_zF1QhQ5LOPEJvrzelvNLGMFBdjwKPRWQCynZn37egiIk4krNbpqQr4CGJSK0poZ0P_braRsnglVg/s320/StockSnap_RQSFDM0ASW.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
We had a small winter storm this past weekend. Just some ice and snow that came overnight. That meant clearing off my car and the driveway before going to work that morning. My husband and I both had our cars in the driveway, but I only had time to clear my car's side of the driveway before I had to leave. So I did the bare minimum - I partially dug out my car and took off for work. My husband also had to go to a meeting that morning and left before I got home. By the time I returned, the sun was out and I noticed that before he had left, he had not cleared any of his side of the driveway - he just cleaned off his car and drove over the snow without clearing any more of the driveway. So I got out the shovel again and continued to clear the driveway as well as the sidewalk. That's when I noticed something.<br />
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The parts of the driveway that I had shoveled before I left had a much thinner layer of snow and ice, so when the sun came out everything that I had put a bare minimum into came up and cleared easily. The parts of the driveway that my husband hadn't cleared at all was still pretty thick, and even while working at it every few hours, the snow on that side of the driveway never really was able to be cleared, and ended up icing over and ultimately getting worse.<br />
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That morning, I had originally felt a little guilty about only doing the bare minimum in clearing the driveway and not doing a more thorough job at the time. However, I did what I needed to do at the time and later in the day I was, in a way, rewarded in that the driveway cleared more easily and completely, while the side where no effort was made was almost worse. Even though I didn't put out any huge effort, it still yielded better results than putting in no effort at all.<br />
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I thought about how that can also be applied to your health. Sometimes we want to make changes for ourself and we steer away because we may not see major results right away. Working out or dieting, or any type of life change or healing - if we don't see huge results, we tend to get frustrated and give up, then never want to try anything like it again. I'm guilty of it myself. I've often seen this in my massage practice. I've spoken to people and they tell me about pain they have and I suggest trying a massage, chiropractic work, or even simple lifestyle changes. I very often hear "Oh I tried that once. I still had the pain the next day, so that obviously didn't work so I'll probably won't ever try it again."<br />
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What people don't realize is that one small step is often not the cure, but the first step towards the cure. It can be frustrating to want to fix something so badly and not find that "magic wand" that fixes everything immediately. But instead of putting in any effort, the frustration leads to doing absolutely nothing.<br />
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The bare minimum can be seen as laziness or a cop out, but it can also be seen as a start. It isn't much, but something is better than nothing and may lead to better results down the road. The hard part is getting the guts to do something, anything, to start or take a risk, even if it is only the bare minimum - then trusting that that may have started something, even if the results aren't seen instantly. I never thought the bare minimum of shoveling was much, but after seeing the long term difference between the bare minimum or nothing makes me wonder about how valuable the bare minimum might be. Where could the bare minimum ultimately lead if you do it?Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-31348166646635055312018-01-03T08:00:00.000-05:002018-01-25T10:22:52.394-05:003 Ways to keep "Too Much, Too Soon" from ruining your New Year's Fitness Resolutions<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPSpRIbI0ukW3NlbEB_2fHPoKZlbTAhx_yFHQxO-E5jCHgLZ-S_ZvZrTG2VYe12PgYJ8MmsVWdJHUR0kjMx1quF3r_G3h3YbWg7vLDHM4lKRnEzEHP2OE1kcNl5c7Xc6kZODz/s1600/StockSnap_4ZV39Y06ZJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="3 Ways to keep "Too Much, Too Soon" from ruining your New Year's Fitness Resolutions- A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy, State College PA" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPSpRIbI0ukW3NlbEB_2fHPoKZlbTAhx_yFHQxO-E5jCHgLZ-S_ZvZrTG2VYe12PgYJ8MmsVWdJHUR0kjMx1quF3r_G3h3YbWg7vLDHM4lKRnEzEHP2OE1kcNl5c7Xc6kZODz/s320/StockSnap_4ZV39Y06ZJ.jpg" title="3 Ways to keep "Too Much, Too Soon" from ruining your New Year's Fitness Resolutions- A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy, State College PA" width="320" /></a></div>
One of the most popular New Year's Resolutions is to lose weight and/or increase fitness. More than 45% of people make this resolution every year. The first two weeks of January, gyms are packed, search engines see a 35% jump in "workout" as a search term, and morning talk shows all feature easy ways to get in shape for the new year. Unfortunately, by February, 73-80% of these resolutions have been abandoned. So why? One of the biggest reasons it fails is because people simply push themselves too hard too quickly. The excitement of getting started with a new routine can really get you going, but if you haven't worked out intensely in a while, it is really easy to overdo it and suddenly be incredibly sore or exhausted the next day, which can lead to "Oh, I'll take a day off to recover" which leads to never going back. To avoid running into this, it is important to take care of yourself outside of your new fitness routine. Here are some things to help:<br />
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1. Stretch - Many people know cardio and strength training helps condition their muscles and make them healthier, but many people forget about stretching. It is a common misconception that you only need to stretch if you want to increase your flexibility, but stretching can also help you prevent injuries and soreness. You know how you feel sore and burn-y after lifting something heavy? That is lactic acid - the by-product of muscles working. Stretching helps increase circulation which keeps muscles healthy and also helps flush away lactic acid, keeping you from getting too sore. Stretching also helps your muscles from getting injured. When working out or lifting something heavy, your muscles can get something called micro tears - little tears in your muscle fibers. These micro tears are usually no big deal, and we routinely get them all the time doing everyday things and usually we don't notice them at all. However, when a micro tear happens, it can fill in with scar tissue - again, something we all have and usually doesn't cause any issues. Stretching keeps this scar tissue long and loose rather than tight and bunchy so your new strength training doesn't feel like an injury.<br />
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2. Massage - Massage also helps with increasing circulation, flushing lactic acid, breaking up scar tissue, alleviating soreness, and many other things that can minimize the achy side effects of your new fitness routine that might make you tempted to quit. In addition, it can also help your mental state. Reducing stress through getting a massage helps flush away the stress hormones of cortisol and adrenaline which sometimes can contribute to bloat around the midsection. Massage also gives you a chance to help your mental calm and clarity which can go a long way towards making your workouts more effective and seeing results faster.<br />
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3. Avoid unrealistic expectations - It is very tempting to go hard into your new workout and eat nothing but smoothies and salad for two weeks, then put on your "skinny jeans" only to still have them not fit, so you get frustrated and give up. Often, it can take as much time to undo something in your body as it takes to do something to your body. So if you have been gaining weight for 5 years, it will be rare to lose that whole 5 years of weight in two weeks - or if you do, you might have other health issues. Keep your workouts simple, healthy and consistent, stick with it, and celebrate small victories rather than getting frustrated if you don't achieve the big ones right away.<br />
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Overall fitness resolutions are a case of 'slow and steady wins the race'. The temptation to push yourself to do too much too soon will almost always result in frustration and pain which leads you to be more likely to give up. If you want to push yourself hard, don't forget to take care of yourself outside of your fitness routine as well.<br />
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<br />Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-85036832222088715422012-02-01T13:20:00.004-05:002012-02-01T13:54:36.623-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Detective vs. Mind Reader</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">I haven't posted for quite a while, but sometimes it takes taking a step away from something to help you to realize what you actually want to do with it. So I guess from now on the blog will be kind of a fusion of musings, possibly some rants, and any interesting information I've picked up along the way. Bit of a mish-mosh, which kind of describes my life right now, so what better place to let the mish-mosh flow.<br /><br />When I was young, I read a lot. I mean A LOT - I was that kid who always had her nose in a book, whether it was on my own, or on the playground at recess. One of the things I liked to read at the time was a silly little series of books called "Solve the Crime" where a kind of police report of a crime (nothing too gruesome - it was a young reader's series) was presented, and the reader had to figure out the guilty party, who was lying, etc and how to prove it. I was surprisingly good at solving the mystery, and even speculated at one point about becoming a detective.<br /><br />Fast forward many many years and several careers later, and Detective never made it onto my resume, but Massage Therapist did. I have discovered that in several ways, Massage Therapy is a little bit like detective work. A Client comes to me and tells me something pretty basic - "It hurts here". From there it is up to me to first ask questions: "How long has it been hurting, did you do anything that you can recall started the pain, does anything in particular aggravate the pain, etc". Next, I find the source of the problem, and implement my knowledge and training to try to repair or resolve the problem, then educate the client on what should happen next whether it is more massage, exercise, or whatever. It's no CSI, but all the same steps are there. So in a way, I guess I get to be a detective after all.<br /><br />Now, just because I'm not a bad detective (if I do say so myself), that doesn't mean that I am a mind reader. I find this is a big area of client-therapist communication breakdown, especially if the client is either brand new to the therapist or if the client has been seeing the therapist for a long time. New clients can often not know exactly how much to tell the therapist, and established clients can often fall into "oh, she knows this already". Well, like I said, I can use detective skills to find a problem, but if something else is there that a client didn't divulge, I may not be able to find it right away. I can't tell you how many times I've been almost completely finished with a massage and the client will speak up with "Oh, the other day I ... and I think I tweaked ..., so could you work on that?" With 2 minutes left in the session, it is kind of difficult to start working on a new 'project', and it can cause the client to not get their issue fully addressed and the therapist to stress out, trying furiously to get them some sort of relief.<br /><br />So I guess the moral of the story is, there is no such thing as giving your therapist too much information, but trust them and let them do their job. Give them what they need to find and solve the case, but don't withhold evidence that can keep them from doing their job. Now should I consider adding PI to my title? Nah, too many letters. </span>Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-26470116709494115642009-12-10T01:17:00.002-05:002009-12-10T01:20:05.345-05:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, 'san serif'; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; "><div class="articleHeadline" style="padding-top: 3px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>This shows that keeping yourself stress-free has more benefits than just relaxation.</i></span></span></div><div class="articleHeadline" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14pt; padding-top: 3px; "><br /></div><div class="articleHeadline" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14pt; padding-top: 3px; ">Stress and Pain Age the Body and Brain</div><br /><div class="articleByLine" style="font-style: italic; ">By Lara Evans Bracciante</div><br /><div class="articleDateLine" style="font-style: italic; "></div><div class="articleBody"><i class="ce_italic">Originally published in <a target="_new" href="http://www.massageandbodywork.com/" class="ce_link" style="text-decoration: underline; ">Massage & Bodywork </a>magazine, June/July 2005.<br />Copyright 2005. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.</i><br /><br />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 <i class="ce_italic">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</i>. While researchers and healthcare practitioners have long thought as much, this study reveals exactly how stress takes its biological toll on the body. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.</div></span>Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-51079243639932065382009-11-03T23:25:00.001-05:002009-11-03T23:28:31.058-05:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, 'san serif'; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; "><div class="articleHeadline" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14pt; padding-top: 3px; ">Holiday Stress</div><div class="articleSubHead" style="font-weight: bold; ">Tips to Stay On Top</div><br /><div class="articleByLine" style="font-style: italic; ">Written By Editorial Staff of Massage & Bodywork Magazine</div><br /><div class="articleDateLine" style="font-style: italic; "></div><div class="articleBody"><b style="font-weight: bold; font-size: xx-small; "><i>Originally published in <a target="_new" href="http://www.massageandbodywork.com/" class="ce_link" style="text-decoration: underline; ">Massage & Bodywork</a> magazine, October/November 2000.<br />Copyright since 2000. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.</i></b><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><b class="ce_bold" style="font-weight: bold; ">1.Take time for yourself.</b> 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."<br /><br /><b class="ce_bold" style="font-weight: bold; ">2. Utilize catalog/online shopping.</b> 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.<br /><br /><b class="ce_bold" style="font-weight: bold; ">3. Eat right.</b> 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.<br /><br /><b class="ce_bold" style="font-weight: bold; ">4. Give yourself the advantage.</b> 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.<br /><br /><b class="ce_bold" style="font-weight: bold; ">5. Don't skimp on the exercise</b>...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.<br /><br /><b class="ce_bold" style="font-weight: bold; ">6. Don't try to be Martha Stewart.</b> 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.<br /><br /><b class="ce_bold" style="font-weight: bold; ">7. Remember the spirit.</b> 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.</div></span>Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-70888583456775816282009-10-14T23:19:00.002-05:002009-10-14T23:43:07.530-05:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px; font-family:Verdana, Helvetica, 'san serif';font-size:11px;"><div class="articleHeadline" style="padding-top: 3px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Breathe....You'll feel better</span></b></span></div><div class="articleHeadline" style="padding-top: 3px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="articleHeadline" style="padding-top: 3px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">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.</span></span></div><div class="articleHeadline" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; padding-top: 3px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">************************************</span></div><div class="articleHeadline" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14pt; padding-top: 3px; "><br /></div><div class="articleHeadline" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14pt; padding-top: 3px; ">Breathing for Life</div><div class="articleSubHead" style="font-weight: bold; ">Are We Suffocating Ourselves?</div><br /><div class="articleByLine" style="font-style: italic; ">By Sonia Osorio</div><br /><div class="articleDateLine" style="font-style: italic; ">Originally published in <a target="_new" href="http://www.bodysensemagazine.com/" class="ce_link" style="text-decoration: underline; ">Body Sense </a>magazine, Fall 2002.</div><div class="articleBody"><i class="ce_italic">Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.</i><br /><br /><b class="ce_bold" style="font-weight: bold; "><div class="ce_callout" align="left" border="1" width="200" style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dashed; border-right-style: dashed; border-bottom-style: dashed; border-left-style: dashed; border-top-color: white; border-right-color: white; border-bottom-color: white; border-left-color: white; background-color: rgb(186, 114, 42); font-size: 11px; width: 300px; padding-top: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; margin-top: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 4px; color: white; float: right; ">Massage restores proper breathing, a key element to physical and emotional vitality.</div></b>I didn't breathe during most of my 20s -- or at least I didn't breathe fully.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />"Every breath is a sacrament, an essential ritual," says environmentalist David Suzuki in his book <i class="ce_italic">The Sacred Balance</i>. "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."<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><br /><span class="ce_sectionhead" style="font-weight: bold; font-size:10pt;">Old Mechanisms, Modern World</span><br />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.<br /><br />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?<br /><br /><br /><span class="ce_sectionhead" style="font-weight: bold; font-size:10pt;">Don't Hold Your Breath</span><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><br /><span class="ce_sectionhead" style="font-weight: bold; font-size:10pt;">Replenishing Ourselves</span><br />"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."<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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 <i class="ce_italic">Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology </i>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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><br /><span class="ce_sectionhead" style="font-weight: bold; font-size:10pt;">Be Here Now</span><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />It's a bridge many of us would benefit from crossing, a place of great perspective and of life-giving breath.<br /><br /><br /><i class="ce_italic">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.</i><br /></div></span>Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-77044084565443807822009-10-05T16:11:00.003-05:002009-10-05T16:33:19.663-05:00<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Leg Cramps: From annoying to debilitating, and more common than one may think</span></span></b><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">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. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">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. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">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. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-22352-Phoenix-Massage-Therapy-Examiner~y2009m9d24-Leg-cramps-Cures-and-treatments-include-massage-magnesium-water-calcium-potassium-and-more"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">This article has been buzzing around the massage community, and I think it speaks very well about leg cramps and what you can do on your own to help prevent and treat them. </span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Enjoy, and stay hydrated!</span></span></div><div><br /></div>Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30873383.post-75152587262100464142009-09-23T00:18:00.002-05:002009-09-23T00:32:34.261-05:00<span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><strong>Aromatherapy and Massage<br />A Partnership Born of the Senses<br /></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><strong>Written by: Karrie Osborn</strong></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">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. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">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. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>A Natural Complement</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">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.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">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. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">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. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">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." </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">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." </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">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." </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">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.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">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. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>A Scent Journey</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">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."</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">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.</span><br /><br /><strong><em>Examples of Essential oils and their benefits:</em></strong><br /><br /><u>Balancing oils</u><br />Bay Laurel * Cedarwood * Geranium * Myrrh<br /><br /><u>Clarifying oils</u><br />Cypress * Juniper * Lemon * Peppermint<br /><br /><u>Comforting oils</u><br />Bergamot * Frankincense * Melissa * Rose<br /><br /><u>Energizing oils</u><br />Eucalyptus * Grapefruit * Lemongrass * Rosemary<br /><br /><u>Focusing oils</u><br />Angelica * Basil * Jasmine * Samboc * Lime<br /><br /><u>Sedating oils</u><br />Chamomile * Clary Sage * Marjoram * Patchouli<br /><br /><u>Uplifting oils</u><br />Lavender * Orange/Mandarin * Pine * Tea Tree<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Karrie Osborn is contributing editor to </span></em><a href="http://www.bodysensemagazine.com/" target="_new"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Body Sense</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:85%;">.</span></em><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Originally published in </span></em><a href="http://www.bodysensemagazine.com/" target="_new"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Body Sense </span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:85%;">magazine, Spring/Summer 2005.Copyright 2005. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.</span></em>Karen Stoner, LMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328626044465905203noreply@blogger.com0