New Service: Herbology Body Retexturizer
April 6, 2012
Why Do We Need to Detox?
In an ideal world our bodies would quietly detoxify without any extra help from us. After all, our bodies are naturally designed to deal with a whole host of threats as part of everyday life. The problems arise because in the modern world there is just too much for the body to cope with and so our natural systems of elimination cannot handle the strain.
Our bodies are sloughing off an incredible amount of rubbish each and every day. Some are metabolic waste, dead cells, the by-products of digestion, and other natural debris, but more and more is toxic waste: pesticides, food additives, drugs, the chemicals we inhale from pollution, and even everyday household products.
There are a number of ways in which the Herbology Wrap can help the client to achieve full body detoxification.
Herbology Wrap
The Herbology Wrap is perfect for detoxification as well as skin exfoliation. Spring is coming- the Herbology Wrap will get your skin glowing and ready for warmer weather. Shed your winter skin!
Massage is Good Medicine
March 21, 2012
Well I see I must have been busy this last month since it has been exactly a month since my last blog post.
As promised I have started getting fitness-y. I started the Couch to 5k or C25K for as we fitness people call it! I also started Boot Camp at my gym, Key Largo Fitness and my trainer Jennifer is making me really really sweat and do things that make me hurt!
The other thing I wanted to do was bump up my massages to 2 times per week. That has proved a little more challenging to find the time. I have had one week where I had 2 massages but I am trying to work more in. For now I am ever so grateful to have the one that I get now.
Massage is my medicine and I am so glad that it is becoming more and more recognized as being part of medical care both in prevention, recovery and treatment.
Here is a great article from the Wall Street Journal about Massage. Click here to read the entire article or you can just read some of the highlights below.
Don’t Call It Pampering: Massage Wants to Be Medicine
By ANDREA PETERSEN
While massage may have developed a reputation as a decadent treat for people who love pampering, new studies are showing it has a wide variety of tangible health benefits.
Research over the past couple of years has found that massage therapy boosts immune function in women with breast cancer, improves symptoms in children with asthma, and increases grip strength in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Giving massages to the littlest patients, premature babies, helped in the crucial task of gaining weight.
The benefits go beyond feelings of relaxation and wellness that people may recognize after a massage. The American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society now include massage as one of their recommendations for treating low back pain, according to guidelines published in 2007.
New research is also starting to reveal just what happens in the body after a massage. While there have long been theories about how massage works—from releasing toxins to improving circulation—those have been fairly nebulous, with little hard evidence. Now, one study, for example, found that a single, 45-minute massage led to a small reduction in the level of cortisol, a stress hormone, in the blood, a decrease in cytokine proteins related to inflammation and allergic reactions, and a boost in white blood cells that fight infection.
“There is emerging evidence that [massage] can make contributions in treating things like pain, where conventional medicine doesn’t have all the answers,” said Jack Killen, NCCAM’s deputy director.
The massage therapy field hopes that the growing body of research will lead to greater insurance coverage for its treatments. Washington is the only state that requires insurers to cover massage therapy.
![[MASSAGE]](http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/PJ-BF877_MASSAG_DV_20120312175732.jpg)
A common type of massage, so-called deep tissue, tends to be more targeted to problem muscles and includes techniques such as acupressure, trigger-point work (which focuses on little knots of muscle) and “deep transverse friction” where the therapist moves back and forth over muscle fibers to break up scar tissue.
Massage is already widely used to treat osteoarthritis, for which other treatments have concerning side effects. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2006 showed that full-body Swedish massage greatly improved symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee. Patients who had massages twice weekly for four weeks and once a week for an additional four weeks had less pain and stiffness and better range of motion than those who didn’t get massages. They were also able to walk a 50-foot path more quickly.
“If [massage] works then it should become part of the conventionally recommended interventions for this condition and if it doesn’t work we should let [patients] know so they don’t waste their time and money,” says Adam Perlman, the lead author of the study and the executive director of Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, N.C.
Scientists are also studying massage in healthy people.
Massage Helps Heal Sore Muscles
February 20, 2012
When I was 39 I had this great idea to get back into exercising again. From the time I was 30 until 37 I had a surgery every 2 years and I forgot how to exercise. I wanted to be Fit, Fabulous and Forty. My plan failed and instead I was Fat, Flabby and Forty!
Well, things are changing! I bought a juicer after Christmas and started changing my diet and how I eat. Last week I took my first Pilates Class and Sunday I joined a gym and took Zumba and will start weight training and the Couch 2 5K workout this week. My muscles are SORE! I ran across this article in Web MD titled Massage Helps Heal Sore Muscles. I always tell clients massge helps, but this is the first time I will put it to the test with exercise for myself. I will be increasing my weekly massages to 2 times per week to keep myself healthy and able to work during all this introductory phase.
Exerpts from the Article: (I cut out the boring parts!)
There may be more to love about massage than just the “ahhhhh.” A new study shows that kneading muscles after hard exercise decreases inflammation and helps your muscles recover.
The study hints that massage after exercise may help relieve soreness, and may also help muscles become fitter faster — two benefits that have thus far been mutually exclusive in the “no pain, no gain” world of athletics.
For the study, researchers put 11 men through a hard bout of exercise. Following their workouts, each man got a 10-minute, Swedish-style massage, but only on one leg. The other leg was rested and used for comparison. Researchers repeatedly sampled muscle tissue from both legs before and after exercise. (They took muscle biopsies of legs-Ouch!)
What the discovered: First, massage switched on genes that decrease inflammation. Many painkilling medications also work by blocking inflammation. Second, massage activated genes that promote the creation of mitochondria, structures that are the energy factories inside cells. The fitter a muscle cell is, the more mitochondria it tends to have.
(Side Note:Mitochondria are the “Power House” of cells. That’s where all the energy is!)
Could Massage Boost Muscle Fitness?
“If someone starts an endurance exercise training program, after two or four months of training, depending on the intensity, you essentially double the volume of mitochondria in muscle,” says researcher Mark A. Tarnopolsky, MD, PhD, a professor of pediatrics and head of Neuromuscular and Neurometabolic Disease at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Mitochondria, he says, help the cell to take up and use oxygen: “The muscles’ ability to extract oxygen is proportional to the amount of mitochondria that are there.”
“Exercise plus massage seems to enhance that pathway,” Tarnopolsky says.
If further research can duplicate and expand on these findings, Tarnopolsky says that would mean that massage may be uniquely beneficial to muscle recovery and muscle growth. (Yeah! That’s the good part!!)
In recent years, a number of studies have shown that remedies for muscle soreness that work by turning down inflammation — things like ice baths or anti-inflammatory medications — may also have a downside. They may also block muscle repair and growth, which depends on inflammation. (See-Massage Good! These-BAD!)
“People were starting to feel it was a one-to-one link: You suppress inflammation, you [lessen] adaptation,” says Tarnopolsky. “But this appears to be an intervention that suppresses the inflammatory response but still allows, and actually enhances, the [recovery] response.” The study is published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Massage for Health-Click this link to watch the Video from CBS News!
Trigger Point Therapy
February 13, 2012
Trigger Points
The Four Types of Trigger Points
1. An active trigger point is an area of extreme tenderness that usually lies within the skeletal muscle and which is associated with a local or regional pain.
2. A latent trigger point is a dormant (inactive) area that has the potential to act like a trigger point.
3. A secondary trigger point is a highly irritable spot in a muscle that can become active due to a trigger point and muscular overload in another muscle.
4. A satellite myofascial point is a highly irritable spot in a muscle that becomes inactive because the muscle is in the region of another trigger pain.
Trigger points are significant because they alter the function of the muscle tissue. The muscle will be tighter, weaker, and create a pattern of pain that often refers to other areas. Have you ever had a headache from working at a computer too long? That could likely be the referred pain of a trigger point you feel, often in the neck or shoulders. Identifying the cause of a trigger point is probably the most significant clinical finding about it – that trigger points are not normal, and they will often point to an underlying cause such as poor posture, repetitive movement or strain, over-exertion, and sometimes the guarding response of a deeper underlying injury. Somatic (muscle) pain can be very debilitating and limiting, and a skilled practitioner will consider and test many factors when making an examination.
The most common clinical technique in releasing a trigger point is through what is called an ischemic compression. An ischemic compression is when the therapist isolates the trigger point, and compresses it with pressure (often using a thumb to be precise). When compressed, the trigger point’s pain referral is often heightened temporarily, but quickly eases as the tissue releases. Ischemia means “a restriction in blood supply”, so by limiting blood supply to the trigger point through this compression technique, the muscle is deprived of essential nutrients (such as O2) needed to continue to contract and the result is that the tissue relaxes. The physiological response is of course a bit more complex, but this is essentially the basis for trigger point release technique. By releasing the trigger point, the pain is relieved, tightness decreases, and the tissue begins to function normally.
Head Massage is a great remedy against Cold and Flu
February 10, 2012
Massage is a great remedy against Cold and Flu and it works best as a prevention method. Head massage in particular has its advantages that make it very effective.
- Head Massage is a highly effective technique for recovery after flu.
- It helps draining the sinuses,
- Alleviate headaches usually associated with Colds and Flu,
- Alleviate other symptoms such as stuffy nose,
- Increases blood and lymph circulation,
- It works by stimulating reflex points on the skull – the head area is a very sensitive area and is filled with pressopuncture points.
- Stimulating these pressopuncture points has a beneficial effect but it also stimulates the Hypothalamus, which controls many functions of the body.
- Head Massage has a very relaxing effect, being a very efficient anti-stress tool. Stress levels negatively impacts immunity.
- Using essential oils will kill pathogens, (essential oils are very effective in killing various pathogens)
Original Article: Here
Add Head, Neck and Shoulder Massage to Any Massage for $15. Length:20Min Orig Cost:$25
Click Here to book online.
Head, Neck and Shoulder Massage: Coconut and Sesame Oils are warmed to provide this 20 Minute focus directly on the Scalp, Face, Neck and Shoulders. Work to improve circulation to the scalp, decrease headaches and help with TMJ, Sinus Pressure and neck strains. Essential Oils may be used.
**Massage is contraindicated in case of flu especially when high fever is present. In cases of high fever lowering the body temperature using antipyretics and cold water is the main objective. It is important to see your family doctor as soon as possible; the physician will prescribe you the correct treatment. Head Massage will be just an adjuvant to the physician’s prescription.
I’m Spoiled and You Can Be Too!
February 6, 2012
No, this is not a blog about all my fancy cars or clothes. Although I am pretty in love with my car these days!
I am going to tell you what massage therapists spoil me. My job and my body depend on them. Being a massage therapist is physical and I need my massages to survive. My body actually knows when massage is needed and it simply starts shutting down. I call it Pre Massage Syndrome (PMS).
Clients always ask me how often I get a massage. The answer is: WEEKLY! I get at the very least a 90 minute massage every week. Most often I receive a 2 or 3 hour massage every week and sometimes even more. Yes, I am spoiled!
I am going to tell you who spoils me. I often refer clients to these other therapists because I know just how great they are. I want my clients to be able to get a massage if I am not available or if they need in last minute and I can’t help them. We are a great supportive bunch and we often refer to each other. I am proud to call them friends and honored to be among them.
Alison Sower of CoMo Massage. I refer to Alison as “MY massage therapist.” I have a standing appointment with Alison every other week. She has THE deepest pressure I have experienced! Most men cannot take her pressure and I have yet to meet a male therapist that can give me as much pressure as she does. Every 2 weeks is about as much as I can handle! She and I are very similar and we are both very specific in our technique. Good luck getting an appointment with her. She is often booked up a month in advance. She is the best kept secret in Columbia when it comes to massage therapists.
Christa Jeffries of Fly Away Therapeutic Massage. Christa and I are the rogue therapists that moved out of Suite C down the hall to Suite A because we needed to expand. I try to get a massage from Christa at least once a month. We work the same hours and take the same days off so it can be difficult to find the time. Christa massages some the female athletes at Mizzou and has a great sports massage. If you want stretched, she has a great stretching routine. She also does energy work. Make an appointment with her in advance too. Like me, she has a lot of weekly and standing appointments.
Elizabeth Bates of Elite Therapeutic Massage. Elizabeth is the newest therapist in our office. She gives a great relaxing deep pressure massage and is good with shoulder injuries, whiplash and carpal tunnel. She can often get you in sooner and sometimes even same day. You might have seen Elizabeth at The Strand or at Old Hawthorne where she also works.
All of these therapists can be found in my building at Walnut Street Massage Studio.
Other therapists in Columbia that I trade with is Rebecca Peters of Bellelune Massage + Yoga. She has a great slow massage style and uses a new technique called Thermal Palms that is an alternative to hot stone. She is a great yoga teacher and I often refer clients to her to help with upper body and hip issues. She teaches at Alley Cat and you should really check her out!
Rachel McElroy of Life Is Sweet Massage. Rachel was one of my first clients and has been with me since I started. She worked at Riversong and then went out on her own. The last time I was on her table I was a drooling, twitching, snoring mess! It was great. After I recovered I was energetic and ready to go back to work.
Johanna Givens of Serenity Massage. Johanna is relocating from downtown to Parkade and concentrates on Doula services and Infant Wellness Massage. She also has recent training in Cupping Therapy and I love cupping. It can be light or deep pressure but I like deep pressure and love her style.
Lastly is Diana Stelzer. Diana has been a therapist in Columbia for a long time. I met her when she was a client of mine after an auto accident. After she recovered I got a massage from her. She is amazing at what she does! She turned me on to CORE Bodywork and also does amazing energy work. I have never been into energy work before until I met her. I have a standing appointment with her every 2 weeks. Diana works out of her home and if you want more information about her call me directly.
So there you have it, the women in Columbia that spoil me. Now you can be just as spoiled as me. My body is well taken care of in this town. All the better to massage you my pretties!
Andrea
A Message About Stress
January 18, 2012
A friend of mine recently said how she was having dizzy spells and not feeling well. She went to the ER and she was so dehydrated that they had to give her a liter of fluid before they could even get blood! Oh My goodness. After hours of tests and poking they finally gave her a diagnosis of Migranious Vertigo and told her it was stress related and she needs to take care of herself!
My first reaction as a nurse is to put my hands on my hips and give her my best Nurse Jackie speech about stress and ALL the things that it can lead to. For instance…Cancer, High Blood Pressure, Stroke, Heart Attack and acute illness! UGH! To top it all off she ignored the advice of the health care professionals and did not take time off work, not even 1 day and went directly back to her schedule! I am such a nurse! 
After that little tirade in my head, I remembered that I have had times of extreme stress in my life. I had panic attacks and people telling me what to do and how to do it was even more stressful. So the massage therapist in me kicked in and now this is my message to her.
#1 Hydration and nutrition is key!
Hydration means water! She has a very face paced job and could possibly benefit from a low sugar sports drink on occasion but it is always best forgo the sugar and stick with water. Water can be hard to tolerate straight when you are not used to it and there are some really good powdered mixes on the market that you can add to a bottle water. Crystal Light Pure is one. It is made with truvia. These drinks can help you transition from the sugary sweet of soda and other drinks to pure H2o.
Nutrition! Being a massage therapist has taught me the importance of nutrition. I hit the ground running in the mornings and even though I allow for 30 minutes between clients after check out and talking -it can be only 5-15 minutes. A massage appointment can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours long and I typically massage through meal times to accommodate clients. My usual meal times are breakfast at 9 (not an early riser!), lunch between 1 and 3 and dinner around 8pm. So nutrition really is my key. I cannot survive on coffee and scones for breakfast anymore. Caffeine is bad for your blood sugar. I make a Quiche on Sunday and it is enough for the entire week. Lots of protein in them and super easy to make and kids can help. They will love it-it’s like a pizza for breakfast. I recently started juicing and the greens give me so much energy and I am not even needing coffee anymore.
So eat a good breakfast, take lots of healthy snacks (or make your own) peanut butter, apples, cheese. Pack a cooler if you have to!
#2 Body Mechanics and Posture (and stress reduction on the job)
My friend has a highly physical job and bending and lifting is just part of it. I always recommend a break for every one hour of work. Not a 15 minute put-your-feet-up full on break either. It can be as simple as 1-2 minutes. If you sit-stand up and even if you stand at your job stand up straight, take a deep breath. Take another deep breath and bend over at the waist. (Ok if you have an office job just do this in your chair if you co workers will think you are crazy for standing up.) Shake it out! Shake your arms, your head, move your jaw around, just shake it and loosen up! Stand up, take a deep breath-raise your arms over head or shrug your shoulders and let them fall back behind you and straighten your spine. Clasp your hand behind your back and stretch and open up your chest. Take another deep breath and get back to work if you must.
There! 2 or 3 minutes tops! If you have a few more minutes, take a few more deep breaths and clear your head.
My motto is if you do it once today, that’s more than yesterday and if you do it twice tomorrow that’s more than today. Do it and keep at it. Set a timer, an alarm, do it on the half hour, the top of the hour, whatever you have to do to remind yourself to correct your posture and relax your mind. You’ve killed 2 birds with 1 action!
#3 Relaxation
I am in the business of relaxation! I should know a few tricks! I get many compliments on my massage room and it’s just because the mood is set. The lights are turned down low, the music is soft and the table is warm! You can do the same at home really cheap! Get some candles at Walmart or even from a thrift store. Download some soft music or your favorite blues, jazz or R&B and turn it down low. Aromatherapy oils are affordable and play a vital part in relaxation. Try Eucalyptus, lavender, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine or any favorite scent or blend. Ask me and I can help you find something affordable, tell you where to get it and even what to look for. Make your environment pleasing and relaxing and even if you can only get 5 minutes of time to relax-that’s FIVE WHOLE MINUTES! It’s worth it and you are worth it.
#4-Asking for help
Oh boy! Take a deep breath! I know no one wants to be a burden, we all want to be self-sufficient, we don’t want to seem weak yadda yadda BLAH! Get over it! Asking for help does not mean any of those things. It’s being smart! My friend is a single mom with kids at home. Kids that need to learn responsibility and can do some of the chores. Learn to let go and know you are teaching your kids to be self-sufficient, laundry sorting, dish washing, dusting and vacuuming responsible young adults. Of course they still need help or supervision or their work checked but it’s a start.
Another little ditty I freely give out is this piece of advice. If you knew your friend or loved one needed help wouldn’t you want to help them? Wouldn’t you do it without hesitation? Wouldn’t you want them to ask you? Why don’t you let people do the same for you? I am happy to help my friends when they need it and you might have guessed it-sometimes they needed my help and I gave it without them asking! People like to be needed and feel a sense of accomplishment when helping someone. It could be as much as making a meal, taking the kids to the park (so mom can have a few minutes of peace!), buying someone a candle or a bottle of wine. I’m not saying ask your friends to paint your house of move your furniture but hey, can you watch the kids so I can go to the store or can you have dinner with me sometime? Something! If you can’t always be there for a friend, send a feel good text or email or flowers or a gift certificate for a massage. (yes, I said that!)
The bottom line is to just ask. If someone says no, that’s ok. It’s not rejection it’s just information. You know not to ask them again or maybe they just couldn’t help this time but ask again.
#5 Self Help for tired and achy muscles.
I won’t bore you with all of this. You can click on this link to see the 3 things I cannot live without or check out more of my blog entries. Let me just say that ice packs are awesome and cheap to make and tennis balls rule my world and only $3 at walmart! They work wonders!
#6-Get a Massage! I see many people who can only make time for 30 minutes. I don’t mind at all. I would rather someone come in for a few minutes than not at all. I would rather see my friend for 30 minutes than see her in the ER for hours. I have done great work for migraine sufferers. Massage really does work. You don’t always have to get a professional massage either. Have the kids or the significant other rub your shoulders or your feet. Lay on the floor and if you have kids or dogs-they will think you are a trampoline. Instant Massage!
My message to my friend and to everyone is this: Stress really can kill you-it is a serious matter and you really should start taking care of yourself now because one day you could end up in the ER and get a real wake up call. Please don’t let it go that far. People love you and want you to be around, people count on you and need you!
Andrea Young, RN, LMT
Why Does Your Stomach Growl During a Massage?
January 12, 2012
Stomach Growling During a Massage is Normal. Really!
This week – I had about a dozen clients inspire my next post of Absolutely Human. Have you ever gotten a massage and it seems like your stomach decides to talk the whole time? Have you ever been half a sleep on the massage table when the rumbles and gurgles of your insides decide it’s a good time to give a soliloquy? As a massage therapist, trust me when I say – this happens all the time. Really.
Some clients laugh.
Some are inclined to apologize.
I always say, it’s just some borborygmi. It’s a good thing!
Borborygmi: (pronounced /ˌbɔrbəˈrɪɡməs/; from Greek βορβορυγμός) also known as stomach growling, rumbling, gurgling, grumbling or wambling, is the rumbling sound produced by the contraction of muscles in the stomach and intestines of humans. The word borborygmus refers to this rumbling.
The “rumble” or “growl” sometimes heard from the stomach is a normal part of digestion. It originates in the stomach or upper part of the small intestine as muscles contract to move food and digestive juices down the gastrointestinal tract and functions as a sort of intestinal “housecleaning”.
Massage has a way of helping things move along and getting your systems working in a better and more effective way. Why should your digestive system be left out?
There are very few professions where the mumbles and growls of your intestines are a COMPLIMENT! So don’t feel self – conscious! Next time you are taking care of your whole self by getting a massage, let your borborygmi do what borborygmi does!
Dry Skin Remedies
January 9, 2012
It’s that time of year again! Many of us suffer from dry skin during the winter. Here are some tips to help your skin during the dry months.
Steps to Prevent Dry Skin
1. Avoid caffeine, smoking, and alcohol. They act as diuretics and will dry you out.
2. Increase your water intake. Drink at least 8 glasses (8 oz) of pure water a day to keep your body and skin properly hydrated. If you’re an athlete you need to drink even more water!
3. Add oils to your bath. Add a tablespoon of almond oil, jojoba oil, olive oil or hazelnut oil to your bath water after you’ve soaked for about 5 minutes.
4. Protect your skin from the elments. Wind, sun, heat, cold, and dry airplane and office air can cause or worsen dry skin. Apply a moisturizer before exposing your skin to these conditions.
5. Limit hot water contact. Avoid long, super-hot showers and bath. While a super-hot bath may feel great in these cold winter months, hot water dehydrates the skin. However, short, warm showers and baths are beneficial to dry skin. Also, limit washing your face to once a day, typically right before you go to bed. When you wake up, apply a bit of herbal facial splash, or spritz your face (and body as needed) with an aromatic hydrosol.
6. Increase essential fatty acids (EFAs) in your diet. Eat more cold-water fish, walnuts, flax seeds, and omega-3 eggs to help replace moisture in dry hair and skin. Consider adding evening primrose oil and omega-3 fish oil pills to your diet.
7. Use humidifiers. They work very well in restoring humidity to your dry home or office.
8. Use only gentle cleansers. Avoid cleansers such as deodorant soaps and harsh abrasives. Use a moisturizing soap or a gentle, grain-based cleanser.
How to Treat Dry Skin
1. Try a non-petroleum jelly product
2. Perform these treatments up to 3 times per week:
Exfoliate: This should always be the first step toward healing dry skin. Dead skin cells can, over time, build up and become unresponsive to treatment. In order for moisturizer to do its job, you must first get rid of dead skin.
Moisturize: After exfoliation, you’re ready to moisturize. Apply your favorite moisturizer to your face and body. A good habit is to do this before bed and then slip into your favorite pajamas and go to bed. Your skin should be amazingly soft and smooth when you awake.
Happy New Year!!
December 31, 2011
