Pregnancy massage is one massage modality that is experiencing high growth. In fact, it is often one of the most-requested services at any massage clinic or individual business. However, there are some areas that should not receive deep pressure due to the chance of causing a miscarriage.
Chinese medicine has held that these eight acupuncture or acupressure points are key to avoiding miscarriage; conversely, practitioners may press them with the intent of causing delivery in an overdue pregnancy.
The eight points are:
1 - Kidney 1 is on the sole of the foot, about on the midline vertically, and just below the level of the ball of the foot.
2 - Large Intestine 4 is located between thumb and forefinger, in the fleshy part just above the knuckle of the first finger.
3 - Spleen 6 is located 2-3 inches above the ankle bone, on the inside of the leg.
4 - Spleen 10 is located about three inches above the knees, on the inside of the leg.
5 - Liver 3 is located between the first and second tarsal bones on top of the foot, about an inch past the gap between the toes (going toward the ankle).
6 - Bladder 67 is is on the outside edge of the nail on the little toes.
7 and 8 - The uterus reflex and the ovary reflex are located on either side of the heel, one on the inside surface and one on the outside surface. They are just below the ankle bone, and between the ankle bone and the Achilles tendon.
Just casual or accidental pressure on these points will not cause a miscarriage. It requires deep sustained pressure and also the actual INTENT on the part of the practitioner to effect a miscarriage using these points.
In fact, I have known of some healthcare workers who have used these points intentionally and with good results in cases of coworkers, etc. who were overdue and desperately wanted to deliver. One person claims three out of four women who ask for this service have gotten the desired result, and gone into labor within a few hours of a session of pressing these points.
Method: Press on the points indicated with a firm pressure, for 20-30 seconds, release, and press again. You may have to press each point two or even three times like this. If the pressure is too painful due to swelling in the ankles or legs, then just work on the bottom of the foot and the hand. And again, the intent on the part of the therapist or friend is a key part of the technique.
On the other hand, if you are a massage therapist and you have a pregnant client with some normal lymphatic swelling in the feet and legs in pregnancy, you may still lightly massage those areas. Lymphatic drainage is a light form of massage, and can help the woman by reducing swelling without damaging lymph vessels. There need be no fear that light treatment of this kind is going to accidentally induce early labor.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Which Muscles are Involved in Occupational Syndromes?
Golfer's Elbow: Triceps Brachii and Flexor Carpi Radialis. Triceps Brachii muscle extends forearm at the elbow. Flexor Carpi Radialis flexes the hand at the wrist. Flexor Carpi Radialis flexes the hand at the wrist. Do stretching exercises; try to touch opposite sides of room with outstretched arms, stretch arms overhead, etc. Pretend one hand is a ring-shaped squeegee, and squeeze arm from elbow to hand; repeat 3 or more times. It may be helpful to ice the inside of the forearm, from the elbow to mid-arm, followed by a heating pad or hot towel. Same with inside of wrist. Lifting moderate weights and doing pushups will help keep biceps and triceps in balance.
Tennis Elbow: Supinator and Triceps Brachii muscles. Triceps Brachii muscle extends forearm at the elbow. Supinator causes thumb joint pain, elbow pain, pain turning door knobs. Supinator muscle causes the rolling motion of elbow as your turn hand from palm down to palm up. It may be helpful to ice the inside of the elbow joint followed by a heating pad or hot towel. Pushing against resistance in the OPPOSITE direction will help keep Supinator from going into spasm during tennis matches. Lifting moderate weights and doing pushups will help keep biceps and triceps in balance.
Hairdressers: Pronator Teres and Flexor Carpi Radialis. Pronator Teres muscle causes the rolling motion of elbow as your turn hand from palm up to palm down; it also helps flex elbow. Flexor Carpi Radialis flexes the hand at the wrist. Do stretching exercises; try to touch opposite sides of room with outstretched arms, stretch arms overhead, etc. Pretend one hand is a ring-shaped squeegee, and squeeze arm from elbow to hand; repeat 3 or more times. It may be helpful to ice the inside of the forearm, from the elbow to mid-arm, followed by a heating pad or hot towel. Same with inside of wrist.
Video Gamer's Thumb: aka weeder's thumb; Adductor Pollicis, causing pain with writing or with a pincer movement. The Adductor helps your hand grip small objects, and also allows you to touch thumb to other fingers. Exercise the hand muscles by inserting fingers into a rubber band, and trying to stretch the rubber band by spreading the fingers.
I hope these tips will be helpful to you. Cheers :) Laura
Tennis Elbow: Supinator and Triceps Brachii muscles. Triceps Brachii muscle extends forearm at the elbow. Supinator causes thumb joint pain, elbow pain, pain turning door knobs. Supinator muscle causes the rolling motion of elbow as your turn hand from palm down to palm up. It may be helpful to ice the inside of the elbow joint followed by a heating pad or hot towel. Pushing against resistance in the OPPOSITE direction will help keep Supinator from going into spasm during tennis matches. Lifting moderate weights and doing pushups will help keep biceps and triceps in balance.
Hairdressers: Pronator Teres and Flexor Carpi Radialis. Pronator Teres muscle causes the rolling motion of elbow as your turn hand from palm up to palm down; it also helps flex elbow. Flexor Carpi Radialis flexes the hand at the wrist. Do stretching exercises; try to touch opposite sides of room with outstretched arms, stretch arms overhead, etc. Pretend one hand is a ring-shaped squeegee, and squeeze arm from elbow to hand; repeat 3 or more times. It may be helpful to ice the inside of the forearm, from the elbow to mid-arm, followed by a heating pad or hot towel. Same with inside of wrist.
Video Gamer's Thumb: aka weeder's thumb; Adductor Pollicis, causing pain with writing or with a pincer movement. The Adductor helps your hand grip small objects, and also allows you to touch thumb to other fingers. Exercise the hand muscles by inserting fingers into a rubber band, and trying to stretch the rubber band by spreading the fingers.
I hope these tips will be helpful to you. Cheers :) Laura
Frozen Shoulder Syndrome Can Be Caused by the Way You Sleep
Having suffered from this condition myself, I can tell you firsthand how suddenly Frozen Shoulder can strike and how miserable it makes you feel. All you know is, you cannot lift your arm above your shoulder, and there is no comfortable position in which to lie down.
It took me some time before I finally tried to look up what was wrong with me. I found a Chinese medicine webpage that said it was often called Fifty Year Shoulder, because that was the age at which the condition usually struck. It recommended warming herbs in foods to improve circulation, and use of a heating pad.
OK, the heating pad helped somewhat, tho I cannot say the cinnamon et al helped any.
Finally I wound up at a massage therapist who was pretty good with trigger points. He began by releasing some trigger points or adhesions in the supraspinatus and infraspinatus. Those are two of the rotator cuff muscles, and they are located on the dorsal side of the shoulder blade. They help you lift the arm and roll the arm forward.
Rotator cuffs are not built to do heavy lifting; that is the job for the biceps and triceps and pecs. Rotator cuffs are meant to stabilize the shoulder joint. They help keep the shoulder down while the other muscles lift the elbow up with its payload.
So anyway, this was an improvement. Another session worked on stretching the tight pec muscles. That hurt, but I was so much better within the week. The therapist lifted my arm up and back as I lay on the massage table, and manually stretched the pec muscle by pushing away from the arm. Then she lay the arm across my chest and gently pushed toward the opposite shoulder.
You can pull your arm across your own chest, and hook the other arm around it to help press it towards your chest. Hold for a couple breaths, and allow the arm and shoulder to relax into it.
After three weeks of the onset of frozen shoulder, you can proceed with Post-Isometric Release techniques.
Stand or lie on your back, whichever you prefer. Raise the arm above you as far as your current range of motion allows. Push in the OPPOSITE direction; HOLD for 5 seconds and release. You should be able to move your arm a bit further than before. You may repeat the exercise at the new limit of your range of motion.
Repeat this series for every angle of movement for your arm. Up, to the side, across the chest, forward, back. Make circles with your arms, slowly, with your arms straight out at the side. Make the circles bigger.
Stand in a corner. Put your forearms on either wall, hands pointing up. Lean into the corner. You may feel a stretch in the pecs and in the upper back.
Lastly, hold your arms out to the side. Roll the shoulder forward so that your hands turn palm up. Rotate the arms back again. Roll both shoulders forward and back for a minute or two, then roll one shoulder forward while rolling the other one back. This helps correct the hunched shoulders that so many of us get from working at a computer all day.
Now, ask yourself how you lie in bed at night. Do you lie on your side, and do you let the shoulder flop forward? Ask yourself what you are training your muscles to do by your habitual ways of sitting, standing and lying.
Lying with the shoulders flopped forward is straining your supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles because they are being stretched for too many hours. It also is training your pec muscles to shorten up in front. Eventually your shoulder will cry out, I can't do this anymore and cramp up into the Frozen Shoulder syndrome.
Lying in this position will also tend to hunch the back. And you are probably much too young to have a Dowager's Hump on your back.
So please, try to train yourself to lie on your back when you sleep.
Sweet dreams :) Laura
It took me some time before I finally tried to look up what was wrong with me. I found a Chinese medicine webpage that said it was often called Fifty Year Shoulder, because that was the age at which the condition usually struck. It recommended warming herbs in foods to improve circulation, and use of a heating pad.
OK, the heating pad helped somewhat, tho I cannot say the cinnamon et al helped any.
Finally I wound up at a massage therapist who was pretty good with trigger points. He began by releasing some trigger points or adhesions in the supraspinatus and infraspinatus. Those are two of the rotator cuff muscles, and they are located on the dorsal side of the shoulder blade. They help you lift the arm and roll the arm forward.
Rotator cuffs are not built to do heavy lifting; that is the job for the biceps and triceps and pecs. Rotator cuffs are meant to stabilize the shoulder joint. They help keep the shoulder down while the other muscles lift the elbow up with its payload.
So anyway, this was an improvement. Another session worked on stretching the tight pec muscles. That hurt, but I was so much better within the week. The therapist lifted my arm up and back as I lay on the massage table, and manually stretched the pec muscle by pushing away from the arm. Then she lay the arm across my chest and gently pushed toward the opposite shoulder.
You can pull your arm across your own chest, and hook the other arm around it to help press it towards your chest. Hold for a couple breaths, and allow the arm and shoulder to relax into it.
After three weeks of the onset of frozen shoulder, you can proceed with Post-Isometric Release techniques.
Stand or lie on your back, whichever you prefer. Raise the arm above you as far as your current range of motion allows. Push in the OPPOSITE direction; HOLD for 5 seconds and release. You should be able to move your arm a bit further than before. You may repeat the exercise at the new limit of your range of motion.
Repeat this series for every angle of movement for your arm. Up, to the side, across the chest, forward, back. Make circles with your arms, slowly, with your arms straight out at the side. Make the circles bigger.
Stand in a corner. Put your forearms on either wall, hands pointing up. Lean into the corner. You may feel a stretch in the pecs and in the upper back.
Lastly, hold your arms out to the side. Roll the shoulder forward so that your hands turn palm up. Rotate the arms back again. Roll both shoulders forward and back for a minute or two, then roll one shoulder forward while rolling the other one back. This helps correct the hunched shoulders that so many of us get from working at a computer all day.
Now, ask yourself how you lie in bed at night. Do you lie on your side, and do you let the shoulder flop forward? Ask yourself what you are training your muscles to do by your habitual ways of sitting, standing and lying.
Lying with the shoulders flopped forward is straining your supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles because they are being stretched for too many hours. It also is training your pec muscles to shorten up in front. Eventually your shoulder will cry out, I can't do this anymore and cramp up into the Frozen Shoulder syndrome.
Lying in this position will also tend to hunch the back. And you are probably much too young to have a Dowager's Hump on your back.
So please, try to train yourself to lie on your back when you sleep.
Sweet dreams :) Laura
Do You Have Tight Ass Syndrome?
Competitive cyclists are prone to a condition facetiously labeled Tight Ass Syndrome. It frequently occurs after a hard effort like a time trial or trying to accelerate on an incline.
It is fairly easy to relieve this cramp by having the patient lie prone on the massage table and sinking an elbow into the glutes, both gluteus maximus and gluteus medius. The pressure causes a reflexive response that dilates the blood vessels and melts the fascia in the myofascial tissues. The immediate release allows the therapist to proceed with neuromuscular therapy techniques on both a prone and side-lying patient.
Cyclists and other sufferers should perform the following stretches while lying on their backs. Bring the knee up and pull it in the direction of the opposite shoulder. Hold for 2 or 3 seconds, or a breath, and let the leg lie down flat. Repeat ten times.
I might add that the patient can use a stretchy band or towel passed under the foot to help lift and guide the leg, if it is painful to lift it. This also helps to achieve a greater angle of stretch once the muscles begin to relax and lengthen.
Best Wishes :) Laura
It is fairly easy to relieve this cramp by having the patient lie prone on the massage table and sinking an elbow into the glutes, both gluteus maximus and gluteus medius. The pressure causes a reflexive response that dilates the blood vessels and melts the fascia in the myofascial tissues. The immediate release allows the therapist to proceed with neuromuscular therapy techniques on both a prone and side-lying patient.
Cyclists and other sufferers should perform the following stretches while lying on their backs. Bring the knee up and pull it in the direction of the opposite shoulder. Hold for 2 or 3 seconds, or a breath, and let the leg lie down flat. Repeat ten times.
I might add that the patient can use a stretchy band or towel passed under the foot to help lift and guide the leg, if it is painful to lift it. This also helps to achieve a greater angle of stretch once the muscles begin to relax and lengthen.
Best Wishes :) Laura
Massage Treatment for Achilles or Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a fairly painful condition experienced by many athletes – mainly runner and triathletes but also swimmers, hurdlers and long jumpers. Most sufferers feel pain in the bottom of the foot or arch when then get up in the morning.
Inflammation causes adhesions to form; then more adhesions build up and stick together. As a result, the athlete begins to lose range of motion, and usually loses the strength in pushing off with their feet.
Massage therapy can help with cases of Plantar Fasciitis. Find someone with training in myofascial release and neuromuscular therapy to break up adhesions and restore blood flow.
Myofascial release can be applied to the Achilles tendon or other connective tissue, even tho it normally is used on muscle that has adhesions or some kind of restriction in movement. Neuromuscular therapy is often effective on hidden spasms or trigger points in the muscles around the Achilles or foot.
Myofascial release is also gentler than trigger point therapy because it does not dig as deep or hold pressure on a spot as long. It is not necessary to dig deep to effect a release. Rather, warming up the tissues and separating the fibers is key to treating this condition.
Two or three sessions should be enough to know whether this approach is helping the sufferer. Not that one will be cured that quickly, but the patient should feel at least a 20 percent improvement in range of motion after that time. Warm Epsom salt foot soaks are also helpful.
Best wishes :) Laura
Inflammation causes adhesions to form; then more adhesions build up and stick together. As a result, the athlete begins to lose range of motion, and usually loses the strength in pushing off with their feet.
Massage therapy can help with cases of Plantar Fasciitis. Find someone with training in myofascial release and neuromuscular therapy to break up adhesions and restore blood flow.
Myofascial release can be applied to the Achilles tendon or other connective tissue, even tho it normally is used on muscle that has adhesions or some kind of restriction in movement. Neuromuscular therapy is often effective on hidden spasms or trigger points in the muscles around the Achilles or foot.
Myofascial release is also gentler than trigger point therapy because it does not dig as deep or hold pressure on a spot as long. It is not necessary to dig deep to effect a release. Rather, warming up the tissues and separating the fibers is key to treating this condition.
Two or three sessions should be enough to know whether this approach is helping the sufferer. Not that one will be cured that quickly, but the patient should feel at least a 20 percent improvement in range of motion after that time. Warm Epsom salt foot soaks are also helpful.
Best wishes :) Laura
Do You Play Basketball or Volleyball? How to Improve Your Jumping Ability
One of the biggest desires of anyone who plays sports that involve some jumping, such as basketball or volleyball, is how to improve their jumping ability. Getting the edge on the rebound, or going vertical to hit that high volley, is a valuable skill in an athlete's arsenal.
I once went to school with a kid who was the best natural standing-long-jumper I ever saw. He was one of the smallest kids in class, but he bent his body like a grasshopper and sprang forward. He could jump more than his height, and that is pretty good for a grade schooler with no real training.
Too many athletes work on just their glutes or their legs. The truth is that several muscle groups are involved in jumping, and some of those muscles maybe a surprise to you.
OK, let's list them here. Abdominals. Calf muscles. Hamstrings. Quads. And finally glutes, the ones that you thought were the prime movers in this event. The middle three muscles listed are all leg muscles, no surprise there. But yes, abs are important too for jumping. If you want a super vertical jump you will need to work on all these muscles.
Let me briefly go over each muscle group to explain how they help in jumping.
The abdominals: Why do you think that most people bend over a bit before attempting a leap? The abs act a spring; you coil it by bending the waist, and extend it in the leaping motion.
The calf muscles: The calf is really two muscles, the gastrocnemius and the soleus, which join together at the bottom to form the Achilles tendon. But for our purposes, we will lump them together here and just call them calf muscles. How do you train your calf muscles to jump better? Simple exercises like jumping rope, toe raises, and rapid (or running) up stairs will do it.
The hamstrings: Sitting at the computer all day will tend to shorten your hamstrings, so get up and walk during your breaks. Simple stretches are called for here: stand against a wall and bend over for a couple of breaths. Your hamstrings and back muscles should relax and you should be able to do a deeper stretch. You can also lie on the floor and use a stretchy band or towel to support your leg as you make bigger and bigger circles.
The quads: Athletes often overwork these muscles to the point where their legs are unbalanced. Bunched up muscles are not as efficient at jumping as muscles that have been lengthened. This is a very important point so let me try to say it another way: the longer a muscle is, the more potential power it has. Running and jumping are good exercise, but you need to balance that with systematic stretching to not only increase power, but prevent injury.
And finally, glutes: There are actually three sets of glute muscles: one set is used to straighten your body or to stand upright, another set to move the leg to the outside, and another set to turn the leg inward. But the first set is the one that is primarily involved in jumping.
You can exercise all of the above by getting on a full-body press, the kind of machine where your back and feet have to push in opposite directions. This gets all the muscles coordinated in a motion that is similar to jumping. Build up gradually as far as weights go, and only do about 25 reps at a time. I have found that doing fewer reps, but doing them more often during the day, will improve strength quicker than exhausting yourself with hundreds - and then not being able to do ANY the next day because you are so sore.
The other major tip I want to pass along is to start on a program of yoga if you want a long career in any sport. Do you recall the name Kareem Abdul Jabbar? One of the notable things about his career, other than total points scored, was that he was rarely out injured. Did you know that he long studied yoga to improve his balance and flexibility? I recall seeing a picture of him in a magazine in a one-legged standing pose.
Yoga is a secret advantage in sports because number one, it tends to reduce injuries, and second, it improves flexibility and balance. Just doing basic beginner level exercises are a big help in reducing soreness and improving efficiency. Your muscles may bulge less, but it is more important to have more playing minutes over the course of a season if you are to have an impact on the team.
Best wishes :) Laura.
I once went to school with a kid who was the best natural standing-long-jumper I ever saw. He was one of the smallest kids in class, but he bent his body like a grasshopper and sprang forward. He could jump more than his height, and that is pretty good for a grade schooler with no real training.
Too many athletes work on just their glutes or their legs. The truth is that several muscle groups are involved in jumping, and some of those muscles maybe a surprise to you.
OK, let's list them here. Abdominals. Calf muscles. Hamstrings. Quads. And finally glutes, the ones that you thought were the prime movers in this event. The middle three muscles listed are all leg muscles, no surprise there. But yes, abs are important too for jumping. If you want a super vertical jump you will need to work on all these muscles.
Let me briefly go over each muscle group to explain how they help in jumping.
The abdominals: Why do you think that most people bend over a bit before attempting a leap? The abs act a spring; you coil it by bending the waist, and extend it in the leaping motion.
The calf muscles: The calf is really two muscles, the gastrocnemius and the soleus, which join together at the bottom to form the Achilles tendon. But for our purposes, we will lump them together here and just call them calf muscles. How do you train your calf muscles to jump better? Simple exercises like jumping rope, toe raises, and rapid (or running) up stairs will do it.
The hamstrings: Sitting at the computer all day will tend to shorten your hamstrings, so get up and walk during your breaks. Simple stretches are called for here: stand against a wall and bend over for a couple of breaths. Your hamstrings and back muscles should relax and you should be able to do a deeper stretch. You can also lie on the floor and use a stretchy band or towel to support your leg as you make bigger and bigger circles.
The quads: Athletes often overwork these muscles to the point where their legs are unbalanced. Bunched up muscles are not as efficient at jumping as muscles that have been lengthened. This is a very important point so let me try to say it another way: the longer a muscle is, the more potential power it has. Running and jumping are good exercise, but you need to balance that with systematic stretching to not only increase power, but prevent injury.
And finally, glutes: There are actually three sets of glute muscles: one set is used to straighten your body or to stand upright, another set to move the leg to the outside, and another set to turn the leg inward. But the first set is the one that is primarily involved in jumping.
You can exercise all of the above by getting on a full-body press, the kind of machine where your back and feet have to push in opposite directions. This gets all the muscles coordinated in a motion that is similar to jumping. Build up gradually as far as weights go, and only do about 25 reps at a time. I have found that doing fewer reps, but doing them more often during the day, will improve strength quicker than exhausting yourself with hundreds - and then not being able to do ANY the next day because you are so sore.
The other major tip I want to pass along is to start on a program of yoga if you want a long career in any sport. Do you recall the name Kareem Abdul Jabbar? One of the notable things about his career, other than total points scored, was that he was rarely out injured. Did you know that he long studied yoga to improve his balance and flexibility? I recall seeing a picture of him in a magazine in a one-legged standing pose.
Yoga is a secret advantage in sports because number one, it tends to reduce injuries, and second, it improves flexibility and balance. Just doing basic beginner level exercises are a big help in reducing soreness and improving efficiency. Your muscles may bulge less, but it is more important to have more playing minutes over the course of a season if you are to have an impact on the team.
Best wishes :) Laura.
Did You See the Newsweek Article: Five Surprising Benefits of Massage?
Benefits of Massage:
Massage produces chemicals in your body that help reduce pain.
Massage can boost immunity by reducing the levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Massage is proven to reduce blood pressure because of something called the parasympathetic response to massage.
Any style of massage will produce benefits: Swedish, Thai, myofascial, trigger point, craniosacral. It's all good!
It is more important that the pressure be firm enough to produce some indentation in the skin while the therapist is working on you.
PS - You can even massage yourself if pressed for time; just use smooth even strokes, try pressing with the whole hand, or pretend you are “ironing” yourself. It can be fun, and you will discover where your own personal muscle knots tend to crop up.
Read the entire article at http://www.newsweek.com/id/157196.
Massage produces chemicals in your body that help reduce pain.
Massage can boost immunity by reducing the levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Massage is proven to reduce blood pressure because of something called the parasympathetic response to massage.
Any style of massage will produce benefits: Swedish, Thai, myofascial, trigger point, craniosacral. It's all good!
It is more important that the pressure be firm enough to produce some indentation in the skin while the therapist is working on you.
PS - You can even massage yourself if pressed for time; just use smooth even strokes, try pressing with the whole hand, or pretend you are “ironing” yourself. It can be fun, and you will discover where your own personal muscle knots tend to crop up.
Read the entire article at http://www.newsweek.com/id/157196.
Massage Was Key to Olympic Swimmers' Success; Massage Even Helps Rabbits!
Can you believe it? A study used rabbits to test the benefits of massage on athletic recovery. The rabbits were exercised on a device that simulated running downhill. Afterward, one group received Swedish massage while the control group did not (but did receive rest). The massaged group had improved function, less swelling, and less inflammation than the non-massaged rabbits.
Just so you know, rabbits are not the only ones getting massage. I wrote earlier about the massage schedule for the swim team in the Olympics. Champ Michael Phelps received two massages a day while in Beijing. Dara Torres had massage therapists on standby.
More than half of the team members of the St. Louis Rams seek massage either for pre-event or post-event therapy, or both. Unfortunately the team does not have staff massage therapist, and the players must seek out their own professionals.
To quote a recent article, 'Before athletic events, a massage therapist can help athletes warm up by jostling and stretching the muscles and using circular friction and simple compression on specific body parts. This can continue, only more gently, during competition when the muscles are fatigued. And after an event, Swedish massage is best, Riberio said.'
To read the complete article from St. Louis Today, go to http://preview.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories.nsf/0/cdfd36120bc39359862574c50072ca54?OpenDocument&Click=.
Just so you know, rabbits are not the only ones getting massage. I wrote earlier about the massage schedule for the swim team in the Olympics. Champ Michael Phelps received two massages a day while in Beijing. Dara Torres had massage therapists on standby.
More than half of the team members of the St. Louis Rams seek massage either for pre-event or post-event therapy, or both. Unfortunately the team does not have staff massage therapist, and the players must seek out their own professionals.
To quote a recent article, 'Before athletic events, a massage therapist can help athletes warm up by jostling and stretching the muscles and using circular friction and simple compression on specific body parts. This can continue, only more gently, during competition when the muscles are fatigued. And after an event, Swedish massage is best, Riberio said.'
To read the complete article from St. Louis Today, go to http://preview.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories.nsf/0/cdfd36120bc39359862574c50072ca54?OpenDocument&Click=.
Mobile Mini-Spa treats breast cancer survivors to day of pampering
A mobile mini-spa administers what it calls “pink pampering” and words of encouragement to those who are fighting breast cancer.
Breast cancer patients receive a manicure-pedicure followed by a massage, in a mobile unit sponsored by Energizer. Like the brand's bunny, survivors are encouraged to just keep going.
The mobile unit travels across the country on its mission. To read a short account of their visit to Little Rock, Arkansas, go to http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=73788.
Breast cancer patients receive a manicure-pedicure followed by a massage, in a mobile unit sponsored by Energizer. Like the brand's bunny, survivors are encouraged to just keep going.
The mobile unit travels across the country on its mission. To read a short account of their visit to Little Rock, Arkansas, go to http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=73788.
Surprisingly, massage and spa services see higher demand in stressful economy
A story this past fall in the Berkshire Record newspaper declared that people find more reasons to seek massage and spa services in trying times.
To quote from the story:
Elizabeth Masiero, owner of Soul Spa on 24 School Street in Lee, said people are definitely coming into her spa more frequently because of their economic situation. “I think we are at a critical time,” she said. “It is tough on everyone and it causes a lot of stress.” Masiero noted that two of the biggest reasons people come in for a massage are because of stress and injury, two things that have escalated in these dire economic times. “Because people are working harder to make money, they are getting hurt more often and coming in,” she said. According to a survey conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association, 59 percent of Americans are more stressed this year than last year, and that stress and relaxation is a top reason why individuals get a massage, with 45 percent saying that they are greatly stressed by the current financial situation. The pressures of the slumping economy are no doubt being felt in Berkshire County, and local massage therapists say they have seen a recent increase in individuals looking to unwind.
“All throughout this whole financial crisis my business has picked up,” said Kevin Parsons, owner of Green Woods Massage, operating out of Dempsey Physical Therapy in Great Barrington. “People don’t necessarily cite stress because of the financial situation, but I think stress in general is pushing people toward massage and other ways to reduce stress.”
Parsons said the part of his business which has grown the most is the shorter half-hour massages he offers. He also said he has seen an increase in attendance for the yoga classes he teaches.
Doone Marshall, owner of Body and Soul at 184 Maple Avenue in Great Barrington, does not doubt that more people are turning to massage to relieve their stress, but hasn’t seen such a pickup in her business.
“I think it is probably true, especially in larger cities, that people are turning to massage to relieve stress. It is a great way to do it,” she said.
Full story is at http://www.berkshirerecord.net/index.cfm?dsp=news.view&nid=196
To quote from the story:
Elizabeth Masiero, owner of Soul Spa on 24 School Street in Lee, said people are definitely coming into her spa more frequently because of their economic situation. “I think we are at a critical time,” she said. “It is tough on everyone and it causes a lot of stress.” Masiero noted that two of the biggest reasons people come in for a massage are because of stress and injury, two things that have escalated in these dire economic times. “Because people are working harder to make money, they are getting hurt more often and coming in,” she said. According to a survey conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association, 59 percent of Americans are more stressed this year than last year, and that stress and relaxation is a top reason why individuals get a massage, with 45 percent saying that they are greatly stressed by the current financial situation. The pressures of the slumping economy are no doubt being felt in Berkshire County, and local massage therapists say they have seen a recent increase in individuals looking to unwind.
“All throughout this whole financial crisis my business has picked up,” said Kevin Parsons, owner of Green Woods Massage, operating out of Dempsey Physical Therapy in Great Barrington. “People don’t necessarily cite stress because of the financial situation, but I think stress in general is pushing people toward massage and other ways to reduce stress.”
Parsons said the part of his business which has grown the most is the shorter half-hour massages he offers. He also said he has seen an increase in attendance for the yoga classes he teaches.
Doone Marshall, owner of Body and Soul at 184 Maple Avenue in Great Barrington, does not doubt that more people are turning to massage to relieve their stress, but hasn’t seen such a pickup in her business.
“I think it is probably true, especially in larger cities, that people are turning to massage to relieve stress. It is a great way to do it,” she said.
Full story is at http://www.berkshirerecord.net/index.cfm?dsp=news.view&nid=196
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