Almost everyone is familiar with the phrase detoxification—or detoxing—but many don’t really understand how vital this process is to your health. Here are some basic points you should know:
To simplify, detoxification is the process of your body cleaning out any substances that aren’t needed or shouldn’t be in your body. And in today’s world, the incidence of exposure to unneeded or unwanted substances is substantial. Air and water pollution; pervasive chemical use; insecticides, pesticides, and antibiotics in our food; excessive use of sugar, caffeine, alcohol, various drugs and medicines—there is little doubt that we are all exposed to many things that are to some degree toxic to our bodies.
So what takes place within your body that makes this such an important health issue? Physically, you maintain a healthy condition when your system gets adequate exercise, fresh water and nourishment. When unnecessary substances “invade” the body, they must be collected and removed. If the volume of toxins is too high (more than your body can handle), these substances will be stored in your body. This opens the door to illness and degenerative diseases.
Signs of toxicity include headaches, constipation, bloating, fatigue, and skin conditions (rashes, etc.), to name a few.
To cleanse your body of toxins and wastes requires more than regular bathroom visits—your body relies on the liver, kidneys, skin, lymphatic and circulation systems working in harmony to keep your system clean and functioning properly. For instance, your skin disposes of many toxins through perspiration, and your liver removes wastes from the blood. If your digestive system is sluggish, the waste putrefies and creates toxins that can be recirculated within your body.
One of massage’s greatest benefits is its contribution to the detoxification process. While massage is improving your circulation, increasing your flow of lymph, and encouraging all your various systems into more efficient operation, it is helping your body toward more effective elimination of toxins and waste.
In her book Purify Your Body, Nina L. Diamond has this to say about massage: “Research has shown that bodywork treatments strengthen your body’s immune system, enabling you to resist and combat disease... By directly stimulating your body’s systems, all forms of massage and bodywork are valuable tools for literally helping your body clear its toxins and toxic accumulation of your body’s natural substances.”
So while you’re enjoying your next massage session, you can appreciate this added health benefit!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Use of Reflexology as Treatment for Fibromyalgia
Reflexology
Reflexology is both a science and an art. As a science, reflexology requires careful study, faithful practice, a solid knowledge of the techniques, and skill. As the art, reflexology yields the best results when the reflexologist works with dedication, perseverance, patience, focused intention, along with loving care.
As a therapy, Reflexology is a therapeutic technique where pressure applied to specific reflex points that are found on the feet and/or hands that relate to other areas and organs found throughout the body. A trained reflexologists will determine which spots to work to provide the patient with the targeted therapy as determined by the symptoms and type of pain that the patient is currently experiencing.
History
Ancient Egypt is thought to be the root of Reflexology, where pictograms have been found show men having work done on both their hands and feet. The practice of Reflexology has also been found to be used in the Roman Empire, China, India and even the Incans of South America, who are believed to have passed the practice onto the people who were the North American First Nations. During the 1930's, Eunice Ingham, rediscovered that the placement of pressure points on the plantar aspic mirrors the placement of the organs within the body. Ingham went on to publish "Stories the Feet Can Tell" which forms the basic of modern reflexology, in 1938.
Is Reflexology the Same as Massage?
Reflexology is not the same as standard massage therapy. Where massage therapy concentrates on relieving pain and tension found in muscles, reflexology works to promote healing in the different areas of the body, which cannot be touched from outside by manipulating pressure points. Reflexology is a technique which is similar to acupuncture and acupressure.
Reflexology as a practice, is based on the theory that energy blockages along the meridian pathways of the body may disrupt the flow of blood and lymph necessary to healthy functioning of organs and tissues. There are some theories concerning fibromyalgia that suggest that energy blockage plays a part in the development of the fibromyalgia syndrome. During a session, when a tender point or tension is found on specific areas of the feet, this may indicate a blockage of energy in that corresponding organ or tissue. The manipulation of the tender point through reflexology pressure can relieve this blockage, stimulate the body's self healing and provide some easing of pain.
Fibromyalgia a form of Non-inflammatory Arthritis
As a form of non-inflammatory arthritis, Fibromyalgia Syndrome affects the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the body. It can be quite debilitating because of the intense pain that it causes throughout the body. Along with pain as a symptom being associated with the illness fatigue, sleep disorders, depression, myofascial pain, mental clarity, tender point pain and irritable bowel syndrome, there can be a great impact on the patient's ability to work.
Research has shown how Reflexology can help Fibromyalgia Sufferers
In a study conducted on a group of 10 fibromyalgia sufferers who received reflexology treatments twice weekly for five weeks, researchers noted definite improvement found in the symptoms of all ten of the patients in the group, with no side-effects.
Fibromyalgia Syndrome patients who have undergone regular reflexology treatments reported improvements in the following :
People who suffer with fibromyalgia often experience profound and widespread pain that most commonly involues the hands, shoulders and neck, lower back and pelvis areas. This amplified pain experienced in fibromyalgia is believed to be due to an abnormal sensory processing in the body's central nervous system. Patients diagnosed with the chronic pain syndrome known as fibromyalgia report a reduction in symptoms after undergoing a series of sessions under the care of a trained reflexologist.
How Can Reflexology Help Fibromyalgia?
The Reflexologist will examine the foot looking for 'stress cues" which will help determine which area of the body may be experiencing distress. When the pressure is applied with the thumb and finger techniques to specific areas of the feet, this will help stimulate the body's natural healing response in the corresponding areas of the body. For those suffering the pervasive pain of fibromyalgia, reflexology can offer some relief of the distressing symptoms without danger of the side effects which are often associated with pharmaceutical medication.
What are some of the Benefits of Reflexology?
Adding Reflexology to your Healthcare
Locating a trained reflexologist is not hard. The Reflexology Association of America (RAA) on their website has a current listing of Reflexologist listed by state. Those who have coverage for complimentary therapy on their healthcare plan, may find that for fibromyalgia reflexology is covered.
Reflexology can also be done as part of a full body massage session, or a stand alone treatment. At the patient first visit with the reflexologist, the patient will talk about what specific things the patient is looking at reflexology as a treatment for and what symptoms the patient may be currently experiencing. Treatments are usually any where from an hour to an hour an a half. It is best if the patient tries to schedule the sessions for a time when they don't have to be rushed.
Additional Information can be found:
If I've helped by answering some of those unasked questions and want to learn more contact me either my email or book an appointment for a Reflexology session through www.schedulicity.com at 'Massage with Style' .
Reflexology is both a science and an art. As a science, reflexology requires careful study, faithful practice, a solid knowledge of the techniques, and skill. As the art, reflexology yields the best results when the reflexologist works with dedication, perseverance, patience, focused intention, along with loving care.
As a therapy, Reflexology is a therapeutic technique where pressure applied to specific reflex points that are found on the feet and/or hands that relate to other areas and organs found throughout the body. A trained reflexologists will determine which spots to work to provide the patient with the targeted therapy as determined by the symptoms and type of pain that the patient is currently experiencing.
History
Ancient Egypt is thought to be the root of Reflexology, where pictograms have been found show men having work done on both their hands and feet. The practice of Reflexology has also been found to be used in the Roman Empire, China, India and even the Incans of South America, who are believed to have passed the practice onto the people who were the North American First Nations. During the 1930's, Eunice Ingham, rediscovered that the placement of pressure points on the plantar aspic mirrors the placement of the organs within the body. Ingham went on to publish "Stories the Feet Can Tell" which forms the basic of modern reflexology, in 1938.
Is Reflexology the Same as Massage?
Reflexology is not the same as standard massage therapy. Where massage therapy concentrates on relieving pain and tension found in muscles, reflexology works to promote healing in the different areas of the body, which cannot be touched from outside by manipulating pressure points. Reflexology is a technique which is similar to acupuncture and acupressure.
Reflexology as a practice, is based on the theory that energy blockages along the meridian pathways of the body may disrupt the flow of blood and lymph necessary to healthy functioning of organs and tissues. There are some theories concerning fibromyalgia that suggest that energy blockage plays a part in the development of the fibromyalgia syndrome. During a session, when a tender point or tension is found on specific areas of the feet, this may indicate a blockage of energy in that corresponding organ or tissue. The manipulation of the tender point through reflexology pressure can relieve this blockage, stimulate the body's self healing and provide some easing of pain.
Fibromyalgia a form of Non-inflammatory Arthritis
As a form of non-inflammatory arthritis, Fibromyalgia Syndrome affects the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the body. It can be quite debilitating because of the intense pain that it causes throughout the body. Along with pain as a symptom being associated with the illness fatigue, sleep disorders, depression, myofascial pain, mental clarity, tender point pain and irritable bowel syndrome, there can be a great impact on the patient's ability to work.
Research has shown how Reflexology can help Fibromyalgia Sufferers
In a study conducted on a group of 10 fibromyalgia sufferers who received reflexology treatments twice weekly for five weeks, researchers noted definite improvement found in the symptoms of all ten of the patients in the group, with no side-effects.
Fibromyalgia Syndrome patients who have undergone regular reflexology treatments reported improvements in the following :
- Mental clarity - sometimes referred to as Fibrofog. Refers to a variety of cognitive impairments which are often experienced with the disorder. Can be one of the most stressful and upsetting symptoms found with fibromyalgia.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) - condition which affects the large intestine, characterized by an extreme sensitivity to muscle contractions in the large intestine, causing at time symptoms including diarrhea or constipation. As with fibromyalgia, IBS is classified as a functional disorder due to the fact that there is no clear structural or chemical cause for the condition.
- Fatigue - While not all patients with fibromyalgia suffer from fatigue, some are able to adjust to the reduced energy levels, where others find that the chronic fatigue really impacts their daily life in a negative way. The most disturbing fact is that this fatigue never seems to get any better, even with extended periods or rest and sleep.
- Sleep Disorders - It is thought that about 80% of all people with fibromyalgia experience some type of sleep disorder. Alpha EEG Anomaly, Sleep Apnea, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD), Bruxism / Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ/TMD) 75% of patients with fibromyalgia also have TMJ/TMD.
- Depression - Having fibromyalgia can be a very painful and frustrating illness to deal with, from having symptoms like chronic headaches, sleep disorders, muscles aches and pains, to dealing with lack of understanding from the medical community, many patients feel isolated and alone. As a result, many with fibromyalgia experience chronic depression alongside the illness.
- Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) - Another form of chronic pain that can affect the entire body, particularly the face and jaw. Can add to the already annoying symptoms of fibromyalgia, and can also contribute to disability and a poor quality of life, if not diagnosed properly. MPS is a pain diorder that affects the muscles and fascia throughout the body.
People who suffer with fibromyalgia often experience profound and widespread pain that most commonly involues the hands, shoulders and neck, lower back and pelvis areas. This amplified pain experienced in fibromyalgia is believed to be due to an abnormal sensory processing in the body's central nervous system. Patients diagnosed with the chronic pain syndrome known as fibromyalgia report a reduction in symptoms after undergoing a series of sessions under the care of a trained reflexologist.
How Can Reflexology Help Fibromyalgia?
The Reflexologist will examine the foot looking for 'stress cues" which will help determine which area of the body may be experiencing distress. When the pressure is applied with the thumb and finger techniques to specific areas of the feet, this will help stimulate the body's natural healing response in the corresponding areas of the body. For those suffering the pervasive pain of fibromyalgia, reflexology can offer some relief of the distressing symptoms without danger of the side effects which are often associated with pharmaceutical medication.
What are some of the Benefits of Reflexology?
- Improved Circulation and energy flow
- Relief from common aches and pain
- Release and elimination of toxins from tissues
- Promotion of healthy functioning of the body's organs
- An Improved Immune System
- Alleviate tension and stress
- Balance energy and the promotion of Homeostasis
Adding Reflexology to your Healthcare
Locating a trained reflexologist is not hard. The Reflexology Association of America (RAA) on their website has a current listing of Reflexologist listed by state. Those who have coverage for complimentary therapy on their healthcare plan, may find that for fibromyalgia reflexology is covered.
Reflexology can also be done as part of a full body massage session, or a stand alone treatment. At the patient first visit with the reflexologist, the patient will talk about what specific things the patient is looking at reflexology as a treatment for and what symptoms the patient may be currently experiencing. Treatments are usually any where from an hour to an hour an a half. It is best if the patient tries to schedule the sessions for a time when they don't have to be rushed.
Additional Information can be found:
- http://www.reflexology-research.com/reflexresearch.html
- http://www.altmd.com/Articles/Reflexology-for-Fibromyalgia
- http://www.reflexologywebworks.com/fibromyalgia_and_the_benefits_of_reflexology.html
If I've helped by answering some of those unasked questions and want to learn more contact me either my email or book an appointment for a Reflexology session through www.schedulicity.com at 'Massage with Style' .
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Have a Healthy, Happy Holiday Season!
Just a reminder to take steps to stay healthy during the often-hectic holiday season. With the added stress of more to do and the many tempting, tasty treats just calling you to overindulge, it’s all too easy to push yourself too far and suffer the consequences.
• Know your limits. Whether it’s at work, a party or visiting friends, decide now to limit your intake of holiday treats and to eat as sensibly as possible. In the long run, you’ll be glad you did.
• Only do what you can manage. If you try to attend every event and please everyone you know, you could stretch yourself too thin and wind up ill or too stressed to enjoy the activities.
• Make time for massage! De-stress, stay relaxed, and help keep your body functioning smoothly. Take those vital few minutes just for you—put the rest of the world on hold for a couple of hours while you take care of yourself. When you make the commitment, you and your life will be better for it!
• Know your limits. Whether it’s at work, a party or visiting friends, decide now to limit your intake of holiday treats and to eat as sensibly as possible. In the long run, you’ll be glad you did.
• Only do what you can manage. If you try to attend every event and please everyone you know, you could stretch yourself too thin and wind up ill or too stressed to enjoy the activities.
• Make time for massage! De-stress, stay relaxed, and help keep your body functioning smoothly. Take those vital few minutes just for you—put the rest of the world on hold for a couple of hours while you take care of yourself. When you make the commitment, you and your life will be better for it!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Massage--For Body & Soul
Nothing beats feeling your best. When everything is running smoothly and your energy is high, you’re ready to enjoy all the good things in life.
The downside to feeling good is it’s easy to take your good health for granted. When nothing is bothering you, it’s easier to ignore doing the things that keep you healthy. A common comparison made in the health field is taking care of your car—and for good reason. Many people are more aware of the need to maintain a regular schedule for tune-ups and oil changes than they are for their own bodies. Obviously, there’s no comparison between the importance of your health and well-being and that of your car. We expect to “trade up” and replace several vehicles during our driving years—but your body is by far the most important “vehicle” you have!
It may be that we associate the need for personal healthcare with illness rather than with the prevention of poor health—or that the auto industry has trained us to follow specific maintenance schedules. After all, a car is a fairly simple mechanical device compared to the human body.
Your maintenance plan for your body includes several parts that are best addressed daily, such as which fuel you put in your tank, how much wear and tear you subject yourself to, and all the other choices you make that affect the way you feel tomorrow and in the future.
If you think of your massage sessions as your body’s periodic tune-ups, you may ask how they can help you to keep cruising down the highway of life.
The underlying reason that makes regular massage so important to your overall health is this: Your body is constantly changing, and massage contributes to the positive aspects of these many changes. In other words, a major factor in maintaining good health is ensuring all of the communication systems of the body are operating properly and everything is kept moving. It’s very hard to imagine the millions of processes that are taking place every day within your body. Each of these minute actions contributes to the quality of your health and well-being. Since each system depends on the others, helping your body to keep things flowing properly greatly benefits your overall condition.
Anyone who’s received several massages is probably most aware of the reduction in tension and muscle stiffness. While massage is working out those noticeable kinks, it’s also contributing to more subtle areas of concern, like promoting detoxification and encouraging your body’s regenerative and cleansing capabilities, as well as boosting your immune function. These benefits are the ones you notice in increased energy, an enhanced sense of well-being, etc.
So, make the most of your most-prized vehicle (your body) by keeping it in tune with your regular massage sessions!
The downside to feeling good is it’s easy to take your good health for granted. When nothing is bothering you, it’s easier to ignore doing the things that keep you healthy. A common comparison made in the health field is taking care of your car—and for good reason. Many people are more aware of the need to maintain a regular schedule for tune-ups and oil changes than they are for their own bodies. Obviously, there’s no comparison between the importance of your health and well-being and that of your car. We expect to “trade up” and replace several vehicles during our driving years—but your body is by far the most important “vehicle” you have!
It may be that we associate the need for personal healthcare with illness rather than with the prevention of poor health—or that the auto industry has trained us to follow specific maintenance schedules. After all, a car is a fairly simple mechanical device compared to the human body.
Your maintenance plan for your body includes several parts that are best addressed daily, such as which fuel you put in your tank, how much wear and tear you subject yourself to, and all the other choices you make that affect the way you feel tomorrow and in the future.
If you think of your massage sessions as your body’s periodic tune-ups, you may ask how they can help you to keep cruising down the highway of life.
The underlying reason that makes regular massage so important to your overall health is this: Your body is constantly changing, and massage contributes to the positive aspects of these many changes. In other words, a major factor in maintaining good health is ensuring all of the communication systems of the body are operating properly and everything is kept moving. It’s very hard to imagine the millions of processes that are taking place every day within your body. Each of these minute actions contributes to the quality of your health and well-being. Since each system depends on the others, helping your body to keep things flowing properly greatly benefits your overall condition.
Anyone who’s received several massages is probably most aware of the reduction in tension and muscle stiffness. While massage is working out those noticeable kinks, it’s also contributing to more subtle areas of concern, like promoting detoxification and encouraging your body’s regenerative and cleansing capabilities, as well as boosting your immune function. These benefits are the ones you notice in increased energy, an enhanced sense of well-being, etc.
So, make the most of your most-prized vehicle (your body) by keeping it in tune with your regular massage sessions!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Christmas @ Massage with Style!
Gift Certificates
Purchase one Gift Certificate and get the second at 50% off regular price. Good only on Hour or greater sessions.
Purchase one Gift Certificate and get the second at 50% off regular price. Good only on Hour or greater sessions.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Winter Hydration
Even with the weather getting cooler, water needs to continue to be an important part of the daily practice. During the winter months it is very easy to become dehydrated.
If you’re not careful, it’s very easy to become dehydrated in the winter particularly if you’re engaged in sports like snowshoeing, backcountry skiing or mountaineering. Under these conditions, it’s not enough to be on the lookout for yellow pee; you need to hydrate before exertion and regularly during all outdoor activities.
Dehydration is accelerated in cold weather or at higher altitudes because the air we breath is drier. Normally, people lose between one to two quarts of water a day via evaporation from the lungs. When we breathe, our bodies humidify dry air and heat it up to our body’s temperature, which is why your exhalations look like fog in cold weather.
In cold weather, your body has to work harder to humidify the air you breathe and to warm it up, meaning that you need to drink more water and eat more if you are outdoors. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least 4 quarts a day, but many people will drink twice that under high exertion levels or over 10,000 feet of altitude.
It’s easy to skip hydration breaks during winter activities because you are less likely to feel thirsty. But the consequences are much higher, as dehydration can accelerate hypothermia, frostbite or fatigue.Therefore, you need to pace yourself accordingly and drink and eat at frequent intervals to keep up with the demands of your body. Make it a practice to always carry a watch with you outdoors, and make a habit to drink and eat at regular intervals.
The body's initial signs and symptoms of dehydration are:
* Thirst
* Decreased urine output. The urine will become concentrated and more yellow in color.
* Fatigue
* Headache
* Dry nasal passages
* Dry, cracked lips dry mouth the eyes stop making tears sweating may stop muscle cramps nausea and vomiting lightheadedness (especially when standing). weakness will occur as the brain and other body organs receive less blood.
* Coma and organ failure will occur if the dehydration remains untreated.
* Irritability & confusion in the elderly should also be heeded immediately.
Here are some easy remedies and ways to prevent dehydration:
1. As is often the case in medicine, prevention is the important first step in the treatment of dehydration.
2. Fluid replacement is the treatment for dehydration. This can include: water, juice, soups and clear broths, Popsicles, Jell-O, ice cream, milk, puddings, decaffeinated beverages, Kool-Aid, nutritional drink supplements (Ensure, Boost, Sustacal, Resource and instant breakfast drinks), and replacement fluids that may contain electrolytes (Pedialyte, Gatorade, Powerade, etc.)
3. Reduce or eliminate dehydrating beverages such as coffee, tea and soft drinks (unless decaffeinated). But even decaffeinated drinks can contribute to dehydration. Beware of alcohol intake too. Alcoholic beverages increase risk of dehydration because the body requires additional water to metabolize alcohol and it also acts as a diuretic.
4. If you drink the unhealthy beverages, you need to add even more water to you daily total. The dehydration caused by those drinks must be compensated for by increasing the water.
5. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Most have a high water content.
6. Drink water all day long in small amounts. It is not good to suddenly gulp down 64 ounces of water. You can fill a 24-32 ounce tumbler in the morning, refill it by late morning and refill again for the afternoon. Consume that by 5 PM. Most people need to start limiting fluids 1-3 hours before bedtime.
7. Individuals with vomiting and diarrhea can try to alter their diet and use medications to control symptoms to minimize water loss. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be used to control fever.
8. If an individual becomes confused or lethargic; if there is persistent, uncontrolled fever, vomiting, or diarrhea; or if there are any other specific concerns, then medical care should be accessed. Call 911 for any patient with altered mental status - confusion, lethargy, or coma.
Remember that the lack of a sense of thirst is not a reliable indicator of the need for water. You need water long before you feel thirsty.
If you’re not careful, it’s very easy to become dehydrated in the winter particularly if you’re engaged in sports like snowshoeing, backcountry skiing or mountaineering. Under these conditions, it’s not enough to be on the lookout for yellow pee; you need to hydrate before exertion and regularly during all outdoor activities.
Dehydration is accelerated in cold weather or at higher altitudes because the air we breath is drier. Normally, people lose between one to two quarts of water a day via evaporation from the lungs. When we breathe, our bodies humidify dry air and heat it up to our body’s temperature, which is why your exhalations look like fog in cold weather.
In cold weather, your body has to work harder to humidify the air you breathe and to warm it up, meaning that you need to drink more water and eat more if you are outdoors. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least 4 quarts a day, but many people will drink twice that under high exertion levels or over 10,000 feet of altitude.
It’s easy to skip hydration breaks during winter activities because you are less likely to feel thirsty. But the consequences are much higher, as dehydration can accelerate hypothermia, frostbite or fatigue.Therefore, you need to pace yourself accordingly and drink and eat at frequent intervals to keep up with the demands of your body. Make it a practice to always carry a watch with you outdoors, and make a habit to drink and eat at regular intervals.
The body's initial signs and symptoms of dehydration are:
* Thirst
* Decreased urine output. The urine will become concentrated and more yellow in color.
* Fatigue
* Headache
* Dry nasal passages
* Dry, cracked lips dry mouth the eyes stop making tears sweating may stop muscle cramps nausea and vomiting lightheadedness (especially when standing). weakness will occur as the brain and other body organs receive less blood.
* Coma and organ failure will occur if the dehydration remains untreated.
* Irritability & confusion in the elderly should also be heeded immediately.
Here are some easy remedies and ways to prevent dehydration:
1. As is often the case in medicine, prevention is the important first step in the treatment of dehydration.
2. Fluid replacement is the treatment for dehydration. This can include: water, juice, soups and clear broths, Popsicles, Jell-O, ice cream, milk, puddings, decaffeinated beverages, Kool-Aid, nutritional drink supplements (Ensure, Boost, Sustacal, Resource and instant breakfast drinks), and replacement fluids that may contain electrolytes (Pedialyte, Gatorade, Powerade, etc.)
3. Reduce or eliminate dehydrating beverages such as coffee, tea and soft drinks (unless decaffeinated). But even decaffeinated drinks can contribute to dehydration. Beware of alcohol intake too. Alcoholic beverages increase risk of dehydration because the body requires additional water to metabolize alcohol and it also acts as a diuretic.
4. If you drink the unhealthy beverages, you need to add even more water to you daily total. The dehydration caused by those drinks must be compensated for by increasing the water.
5. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Most have a high water content.
6. Drink water all day long in small amounts. It is not good to suddenly gulp down 64 ounces of water. You can fill a 24-32 ounce tumbler in the morning, refill it by late morning and refill again for the afternoon. Consume that by 5 PM. Most people need to start limiting fluids 1-3 hours before bedtime.
7. Individuals with vomiting and diarrhea can try to alter their diet and use medications to control symptoms to minimize water loss. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be used to control fever.
8. If an individual becomes confused or lethargic; if there is persistent, uncontrolled fever, vomiting, or diarrhea; or if there are any other specific concerns, then medical care should be accessed. Call 911 for any patient with altered mental status - confusion, lethargy, or coma.
Remember that the lack of a sense of thirst is not a reliable indicator of the need for water. You need water long before you feel thirsty.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
How Bodywork Helps Muscle Function
Considering that muscle makes up seventy to eight-five percent of the body’s weight, it’s no wonder that most people think of bodywork as “muscle-work.” A better understanding of muscles should help you to appreciate further how important regular massage is to your muscles—and to your overall health!
How do muscles work?
A simple answer is that muscles are composed of long, slender fibers that are capable of three things: they can shorten, lengthen or lock into place. Ideally, they function properly. When they don’t, you begin to experience tightness, or feel stiff, achy or sore.
When you consider that your muscles’ duties include maintaining structural stability and being responsible for virtually every movement of the body, from the minute regulation of an artery to extensive motions, it’s a wonder how efficiently they perform!
What causes muscular difficulties?
Although we tend to think of a sore or strained muscle as an individual problem, all of your musculature is interconnected. This means that when you perceive a painful spot, other areas are involved to some degree. The most recognized causes for muscle problems include overuse or underuse, lack of proper nutrition and/or oxygen, build-up of toxins, and imbalances.
Imbalances are caused when a group of muscles includes certain muscles that currently are mismatched with their partners. For example, if you bend your arm and then straighten it, your biceps do much of the work to accomplish the first motion, while your triceps take on the job of straightening. If the biceps are proportionally stronger than the triceps (or vice versa), you have an imbalance that can cause you some distress.
If you have tight muscles, say in your back shoulder area, this tension can have an effect on the opposing muscles in the upper chest area. In some cases, you may be more aware of the opposing muscles than the muscles that are actually causing the discomfort.
Muscles can develop a state of constant tension for various reasons, including stressful life situations and learned patterns we all evolve as we age. Each of us has developed muscular habits throughout our lives—the way we sit or stand, perform tasks, etc. Add to this the fact we store our anxiety in our muscles—particularly in the neck and shoulder area—and most of us have many areas in need of attention.
Each muscle that is chronically tense is a muscle that is constantly working, even though it’s not doing any actual work. These muscles create a continuing cycle that diminishes blood flow to the area, produces toxins, depletes energy from other areas, and causes discomfort and eventual disuse.
Muscles receive their instructions via nerve impulses. These nerve connections are vital to the health of the muscle tissue; if the nerve supply is lost, the muscle begins to atrophy. The chronically tense muscle cycle discussed previously contributes to the toxicity of the related nerve cells, irritating them and furthering the muscular contractions. If left uninterrupted, this vicious cycle can wreak havoc with your body’s healthy function.
The above information should make it very clear to you how beneficial massage can be to your overall health. As each affected muscular area is worked on, a more normal function can be returned. When you make the commitment to get regular bodywork sessions, you can expect to see far better results, as more time can be spent improving your overall condition, instead of having to focus on easing the pain of chronically tense muscles.
Do your best to make regular bodywork sessions a normal part of your life and enjoy better muscle function—and feel the difference! See you soon.
(Reference: Job’s Body by Deane Juhan)
How do muscles work?
A simple answer is that muscles are composed of long, slender fibers that are capable of three things: they can shorten, lengthen or lock into place. Ideally, they function properly. When they don’t, you begin to experience tightness, or feel stiff, achy or sore.
When you consider that your muscles’ duties include maintaining structural stability and being responsible for virtually every movement of the body, from the minute regulation of an artery to extensive motions, it’s a wonder how efficiently they perform!
What causes muscular difficulties?
Although we tend to think of a sore or strained muscle as an individual problem, all of your musculature is interconnected. This means that when you perceive a painful spot, other areas are involved to some degree. The most recognized causes for muscle problems include overuse or underuse, lack of proper nutrition and/or oxygen, build-up of toxins, and imbalances.
Imbalances are caused when a group of muscles includes certain muscles that currently are mismatched with their partners. For example, if you bend your arm and then straighten it, your biceps do much of the work to accomplish the first motion, while your triceps take on the job of straightening. If the biceps are proportionally stronger than the triceps (or vice versa), you have an imbalance that can cause you some distress.
If you have tight muscles, say in your back shoulder area, this tension can have an effect on the opposing muscles in the upper chest area. In some cases, you may be more aware of the opposing muscles than the muscles that are actually causing the discomfort.
Muscles can develop a state of constant tension for various reasons, including stressful life situations and learned patterns we all evolve as we age. Each of us has developed muscular habits throughout our lives—the way we sit or stand, perform tasks, etc. Add to this the fact we store our anxiety in our muscles—particularly in the neck and shoulder area—and most of us have many areas in need of attention.
Each muscle that is chronically tense is a muscle that is constantly working, even though it’s not doing any actual work. These muscles create a continuing cycle that diminishes blood flow to the area, produces toxins, depletes energy from other areas, and causes discomfort and eventual disuse.
Muscles receive their instructions via nerve impulses. These nerve connections are vital to the health of the muscle tissue; if the nerve supply is lost, the muscle begins to atrophy. The chronically tense muscle cycle discussed previously contributes to the toxicity of the related nerve cells, irritating them and furthering the muscular contractions. If left uninterrupted, this vicious cycle can wreak havoc with your body’s healthy function.
The above information should make it very clear to you how beneficial massage can be to your overall health. As each affected muscular area is worked on, a more normal function can be returned. When you make the commitment to get regular bodywork sessions, you can expect to see far better results, as more time can be spent improving your overall condition, instead of having to focus on easing the pain of chronically tense muscles.
Do your best to make regular bodywork sessions a normal part of your life and enjoy better muscle function—and feel the difference! See you soon.
(Reference: Job’s Body by Deane Juhan)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Senior's Club @ Massage with Style
Are you 60 or older? Need a massage or reflexology session once in awhile? Join the Seniors Club at, Massage with Style. see Liz @ Massage with Style for more Information.
Manual Ligament Therapy
Morning all! Been learning a new Therapy called, "MANUAL LIGAMENT THERAPY" This Week we just learned a bunch of new stuff for the shoulder and upper back!
Rotator Cuff Series is about to begin! Call me now to make your appt for
this week!!!
Rotator Cuff Series is about to begin! Call me now to make your appt for
this week!!!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Four Reasons to Get a Massage
Any therapist who’s had the pleasure of watching a client’s health and vitality improve through regular massage sessions would love to have everyone understand the benefits available to them from bodywork. Here are a few key points that should help you appreciate how regular massage can help you have a healthier life:
• Massage helps to support your health— When you really take time to evaluate what’s important in your life, it’s a good bet you’ll place your health near the top of the list. After all, what will you be able to do without it? Let’s start with the fact that a full-body massage contributes to the proper function of your entire body.
In attempting to remain healthy, your body’s systems are performing functions constantly. The pressure and motion of the massage strokes assist in virtually all aspects of these functions. For instance, the nutrients that provide sustenance to the trillions of cells throughout your body—as well as the outgoing cellular waste—can be processed more efficiently with the aid of massage.
Getting a clear understanding of this concept should help you to see how other massage benefits are accomplished.
• Massage reduces stress—This one fact should inspire everyone to get massage regularly. Imagine your life with less stress! Considering stress is responsible for most illness (not to mention those tense muscles), alleviating stress from your life can make a major difference in every aspect of your health and attitude.
• Massage addresses the source of the problems—One of the tenets of complementary healthcare is that, given the proper tools, your body will heal itself. Just think of how many of life’s complaints are caused by an imbalance in your body—and massage helps to restore that state of balance.
How do we know massage actually assists in this re-balancing act? Some of the outcomes measured during massage studies—changes in hormone levels, blood pressure, etc.—are of various functions your body regulates. When these studies show an improvement in these levels, it offers measurable proof of the positive changes available through massage. Most would agree it’s preferable when you can employ natural means (like massage) to help your body correct these functions.
• A massage makes you feel better— It’s great to know more about how massage contributes to improved health. After all, we all want to be as healthy as possible. But there’s something special about taking an hour or so out of your busy life just to feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Anyone who remembers how they felt at the end of a good massage session will tell you it’s another great reason for making massage a regular part of your life.
While you decide what important steps you’ll make this year to improve your life, be sure to make your massages a part of your plan!
• Massage helps to support your health— When you really take time to evaluate what’s important in your life, it’s a good bet you’ll place your health near the top of the list. After all, what will you be able to do without it? Let’s start with the fact that a full-body massage contributes to the proper function of your entire body.
In attempting to remain healthy, your body’s systems are performing functions constantly. The pressure and motion of the massage strokes assist in virtually all aspects of these functions. For instance, the nutrients that provide sustenance to the trillions of cells throughout your body—as well as the outgoing cellular waste—can be processed more efficiently with the aid of massage.
Getting a clear understanding of this concept should help you to see how other massage benefits are accomplished.
• Massage reduces stress—This one fact should inspire everyone to get massage regularly. Imagine your life with less stress! Considering stress is responsible for most illness (not to mention those tense muscles), alleviating stress from your life can make a major difference in every aspect of your health and attitude.
• Massage addresses the source of the problems—One of the tenets of complementary healthcare is that, given the proper tools, your body will heal itself. Just think of how many of life’s complaints are caused by an imbalance in your body—and massage helps to restore that state of balance.
How do we know massage actually assists in this re-balancing act? Some of the outcomes measured during massage studies—changes in hormone levels, blood pressure, etc.—are of various functions your body regulates. When these studies show an improvement in these levels, it offers measurable proof of the positive changes available through massage. Most would agree it’s preferable when you can employ natural means (like massage) to help your body correct these functions.
• A massage makes you feel better— It’s great to know more about how massage contributes to improved health. After all, we all want to be as healthy as possible. But there’s something special about taking an hour or so out of your busy life just to feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Anyone who remembers how they felt at the end of a good massage session will tell you it’s another great reason for making massage a regular part of your life.
While you decide what important steps you’ll make this year to improve your life, be sure to make your massages a part of your plan!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Depressed? Take Action!
“Doing even a little something to make yourself happy could bring you the real thing, say psychologists at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. They asked 50 students to record their moods during various activities. Almost any kind of outgoing behavior— talking to someone attractive or even just singing aloud—acted as an instant antidepressant. ‘Every single participant in the study was happier when he or she acted extroverted than when he or she acted introverted,’ Will Fleeson tells ABC.net. In social situations, talking more and behaving assertively made subjects happy. ‘But you can do things by yourself that work just as well,’ says Fleeson. ‘Things like going hiking, climbing a mountain, whitewater rafting.’ Too often, people think of happiness as something outside themselves. But ‘to some extent, we have control over our personalities.’ ” —The Week; Vol 3; Issue 96
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
GET SOMBRA, BIOFREEZE AND NUUN @ MASSAGE WITH STYLE
Available at Massage with Style
Nuun, Sombra and BioFreeze
The next time your in for a massage, think about what you need to help you out between those visits for Bodywork or Massage. Now, at Massage with Style you can pickup either Sombra or Biofreeze products. Both available to purchase to be used between those sessions. Not sure which one to use, try both! While Sombra is perfect for those sore muscles, Biofreeze is great to use on the sore joints.
Also, new at Massage with Style, is Nuun... You ask,'What is Nuun?' Nuun is in real words? Imagine being out on a long run or ride, or being in the gym. Rather than settle for water or buy a sugary drink from a convenience store, you just fill up your water bottle and drop in a couple of nuun tabs. by the time you’ve tied your laces or put on your pack, you’ve got a complex electrolyte drink that recharges your salts, but is refreshing and more efficiently absorbed than water alone or most sports drinks on the market.
Who uses nuun?
Cyclists, Triathletes,Runners, hikers, yoga-bods, travelers, adventure racers, kids, rowers, motorcyclists, people at work,people who hang off tall building for a living and anyone else 'doing stuff' while trying to stay properly hydrated. nuun is a complex hydration system that’s easy to use, but the real step forward is that it’s portable, which means you now have a solution wherever you are; in the gym, hiking, adventure racing, running, kayaking, long rides, traveling and even expeditions.
Want to try a sample, stop by and just ask.
To read more about Nuun, check out their website at http://www.nuun.com.
Also, to find who is a dealer of Nuun in the Clark County area use the following url: http://www.nuun.com/shop/findnuun.php
You will find Massage with Style at the top of the list for 98671.
REMEMBER! As a Massage Therapist I'm here to help YOU!
Nuun, Sombra and BioFreeze
The next time your in for a massage, think about what you need to help you out between those visits for Bodywork or Massage. Now, at Massage with Style you can pickup either Sombra or Biofreeze products. Both available to purchase to be used between those sessions. Not sure which one to use, try both! While Sombra is perfect for those sore muscles, Biofreeze is great to use on the sore joints.
Also, new at Massage with Style, is Nuun... You ask,'What is Nuun?' Nuun is in real words? Imagine being out on a long run or ride, or being in the gym. Rather than settle for water or buy a sugary drink from a convenience store, you just fill up your water bottle and drop in a couple of nuun tabs. by the time you’ve tied your laces or put on your pack, you’ve got a complex electrolyte drink that recharges your salts, but is refreshing and more efficiently absorbed than water alone or most sports drinks on the market.
Who uses nuun?
Cyclists, Triathletes,Runners, hikers, yoga-bods, travelers, adventure racers, kids, rowers, motorcyclists, people at work,people who hang off tall building for a living and anyone else 'doing stuff' while trying to stay properly hydrated. nuun is a complex hydration system that’s easy to use, but the real step forward is that it’s portable, which means you now have a solution wherever you are; in the gym, hiking, adventure racing, running, kayaking, long rides, traveling and even expeditions.
Want to try a sample, stop by and just ask.
To read more about Nuun, check out their website at http://www.nuun.com.
Also, to find who is a dealer of Nuun in the Clark County area use the following url: http://www.nuun.com/shop/findnuun.php
You will find Massage with Style at the top of the list for 98671.
REMEMBER! As a Massage Therapist I'm here to help YOU!
Monday, October 4, 2010
UP COMING CLASSES through East County Community Education
Foot Reflexology
Register with partner. Fee is $10.00 per person.
Relieve tension and stress throughout your body by using foot reflexology. Reflexology helps with headaches, sinus problems, low back trouble, and much more. Bring a pillow, lotion, and wear loose fitting clothes.
Monday
Nov. 1 Code: 1021-10
6:00-8:00 PM Fee: $10.00
1700 Main Street, Washougal - Conference Rm.
Elizabeth Stiles, Instructor
Indian Head Massage
Register with a partner. Fee is $10.00 per person.
This massage is done sitting up. It is a good massage for those who work with a computer or in an office. Also, a very good massage for those who suffer from headaches. A very relaxing, tension relieving basic massage of upper back, neck and head. Information on the history and benefits of this type of massage included.
Monday
Oct. 18 Code: 1020-10
6:30-8:00 PM Fee: $$10.00
1700 Main Street, Washougal - Conference Rm.
Elizabeth Stiles, Instructor
Kathy Douglas
Community Education Technician
Washougal School District
P.O. Box 559
Washougal WA 98671
360-954-3839
kathy.douglas@washougal.k12.wa.us
Register with partner. Fee is $10.00 per person.
Relieve tension and stress throughout your body by using foot reflexology. Reflexology helps with headaches, sinus problems, low back trouble, and much more. Bring a pillow, lotion, and wear loose fitting clothes.
Monday
Nov. 1 Code: 1021-10
6:00-8:00 PM Fee: $10.00
1700 Main Street, Washougal - Conference Rm.
Elizabeth Stiles, Instructor
Indian Head Massage
Register with a partner. Fee is $10.00 per person.
This massage is done sitting up. It is a good massage for those who work with a computer or in an office. Also, a very good massage for those who suffer from headaches. A very relaxing, tension relieving basic massage of upper back, neck and head. Information on the history and benefits of this type of massage included.
Monday
Oct. 18 Code: 1020-10
6:30-8:00 PM Fee: $$10.00
1700 Main Street, Washougal - Conference Rm.
Elizabeth Stiles, Instructor
Kathy Douglas
Community Education Technician
Washougal School District
P.O. Box 559
Washougal WA 98671
360-954-3839
kathy.douglas@washougal.k12.wa.us
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Leaf Behind the Suffering
(by Karen Springen in Newsweek)
“A football injury makes a better story, but raking leaves could be the sport that sidelines you this fall. To avoid injuries, follow these tips from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Dress in layers that you can shed as you work up a sweat, with gloves to prevent blisters... If your back has been injured before, wear a simple brace (available for about $20; ask the pharmacist for fitting details). Stretch your shoulders before you hit the yard, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and start slow. Rake strokes that are short and steady are the best, so that you don’t overextend yourself and pull a muscle. Don’t overstuff trash bags, either. Move the bags around in a wheelbarrow —and if you get tired, recruit the kids to lend a hand. But make sure you bend your knees and lift with your legs, not your back, while you load the bags in. Because ‘repetitive activity creates soreness,’ says Marjorie Albohm, a certified athletic trainer, cap off your raking with a warm bath or shower. It’ll help reduce sore muscles...”
Then schedule your next massage!
“A football injury makes a better story, but raking leaves could be the sport that sidelines you this fall. To avoid injuries, follow these tips from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Dress in layers that you can shed as you work up a sweat, with gloves to prevent blisters... If your back has been injured before, wear a simple brace (available for about $20; ask the pharmacist for fitting details). Stretch your shoulders before you hit the yard, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and start slow. Rake strokes that are short and steady are the best, so that you don’t overextend yourself and pull a muscle. Don’t overstuff trash bags, either. Move the bags around in a wheelbarrow —and if you get tired, recruit the kids to lend a hand. But make sure you bend your knees and lift with your legs, not your back, while you load the bags in. Because ‘repetitive activity creates soreness,’ says Marjorie Albohm, a certified athletic trainer, cap off your raking with a warm bath or shower. It’ll help reduce sore muscles...”
Then schedule your next massage!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Make it Easy on Yourself
A nice benefit accompanying an education in massage therapy is learning about proper body mechanics—how to lessen or avoid physical stress and injury. Becoming aware of how you use (and sometimes misuse) your body can help you to stay healthier and to feel better between massage sessions.
Whether you are sitting or standing; pushing or pulling; or lifting and holding something, the way you use your body will influence your physical health. For instance, just keeping a wallet in your back pocket can throw your back out of alignment because of the way it changes your body mechanics when you sit.
Body positions are so important to your health. A perfect example is the strain put on your back, neck and shoulders when you look down when standing. The next time you’re doing dishes, look mostly straight ahead instead of down and see what a difference it makes.
The following information comes from a popular book among bodyworkers called Body Mechanics for Manual Therapists, written by Barbara Frye. Hopefully, you’ll find this information beneficial.
“Body awareness is where it all starts. Without it, we blindly go through our work not realizing how our movements, responses, sensations and feelings affect our health.
“Body awareness is a mindfulness of your body’s movements, responses, sensations and feelings. As you develop this mindfulness or consciousness of your body, you become aware of subtle patterns, for example, the position of your shoulders while you read, or the shifting of your weight when you stand.
“Once you become aware of your body and your habits of movement, you can begin to discover which movement habits serve you and which ones hinder and cause you discomfort, pain and injury.
“Standing is a basic and foundational position from which all other body mechanics are performed. ... Your body must continue to move or ‘sway’ in varying degrees in order to keep itself in balance, ... so don’t fight its natural movement.
“Trying to stand ‘straight’ takes your skeleton out of its natural alignment and requires your muscles to work very hard to hold a ‘straight’ posture. The next time you feel yourself trying to stand ‘straight,’ relax and allow the natural shape of your skeleton to support you.
“Whether you stand with your feet parallel to each other or with one foot forward, your legs must transmit the weight of your body down to your feet equally.
“When standing, it is important to keep your upper body vertical and balanced over your pelvis, legs and feet. ... Keeping your center of gravity over your feet lets your upper body move without restriction, allowing your shoulders, arms and hands to move freely.
“Sitting is believed to cause the majority of back pain in this country. This is due to the fact that people tend to sit in a slouched or slumped position for hours at a time, increasing the pressure on their lower back. ... Overall there is an increased risk of pain and stress to the lower and upper back as well as the neck. Sitting with your upper body vertically balanced over your pelvis allows your low back to maintain its lumbar curve, decreasing the pressure from flexion (bending of a joint). Not only does it allow your low back to relax, it also allows your entire back to keep its natural curves, reducing excessive muscular effort. ... When sitting it is important that your knees are the same height as your hips. ... Finding the right width for your legs helps maintain your stability and vertical balance, and reduces muscular tension.
“When lifting, it is very important that you get as close to the weight as possible, without losing your own stability. ... When you stand away from the weight, your back must bend and lean in order for your arms and hands to reach the weight. This puts a tremendous strain on the muscles and vertebrae of your back. It also requires the muscles of your arms and shoulders to work hard, first to reach the weight and then to lift it.
“ ‘Lift with your legs, not your back’ is a phrase commonly used when discussing the body mechanics of lifting. ... Lifting with your legs means you are using the power of your lower body to lift the weight. Instead of bending from your back and putting strain on your spine and upper body, bend from your hip joints and knees, and use the power of your legs.”
As you know, massage can help to return your body to a better functional state, as well as helping you to maintain it. These tips should help you between sessions. So, take care of yourself; see you soon!
Whether you are sitting or standing; pushing or pulling; or lifting and holding something, the way you use your body will influence your physical health. For instance, just keeping a wallet in your back pocket can throw your back out of alignment because of the way it changes your body mechanics when you sit.
Body positions are so important to your health. A perfect example is the strain put on your back, neck and shoulders when you look down when standing. The next time you’re doing dishes, look mostly straight ahead instead of down and see what a difference it makes.
The following information comes from a popular book among bodyworkers called Body Mechanics for Manual Therapists, written by Barbara Frye. Hopefully, you’ll find this information beneficial.
“Body awareness is where it all starts. Without it, we blindly go through our work not realizing how our movements, responses, sensations and feelings affect our health.
“Body awareness is a mindfulness of your body’s movements, responses, sensations and feelings. As you develop this mindfulness or consciousness of your body, you become aware of subtle patterns, for example, the position of your shoulders while you read, or the shifting of your weight when you stand.
“Once you become aware of your body and your habits of movement, you can begin to discover which movement habits serve you and which ones hinder and cause you discomfort, pain and injury.
“Standing is a basic and foundational position from which all other body mechanics are performed. ... Your body must continue to move or ‘sway’ in varying degrees in order to keep itself in balance, ... so don’t fight its natural movement.
“Trying to stand ‘straight’ takes your skeleton out of its natural alignment and requires your muscles to work very hard to hold a ‘straight’ posture. The next time you feel yourself trying to stand ‘straight,’ relax and allow the natural shape of your skeleton to support you.
“Whether you stand with your feet parallel to each other or with one foot forward, your legs must transmit the weight of your body down to your feet equally.
“When standing, it is important to keep your upper body vertical and balanced over your pelvis, legs and feet. ... Keeping your center of gravity over your feet lets your upper body move without restriction, allowing your shoulders, arms and hands to move freely.
“Sitting is believed to cause the majority of back pain in this country. This is due to the fact that people tend to sit in a slouched or slumped position for hours at a time, increasing the pressure on their lower back. ... Overall there is an increased risk of pain and stress to the lower and upper back as well as the neck. Sitting with your upper body vertically balanced over your pelvis allows your low back to maintain its lumbar curve, decreasing the pressure from flexion (bending of a joint). Not only does it allow your low back to relax, it also allows your entire back to keep its natural curves, reducing excessive muscular effort. ... When sitting it is important that your knees are the same height as your hips. ... Finding the right width for your legs helps maintain your stability and vertical balance, and reduces muscular tension.
“When lifting, it is very important that you get as close to the weight as possible, without losing your own stability. ... When you stand away from the weight, your back must bend and lean in order for your arms and hands to reach the weight. This puts a tremendous strain on the muscles and vertebrae of your back. It also requires the muscles of your arms and shoulders to work hard, first to reach the weight and then to lift it.
“ ‘Lift with your legs, not your back’ is a phrase commonly used when discussing the body mechanics of lifting. ... Lifting with your legs means you are using the power of your lower body to lift the weight. Instead of bending from your back and putting strain on your spine and upper body, bend from your hip joints and knees, and use the power of your legs.”
As you know, massage can help to return your body to a better functional state, as well as helping you to maintain it. These tips should help you between sessions. So, take care of yourself; see you soon!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Massage Therapy and Breathing
Learning to breathe more naturally can benefit your health and well-being. Massage can help you breathe easier and more efficiently.
Breathing properly involves more of your body than you may realize. Tension in any area of your body can make it very difficult to breathe relaxedly. Try to take a slow, deep breath while tightening the muscles in your feet or your hips. Now try it again with all your muscles relaxed. You should notice quite a difference in your ability to breathe easily.
Shallow breathing can lead to muscle dysfunction in several areas of your body, such as the neck and upper chest.
Your regular massage sessions can help to relax and normalize muscles throughout your body that can facilitate improved breathing. And in turn, your adoption of better breathing techniques can help to prevent a build-up of tension that leads to tight muscles, etc. When you maintain a regular schedule for massage, you will probably notice you feel much better on a day-to-day basis and experience fewer recurring physical complaints.
You can strengthen your results by including regular exercise and slow stretching in your regimen. If you’d like more information, please ask at your next appointment.
Breathing properly involves more of your body than you may realize. Tension in any area of your body can make it very difficult to breathe relaxedly. Try to take a slow, deep breath while tightening the muscles in your feet or your hips. Now try it again with all your muscles relaxed. You should notice quite a difference in your ability to breathe easily.
Shallow breathing can lead to muscle dysfunction in several areas of your body, such as the neck and upper chest.
Your regular massage sessions can help to relax and normalize muscles throughout your body that can facilitate improved breathing. And in turn, your adoption of better breathing techniques can help to prevent a build-up of tension that leads to tight muscles, etc. When you maintain a regular schedule for massage, you will probably notice you feel much better on a day-to-day basis and experience fewer recurring physical complaints.
You can strengthen your results by including regular exercise and slow stretching in your regimen. If you’d like more information, please ask at your next appointment.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Insurance News Alert! & Initiative 1082 and Workers Compensation: How it may affect you
This is being sent out to you my clients for the reason of keeping you informed on current Healthcare issues.
Uniform Medical Plan and Regence Blue Shield Change the Rules: Are You Impacted?
Click here for a link to the Fall 2010 Washington Massage Journal article on Uniform Medical Plan and Regence Blue Shields Networks. We are sending this out prior to the mailing of the Journal because we realize that this is a time-sensitive issue that may affect many of our members.
If you have questions or concerns, the following contact information may be helpful:
Uniform Medical Plan Provider Services:
Toll-free 1-800-464-0967
Local (425) 686-1246
Fax (425) 670-3199
Regence Blue Shield
Phone: 1 (800) 322-1737
Fax: (253) 573-3318
Fax: 1 (877) 367-6551
The Office if the Insurance Commissioner
http://www.insurance.wa.gov/
1-800-562-6900
Washington State Health Care Authority
http://www.hca.wa.gov/contact.html
Initiative 1082 and Workers Compensation: How it may affect you
By: John C. Peick, JD
http://www.peickconniff.com/
Initiative 1082 will completely alter the worker compensation program as we currently know it. As healthcare providers, or as potential injured worker, if this initiative passes, you will be subject to the tender mercies, not of L&I claims managers, but of insurance company adjusters. Of course, this statement presupposes you will not be excluded altogether from the new system. Read on and please pass this information to your patients, friends and colleagues. We are only 7 weeks from the election so we need action NOW!!
What is really in I-1082? Not what you might think......
· Private workers’ comp insurers are given authorization to set their own rates without approval by the Insurance Commissioner. This is unlike every other line of insurance in Washington. (section 2, subsection 4)
· Allows group business plans to set up medical networks to receive premium returns governed only by the insurance company, not safety standards or effective claims management. (section 2, subsection 7)
· Sets up standards for communication between insurers and workers under new private insurance:
- It requires insurers to notify workers within 30 days of procedures approved. It does not require insurers
- to ever make a decision or to notify workers if they deny coverage.
- Workers do not have the right to compel a decision, as they do in other lines of insurance.
- There is no requirement for insurers to communicate with employers or medical providers on any matter.
- I-1082 changes the way workers are notified of their right to appeal a decision. Insurers can show they mailed a notice but don’t have to prove you ever got it. If you moved or never received notice, it does not matter, the insured loses their rights. (section 4)
· Eliminates the employee share of the insurance premium. (section 9)
· Leaves the Board of Appeals as the only way to resolve complaints, leading to a large increase in the number of cases before the Board. And the cost, estimated at more than $40 million, will come from tax revenues, impacting funding for schools and health care. (section 11)
· Grants the insurer full discretion to decide if workers are not cooperative and to cut off benefits or deny vocational rehabilitation training without any input from authorities. (section 11)
· The new tax structure would take effect 30 days following the election. However, the new private insurance cannot be sold for at least 18 months. During this period of time employers will have to cover the entire employee share of the insurance premium. This will mean a 25% tax increase hitting small businesses while the economy is still recovering. (section 15)
· Gives insurers special rights which include the right to talk to the injured worker’s doctor all the way through the claims process and right up to the end of the appeals process. (section 10)
· Appoints a business and insurance-oriented legislative task force that requires future legislatures to accept the Task Force’s interpretations of the measure. Under I-1082, this task force is given the power to change the law to benefit insurers without the elected legislature having the authority to change it. (section 13)
There are also many consumer protections which apply to other lines of insurance intentionally excluded from I-1082:
· Under I-1082, workers’ compensation insurance would not be under the safety net of the Insurance Guaranty Act which protects workers and employers in the case of fraud or bankruptcy by an insurer.
· Similarly, the new workers’ comp insurers treatment of injured workers are exempted from all consumer protection laws and the voter approved Insurance Fair Conduct Act – even though these laws apply to auto, home, health and every other type of insurance. They are also exempt from protections for injured workers that the State or self insured employers are subject to.
· Unlike in other insurance fields, this initiative does not require insurers to have an in-state adjuster, or any in-state training to handle Washington claims. They don’t even have to maintain toll-free numbers.
· There is no way under 1082 to recapture the funding for vital workplace safety programs and vocational retraining that are currently paid for by premiums. These costs will fall exclusively on taxpayers.
All told, according to independent budget experts, I-1082 would add a total of at least $275 million in direct new taxes-- over $200 million in new workers’ comp premiums for small businesses, $30 million in increased workers’ comp premiums for governments, and at least $40 million in taxes to pay for cost shift to taxpayers for Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals.
Cultural Competency in Health Services and Care
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is pleased to announce a new resource to help health care providers serving diverse populations of patients. A law passed in 2006 requiring all health care providers licensed by the department to receive multicultural health awareness education and training. The Cultural Competency i Health Services and Care – A Guide for Health Care Providers is a tool in that effort.
This guide is intended to increase the knowledge, understanding, and skills of those who provide health care in cross-cultural situations. The guide is available on the DOH Web page. We hope it will broaden your awareness of health disparities, provide a better understanding of why cultural competency is important, and illustrate some of the resources available to you. There are several online resources that offer continuing education credits. There are also resources with important information and statistics on the populations you serve.
For questions about this project, please contact Kris Reichl at Kristin.reichl@doh.wa.gov or (360) 236-4985.
Uniform Medical Plan and Regence Blue Shield Change the Rules: Are You Impacted?
Click here for a link to the Fall 2010 Washington Massage Journal article on Uniform Medical Plan and Regence Blue Shields Networks. We are sending this out prior to the mailing of the Journal because we realize that this is a time-sensitive issue that may affect many of our members.
If you have questions or concerns, the following contact information may be helpful:
Uniform Medical Plan Provider Services:
Toll-free 1-800-464-0967
Local (425) 686-1246
Fax (425) 670-3199
Regence Blue Shield
Phone: 1 (800) 322-1737
Fax: (253) 573-3318
Fax: 1 (877) 367-6551
The Office if the Insurance Commissioner
http://www.insurance.wa.gov/
1-800-562-6900
Washington State Health Care Authority
http://www.hca.wa.gov/contact.html
Initiative 1082 and Workers Compensation: How it may affect you
By: John C. Peick, JD
http://www.peickconniff.com/
Initiative 1082 will completely alter the worker compensation program as we currently know it. As healthcare providers, or as potential injured worker, if this initiative passes, you will be subject to the tender mercies, not of L&I claims managers, but of insurance company adjusters. Of course, this statement presupposes you will not be excluded altogether from the new system. Read on and please pass this information to your patients, friends and colleagues. We are only 7 weeks from the election so we need action NOW!!
What is really in I-1082? Not what you might think......
· Private workers’ comp insurers are given authorization to set their own rates without approval by the Insurance Commissioner. This is unlike every other line of insurance in Washington. (section 2, subsection 4)
· Allows group business plans to set up medical networks to receive premium returns governed only by the insurance company, not safety standards or effective claims management. (section 2, subsection 7)
· Sets up standards for communication between insurers and workers under new private insurance:
- It requires insurers to notify workers within 30 days of procedures approved. It does not require insurers
- to ever make a decision or to notify workers if they deny coverage.
- Workers do not have the right to compel a decision, as they do in other lines of insurance.
- There is no requirement for insurers to communicate with employers or medical providers on any matter.
- I-1082 changes the way workers are notified of their right to appeal a decision. Insurers can show they mailed a notice but don’t have to prove you ever got it. If you moved or never received notice, it does not matter, the insured loses their rights. (section 4)
· Eliminates the employee share of the insurance premium. (section 9)
· Leaves the Board of Appeals as the only way to resolve complaints, leading to a large increase in the number of cases before the Board. And the cost, estimated at more than $40 million, will come from tax revenues, impacting funding for schools and health care. (section 11)
· Grants the insurer full discretion to decide if workers are not cooperative and to cut off benefits or deny vocational rehabilitation training without any input from authorities. (section 11)
· The new tax structure would take effect 30 days following the election. However, the new private insurance cannot be sold for at least 18 months. During this period of time employers will have to cover the entire employee share of the insurance premium. This will mean a 25% tax increase hitting small businesses while the economy is still recovering. (section 15)
· Gives insurers special rights which include the right to talk to the injured worker’s doctor all the way through the claims process and right up to the end of the appeals process. (section 10)
· Appoints a business and insurance-oriented legislative task force that requires future legislatures to accept the Task Force’s interpretations of the measure. Under I-1082, this task force is given the power to change the law to benefit insurers without the elected legislature having the authority to change it. (section 13)
There are also many consumer protections which apply to other lines of insurance intentionally excluded from I-1082:
· Under I-1082, workers’ compensation insurance would not be under the safety net of the Insurance Guaranty Act which protects workers and employers in the case of fraud or bankruptcy by an insurer.
· Similarly, the new workers’ comp insurers treatment of injured workers are exempted from all consumer protection laws and the voter approved Insurance Fair Conduct Act – even though these laws apply to auto, home, health and every other type of insurance. They are also exempt from protections for injured workers that the State or self insured employers are subject to.
· Unlike in other insurance fields, this initiative does not require insurers to have an in-state adjuster, or any in-state training to handle Washington claims. They don’t even have to maintain toll-free numbers.
· There is no way under 1082 to recapture the funding for vital workplace safety programs and vocational retraining that are currently paid for by premiums. These costs will fall exclusively on taxpayers.
All told, according to independent budget experts, I-1082 would add a total of at least $275 million in direct new taxes-- over $200 million in new workers’ comp premiums for small businesses, $30 million in increased workers’ comp premiums for governments, and at least $40 million in taxes to pay for cost shift to taxpayers for Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals.
Cultural Competency in Health Services and Care
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is pleased to announce a new resource to help health care providers serving diverse populations of patients. A law passed in 2006 requiring all health care providers licensed by the department to receive multicultural health awareness education and training. The Cultural Competency i Health Services and Care – A Guide for Health Care Providers is a tool in that effort.
This guide is intended to increase the knowledge, understanding, and skills of those who provide health care in cross-cultural situations. The guide is available on the DOH Web page. We hope it will broaden your awareness of health disparities, provide a better understanding of why cultural competency is important, and illustrate some of the resources available to you. There are several online resources that offer continuing education credits. There are also resources with important information and statistics on the populations you serve.
For questions about this project, please contact Kris Reichl at Kristin.reichl@doh.wa.gov or (360) 236-4985.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
If the Shoe Fits!
The following is been shared as Food for thought! Remember, that if your feel hurt, usually your Day will not be the best!
Research Investigates: Do People Wear the Correct-Size Shoes?
by Terence Vanderheiden, DPM
So what do you think, are people wearing the correctsize shoes? I think we have all been in a pair of shoes that were either too small or too large at some point in our lives. Foot problems can occur from wearing shoes that do not fit. This article looks at research studies that attempt to answer the question, "Does the shoe fit?" If you are feeling some pressure from your shoes, learn more about how to fit shoes and foot care.
The first study looked at an older population of people (average age 82) on a rehabilitation ward. There were 65 people in the study. They measured the length and width of the patients' feet and compared that to their shoe size. The researchers found that 72% of the people were not wearing the proper-size shoes. They also found an association between incorrect shoe length and increased risk of pain and ulceration (open sore in the skin). Foot health is very important in older people because of the increased risk of falls. The researchers conclude that footwear assessment in the older population is necessary to help try and avoid pain and prevent foot problems.
The second study was larger and had 440 people in the study. The research was conducted on U.S. Veterans. They also measured the length and width of the patients' feet and found that only 25.5% of the people were wearing the proper-size shoes. That means 74.5% had shoes that did not fit properly. Shoes that did not fit properly were defined as shoes that were one size too small or one size too large, compared with the foot measurements. The researchers also found that patients with diabetic foot ulcerations (open sores in the skin) were 5.1 times more likely to have poor fitting shoes than patients without ulcerations. This study also points out the importance of wearing shoes that fit to help reduce the risk of foot ulceration.
The third study involved 100 people who had diabetes and an average age of 62 years old. The researchers compared the length and width of the patients' feet to the length and width of their shoes while standing and sitting. In this study, the definition of a poor-fitting shoe was if the shoe was a 1/2 size too short or too long and more than 1 width size different than the person's foot. The researchers found that only 24% of the people had proper-fitting shoes while sitting and that number dropped to only 20% while standing -- the feet tend to spread out more when standing. They concluded that a majority of their diabetes patients were wearing poorfitting shoes and that mostly the shoes were too narrow. Wearing shoes that fit is not as easy as it may sound.
These research studies are a small sample, but all three found that about 75% of the people they studied were not wearing shoes that fit. It is especially important for people with diabetes and neuropathy (loss of feeling) to be wearing shoes that fit. If you are not sure if your shoes fit properly, go to a shoe store with trained shoe-fitting professionals. It is recommended that you measure your feet once or twice per year. In fact, it would be ideal if you had your feet measured every time you bought new shoes.
Sources:
Burns SL, Leese GP, McMurdo ME. Older people and ill fitting shoes. Postgrad Med J. 2002 Jun;78(920):344-6.
Harrison SJ, Cochrane L, Abboud RJ, Leese GP. Do patients with diabetes wear shoes of the correct size? Int J Clin Pract. 2007 Nov;61(11):1900-4.
Nixon BP, Armstrong DG, Wendell C, Vazquez JR, Rabinovich Z, Kimbriel HR, Rosales MA, Boulton AJ. Do US veterans wear appropriately sized Shoes?: the Veterans Affairs shoe size selection study. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2006 Jul-Aug;96(4):290-2.
Reprinted from About.com
The next time your not feeling well, think of your feel! Contact Massage with Style to learn how 'Reflexology' can help to make your feet and self Happy and Feeling Better!
Research Investigates: Do People Wear the Correct-Size Shoes?
by Terence Vanderheiden, DPM
So what do you think, are people wearing the correctsize shoes? I think we have all been in a pair of shoes that were either too small or too large at some point in our lives. Foot problems can occur from wearing shoes that do not fit. This article looks at research studies that attempt to answer the question, "Does the shoe fit?" If you are feeling some pressure from your shoes, learn more about how to fit shoes and foot care.
The first study looked at an older population of people (average age 82) on a rehabilitation ward. There were 65 people in the study. They measured the length and width of the patients' feet and compared that to their shoe size. The researchers found that 72% of the people were not wearing the proper-size shoes. They also found an association between incorrect shoe length and increased risk of pain and ulceration (open sore in the skin). Foot health is very important in older people because of the increased risk of falls. The researchers conclude that footwear assessment in the older population is necessary to help try and avoid pain and prevent foot problems.
The second study was larger and had 440 people in the study. The research was conducted on U.S. Veterans. They also measured the length and width of the patients' feet and found that only 25.5% of the people were wearing the proper-size shoes. That means 74.5% had shoes that did not fit properly. Shoes that did not fit properly were defined as shoes that were one size too small or one size too large, compared with the foot measurements. The researchers also found that patients with diabetic foot ulcerations (open sores in the skin) were 5.1 times more likely to have poor fitting shoes than patients without ulcerations. This study also points out the importance of wearing shoes that fit to help reduce the risk of foot ulceration.
The third study involved 100 people who had diabetes and an average age of 62 years old. The researchers compared the length and width of the patients' feet to the length and width of their shoes while standing and sitting. In this study, the definition of a poor-fitting shoe was if the shoe was a 1/2 size too short or too long and more than 1 width size different than the person's foot. The researchers found that only 24% of the people had proper-fitting shoes while sitting and that number dropped to only 20% while standing -- the feet tend to spread out more when standing. They concluded that a majority of their diabetes patients were wearing poorfitting shoes and that mostly the shoes were too narrow. Wearing shoes that fit is not as easy as it may sound.
These research studies are a small sample, but all three found that about 75% of the people they studied were not wearing shoes that fit. It is especially important for people with diabetes and neuropathy (loss of feeling) to be wearing shoes that fit. If you are not sure if your shoes fit properly, go to a shoe store with trained shoe-fitting professionals. It is recommended that you measure your feet once or twice per year. In fact, it would be ideal if you had your feet measured every time you bought new shoes.
Sources:
Burns SL, Leese GP, McMurdo ME. Older people and ill fitting shoes. Postgrad Med J. 2002 Jun;78(920):344-6.
Harrison SJ, Cochrane L, Abboud RJ, Leese GP. Do patients with diabetes wear shoes of the correct size? Int J Clin Pract. 2007 Nov;61(11):1900-4.
Nixon BP, Armstrong DG, Wendell C, Vazquez JR, Rabinovich Z, Kimbriel HR, Rosales MA, Boulton AJ. Do US veterans wear appropriately sized Shoes?: the Veterans Affairs shoe size selection study. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2006 Jul-Aug;96(4):290-2.
Reprinted from About.com
The next time your not feeling well, think of your feel! Contact Massage with Style to learn how 'Reflexology' can help to make your feet and self Happy and Feeling Better!
Monday, September 20, 2010
NUUN @ Massage with Style
Yes, You ask for less sugars and I have found it!
NUUN
A PORTABLE ELECTROLYTE HYDRATION
Easier to carry and without the sugar of Gatorade!!!
In real words? imagine being out on a long run or ride, or being in the gym. rather than settle for water or buy a sugary drink from a convenience store, you just fill up your water bottle and drop in a couple of nuun tabs. by the time you’ve tied your laces or put on your pack, you’ve got a complex electrolyte drink that recharges your salts, but is refreshing and more efficiently absorbed than water alone or most sports drinks on the market.
Said simply
nuun was designed, formulated and tested to keep you optimally hydrated, wherever you are.
nuun is:
portable
nuun comes in a tough tube that is water resistant and perfect for carrying in your hand, bike jersey, pack…wherever. 1 tube = 6 litres (~1.5 gallons) – enough for a good ride or a week at the gym. and if you travel, forget trying to find your normal drink or suffering the indignity of bags of powder bursting in your luggage, a couple of tubes in your bags will get there in one piece and get you through the week of training in colorado or the pyrenees.
balanced
we spent years researching the levels of electrolytes needed for the product to be absorbed the quickest and to provide optimal salt balance to prevent cramping and maximise hydration. an editor of a major triathlon publication used nuun and had “no cramping issues for the first time ever in an ironman”.
refreshing
designed for the active palate, nuun’s got a light flavour that’s not overwhelming when you’re on the go. if you’ve ever watered down sports drinks because they’re too strong, then you’ve made them less easy to absorb; this ultimately defeats the purpose of using them. some call the nuun taste ‘tart’ and that’s probably the best description we’ve found yet, other than ‘just right’!
simple
a bottle of water, 1 nuun per 500ml (~16oz) … doesn’t matter where you are, how windy it is, how much space you’ve got – drop in nuun and you’re good to go.
nuun is not:
no energy
nuun has no carbohydrate. we did this for two reasons:
1) your choice - we believe that you are the best one to manage your carb intake. gels? bars? bananas? pretzels and fruit? your call. we’re all different so what’s right for you isn’t right for us. combining hydration and energy as all other sports drinks do is therefore counter-intuitive to us. we believe you should have the choice on how to refuel. nuun hydrates - optimally.
2) more product - sugar (the carb) is big and bulky. adding even small amounts of sugar bulks up the tabs and results in less drink. if you’re like us, you want a product that actually lasts and goes the distance for a ride/run…so there’s no sugar. with no carb, nuun is perfect for those avoiding carbs, for whatever reason. after all, why drink an energy loaded sports drink in the gym when all you really want is the hydration for spin class? and if you’re on ‘that’ diet,
ever been in a race and used powder in bags? half of it ends up on the floor; and if it’s windy or raining, you end up with half of it glued to your face. oh, and if the bags bursts, you’ve got a sticky mess in your bag and no more drink. powder’s just an outdated solution and has not kept pace with the sports and activities we do.
how much powder to use? where’s the scoop? lost the bottle to measure out the liquid? where to put the trash? not with nuun – 1 tab per 500ml/~16oz.
not fizzy
nuun is an effervescent so that it dissolves quickly and ends up properly mixed (no need for you to shake). but once dissolved, it’s not fizzy…it’s flat. in fact, this has been the hardest thing to achieve and taken us a bit of time, which is why there’s a patent pending on the process.
who uses nuun?
cyclists, triathletes, runners, hikers, yoga-bods, travelers, adventure racers, kids, rowers, motorcyclists, people at work, and anyone else 'doing stuff' while trying to stay properly hydrated. nuun is a complex hydration system that’s easy to use, but the real step forward is that it’s portable, which means you now have a solution wherever you are; in the gym, hiking, adventure racing, running, kayaking, long rides, traveling and even expeditions.
in the gym
gyms are notorious for draining you out. we used to go before/after work and if we didn’t hydrate properly, we left drained after a good class. nuun’s been great for our friends who visit gyms regularly. they keep a tube of nuun in an empty water bottle in their gym bag. at the start of each workout, they fill up at the water fountain and off they go. by the way, you should know the dangers of not cleaning out bottles after they’ve been filled with sugar solutions. nuun’s lack of sugar means you just need to rinse out your bottle and you won’t come back to a furry biochemical disaster next time you open your bag, which we think is rather clever.
bike and run
this is where it started. going out on long rides and refueling half way meant rummaging through the convenience store; often settling for something we’d never heard of, or just going with water - figuring we were on the way home. with nuun you start out with the same drink you finish with, and know that on rides off the beaten track, you have a serious electrolyte hydration source and something that works for you.
adventure racing
i don’t think we need to say much here: nuun offers a perfect balance of electrolytes to ensure the most efficient hydration and is in a sturdy, waterproof, easy-to-carry container. nuun can be used in windy conditions and even on the move, plus one tube will provide 6 litres (~1.5 gallons) of hydration. there’s no surprise that nuun’s become a staple for the adventure racers we know.
in the pool
perfect for lap swimming and now used by several swim groups and instructors we know. hydration is critical while swimming, but given the length of the workout, energy isn’t as important during the exercise. nuun’s focus on total hydration in a portable format (nestled in your bag) is perfect, especially for sea and lake swims…just add the nuun to your bottle and fill up at the fountain.
on the trails
you’re purposely not near convenience stores and often away for days. powders are difficult to carry and horrible to use in windy conditions, so this should be a no-brainer. use your water filter to refill, drop in the nuun and you’ve got the ultimate in hydration and electrolyte replacement as well as having a refreshing flavour.
globe trotting
we’ve been through our fair share of harsh travel holidays: trekking in thailand, bushwacking the outback in oz, multi-day hikes across maine, climbing in the tetons and even just visiting the hustle and bustle of hong kong. we’ve also found ourselves desperate for a drink and looking at the local offerings with no idea what they all are! in environments where the humidity and temperature are high, and you’re more interested in seeing the sights than reclining by the pool, nuun’s portability is perfect. find water, drop in nuun and get going. oh, and send us a postcard, please.
http://www.nuun.com/what-is-nuun.html
INTERESTED????
Stop by my Office and I'll send you out the door with a sample.
NUUN
A PORTABLE ELECTROLYTE HYDRATION
Easier to carry and without the sugar of Gatorade!!!
In real words? imagine being out on a long run or ride, or being in the gym. rather than settle for water or buy a sugary drink from a convenience store, you just fill up your water bottle and drop in a couple of nuun tabs. by the time you’ve tied your laces or put on your pack, you’ve got a complex electrolyte drink that recharges your salts, but is refreshing and more efficiently absorbed than water alone or most sports drinks on the market.
Said simply
nuun was designed, formulated and tested to keep you optimally hydrated, wherever you are.
nuun is:
portable
nuun comes in a tough tube that is water resistant and perfect for carrying in your hand, bike jersey, pack…wherever. 1 tube = 6 litres (~1.5 gallons) – enough for a good ride or a week at the gym. and if you travel, forget trying to find your normal drink or suffering the indignity of bags of powder bursting in your luggage, a couple of tubes in your bags will get there in one piece and get you through the week of training in colorado or the pyrenees.
balanced
we spent years researching the levels of electrolytes needed for the product to be absorbed the quickest and to provide optimal salt balance to prevent cramping and maximise hydration. an editor of a major triathlon publication used nuun and had “no cramping issues for the first time ever in an ironman”.
refreshing
designed for the active palate, nuun’s got a light flavour that’s not overwhelming when you’re on the go. if you’ve ever watered down sports drinks because they’re too strong, then you’ve made them less easy to absorb; this ultimately defeats the purpose of using them. some call the nuun taste ‘tart’ and that’s probably the best description we’ve found yet, other than ‘just right’!
simple
a bottle of water, 1 nuun per 500ml (~16oz) … doesn’t matter where you are, how windy it is, how much space you’ve got – drop in nuun and you’re good to go.
nuun is not:
no energy
nuun has no carbohydrate. we did this for two reasons:
1) your choice - we believe that you are the best one to manage your carb intake. gels? bars? bananas? pretzels and fruit? your call. we’re all different so what’s right for you isn’t right for us. combining hydration and energy as all other sports drinks do is therefore counter-intuitive to us. we believe you should have the choice on how to refuel. nuun hydrates - optimally.
2) more product - sugar (the carb) is big and bulky. adding even small amounts of sugar bulks up the tabs and results in less drink. if you’re like us, you want a product that actually lasts and goes the distance for a ride/run…so there’s no sugar. with no carb, nuun is perfect for those avoiding carbs, for whatever reason. after all, why drink an energy loaded sports drink in the gym when all you really want is the hydration for spin class? and if you’re on ‘that’ diet,
ever been in a race and used powder in bags? half of it ends up on the floor; and if it’s windy or raining, you end up with half of it glued to your face. oh, and if the bags bursts, you’ve got a sticky mess in your bag and no more drink. powder’s just an outdated solution and has not kept pace with the sports and activities we do.
how much powder to use? where’s the scoop? lost the bottle to measure out the liquid? where to put the trash? not with nuun – 1 tab per 500ml/~16oz.
not fizzy
nuun is an effervescent so that it dissolves quickly and ends up properly mixed (no need for you to shake). but once dissolved, it’s not fizzy…it’s flat. in fact, this has been the hardest thing to achieve and taken us a bit of time, which is why there’s a patent pending on the process.
who uses nuun?
cyclists, triathletes, runners, hikers, yoga-bods, travelers, adventure racers, kids, rowers, motorcyclists, people at work, and anyone else 'doing stuff' while trying to stay properly hydrated. nuun is a complex hydration system that’s easy to use, but the real step forward is that it’s portable, which means you now have a solution wherever you are; in the gym, hiking, adventure racing, running, kayaking, long rides, traveling and even expeditions.
in the gym
gyms are notorious for draining you out. we used to go before/after work and if we didn’t hydrate properly, we left drained after a good class. nuun’s been great for our friends who visit gyms regularly. they keep a tube of nuun in an empty water bottle in their gym bag. at the start of each workout, they fill up at the water fountain and off they go. by the way, you should know the dangers of not cleaning out bottles after they’ve been filled with sugar solutions. nuun’s lack of sugar means you just need to rinse out your bottle and you won’t come back to a furry biochemical disaster next time you open your bag, which we think is rather clever.
bike and run
this is where it started. going out on long rides and refueling half way meant rummaging through the convenience store; often settling for something we’d never heard of, or just going with water - figuring we were on the way home. with nuun you start out with the same drink you finish with, and know that on rides off the beaten track, you have a serious electrolyte hydration source and something that works for you.
adventure racing
i don’t think we need to say much here: nuun offers a perfect balance of electrolytes to ensure the most efficient hydration and is in a sturdy, waterproof, easy-to-carry container. nuun can be used in windy conditions and even on the move, plus one tube will provide 6 litres (~1.5 gallons) of hydration. there’s no surprise that nuun’s become a staple for the adventure racers we know.
in the pool
perfect for lap swimming and now used by several swim groups and instructors we know. hydration is critical while swimming, but given the length of the workout, energy isn’t as important during the exercise. nuun’s focus on total hydration in a portable format (nestled in your bag) is perfect, especially for sea and lake swims…just add the nuun to your bottle and fill up at the fountain.
on the trails
you’re purposely not near convenience stores and often away for days. powders are difficult to carry and horrible to use in windy conditions, so this should be a no-brainer. use your water filter to refill, drop in the nuun and you’ve got the ultimate in hydration and electrolyte replacement as well as having a refreshing flavour.
globe trotting
we’ve been through our fair share of harsh travel holidays: trekking in thailand, bushwacking the outback in oz, multi-day hikes across maine, climbing in the tetons and even just visiting the hustle and bustle of hong kong. we’ve also found ourselves desperate for a drink and looking at the local offerings with no idea what they all are! in environments where the humidity and temperature are high, and you’re more interested in seeing the sights than reclining by the pool, nuun’s portability is perfect. find water, drop in nuun and get going. oh, and send us a postcard, please.
http://www.nuun.com/what-is-nuun.html
INTERESTED????
Stop by my Office and I'll send you out the door with a sample.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Another Monthly Winner @ Massage with Style (September)
Massage with Style has another Session Winner... Kayla Boyle of Washougal, WA
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Liz
Elizabeth A Stiles, BS, LMP, MR
Massage with Style
1700 Main Street, Suite 204
Washougal, WA 98671
PH: 360 844-5973
FAX: 360 844-5974
email: liz@massagewithstyle.com
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Liz
Elizabeth A Stiles, BS, LMP, MR
Massage with Style
1700 Main Street, Suite 204
Washougal, WA 98671
PH: 360 844-5973
FAX: 360 844-5974
email: liz@massagewithstyle.com
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Make your appointment online
You can now book your appointments online! By offering online scheduling you will be able to:
* Schedule 24/7: Schedule your appointment when it's convenient for you; whether that's 3 p.m. or 3 a.m.
* Manage Your Appointments: After creating your account, you can view past and upcoming appointments and even reschedule if needed.
* Schedule from Your Phone: Make appointments straight from your BlackBerry or iPhone.
* Receive Reminders: When you schedule online, you will receive an e-mail reminding you of your appointment.
Schedule Now or Create Your Account for Later with Massage with Style, www.schedulicity.com
* Schedule 24/7: Schedule your appointment when it's convenient for you; whether that's 3 p.m. or 3 a.m.
* Manage Your Appointments: After creating your account, you can view past and upcoming appointments and even reschedule if needed.
* Schedule from Your Phone: Make appointments straight from your BlackBerry or iPhone.
* Receive Reminders: When you schedule online, you will receive an e-mail reminding you of your appointment.
Schedule Now or Create Your Account for Later with Massage with Style, www.schedulicity.com
More Motion Equals Improved Health
Exercise and massage have one important element in common: they both get your body in motion. And as a general rule, more motion means improved health.
Much of the media coverage on exercise seems to focus on looking better and losing weight. These are great goals, but apparently not good enough to inspire most people to exercise regularly. More important results of being active are those that occur unseen, deep within your body.
Why is movement critical to proper health? Just consider the inner workings of your body. Like a sprawling city, you’re composed of trillions of cells that all require and generate energy. When your lifestyle includes lots of physical movement, it’s similar to a well-designed city’s traffic flow—the energy of the city is kept in motion, with everybody able to get to work on time. Deliveries of life-enhancing products get to where they need to be, renovations on older structures get completed on schedule, and the industrial waste is efficiently removed. And like a well-tuned machine, we only notice how the system is working when we get stuck in traffic.
All of these internal activities require a constant state of motion. Even while you sleep your body is hard at work, making repairs and preparing for the coming day.
So what does massage have to do with all this? The truth is that most of us don’t make the commitment to use our bodies the way they were designed to be used. Massage is a great way to put a little motion in your life without even breaking a sweat! While you relax and unwind, your body enjoys the benefits of the countless internal motions brought about by the bodywork strokes.
In Dean Juhan’s book, Job’s Body, he says, “Every part of us is continually undergoing dynamic changes, from liquid ... states to solid gel states and back again as we grow, move, learn, and age, and no single part ever changes its state without sending reverberations out to all the other parts.”
Since massage sessions are full-body treatments, you get the benefit of contributing life-enhancing motion from head to toe—without lifting a finger!
Much of the media coverage on exercise seems to focus on looking better and losing weight. These are great goals, but apparently not good enough to inspire most people to exercise regularly. More important results of being active are those that occur unseen, deep within your body.
Why is movement critical to proper health? Just consider the inner workings of your body. Like a sprawling city, you’re composed of trillions of cells that all require and generate energy. When your lifestyle includes lots of physical movement, it’s similar to a well-designed city’s traffic flow—the energy of the city is kept in motion, with everybody able to get to work on time. Deliveries of life-enhancing products get to where they need to be, renovations on older structures get completed on schedule, and the industrial waste is efficiently removed. And like a well-tuned machine, we only notice how the system is working when we get stuck in traffic.
All of these internal activities require a constant state of motion. Even while you sleep your body is hard at work, making repairs and preparing for the coming day.
So what does massage have to do with all this? The truth is that most of us don’t make the commitment to use our bodies the way they were designed to be used. Massage is a great way to put a little motion in your life without even breaking a sweat! While you relax and unwind, your body enjoys the benefits of the countless internal motions brought about by the bodywork strokes.
In Dean Juhan’s book, Job’s Body, he says, “Every part of us is continually undergoing dynamic changes, from liquid ... states to solid gel states and back again as we grow, move, learn, and age, and no single part ever changes its state without sending reverberations out to all the other parts.”
Since massage sessions are full-body treatments, you get the benefit of contributing life-enhancing motion from head to toe—without lifting a finger!
NOW AT MASSAGE WITH STYLE
The next time your in for a massage, Liz now has both Sombra and Biofreeze product available to purchase to be used between those sessions. Not sure which one to use, try both! While Sombra is perfect for those sore muscles, Biofreeze is great to use on the sore joints.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Reflexology: Cranio-Sacral Reflexology (CSR)
Cranial-sacral reflexology is a modality of Reflexology, which is a complementary therapy, that may be undertaken on its own or together with your regular medical care.
CSR is a holistic therapy that aims to help the whole individual; and to support the body’s own healing abilities. This is done by reducing stress and allowing the body to truly relax. Doing this the body can repair and recuperate.
Reflexology has been described as a specialized type of foot massage, where the reflexologist uses their hands to apply gentle pressure to specific areas on the client’s foot, like a specialized form of acupressure.
The rhythm of the cranial sacral system is fundamental to life and offers an opportunity to evaluate the health and well-being of the individual.
This unique combination of reflexology and aspects of cranial sacral therapy, Cranial-Sacral Reflexology, produces a treatment that other therapists are finding increases clients ability in alleviating their symptoms.
Many conditions including infant colic, sinus headaches, neck and back pain, whiplash injuries, and cancers of all kinds can be safely treated.
Interested in learning more, contact Liz at 'Massage with Style'.
Elizabeth A Stiles, BS, LMP, MR
Massage with Style
1700 Main Street, Suite 204
Washougal, WA 98671
PH: 360 844-5973
FAX: 360 844-5974
email: liz@massagewithstyle.com
CSR is a holistic therapy that aims to help the whole individual; and to support the body’s own healing abilities. This is done by reducing stress and allowing the body to truly relax. Doing this the body can repair and recuperate.
Reflexology has been described as a specialized type of foot massage, where the reflexologist uses their hands to apply gentle pressure to specific areas on the client’s foot, like a specialized form of acupressure.
The rhythm of the cranial sacral system is fundamental to life and offers an opportunity to evaluate the health and well-being of the individual.
This unique combination of reflexology and aspects of cranial sacral therapy, Cranial-Sacral Reflexology, produces a treatment that other therapists are finding increases clients ability in alleviating their symptoms.
Many conditions including infant colic, sinus headaches, neck and back pain, whiplash injuries, and cancers of all kinds can be safely treated.
Interested in learning more, contact Liz at 'Massage with Style'.
Elizabeth A Stiles, BS, LMP, MR
Massage with Style
1700 Main Street, Suite 204
Washougal, WA 98671
PH: 360 844-5973
FAX: 360 844-5974
email: liz@massagewithstyle.com
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
ENTER for a FREE Massage at Massage with Style
There has already been one monthly winner in our Free Massage Drawing... Your missing out, it's not everyday that you are offered a Massage Session for Free. Next drawing will be on the 15th of the month. Liz is 'THINKING' of you at Massage with Style!
I've been wondering...
Q: Why is it I feel great after most massage sessions, but sometimes I feel run down for a day?
A: Massage brings change to your body, and most of the time you feel invigorated and renewed after your session. When you feel less than terrific afterwords, the first question to ask is: Are you drinking plenty of pure water? The most common reason for feeling a little run down, etc. is that the massage has begun a detoxification process, and your body has released toxins and cellular waste into the bloodstream for disposal. Water helps your body to eliminate these toxins, just like the rinse cycle in the washing machine helps to remove dirt from your clothes that’s been loosened by the wash cycle. When you cut short or skip this vital step, you run the chance of letting this waste material redistribute in your body.
Water is one of the easiest health aids you can incorporate into your life. Make sure you drink several glasses every day—especially following your massage!
A: Massage brings change to your body, and most of the time you feel invigorated and renewed after your session. When you feel less than terrific afterwords, the first question to ask is: Are you drinking plenty of pure water? The most common reason for feeling a little run down, etc. is that the massage has begun a detoxification process, and your body has released toxins and cellular waste into the bloodstream for disposal. Water helps your body to eliminate these toxins, just like the rinse cycle in the washing machine helps to remove dirt from your clothes that’s been loosened by the wash cycle. When you cut short or skip this vital step, you run the chance of letting this waste material redistribute in your body.
Water is one of the easiest health aids you can incorporate into your life. Make sure you drink several glasses every day—especially following your massage!
Reducing stress
• Identify the causes of stress in your life.
• Share your thoughts and feelings.
• Simplify your life as much as possible.
• Manage your time & conserve your energy.
• Set short-term and life goals for yourself.
• Do not turn to drugs and alcohol.
• Become as mentally and physically fit as possible.
• Develop a sense of humor and have some fun.
• Get help to cope with hard-to-solve problems. (*3)
• Share your thoughts and feelings.
• Simplify your life as much as possible.
• Manage your time & conserve your energy.
• Set short-term and life goals for yourself.
• Do not turn to drugs and alcohol.
• Become as mentally and physically fit as possible.
• Develop a sense of humor and have some fun.
• Get help to cope with hard-to-solve problems. (*3)
Body facts ...
80% of your brain is occupied with keeping your body upright in space.
The human skeleton has 206 bones with many shapes, but not one straight bone.
Your two feet together contain a quarter of all the bones in your body.
During a typical day, your feet endure a cumulative force of several hundred tons.
From Body Mechanics for Manual Therapists,
by Barbara Frye © 2000
All rights reserved. Used with permission.
The human skeleton has 206 bones with many shapes, but not one straight bone.
Your two feet together contain a quarter of all the bones in your body.
During a typical day, your feet endure a cumulative force of several hundred tons.
From Body Mechanics for Manual Therapists,
by Barbara Frye © 2000
All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Beating Stress Before it Beats You
Let’s start off with the good news—massage is a great health aid that has been shown to reduce stress and its accompanying physical health threats. An Internet search on “effects of stress” supplied over 250,000 related articles, and most of the references in this issue are excerpted from the results. For instance:
Under severe stress, when muscles are over-worked, the body shows many weakening symptoms such as soreness, stiffness, and even muscle spasms. Heightened stress responses accumulate lactic acid in the muscle and waste air inside the body. It exhausts the body and de-motivates the mind to remain energized and active.
Under severe stress, when muscles are over-worked, the body shows many weakening symptoms such as soreness, stiffness, and even muscle spasms. Heightened stress responses accumulate lactic acid in the muscle and waste air inside the body. It exhausts the body and de-motivates the mind to remain energized and active.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
How Does Stress Affect Health?
The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. Stress can be positive, keeping us alert and ready to avoid danger. Stress becomes negative when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between challenges. As a result, the person becomes overworked, and stress-related tension builds.
Stress that continues without relief can lead to a condition called distress—a negative stress reaction. Distress can disturb the body’s internal balance or equilibrium—leading to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases.
Stress also becomes harmful when people use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs to try to relieve their stress. Unfortunately, instead of relieving the stress and returning the body to a relaxed state, these substances tend to keep the body in a stressed state and cause more problems. Consider the following facts:
• Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.
• Seventy-five to 90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
• Stress is linked to six of the leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide.
Stress that continues without relief can lead to a condition called distress—a negative stress reaction. Distress can disturb the body’s internal balance or equilibrium—leading to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases.
Stress also becomes harmful when people use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs to try to relieve their stress. Unfortunately, instead of relieving the stress and returning the body to a relaxed state, these substances tend to keep the body in a stressed state and cause more problems. Consider the following facts:
• Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.
• Seventy-five to 90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
• Stress is linked to six of the leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
How Stress Makes Us Old
It’s long been suspected that a difficult life can make people look old before their time. New research shows that stress actually does age us prematurely—right down to our DNA. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, studied the DNA of 39 women who had spent years caring for their chronically ill children. They specifically examined the women’s telomeres, which are pieces of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes and play a critical role in cell division. Each time a cell divides, the telomeres shorten; they therefore can serve as a marker of a cell’s biological age. The women with chronically ill children, the study found, had shorter telomeres than a group of women with healthy kids. The more stressed the woman, the greater the wear on her DNA. The difference was so dramatic that the researchers estimated that the cells of the highly stressed moms had undergone the equivalent of 10 years of additional aging compared to the low-stress group. “Older” cells, in turn, can be vulnerable to a host of diseases. “If we feel stress, it needs to be taken seriously,” Elissa Epel tells New Scientist. “It may be embodied at the cellular level.” —The Week, Dec. 17, 2004
References:
1. www.lifepositive.com
2. www.my.webmd.com
3. www.arthritis.about.com
References:
1. www.lifepositive.com
2. www.my.webmd.com
3. www.arthritis.about.com
Stress Management
The University of Washington, Department of Orthopedics, lists three components of a successful stress management program: learn how to reduce stress; learn how to accept what you cannot change; and learn how to overcome the harmful effects of stress.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Why Massage is Rejuvenating:
• Massage improves circulation of blood and lymphatic fluids. Increased blood flow brings fresh oxygen to body tissues.
• Increased oxygen flow eliminates waste products from inside the body, and enhances recovery from diseases.
• Therapeutic massage boosts circulatory and immune systems to benefit blood pressure, circulation, muscle tone, digestion, and skin tone. It also improves the performance of the lungs.
• As muscle tone improves, so do the nerves that connect them, including the spinal cord and the brain.
• Therapeutic massage can promote general well being, enhance confidence, and self-assuredness.
• Massage is an excellent relaxant that also increases health and well being.
• Increased oxygen flow eliminates waste products from inside the body, and enhances recovery from diseases.
• Therapeutic massage boosts circulatory and immune systems to benefit blood pressure, circulation, muscle tone, digestion, and skin tone. It also improves the performance of the lungs.
• As muscle tone improves, so do the nerves that connect them, including the spinal cord and the brain.
• Therapeutic massage can promote general well being, enhance confidence, and self-assuredness.
• Massage is an excellent relaxant that also increases health and well being.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Massage may prevent SIDS: pediatrician
With all my Pregnant MOM's out there I felt it was time to bring in some food for thought... We always need to stay up on the, what could, what would, education.
Danny Rose
February 9, 2010
AAP
Parents have a therapy at their fingertips that may offer their baby protection against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), an Australian pediatrician says.
Reducing a newborn's SIDS risk could be as simple as massaging them, said Associate Professor Graham Reynolds, as the practice was known to naturally boost a baby's serotonin levels.
His advice comes after a US-based, but Australian-led, study last week identified a common lack of the neurotransmitter among babies who had died from the mysterious syndrome.
Advertisement: Story continues below
"Scientists have known for a long time that touch and skin-to-skin contact play a major role in the development of serotonin pathways in babies brains," said Dr Reynolds, who is Director of Paediatric Research at The Canberra Hospital and also patron of the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM).
"Now that a link between serotonin and SIDS has been established, more research is needed to find out whether infant massage may help further reduce the rates of SIDS, in conjunction with the Safe Sleeping Guidelines."
As well as playing a role in mood and behaviour, serotonin acts as a regulator of the body's basic life-sustaining functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, sleep cycles and respiration.
The Boston-based study last week suggested babies born with a lack of serotonin were at heightened risk of succumbing to environmental factors also known to contribute to SIDS.
These include sleeping in a position other than face-up and parental smoking during pregnancy, or in the home after birth.
Dr Reynolds said it was important to note there was not yet direct evidence linking infant massage to a reduced risk of SIDS, and that parents seeking to learn the technique should be trained by a Certified Infant Massage Instructor.
The IAIM (online at www.iaim.com.au) is a not-for-profit organisation that offers classes in infant massage to promote healthy bonds between children and parents or caregivers across the country.
"The other benefits of infant massage are so well documented in the scientific research that there is every reason for parents to learn the basics of infant massage," Dr Reynolds said.
"Studies ... show being massaged by a parent not only increases serotonin availability in a baby's brain, but that infant massage also reduces the baby's chance of developing depression, violent behaviours or other mental health difficulties later in life."
Public awareness campaigns on safe sleeping practices have lead to a decline in SIDS deaths though the syndrome still claims one in 2000 apparently healthy children.
For more information, visit www.sidsandkids.org.
© 2010 AAP
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/massage-may-prevent-sids-pediatrician-20100209-nnwa.html
Parents Urged to Get Hands-On to Prevent SIDS
Danny Rose
February 9, 2010
AAP
Parents have a therapy at their fingertips that may offer their baby protection against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), an Australian pediatrician says.
Reducing a newborn's SIDS risk could be as simple as massaging them, said Associate Professor Graham Reynolds, as the practice was known to naturally boost a baby's serotonin levels.
His advice comes after a US-based, but Australian-led, study last week identified a common lack of the neurotransmitter among babies who had died from the mysterious syndrome.
Advertisement: Story continues below
"Scientists have known for a long time that touch and skin-to-skin contact play a major role in the development of serotonin pathways in babies brains," said Dr Reynolds, who is Director of Paediatric Research at The Canberra Hospital and also patron of the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM).
"Now that a link between serotonin and SIDS has been established, more research is needed to find out whether infant massage may help further reduce the rates of SIDS, in conjunction with the Safe Sleeping Guidelines."
As well as playing a role in mood and behaviour, serotonin acts as a regulator of the body's basic life-sustaining functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, sleep cycles and respiration.
The Boston-based study last week suggested babies born with a lack of serotonin were at heightened risk of succumbing to environmental factors also known to contribute to SIDS.
These include sleeping in a position other than face-up and parental smoking during pregnancy, or in the home after birth.
Dr Reynolds said it was important to note there was not yet direct evidence linking infant massage to a reduced risk of SIDS, and that parents seeking to learn the technique should be trained by a Certified Infant Massage Instructor.
The IAIM (online at www.iaim.com.au) is a not-for-profit organisation that offers classes in infant massage to promote healthy bonds between children and parents or caregivers across the country.
"The other benefits of infant massage are so well documented in the scientific research that there is every reason for parents to learn the basics of infant massage," Dr Reynolds said.
"Studies ... show being massaged by a parent not only increases serotonin availability in a baby's brain, but that infant massage also reduces the baby's chance of developing depression, violent behaviours or other mental health difficulties later in life."
Public awareness campaigns on safe sleeping practices have lead to a decline in SIDS deaths though the syndrome still claims one in 2000 apparently healthy children.
For more information, visit www.sidsandkids.org.
© 2010 AAP
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/massage-may-prevent-sids-pediatrician-20100209-nnwa.html
Parents Urged to Get Hands-On to Prevent SIDS
Monday, August 9, 2010
The Ultimate Health Drink
One of the most common messages that massage therapists impart is: “Be sure to drink plenty of water!” Drinking adequate amounts of pure water is one of the simplest ways to help your body to be healthier! And what better time to do so than when the weather is hot! If you haven’t developed the water habit yet, read on to learn why you really should.
The following passages are excerpted from an online article written by S. Jhoanna Robledo:
“Health-care providers say water nourishes the entire body. ‘Water is a life-sustaining beverage,’ says Leslie Bonci, a registered dietician and author of The American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion. ‘Every organ in the body needs water.’
“Keeping the GI tract in fine working order
For water to get where it’s needed, it must be absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract. When you drink water, it travels quickly down the esophagus, through the stomach and into the intestines, where it’s partially diffused into the bloodstream, hydrating the body’s cells. The kidneys and the bladder make use of some of the water, and what’s left goes into the large intestine to move fecal matter.
“ ‘Water helps flush the system,’ says Dr. Donald F. Kirby, a gastroenterologist and chief of the nutrition section at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond, Va. When there aren’t enough fluids in the colon, patients suffer from constipation, a common gastrointestinal ailment.
“And one solution to constipation—eating a diet rich in fiber, which can be found in fruits, vegetables and whole grain—can’t work without adequate intake of fluids. ‘Fiber draws water from all sources in the body to make stools softer and easier to pass through,’ says Bonci.
“Water may also play a role in preventing colorectal cancer. The Mayo Clinic cites a study that showed that women who drank more than five glasses of water a day had a risk of colon cancer that was 45 percent less than that of those who drank two or fewer glasses a day.
“ ‘If you’re drinking enough fluids, you’re moving things more efficiently and quickly so toxins won’t be sitting in your gut for too long,’ says Bonci.”
The following passages are excerpted from an online article written by S. Jhoanna Robledo:
“Health-care providers say water nourishes the entire body. ‘Water is a life-sustaining beverage,’ says Leslie Bonci, a registered dietician and author of The American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion. ‘Every organ in the body needs water.’
“Keeping the GI tract in fine working order
For water to get where it’s needed, it must be absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract. When you drink water, it travels quickly down the esophagus, through the stomach and into the intestines, where it’s partially diffused into the bloodstream, hydrating the body’s cells. The kidneys and the bladder make use of some of the water, and what’s left goes into the large intestine to move fecal matter.
“ ‘Water helps flush the system,’ says Dr. Donald F. Kirby, a gastroenterologist and chief of the nutrition section at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond, Va. When there aren’t enough fluids in the colon, patients suffer from constipation, a common gastrointestinal ailment.
“And one solution to constipation—eating a diet rich in fiber, which can be found in fruits, vegetables and whole grain—can’t work without adequate intake of fluids. ‘Fiber draws water from all sources in the body to make stools softer and easier to pass through,’ says Bonci.
“Water may also play a role in preventing colorectal cancer. The Mayo Clinic cites a study that showed that women who drank more than five glasses of water a day had a risk of colon cancer that was 45 percent less than that of those who drank two or fewer glasses a day.
“ ‘If you’re drinking enough fluids, you’re moving things more efficiently and quickly so toxins won’t be sitting in your gut for too long,’ says Bonci.”
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
CrossFit 2010 Games - Congratulation !!! Nathan and Team Vancouver, WA
Congratulations goes out to CrossFit Vancouver, WA Team and Nathan L.
First time at, 'The CrossFit Fittest On Earth Games 2010', in Carson, CA the weekend of July 16 - 18, 2010. Team CrossFit Vancouver, came home as the Champions.
What are the CrossFit Games?
The CrossFit Games are the ultimate test of fitness. It's a grueling three-day competition in which the world's fittest athletes compete in a variety of workouts. What are the workouts? Each year they change, and the details of them are not announced until a couple days before the event. This means that all year long, the athletes are training for a competition whose format is almost completely a mystery.
What is CrossFit?
CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.
Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.
The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs.
The needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree not kind. Our terrorist hunters, skiers, mountain bike riders and housewives have found their best fitness from the same regimen. CrossFit Elite Fitness
Local CrossFit Groups
* Camas CrossFit
* Vancouver
Brass Ring CrossFit
The Workout CrossFit
CrossFit Fort Vancouver
Challenge Fitness CrossFit
CrossFit Epiphany
First time at, 'The CrossFit Fittest On Earth Games 2010', in Carson, CA the weekend of July 16 - 18, 2010. Team CrossFit Vancouver, came home as the Champions.
What are the CrossFit Games?
The CrossFit Games are the ultimate test of fitness. It's a grueling three-day competition in which the world's fittest athletes compete in a variety of workouts. What are the workouts? Each year they change, and the details of them are not announced until a couple days before the event. This means that all year long, the athletes are training for a competition whose format is almost completely a mystery.
What is CrossFit?
CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.
Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.
The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs.
The needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree not kind. Our terrorist hunters, skiers, mountain bike riders and housewives have found their best fitness from the same regimen. CrossFit Elite Fitness
Local CrossFit Groups
* Camas CrossFit
* Vancouver
Brass Ring CrossFit
The Workout CrossFit
CrossFit Fort Vancouver
Challenge Fitness CrossFit
CrossFit Epiphany
Monday, August 2, 2010
Drink the Water!
Water is a vital ingredient to good health. Unfortunately, far too many people just don’t drink enough water.
In her book Your Natural Health Makeover, naturopathic physician Dr. Lauri Aesoph gives the following reasons to include adequate pure water in your daily diet:
1) Water, (not soda or juice) makes up 70% of the adult body
2) Water helps clear the body of waste material
3) Water helps fight constipation and aids digestion
4) Water helps lubricate joints
5) Water aids cell function and is an important solvent in the body
6) Water vapor in the lungs helps control oxygen concentration there
7) Water helps control body temperature
8) Inadequate water intake may result in fatigue and general body aches
If you are one of those people who has a hard time drinking enough water, you can try this: Make a commitment to drink only water for several days. (You should be drinking about 8-10 eight ounce glasses every day.) Notice how you feel and what changes you experience. Hopefully you’ll be ready to continue making water your main source of liquid.
Most natural health authorities agree that you should avoid tap water and seek a source of pure water (like bottled or spring water).
It’s true that you should drink plenty of water following each massage session because your body is busy eliminating toxins. If you don’t get enough water, these toxins will stay in your system—often causing some physical discomfort—and you’ve lessened a major benefit of your massage.
Drinking enough water is one of the easiest and most important steps you can take to improve your health, so make it a priority!
In her book Your Natural Health Makeover, naturopathic physician Dr. Lauri Aesoph gives the following reasons to include adequate pure water in your daily diet:
1) Water, (not soda or juice) makes up 70% of the adult body
2) Water helps clear the body of waste material
3) Water helps fight constipation and aids digestion
4) Water helps lubricate joints
5) Water aids cell function and is an important solvent in the body
6) Water vapor in the lungs helps control oxygen concentration there
7) Water helps control body temperature
8) Inadequate water intake may result in fatigue and general body aches
If you are one of those people who has a hard time drinking enough water, you can try this: Make a commitment to drink only water for several days. (You should be drinking about 8-10 eight ounce glasses every day.) Notice how you feel and what changes you experience. Hopefully you’ll be ready to continue making water your main source of liquid.
Most natural health authorities agree that you should avoid tap water and seek a source of pure water (like bottled or spring water).
It’s true that you should drink plenty of water following each massage session because your body is busy eliminating toxins. If you don’t get enough water, these toxins will stay in your system—often causing some physical discomfort—and you’ve lessened a major benefit of your massage.
Drinking enough water is one of the easiest and most important steps you can take to improve your health, so make it a priority!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Make Time for Massage!
This can be one of the busiest times of the year for most people. Already full schedules become further taxed with the demands of the season. Just when you most need your highest energy levels and your health, you get the challenge of more stressful days. Could there be a better time to get a well-deserved massage session?
At these times when you’re juggling so many activities, it’s easy to create a lot of the mental stress yourself just by dwelling on how much you still have to accomplish. One tip that may give you some needed mental relief is to put all those activities on your calendar so you can see exactly what you have to do (and when). You may find this helps you to unburden your mental load, especially if you can now concentrate on just getting through the next thing on your list.
While you’re working on your schedule, see where you can work in your next massage session. It can go such a long way to help you cope with everything else in your life!
Here are a few of the more important health benefits your regular massage sessions offer you:
Stress relief—Much more is happening within your body than you may realize when it comes to stress. All those worries and concerns result in hormonal changes that throw your body’s chemicals out of balance and can play havoc with your health. (You can see why eighty percent of illness is stress-related!) One of the main reasons you feel more relaxed after a massage is that stress-causing hormones consistently are reduced by massage.
Better sleep—In the National Sleep Foundation’s “Sleep in America” poll, it’s reported that as many as 47 million adults aren’t meeting their minimum sleep needs. Bodies need adequate rest to remain healthy and to function properly. Studies show that regular massage promotes better sleep patterns.
Overall improved body functions— Virtually every area of the body has been shown to be improved by regular massage. These many life-improving benefits can include:
• reducing blood pressure
• boosting the immune system
• contributing to the detoxification process
• stimulating nerve function that produces changes throughout the body
• improving muscle function and joint mobility
Each massage can help you in so many ways! No matter how hectic your life is, maintaining your health is vital to your future. Please be sure to make time for your massage sessions, so you can feel your best every day and be there for those who need you!
At these times when you’re juggling so many activities, it’s easy to create a lot of the mental stress yourself just by dwelling on how much you still have to accomplish. One tip that may give you some needed mental relief is to put all those activities on your calendar so you can see exactly what you have to do (and when). You may find this helps you to unburden your mental load, especially if you can now concentrate on just getting through the next thing on your list.
While you’re working on your schedule, see where you can work in your next massage session. It can go such a long way to help you cope with everything else in your life!
Here are a few of the more important health benefits your regular massage sessions offer you:
Stress relief—Much more is happening within your body than you may realize when it comes to stress. All those worries and concerns result in hormonal changes that throw your body’s chemicals out of balance and can play havoc with your health. (You can see why eighty percent of illness is stress-related!) One of the main reasons you feel more relaxed after a massage is that stress-causing hormones consistently are reduced by massage.
Better sleep—In the National Sleep Foundation’s “Sleep in America” poll, it’s reported that as many as 47 million adults aren’t meeting their minimum sleep needs. Bodies need adequate rest to remain healthy and to function properly. Studies show that regular massage promotes better sleep patterns.
Overall improved body functions— Virtually every area of the body has been shown to be improved by regular massage. These many life-improving benefits can include:
• reducing blood pressure
• boosting the immune system
• contributing to the detoxification process
• stimulating nerve function that produces changes throughout the body
• improving muscle function and joint mobility
Each massage can help you in so many ways! No matter how hectic your life is, maintaining your health is vital to your future. Please be sure to make time for your massage sessions, so you can feel your best every day and be there for those who need you!
Sleep: Good Medicine
“Here’s another reason you should try to get a good night’s sleep: Slumber can help keep you cancer-free, says a new study. Researchers at Stanford University Medical Center found that disrupted sleep changes hormone levels in the body, making it more vulnerable to some kinds of cancer. One hormone produced by the brain during sleep is melatonin, which helps prevent cancer by mopping up cell-damaging compounds called free radicals. But when sleep rhythms are disturbed, less melatonin is made. Another hormone impeded by sleep deprivation is cortisol, which helps regulate immune-system activity. ‘Although having cancer might be something to lose sleep over,’ Stanford’s Dr. David Spiegel says, ‘we’d rather help people regain the sleep and lose the cancer.’ ”
—The Week, 10/17/03
Remember, studies show that massage can help improve sleep patterns and increase melatonin levels, helping you get that good night’s sleep you need! Pleasant dreams. . . .
—The Week, 10/17/03
Remember, studies show that massage can help improve sleep patterns and increase melatonin levels, helping you get that good night’s sleep you need! Pleasant dreams. . . .
Hints for a Healthy Holiday
The busier you are, the easier it is to overlook those important aspects that contribute to a healthy and happy life. And what busier time is there than the end-of-year holiday season? Here are a few tips:
• Know when to say “No, thanks.” There’s so much to do at this time of year, and many people find it difficult to say “no.” Do what you can, but know where you need to draw the line. You don’t want to push yourself too hard and end up in bed, recovering.
• Plan ahead. With so many tasty temptations available at this time of year, it’s wise to decide before you hit the parties what you’re willing to consume. Remember that your body must pay the price if you choose to overindulge, so try to decide in advance how to handle your holiday feasting. And be sure to drink plenty of pure water; it’s the “rinse cycle” that helps to cleanse your body internally.
• Feeling valuable
contributes to your happiness. Include in your life activities that give you a sense of purpose. Helping others offers major personal rewards. Choose things that have meaning to you.
• Take care of yourself with massage. De-stress, stay relaxed, and help keep your body functioning smoothly. Take those vital few minutes just for you—put the rest of the world on hold for a couple of hours while you take care of yourself. When you make the commitment, you and your life will be better for it!
© 2006 Massage Marketing. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
• Know when to say “No, thanks.” There’s so much to do at this time of year, and many people find it difficult to say “no.” Do what you can, but know where you need to draw the line. You don’t want to push yourself too hard and end up in bed, recovering.
• Plan ahead. With so many tasty temptations available at this time of year, it’s wise to decide before you hit the parties what you’re willing to consume. Remember that your body must pay the price if you choose to overindulge, so try to decide in advance how to handle your holiday feasting. And be sure to drink plenty of pure water; it’s the “rinse cycle” that helps to cleanse your body internally.
• Feeling valuable
contributes to your happiness. Include in your life activities that give you a sense of purpose. Helping others offers major personal rewards. Choose things that have meaning to you.
• Take care of yourself with massage. De-stress, stay relaxed, and help keep your body functioning smoothly. Take those vital few minutes just for you—put the rest of the world on hold for a couple of hours while you take care of yourself. When you make the commitment, you and your life will be better for it!
© 2006 Massage Marketing. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Massage Therapy Popular for Pain Management and Relief
“Most adult Americans believe that massage therapy can be beneficial in managing and relieving pain, and a new consumer survey released ... by the American Massage Therapy Association® (AMTA®) reveals that nearly half the people surveyed (49 percent) have acted on that belief and used massage therapy for pain. In fact, 90 percent of consumers believe that massage therapy can be effective in reducing pain. Among those who have received massage for pain, massage therapy followed only medication as the form of pain relief respondents said gave the greatest relief from pain. ... Consumers are so convinced about the benefits of massage therapy that 65 percent would recommend it to someone they know.
“Consumers aren’t the only ones who recognize massage therapy can be beneficial to overall health and wellness. Healthcare providers are increasingly discussing the benefits of massage with their patients. In fact, one in five consumers (20 percent) indicated they had discussed massage therapy with their doctor or other healthcare provider. ... Among those who discussed massage therapy with their healthcare provider, 62 percent said massage was strongly recommended or encouraged for them. Physicians were the most likely to recommend massage therapy. ...
“ ‘Massage therapy continues to be popular for relaxation and stress relief, and this year’s survey findings demonstrate that consumers and their healthcare providers recognize that massage therapy has many health benefits, including the ability to help manage and relieve pain,’ said Laurel J. Freeman, president of AMTA. ‘Clinical research has shown that massage is effective in caring for a broad range of ailments, and can be more effective for chronic back pain than other complementary therapies. It can help alleviate the perception of pain and anxiety in cancer patients, lessen pain in those who have undergone heart bypass surgery, and stimulate the brain to produce endorphins.’ Massage therapy also can help relieve stress and help reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Research has shown that massage can boost the body’s immune system functioning and increase the body’s natural “killer cells” activity.” (from AMTA website)
“Consumers aren’t the only ones who recognize massage therapy can be beneficial to overall health and wellness. Healthcare providers are increasingly discussing the benefits of massage with their patients. In fact, one in five consumers (20 percent) indicated they had discussed massage therapy with their doctor or other healthcare provider. ... Among those who discussed massage therapy with their healthcare provider, 62 percent said massage was strongly recommended or encouraged for them. Physicians were the most likely to recommend massage therapy. ...
“ ‘Massage therapy continues to be popular for relaxation and stress relief, and this year’s survey findings demonstrate that consumers and their healthcare providers recognize that massage therapy has many health benefits, including the ability to help manage and relieve pain,’ said Laurel J. Freeman, president of AMTA. ‘Clinical research has shown that massage is effective in caring for a broad range of ailments, and can be more effective for chronic back pain than other complementary therapies. It can help alleviate the perception of pain and anxiety in cancer patients, lessen pain in those who have undergone heart bypass surgery, and stimulate the brain to produce endorphins.’ Massage therapy also can help relieve stress and help reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Research has shown that massage can boost the body’s immune system functioning and increase the body’s natural “killer cells” activity.” (from AMTA website)
What Really Makes Us Happy?
Before the new year gets underway and you jump back into your busy life, this is an excellent time to reflect on the true source of happiness. According to an article by Jan Eickmeier at Prevention magazine, the answer is simple: “family, friends, meaningful activities, and the ability to forgive.
“The happiest people don’t try to compete with some materialistic ideal; indeed, materialism can be toxic to happiness. One important component of happiness is being able to lose yourself in a task or hobby. ... Marriage and close family ties are also important antidotes to unhappiness.
“Ed Diener, PhD, a professor at the University of Illinois and co-editor of ‘Well-Being,’ a scientific work on happiness has found that there is no one recipe for happiness, but that almost all happy people have good friends.”
© 2006 Massage Marketing. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
“The happiest people don’t try to compete with some materialistic ideal; indeed, materialism can be toxic to happiness. One important component of happiness is being able to lose yourself in a task or hobby. ... Marriage and close family ties are also important antidotes to unhappiness.
“Ed Diener, PhD, a professor at the University of Illinois and co-editor of ‘Well-Being,’ a scientific work on happiness has found that there is no one recipe for happiness, but that almost all happy people have good friends.”
© 2006 Massage Marketing. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
In other health news ... Value of Massage
Cancer center embraces massage
“...Traditional hospitals nationwide are slowly waking to the realization that massage therapy’s positive effects are indubitably quality-of-life enhancing.
“Nowhere is this more clear than in the Integrative Medicine Service facility of New York City’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, one of the most respected hospitals in the world. The hospital, the world’s oldest and largest private institution dedicated to the prevention and treatment of cancer, has quietly added massage therapy to its patient services . . .
“The facility’s primary purpose is to help alleviate pain and suffering of those living with cancer . . .
“Kay White has been a regular outpatient client at the center ever since beginning treatment for breast cancer two years ago. She ... now comes once a week for massage . . . ‘I walk out of there and feel like you could drive a Mack truck over me and I wouldn’t feel it. I come now to remain healthy, and I can almost feel all the toxins leaving my body after a massage. It’s helped my breathing, my posture and I know it’s helping keep me healthy. I’m a true believer of massage.’ ”
—Massage Magazine, Issue 100, pg. 32
“...Traditional hospitals nationwide are slowly waking to the realization that massage therapy’s positive effects are indubitably quality-of-life enhancing.
“Nowhere is this more clear than in the Integrative Medicine Service facility of New York City’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, one of the most respected hospitals in the world. The hospital, the world’s oldest and largest private institution dedicated to the prevention and treatment of cancer, has quietly added massage therapy to its patient services . . .
“The facility’s primary purpose is to help alleviate pain and suffering of those living with cancer . . .
“Kay White has been a regular outpatient client at the center ever since beginning treatment for breast cancer two years ago. She ... now comes once a week for massage . . . ‘I walk out of there and feel like you could drive a Mack truck over me and I wouldn’t feel it. I come now to remain healthy, and I can almost feel all the toxins leaving my body after a massage. It’s helped my breathing, my posture and I know it’s helping keep me healthy. I’m a true believer of massage.’ ”
—Massage Magazine, Issue 100, pg. 32
When a Pain in the Neck Becomes a Pain in the Head
Nobody likes being in pain, especially from headaches. The American Council for Headache Education reports that, during the past year, nearly 90 percent of men and 95 percent of women have had at least one headache. Here is an article by Kelly James-Enger, a free-lance journalist specializing in health, fitness and nutrition topics, covering some useful information on headaches.
“It turns out your mom was right when she told you not to slouch... [T]here’s a connection between poor posture and headache frequency. ‘If someone has chronic headache pain, [we find] he or she often sits in a slouched, head-forward position,’ explains Dr. Merle Diamond, associate director of the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago. ‘That aggravates the muscles of the head and neck and can lead to more muscle spasms and more pain.’ Doctors call these carcinogenic headaches, and they can cause something called ‘referred pain.’ While the problem may originate in your neck, it’s the back of your head that aches.
“There are definite associations between neck or cervical spine triggers and both migraine and tension-type headaches, says Dr. Robert Kanieki, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh and director of the Headache Center there. Tension-type headaches are often due to muscle irritation in the neck; the resulting headache is often felt around the area where the muscles insert at the base of the skull, says Kanieki. ‘The head is essentially a 10-pound structure,’ he says. ‘If it’s not balanced on the top of your neck and shoulders, it can certainly aggravate the cervical spine and trigger muscle tension, and muscle tightness. This can lead to spasms or the development of headaches.’
“However, doctors now believe that there’s also a connection between neck pain and migraines. ‘Recently we learned that migraine, as opposed to arising from blood vessel or vascular problems, appears to arise from neurological origins,’ says Kaniecki. ‘And the structure that processes pain in the head that’s inside the brain—the relay center for pain— also relays pain signals from the upper neck.’ That’s why doctors believe that irritation in the neck and upper shoulder area—the cervical region—can trigger migraines too.
Sit up straight, feel better
“If you already have neck problems, you may be one of the unlucky people predisposed to these headaches. One study found that people with joint or muscular abnormalities in their heads and necks were more likely to suffer from both tension and migraine headaches. However, if you tend to get headaches at the end of the day, poor posture may be the culprit.
“Improving your posture and strengthening your neck and shoulder muscles can make a big difference—in clinical trials, people who did posture and strengthening exercises reduced their headache frequency. ‘One of the things we tell our patients with chronic daily headaches is to work on their posture,’ says Diamond. ‘They should do a check-in and make sure that they’re sitting upright because it’s clear that a lot of these people
slouch a lot.’
“At the Headache Center at the University of Pittsburgh, patients learn natural means of improving headache, including regulating their sleep and meal patterns and performing a daily 30-minute walk. Kanieki suggests that headache sufferers keep the phrase, ‘walk tall, sit straight, stretch out’ in mind. During your daily walk, focus on maintaining good posture—imagine that there’s a string at the top of your head and keep your head balanced over your shoulders, back straight, as
you stroll.
“At work, make sure that you’re sitting straight, not hunched over, and take regular breaks away from your computer. Finally, implement a regular stretching routine into your day. Even a simple series of neck stretches (tilting your head to the left, then right, forward and back, for example) helps. You’ll reduce your chances of leaving work with stiff shoulders and an achy, pounding head—and your mom will compliment you on your new and improved posture as well.”
Remember that massage has been shown effective in relaxing tense muscles that may be contributing to posture problems and headaches!
Leaf Behind the Suffering
(by Karen Springen in Newsweek)
“A football injury makes a better story, but raking leaves could be the sport that sidelines you this fall. To avoid injuries, follow these tips from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Dress in layers that you can shed as you work up a sweat, with gloves to prevent blisters... If your back has been injured before, wear a simple brace (available for about $20; ask the pharmacist for fitting details). Stretch your shoulders before you hit the yard, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and start slow. Rake strokes that are short and steady are the best, so that you don’t overextend yourself and pull a muscle. Don’t overstuff trash bags, either. Move the bags around in a wheelbarrow —and if you get tired, recruit the kids to lend a hand. But make sure you bend your knees and lift with your legs, not your back, while you load the bags in. Because ‘repetitive activity creates soreness,’ says Marjorie Albohm, a certified athletic trainer, cap off your raking with a warm bath or shower. It’ll help reduce sore muscles...”
Then schedule your next massage!
I'll help reduce the sore muscles...
“It turns out your mom was right when she told you not to slouch... [T]here’s a connection between poor posture and headache frequency. ‘If someone has chronic headache pain, [we find] he or she often sits in a slouched, head-forward position,’ explains Dr. Merle Diamond, associate director of the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago. ‘That aggravates the muscles of the head and neck and can lead to more muscle spasms and more pain.’ Doctors call these carcinogenic headaches, and they can cause something called ‘referred pain.’ While the problem may originate in your neck, it’s the back of your head that aches.
“There are definite associations between neck or cervical spine triggers and both migraine and tension-type headaches, says Dr. Robert Kanieki, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh and director of the Headache Center there. Tension-type headaches are often due to muscle irritation in the neck; the resulting headache is often felt around the area where the muscles insert at the base of the skull, says Kanieki. ‘The head is essentially a 10-pound structure,’ he says. ‘If it’s not balanced on the top of your neck and shoulders, it can certainly aggravate the cervical spine and trigger muscle tension, and muscle tightness. This can lead to spasms or the development of headaches.’
“However, doctors now believe that there’s also a connection between neck pain and migraines. ‘Recently we learned that migraine, as opposed to arising from blood vessel or vascular problems, appears to arise from neurological origins,’ says Kaniecki. ‘And the structure that processes pain in the head that’s inside the brain—the relay center for pain— also relays pain signals from the upper neck.’ That’s why doctors believe that irritation in the neck and upper shoulder area—the cervical region—can trigger migraines too.
Sit up straight, feel better
“If you already have neck problems, you may be one of the unlucky people predisposed to these headaches. One study found that people with joint or muscular abnormalities in their heads and necks were more likely to suffer from both tension and migraine headaches. However, if you tend to get headaches at the end of the day, poor posture may be the culprit.
“Improving your posture and strengthening your neck and shoulder muscles can make a big difference—in clinical trials, people who did posture and strengthening exercises reduced their headache frequency. ‘One of the things we tell our patients with chronic daily headaches is to work on their posture,’ says Diamond. ‘They should do a check-in and make sure that they’re sitting upright because it’s clear that a lot of these people
slouch a lot.’
“At the Headache Center at the University of Pittsburgh, patients learn natural means of improving headache, including regulating their sleep and meal patterns and performing a daily 30-minute walk. Kanieki suggests that headache sufferers keep the phrase, ‘walk tall, sit straight, stretch out’ in mind. During your daily walk, focus on maintaining good posture—imagine that there’s a string at the top of your head and keep your head balanced over your shoulders, back straight, as
you stroll.
“At work, make sure that you’re sitting straight, not hunched over, and take regular breaks away from your computer. Finally, implement a regular stretching routine into your day. Even a simple series of neck stretches (tilting your head to the left, then right, forward and back, for example) helps. You’ll reduce your chances of leaving work with stiff shoulders and an achy, pounding head—and your mom will compliment you on your new and improved posture as well.”
Remember that massage has been shown effective in relaxing tense muscles that may be contributing to posture problems and headaches!
Leaf Behind the Suffering
(by Karen Springen in Newsweek)
“A football injury makes a better story, but raking leaves could be the sport that sidelines you this fall. To avoid injuries, follow these tips from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Dress in layers that you can shed as you work up a sweat, with gloves to prevent blisters... If your back has been injured before, wear a simple brace (available for about $20; ask the pharmacist for fitting details). Stretch your shoulders before you hit the yard, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and start slow. Rake strokes that are short and steady are the best, so that you don’t overextend yourself and pull a muscle. Don’t overstuff trash bags, either. Move the bags around in a wheelbarrow —and if you get tired, recruit the kids to lend a hand. But make sure you bend your knees and lift with your legs, not your back, while you load the bags in. Because ‘repetitive activity creates soreness,’ says Marjorie Albohm, a certified athletic trainer, cap off your raking with a warm bath or shower. It’ll help reduce sore muscles...”
Then schedule your next massage!
I'll help reduce the sore muscles...
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
How Bodywork Helps Muscle Function
Considering that muscle makes up seventy to eight-five percent of the body’s weight, it’s no wonder that most people think of bodywork as “muscle-work.” A better understanding of muscles should help you to appreciate further how important regular massage is to your muscles—and to your overall health!
How do muscles work?
A simple answer is that muscles are composed of long, slender fibers that are capable of three things: they can shorten, lengthen or lock into place. Ideally, they function properly. When they don’t, you begin to experience tightness, or feel stiff, achy or sore.
When you consider that your muscles’ duties include maintaining structural stability and being responsible for virtually every movement of the body, from the minute regulation of an artery to extensive motions, it’s a wonder how efficiently they perform!
What causes muscular difficulties?
Although we tend to think of a sore or strained muscle as an individual problem, all of your musculature is interconnected. This means that when you perceive a painful spot, other areas are involved to some degree. The most recognized causes for muscle problems include overuse or underuse, lack of proper nutrition and/or oxygen, build-up of toxins, and imbalances.
Imbalances are caused when a group of muscles includes certain muscles that currently are mismatched with their partners. For example, if you bend your arm and then straighten it, your biceps do much of the work to accomplish the first motion, while your triceps take on the job of straightening. If the biceps are proportionally stronger than the triceps (or vice versa), you have an imbalance that can cause you some distress.
If you have tight muscles, say in your back shoulder area, this tension can have an effect on the opposing muscles in the upper chest area. In some cases, you may be more aware of the opposing muscles than the muscles that are actually causing the discomfort.
Muscles can develop a state of constant tension for various reasons, including stressful life situations and learned patterns we all evolve as we age. Each of us has developed muscular habits throughout our lives—the way we sit or stand, perform tasks, etc. Add to this the fact we store our anxiety in our muscles—particularly in the neck and shoulder area—and most of us have many areas in need of attention.
Each muscle that is chronically tense is a muscle that is constantly working, even though it’s not doing any actual work. These muscles create a continuing cycle that diminishes blood flow to the area, produces toxins, depletes energy from other areas, and causes discomfort and eventual disuse.
Muscles receive their instructions via nerve impulses. These nerve connections are vital to the health of the muscle tissue; if the nerve supply is lost, the muscle begins to atrophy. The chronically tense muscle cycle discussed previously contributes to the toxicity of the related nerve cells, irritating them and furthering the muscular contractions. If left uninterrupted, this vicious cycle can wreak havoc with your body’s healthy function.
The above information should make it very clear to you how beneficial massage can be to your overall health. As each affected muscular area is worked on, a more normal function can be returned. When you make the commitment to get regular bodywork sessions, you can expect to see far better results, as more time can be spent improving your overall condition, instead of having to focus on easing the pain of chronically tense muscles.
Do your best to make regular bodywork sessions a normal part of your life and enjoy better muscle function—and feel the difference! See you soon.
(Reference: Job’s Body by Deane Juhan)
How do muscles work?
A simple answer is that muscles are composed of long, slender fibers that are capable of three things: they can shorten, lengthen or lock into place. Ideally, they function properly. When they don’t, you begin to experience tightness, or feel stiff, achy or sore.
When you consider that your muscles’ duties include maintaining structural stability and being responsible for virtually every movement of the body, from the minute regulation of an artery to extensive motions, it’s a wonder how efficiently they perform!
What causes muscular difficulties?
Although we tend to think of a sore or strained muscle as an individual problem, all of your musculature is interconnected. This means that when you perceive a painful spot, other areas are involved to some degree. The most recognized causes for muscle problems include overuse or underuse, lack of proper nutrition and/or oxygen, build-up of toxins, and imbalances.
Imbalances are caused when a group of muscles includes certain muscles that currently are mismatched with their partners. For example, if you bend your arm and then straighten it, your biceps do much of the work to accomplish the first motion, while your triceps take on the job of straightening. If the biceps are proportionally stronger than the triceps (or vice versa), you have an imbalance that can cause you some distress.
If you have tight muscles, say in your back shoulder area, this tension can have an effect on the opposing muscles in the upper chest area. In some cases, you may be more aware of the opposing muscles than the muscles that are actually causing the discomfort.
Muscles can develop a state of constant tension for various reasons, including stressful life situations and learned patterns we all evolve as we age. Each of us has developed muscular habits throughout our lives—the way we sit or stand, perform tasks, etc. Add to this the fact we store our anxiety in our muscles—particularly in the neck and shoulder area—and most of us have many areas in need of attention.
Each muscle that is chronically tense is a muscle that is constantly working, even though it’s not doing any actual work. These muscles create a continuing cycle that diminishes blood flow to the area, produces toxins, depletes energy from other areas, and causes discomfort and eventual disuse.
Muscles receive their instructions via nerve impulses. These nerve connections are vital to the health of the muscle tissue; if the nerve supply is lost, the muscle begins to atrophy. The chronically tense muscle cycle discussed previously contributes to the toxicity of the related nerve cells, irritating them and furthering the muscular contractions. If left uninterrupted, this vicious cycle can wreak havoc with your body’s healthy function.
The above information should make it very clear to you how beneficial massage can be to your overall health. As each affected muscular area is worked on, a more normal function can be returned. When you make the commitment to get regular bodywork sessions, you can expect to see far better results, as more time can be spent improving your overall condition, instead of having to focus on easing the pain of chronically tense muscles.
Do your best to make regular bodywork sessions a normal part of your life and enjoy better muscle function—and feel the difference! See you soon.
(Reference: Job’s Body by Deane Juhan)
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