Food Sensitivity Awareness

Happy Holidays from Therapeutic Health Massage! We hope you are having a great Holiday Season! In recent years, more and more individuals are discovering that food sentitivies and allergies are affecting their lives. Every body is different, but the more you know about your own, the more power you have!

This can be a difficult time of year regarding food for many reasons. Food allergies and sensitivities included. This may not be the best time to examine food sensitivities with all the rich seasonal food that is present. Our advice is to speak to a health professional who understands food sensitivities prior to "testing" anything on your own.

How do food allergies/sensitivities relate to us as massage therapists? If you consume food that your stomach/body is sensitive to, it may increase inflammation and make it more likely to experience pain. So, examining if foods affect the way you feel if you are experiencing a lot of pain may be worthwhile.

We all hear a lot about gluten these days. Dairy. Soy. Nuts. Those are the biggies. We have come to know a company that does cater to these allergies and thought we would share their holiday offer for those who already know about food issues they have.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Importance of Hydration & Massage

Why do we give you water after a massage?
 Why should you drink water before a massage?

Most people are dehydrated and for health reasons its important to drink water (and non caffeinated beverages). Summer brings with it heat - especially here in the South. Your body loses water and electrolytes more rapidly than you think. When you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

MayoClinic.com explains that your body is composed of 60% water. It is important in protecting organs, helping nutrients get absorbed into the body, lubricating joints, and regulating body temperature. Water also helps transport oxygen to the tissues and cells in your body and flush out waste products.

Massage therapy releases water, salt, and minerals from your muscles. By drinking water after a massage, your body is flushed out of your body. By doing this, soreness that may result from massage (especially deep tissue) can be minimized. If you drink water prior to a massage - particularly deep tissue massages - it is easier for your licensed massage therapist to work with and relax your muscles effectively.

Mesothelioma & Massage

What is Mesothelioma?

According to the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance (www.mesothelioma.com): "Mesothelioma is a cacer that occurs in the mesothelium, a thin membrane encompassing the body's internal organs and cavities. Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos fibers that are inhaled through the mouth and nose may eventually become embedded in the lining of the lungs, causing harmful inflammation of the pleura and resulting in mesothelioma or asbestosis (scar tissue formation in the lungs). It has also been found that swallowing asbestos fibers could contribute to a form of the malignancy originating in the abdomen known as peritoneal mesothelioma."

This month we welcome guest blogger: Marvin Leininger, National Awareness Director, Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com

Massage and Mesothelioma

Replacing or reducing the need for pharmaceuticals that treat pain and stress, massage therapy can play a vital role in the treatment of illnesses such as mesothelioma.

As a holistic approach to relieving pain, increasing blood flow and promoting relaxation, massage can help alleviate some of the side effects associated with this cancer. Mesothelioma patients coping with chest pain, difficulty breathing and treatment anxiety can especially benefit from massage therapy.

As with many traditional mesothelioma therapies, massage therapy primarily focuses on improving the patient’s quality of life and cannot cure the disease.

How Does Massage Therapy Help with Mesothelioma?

Massage is typically thought of as a luxury, not a medical treatment. However, some practitioners feel that this alternative therapy can help promote healing. In 1999, almost half of all cancer centers offered massage in addition to their other therapies, and attitudes towards therapeutic massage have become even more accepting since then.

Some of the cancer-related factors that massage can treat include:

·        * Stress and anxiety

·         *Depression

·         *Pain (including headaches and backaches)

·        * Reduced mobility

·         *Fatigue (caused by the cancer itself or by other treatments, such as chemotherapy)

In 2004, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center conducted a study that examined massage’s potential to reduce pain, fatigue, stress, anxiety, nausea, depression and “other symptoms.” The study found that on average, symptom intensity was cut in half after massage therapy.

Unlike many other treatments for mesothelioma, massage therapy is gentle and non-invasive.

Even the more intense forms of massage – such as a deep tissue massage – are less taxing on the body than many other traditional mesothelioma treatments. As a result, massage is associated with essentially no significant side effects. However, patients who have undergone radiation therapy for their mesothelioma tumors may find massage to be painful in the area where the radiation entered their body.

Massage therapy’s benefits can be magnified when combined with other forms of alternative treatment. Aromatherapy, TENS therapy, acupuncture and chiropractic care can all be used in conjunction with massage therapy. 

TMJ Dysfunction - Self-Care

TMJ dysfunction is a condition which often is accompanied by jaw clenching, popping, teeth grinding, and headache. It involves both the joint and surrounding muscles. Pain may travel through the face, jaw and neck. The range of motion of the jaw may be limited and teeth may not match up like they used to. Stress may increase the symptoms of TMJ dysfunction.

 image courtesy www.dentalhealth4all.com

Massage therapy can help relax the muscle tension in and around the jaw area -- allowing for smoother movements and less pain & headaches. Ask your massage therapist about their approach to working with TMJ. Often, the massage therapist will use manual techniques both inside he mouth and outside for maximal relief.

It may also be useful to work with a chiropractor, who will be able to focus on the joint. If the joint is out of alignment, a chiropractor can make an adjustment which will also aid in relieving discomfort symptoms.

 Video instructions on TMJ self-care

December 2011

Courtesy of Wendy Keller Photography

Reflexology

A common question I hear is: "What is Reflexology? & Does it Really Work?"

It's not the easiest question to answer, but here's my view on Reflexology after being certified in Integrative Reflexology for 5 years. It is based on Chinese Medicine and involves working spots on your feet and/or hands to help bring issues that you may be having back to your body's 'normal.'

As for does it work? In my experience I have seen some amazing things. I have found that sinus issues, problems with imbalances of the colon, and pain in the joints are most effective in my clients. The most dramatic result I have seen was soon after I received my certification. I was working on a client and on initial intake reported no problems. I progressed through the different reflexology points and came to the knee point. The client said "ooh I feel that in my knee!" I checked to see if it was painful, and it wasn't but the client definitely felt something. I my finger on the point as I felt a quick pulsing on the bone. After completing the session, the client began to bend the knee, kicking it in the air. "I haven't been able to bend or move my knee in years!" I became a firm believer.

Reflexology is most effective when the whole foot (or foot and hands) are worked and not pressing on isolated points. Like massage therapy, it is also important to drink plenty of water after a reflexology session as your body needs to be flushed out.

Two experts in the field of Reflexology who continue to perform research are Barbara and Kevin Kunz. They have written excellent books on foot reflexology, hand reflexology, among others. Their website has a wonderful interactive reflexology section. When the cursor is placed over a part of the foot (or hand), that section of the foot lights up and states what area of the body that area of the foot (of hand) corresponds to. Remember that consulting a certified Reflexologist is important when working on yourself or others.

Here are some examples of Kunz & Kunz work. Enjoy playing with and exploring the diagrams!

Are you surprised by the locations of some of the reflexology points?

What point(s) are of most concern to your body?


Happy New Year & May 2012 Bring You Peace, Health, & Happiness! Jessica & Manasha
Foot Reflexology
Hand Reflexology

September 2011

What Has the Staff of 

Therapeutic Health Massage Been Up to?

This month, we would like to encourage the spirit of volunteerism! Doing something for others can help increase your mood and give great satisfaction. By volunteering, you are also helps others in need, a wonderful cycle to participate in! 

Manasha Hill and Jessica Chew have paticipated in both the Race for the Cure to raise funds for the American Cancer Society and Muscular Dystrophy Association "Lock-Up." Both events were very rewarding for both of us as we gave chair massages to help raise money for the causes. The participants of the events were extremely grateful for our services; for us, it was equally rewarding and something we could easily do for others.

MDA "Lock-Up" August 2011

Race for the Cure at the Davidson Center

Our Thought for The Month:

~ If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. ~
                                                - Booker T. Washington