The Benefits of Massage

The Fuzz

2009-07-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

This video was made aware to me by a client. She thought I would find it interesting. Boy, did I ever! Dr. Hedley makes a wonderful case for proper hydration, stretching, doing yoga and of course getting massage. Stop 'The Fuzz' from taking over your body! Warning: this video is not for the squeamish. Check out Dr. Hedley's site: www.gilhedley.com

Postural Analysis

2009-06-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Remember your mom telling you to stand up straight and quit slouching? Mom was right. We now live in a society where a large portion of the population sits in front of a computer monitor, spends too much time behind the wheel of a car or carries around an old injury that was never correctly rehabbed, e.g. an old football injury or skiing accident. Bad posture can also be genetic.

Life long habits of improper posture create 'postural distortions' and in the long run can cause debilitating and agonizing pain. Eventually, over time, everyone develops an issue, no matter how major or minor. When this occurs, the body compensates by developing the muscles to counteract the distortion. This could happen to a woman just from carrying around a growing baby for years in the same arm. My advice: alternate arms whenever possible.

Look in the mirror. Does one shoulder sit higher than the other? Take note of your pelvis. Is it rotated to the right or left or tilted at an angle? An obvious effect of this can be one leg being longer than the other. When you observe your self from the side, are your shoulders rounded? Do your ears sit over your shoulders or are they forward of them?

Injured and overworked muscles in the legs can actually tighten and pull the pelvis out of alignment, wreaking all kinds of havoc on typical areas such as the back, knees and feet.

At the very least, massage can help most people find relief from the effects of theses conditions. But in conjunction with consistent work, proper adjustments by a professional chiropractor or physical therapist, exercise and stretching (like yoga) a lot of theses conditions can be reversed.

Water, Important for Health

2009-06-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

Image by Hypergurl via Flickr

H2O, Aqua, Wasser. Whatever term or language you use, water is one of the most important elements for life on our planet. Without it, it would look like Mars. Water is underestimated by the general population for it's importance in maintaining health. The average body is somewhere around 60-70% water. We need it for our blood, digestion and waste removal.

The general population is under hydrated. Most folks think that by consuming coffee or soda that they are doing their part in maintaining proper hydration. (buzzer sound) AAAIIINNT!!! These products actually rob the body of water. They are diuretics, which remove water from our system. Of course, alcohol falls under this category as well. Nothing can replace pure, clean, crisp, cool water for keeping our skin looking smooth and flush, our hair soft and shiny, our breath fresh, our eyes clear and our trips to the bathroom regular. So, you might be asking, what does this have to do with massage?

When a human being spends a lifetime of being dehydrated, the body starts to run ineffieciently. There could be a lot of common diseases that result from this but let us stick with an obvious one: PAIN. When muscles aren't properly hydrated, the tissue surrounded them can become sticky, like glue. Underneath, our skin can actually adhere to our muscles, reducing our flexability and ultimately causing severe discomfort. Muscles can also bond together! Our joints will no longer stay properly lubricated. The muscles and skin around them can 'tighten up', diminishing their mobility. Along with proper hydration, a good massage therapist can go in and help loosen these areas up, bringing fluid back to where it belongs. Massage can actually help reverse the process brought upon the body by years of improper hydration.

So even if you haven't booked an appointment with me yet, start drinking your water. A good recommendation is 1 ounce for every pound of body weight, divided by 2. So if you weigh 200 lbs, you need 100 ounces of water a day to stay properly hydrated. If you drink a lot of alcohol, coffee and soda, double it. I'm not kidding!

Massage: So Much More Than Just Relaxation!

2009-06-12T16:14:00.000-07:00

Let us explore just a few of the many things proper massage techniques can offer:

1. Boosting the immune system by increasing the production of infection fighting white blood cells. With massage comes an increase in blood flow which accelerates the production of the all important white blood cells.

2. Massage accelerates healing up to 30% by increasing the activity of red blood cells. Again, with the increase in blood flow comes an increase in the productivity of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body and likewise in return remove waste. Massage also promotes circulation throughout the lymphatic system, which also filters out waste.

3. Massage helps break down painful scar tissue. Scar tissue, being more dense than normal tissue can limit blood flow, mobility and aggravate nerve endings causing pain. Vitamin E and certain creams (on the skin) can help keep scar tissue stay more supple. But proper massage techniques can actually help breakdown scar tissue over time and help achieve a more manageable effect on the body.

4. Massage can increase your body's flexibility and mobility. That is, massage can stimulate an increase in the production of synovial fluid which lubricates the joints. For mobility, tight muscles can limit the range of motion in common areas such as the jaw, neck, shoulders, hips, back, arms, legs, hands and feet. These areas can all benefit with consistent work by a qualified therapist. By working deep into tight, overworked muscles, massage can loosen up a stiff neck or nagging back (and many other day to day 'pains'), affecting a change in the quality of life for the individual.

5. Massage creates endorphins. Endorphins can create an opiate type of effect on the mind which is typically produced during exercise and can be commonly known as a 'runners high'. Other occurrences can stimulate their production as well, such as pain and excitement. But massage can also do this for the body with a positive side effect of pain relief and overall sense of well being. In other words, massage can just make you 'feel good' while at the same time relieving your pain!