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.
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Try this breathing technique from Breathe In, Breathe Out ...
Abdominal Breath: Natural Breath
1. Lie on your back or stand or sit comfortably and place your hands on your stomach (abdomen).
2. Inhale slowly and deeply, letting your abdomen expand like a balloon.
3. Let the abdomen fall as you exhale slowly, releasing old, stale air.
4. Inhale easily. Feel your tummy expand again.
5. Press the air out as you contract, as you pull in your abdomen while exhaling.
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For every new person that any of my clients refer, that makes an appointment, I will give you and your friend a discount of $5.00 off your appointments. What it looks like - New Client $5.00 off appointment ... You $5.00 off appointment!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Neck and Shoulders
Shrugging the Shoulders
When you shrug your shoulders, you are exercising muscles that tend to get pulled forward and hardened by tension. This tension buildup commonly occurs when you sit with your weight resting on your tailbone instead of forward over your hips. Shrugging breaks up the tension and provides a mild form of exercise that increases blood flow and restores mobility. The more you support the mobility of your shoulders, the less likely you’ll be to harbor tension there.
1. Slowly lift your right shoulder straight up to your ear.
2. Slowly return your right shoulder to a neutral position.
3. Repeat the lift/release movement with the left shoulder.
4. Repeat the lift/release movement with both shoulders together.
Hints:
• Keep your shoulder muscles soft as you do this. Don’t force the movement.
• Don’t tilt your head toward your shoulder. Bring your shoulder up to your ear.
• Keep the opposite shoulder in a neutral or slightly dropped position and avoid hunching it as you lift the shrugging shoulder.
Squeezing the Neck
It’s easy for your neck to become tense, especially when you are seated at a desk. When the neck muscles tense up, your neck often loses its mobility. A neck massage helps to restore muscle flexibility and release built-up tension.
1. Place your right hand on the right side of your neck and position your fingertips just to the right of your neck bones.
2. Keeping your fingertips together, massage the neck muscle using a gentle, circular motion. Without straining, move your hand up and down the neck muscle. Keep your neck in a neutral position as you massage.
3. Repeat the procedure using your left hand on the left side of your neck.
4. Repeat the procedure again using both hands and massage both sides of the neck at the same time.
Hints:
• Don’t press your neck so hard that you feel compelled to counteract the pressure in order to keep your neck from being pushed out of a neutral, upright position.
• Watch out for the tendency to hunch your shoulders, especially as you increase the pressure.
• Don’t let your head fall backward into your hand or forward into an extreme bend. Keep it level and in a neutral position.
When you shrug your shoulders, you are exercising muscles that tend to get pulled forward and hardened by tension. This tension buildup commonly occurs when you sit with your weight resting on your tailbone instead of forward over your hips. Shrugging breaks up the tension and provides a mild form of exercise that increases blood flow and restores mobility. The more you support the mobility of your shoulders, the less likely you’ll be to harbor tension there.
1. Slowly lift your right shoulder straight up to your ear.
2. Slowly return your right shoulder to a neutral position.
3. Repeat the lift/release movement with the left shoulder.
4. Repeat the lift/release movement with both shoulders together.
Hints:
• Keep your shoulder muscles soft as you do this. Don’t force the movement.
• Don’t tilt your head toward your shoulder. Bring your shoulder up to your ear.
• Keep the opposite shoulder in a neutral or slightly dropped position and avoid hunching it as you lift the shrugging shoulder.
Squeezing the Neck
It’s easy for your neck to become tense, especially when you are seated at a desk. When the neck muscles tense up, your neck often loses its mobility. A neck massage helps to restore muscle flexibility and release built-up tension.
1. Place your right hand on the right side of your neck and position your fingertips just to the right of your neck bones.
2. Keeping your fingertips together, massage the neck muscle using a gentle, circular motion. Without straining, move your hand up and down the neck muscle. Keep your neck in a neutral position as you massage.
3. Repeat the procedure using your left hand on the left side of your neck.
4. Repeat the procedure again using both hands and massage both sides of the neck at the same time.
Hints:
• Don’t press your neck so hard that you feel compelled to counteract the pressure in order to keep your neck from being pushed out of a neutral, upright position.
• Watch out for the tendency to hunch your shoulders, especially as you increase the pressure.
• Don’t let your head fall backward into your hand or forward into an extreme bend. Keep it level and in a neutral position.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Foot Pain, It may be Plantar Fasciitis, are you at risk?
As we all know well, anyone will tell you, when there is foot pain, we hurt all over. Our feet are the foundation or our structure, or body. If there is a problem with that foundation, everything else – knees, hips, back – will be thrown off.
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the connective tissue referred to as plantar fascia. This fascia runs along the sole from the bottom on the heel to the toes. Many will say that it feels as if the arch of the foot is tearing.
Risk factors, causes, incidence and Symptoms
When the tissue that is referred to as plantar fascia has been over stretched or overused, it can become inflamed. Once the fascia is inflamed, it can be painful and make walking more difficult.
Some of the risk factors for plantar fasciitis include:
• Foot arch problems (both high arches and flat feet)
• Obesity
• Repetitive loading on the feet when long-distance running, especially when going downhill or uneven surfaces
• Sudden weight gain
• Tight Achilles tendon (tendon that connects the calf muscles to the heel)
• Shoes with poor arch support or soft soles
Plantar fasciitis is commonly seen in middle-aged men and women, but it can be found in all age groups. The most common complaint is diagnosed with the classic symptoms of pain in the bottom of the foot in the heel area. Often the pain caused by plantar fasciitis is more severe when you first get out of bed in the morning. This pain will often subside quickly, only to return after periods of prolonged standing or walking. By the end of the day the pain may be replaced by a dull ache which improves with rest.
Signs and tests
Typical physical exam findings may include:
• Mild swelling
• Redness
• Tenderness on the bottom of the heel
Treatment
Conservative and Alternative treatment is almost always successful, when given enough time. Treatment can last from several weeks to 2 years before symptoms get better. On the average most patients are better in about 9 months. According to the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, in 90 percent of people, heel pain improves significantly after two months of treatment.
Initial treatment usually consists of:
• Regular treatment with a Reflexologist or Massage Therapist(a massage therapistis well trained in foot care)
• Heel stretching exercises
• Education in self care
• Hydrotherapy twice daily (10-15 minutes, more often the first couple of days your therapist will instruct you further in Hydrotherapy)
• Rest as much as possible for the first week.
• Wear properly fitted shoes.
Expectations
Nearly all patients/clients will improve within one year of beginning therapy, with no long term problems.
Sources:
• Reflexology, Health at your fingertips
by Barbara and Kevin Kunz, Dorling Kindersley, London, 2004
• Riddle, DL, et al. “Risk Factors for Plantar Fasciitis” J. Bone Joint Surg. Am., May 2003;85: 872 - 877
• Gill LH. “Plantar Fasciitis: Diagnosis and Conservative Management” J. Am. Acad. Ortho> Surg., Mar 1997; 5: 109 – 117.
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the connective tissue referred to as plantar fascia. This fascia runs along the sole from the bottom on the heel to the toes. Many will say that it feels as if the arch of the foot is tearing.
Risk factors, causes, incidence and Symptoms
When the tissue that is referred to as plantar fascia has been over stretched or overused, it can become inflamed. Once the fascia is inflamed, it can be painful and make walking more difficult.
Some of the risk factors for plantar fasciitis include:
• Foot arch problems (both high arches and flat feet)
• Obesity
• Repetitive loading on the feet when long-distance running, especially when going downhill or uneven surfaces
• Sudden weight gain
• Tight Achilles tendon (tendon that connects the calf muscles to the heel)
• Shoes with poor arch support or soft soles
Plantar fasciitis is commonly seen in middle-aged men and women, but it can be found in all age groups. The most common complaint is diagnosed with the classic symptoms of pain in the bottom of the foot in the heel area. Often the pain caused by plantar fasciitis is more severe when you first get out of bed in the morning. This pain will often subside quickly, only to return after periods of prolonged standing or walking. By the end of the day the pain may be replaced by a dull ache which improves with rest.
Signs and tests
Typical physical exam findings may include:
• Mild swelling
• Redness
• Tenderness on the bottom of the heel
Treatment
Conservative and Alternative treatment is almost always successful, when given enough time. Treatment can last from several weeks to 2 years before symptoms get better. On the average most patients are better in about 9 months. According to the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, in 90 percent of people, heel pain improves significantly after two months of treatment.
Initial treatment usually consists of:
• Regular treatment with a Reflexologist or Massage Therapist(a massage therapistis well trained in foot care)
• Heel stretching exercises
• Education in self care
• Hydrotherapy twice daily (10-15 minutes, more often the first couple of days your therapist will instruct you further in Hydrotherapy)
• Rest as much as possible for the first week.
• Wear properly fitted shoes.
Expectations
Nearly all patients/clients will improve within one year of beginning therapy, with no long term problems.
Sources:
• Reflexology, Health at your fingertips
by Barbara and Kevin Kunz, Dorling Kindersley, London, 2004
• Riddle, DL, et al. “Risk Factors for Plantar Fasciitis” J. Bone Joint Surg. Am., May 2003;85: 872 - 877
• Gill LH. “Plantar Fasciitis: Diagnosis and Conservative Management” J. Am. Acad. Ortho> Surg., Mar 1997; 5: 109 – 117.
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