Treat Yourself Right - Articles for WellnessJuly-August 2011

Continued on page 2

The Power of TouchIn a High-tech World, It Pays to Reach OutNora Brunner

High-tech can mean low-touch. Ensure you're getting the tactile connection humans require.

Nothing ispermanent inthis wickedworld - noteven ourtroubles.-Charlie Chaplin

Office Hours and Contact

The Relaxation PointJoseph Holmgren, LMT607-379-1639By appointment only108 W. Buffalo St., Ithaca, NY

In this Issue

The Power of TouchThe Wonders of WaterMassage for Old Injuries

Physician and holistic health pioneerRachel Naomi Remen once confessedthat as a pediatric intern she was anunrepentant baby kisser, oftensmooching her little patients as shemade her rounds at the hospital. She didthis when no one was looking becauseshe sensed her colleagues would frownon her behavior, even though shecouldn't think of a single reason not todo it.

The lack of basic human contact in ourhigh-tech medical system reflects alarger social ill that has only recentlystarted to get some attention--touchdeprivation. The cultural landscape ispuzzling. On the one hand, we aresaturated in suggestive messages by the

mass media; on the other hand, thecaring pediatrician is afraid someonemight look askance at her planting a kisson a baby's forehead. What's wrong withthis picture?

Social NormsUnfortunately, touch has become, well,a touchy subject. Though there'sgrowing scientific evidence that

skin-to-skin contact is beneficial tohuman health, American social normsinhibit this most basic form of humaninteraction and communication.Despite our supposedly enlightenedattitudes, we Americans are among themost touch-deprived people in theworld.

"Touch deprivation is a reality inAmerican culture as a whole," writesReverend Anthony David of Atlanta."It's not just babies needing to betouched in caring ways, or the sick. It'snot just doctors and nurses needing toextend it. It's all of us, needingconnection, needing to receive it,needing to give it, with genuinehappiness at stake."

Distant, DisconnectedHow did we come to deprive ourselves sotragically? According to Texaspsychology professor David R. Cross,PhD, there are three reasons Americansdon't touch each other more: fear ofsexual innuendo, societal and personal

Massage helps boost self-worth and contribute to emotional well-being and connection.

Continued from page 1

disconnection aided by technology, andthe fact that the ill effects ofnon-touching are simply not thatobvious and don't receive muchattention.

It's no surprise Americans are oftenafraid physical touching signals romanticinterest, which leads to the twin perils ofeither having our intentionsmisunderstood or wondering ifsomeone's gesture is an uninvitedadvance. This ambiguity is more thanenough to scare most people fromtaking someone's arm or patting themon the back.

The potential for the loaded gesture isfurther complicated by our litigioussociety in which unwelcome touch canmean, or be interpreted as, dominance,sexual harassment, or exploitation.People in the helping professions areregularly counseled on how to do theirjobs without creating even a hint ofambiguity. In one extreme example,counselors at a children's summer campwere given the advice that when kidsproactively hugged them, the counselorswere to raise both arms over their headsto show they hadn't invited the contactand weren't participating in it. Onewonders how the innocent minds ofchildren will interpret this bizarreresponse to their spontaneous affection.

Another reason for touch phobia,according to Cross, is that we live in asociety with far-flung families anddeclining community connections.Technology plays a significant role inthe way we communicate, and it seemswe move farther away from face-to-facecommunication with every newinvention. How ironic that the oldtelephone company jingle thatencouraged us to "Reach Out andTouch Someone" gave way to the slew ofelectronic devices we have today, allringing and beeping for our attention.While these devices were invented toimprove communication, some peoplewonder if the net effect is lower qualityin our exchanges of information.

While there is scientific researchshowing non-touch is detrimental tohealth, Cross says those negative effectsaren't obvious. The effects of a lack oftouch are insidious and long-term anddon't amount to a dramatic story forprime time.

"Humans deprived of touch are proneto mental illness, violence,compromised immune systems, andpoor self-regulation," Cross says. Soserious are the effects of touchdeprivation, it's considered byresearchers to be worse than physicalabuse.

Benefits of TouchStated more positively, science doessupport the preventive health benefits oftouch. For example, Tiffany Field, PhD,founder of the Touch ResearchInstitute, notes that in a study onpreterm infants, massaging the babiesincreased their weight and allowed themto be discharged earlier. Dischargingbabies earlier from expensive neonatalintensive care units could save thehealthcare system $4.7 billion annually.

In other research, scientists at theUniversity of North Carolina found the

stress hormone cortisol was reduced withhugging. Cortisol is associated withanger, anxiety, physical tension, andweakened immunity.

Massage therapy has been found usefulin reducing symptoms such as anxiety,depression, pain, and stress, and ishelpful for those suffering with a varietyof illnesses, including anorexia nervosa,arthritis, cancer, fibromyalgia, andstroke. While more research is needed,massage therapy has also been shown toreduce symptoms associated with alcoholwithdrawal and smoking cessation, andcan strengthen self-esteem, boost theimmune system, increase flexibility, andimprove sleep.

As a nation, we are still finding our wayin terms of increasing our touchquotient; but those who make their wayinto a massage therapy room are fartheralong than most.

Water helps keep the body at optimum health.

The Wonders of WaterFor Skin Health and MoreShelley Burns, N.D.

Massage for Old InjuriesAncient Injuries Don't Have to Make You Feel OldArt Riggs

Creams, nutritional supplements,treatments, lotions, and potions. We arealways looking for the next miracleproduct to keep skin looking healthy andyoung. However, there is one essential,inexpensive, and often overlookednutrient right at your fingertips: water.

Just as a car cannot function without oil,our bodies cannot function withoutwater. After oxygen, H2O is the mostimportant component of the body,responsible for 65-70 percent of itscomposition. And of this, 80 percent isdedicated to the skin.

Water is the medium for variousenzymatic and chemical reactions in thebody. It moves nutrients, hormones,antibodies, and oxygen through theblood and lymphatic systems, and it alsohelps form the matrix of the skin.Devoid of water, the skin becomesdehydrated, resulting in a dry, dulltone.

It's likely that the moment a person feelsthirsty, mild dehydration has already set

in. To keep the complexion lookingsmooth and blemish-free, drink waterupon waking and continue drinking itthroughout the day at one- to two-hourintervals. At least six 8-oz. glasses ofwater should be consumed daily andmore if you are exercising, perspiring,and/or in hot weather. Ideally, intakeshould be between ten and twelve 8-oz.glasses of water a day. One note: Don'tincrease water intake all at once, as thekidneys and digestive system need timeto adjust. Add one 8-oz. glass every dayor every second day.

What counts toward your daily waterintake? Just the basics: water and herbaltea. Caffeinated beverages and alcoholicdrinks are diuretics that can contributeto dehydration, requiring even morehydration after drinking.

Not only is water important for skinhealth, it can also play a key role in theprevention of disease. Drinking eightglasses of water a day can decrease therisk of colon cancer, bladder cancer,and potentially even breast cancer.

Injuries such as chronic back pain, trickknees, and sticky shoulders are notnecessarily something you just have tolive with. Massage techniques might holdthe key to unlocking this old pain.

Will Massage Help?The benefits of massage will depend onthe extent of the injury, how long ago itoccurred, and on the skill of thetherapist. Chronic and old injuriesoften require deeper and more precisetreatments with less emphasis on generalrelaxation and working on the wholebody. Massage works best for soft tissueinjuries to muscles and tendons and ismost effective in releasing adhesions andlengthening muscles that have shorteneddue to compensatory reactions to theinjury. Tight and fibrous muscles not

only hurt at the muscle or its tendon,but can also interfere with proper jointmovement and cause pain far away fromthe original injury.

Therapists who perform such work oftenhave specialized names for theirwork--such as orthopedic massage,neuromuscular therapy, myofascialrelease, medical massage, etc.,--butmany massage therapists utilize aneclectic approach combining the best ofthe specialties.

It Works!A recent Consumer Reports article ranthe results of a survey of thousands of itsreaders and reported that massage wasequal to chiropractic care in many areas,including back and neck pain. Massage

also ranked significantly higher thansome other forms of treatment, such asphysical therapy or drugs.

If that nagging injury persists, considerbooking a massage. Be sure to discussthe injury with your practitioner: Howdid you receive the injury? Have youreinjured it? And what exactly are yoursymptoms? Often, the bodycompensates in one area to protectanother that has been traumatized, andthis can create new problems.

Discuss the issues with your massagetherapist. (Sometimes just talking aboutold injuries can play a significant role inthe healing process.) Together, the twoof you can work to determine atreatment plan.

Summerafternoon-summer afternoon;to me those havealways been thetwo mostbeautiful wordsin the Englishlanguage.-Henry James

Joseph will be offering chair massage at the Lansing HarborFestival on August 13th from 10 am - 8 pm. Other Saturdays,Joseph will be at the Lansing Farmers' Market from 9am -12:30pm at the Town Hall Parking Lot (29 Auburn Road). Come try a sample of Joseph's work! Or make anappointment to visit Joseph at his studio at 108 W. BuffaloStreet, 2nd Floor, in Ithaca.

Call today to book your massage. 607-379-1639RATES 30 min $40 45 min $50 60 min $75 90 min $95

SPECIAL RATES & PACKAGE DEALS 1 hr 20 min $80 Buy any 3 massages and get the 4th massage 1/2 off Give 3 referrals and receive a free massage Senior discount available

Treat Yourself Right.

Visit us online at www.TheRelaxationPoint.com

The Relaxation Point

PO Box 36Lansing, NY 14882