Massage NewsWinter 2015

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What Massage Can Do For YouBeyond Pain Relief, Massage is Valuable for Preventive CareKarrie Osborn

Massage helps you maintain a healthy body.

Be happy forthis moment.This moment isyour life.-Omar Khayyam

Office Hours and Contact

www.MassageTherapyCenterofPlano.comLiz Brown214-674-7215e-mail:liz@MassageTherapyCenterofPlano.comMonday-Friday 10am-8pmSaturday 10am-6pm

In this Issue

What Massage Can Do For YouReach Bodywork NirvanaDon't Get Sick!

This article first appeared in the Summer 2013 issueofBody Sense.

Whether it is an aching back, recoveryfrom an injury, a case of carpal tunnelsyndrome, or a host of other debilitatingphysiological conditions, there's nodoubt massage and bodywork works torelieve pain. But once your therapist hashelped you tackle your pain, do you quitcalling? When the pain is gone, are yougone, too?

Massage therapy is highly effective forpain relief, but it is an amazingpreventive therapy as well. Massage helpsbuild and maintain a healthy body (andmind), it combats stress, and it works to

keep the immune system strong. Inshort, massage can keep on working foryou, even after the pain is gone.

MASSAGE FOR WELLNESSIf it's been a while since you bookedyour last massage--because your pain isno longer an issue or your injury is fullyrehabbed--you might want to considermassage for preventive care.

Massage can play an important role in agood health-care regimen. Just as youeat healthily, exercise regularly, and takeyour vitamins to ward off illness andmaintain a fit body, you should considermaking frequent massage a part of yourwellness lifestyle.

According to Benny Vaughn, a sportsmassage expert in Fort Worth, Texas,one of the benefits of consistent andregular massage therapy is betterflexibility. "This happens becauseregular and structured touch stimulusenhances the nervous system's sensoryand spatial processing capacity," he says."That is, the person becomes moreaware of her body's movement in spaceand becomes more aware of tightness or

pain long before it reaches a criticalpoint of mechanical dysfunction."

As a preventive measure, frequentmassage puts you more in tune with yourbody. "The consistency of massagetherapy over time creates a cumulativestress-reduction effect," Vaughn says.

Regular massage helps reduce stress and improve your quality of life.

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"The person becomes acutely aware ofstress within her body long before it cancreate stress-driven damage."

And the more massage you receive, themore benefits you reap. "Massagetherapists know that people who getmassage regularly demonstrate greaterimprovement and notice a reduction inpain and muscular tension, as well as animprovement in posture," says AnneWilliams, author ofMassage Mastery: From Student to Professional(Lippincott Williams Wilkins, 2012).

"People regularly make a commitmentto fitness," Williams says. "Peopleregularly make a commitment tochanging their diet. The differencethey'd experience if they regularly madea commitment to massage ismind-blowing."

STRESS IS A KILLERStress is more than just a word we throwaround to describe the nature of ourhectic day. Today, we understand thatstress kills.

According to the Benson-HenryInstitute for Mind Body Medicine,60-90 percent of all US medical visitsare for stress-related disorders. Chronicpain, headaches, heart disease,hypertension, and ulcers can all bewrought from stress. Many would arguethat the best benefit of massage is itsability to reduce the stress in our lives.

From the perspective of daily living,think about the stress you felt at today'smeeting--now it's hiding in your neck.Tomorrow that can turn into stiffnessand eventually begin to affect other partsof your body. If you see your massagetherapist for your regular session thisweek, the chances are good you won'treach the tipping point. Think ofmassage and bodywork as a way torebalance your body.

Noted researcher Tiffany Field and hercolleagues from the Touch ResearchInstitute at the University of MiamiSchool of Medicine report that massagecauses positive biological changes whenit comes to stress. Through the course ofmore than 20 studies, these scientistsfound that massage decreases cortisol (astress-derived hormone that negativelyaffects immune function and kills ourimmune cells) and increases dopamine

and serotonin (the neurotransmittersmost associated with emotionalwell-being).

Add to this the research that showsmassage can lower your heart rate anddecrease your blood pressure, and youhave a mighty effective,nonpharmacological, stress-fightingtool that's about as natural as natural canget.

A ONE-HOUR VACATION AND SOMUCH MOREYou may no longer need to rehab thatknee or work the scar tissue from yoursurgery, but don't forget abouteverything else massage can do for you.Massage is the entire package, helping toheal body, mind, and spirit. Think of itas a one-hour vacation with amazingreturn on investment.

Whether it be maintaining joint

flexibility, managing blood pressure, orenhancing immunity, massage works.From repair to relief and from recoveryto relaxation, massage is a magnificentpiece of natural medicine you shouldalways have as part of your health-careroutine.

Karrie Osborn is senior editor for Body Sense.Contact her at karrie@abmp.com.

Create your checklist to reach bodywork nirvana.

Reach Bodywork NirvanaCreate a checklist to maximize your experienceDarren Buford

Don't Get Sick!Prevention is KeyLeslie Roste

Crafting the perfect massage orbodywork session requires transparencybetween you and your therapist. Of toppriority: communication. Without someback and forth conversation between youand your therapist, you may not get whatyou're looking for, or you may beunsatisfied with the direction yourpractitioner takes.

Following is a checklist to help ensureyou maximize your experience.

Arrive on timeBeing there 10-15 minutes before thesession keeps you from feeling rushed.

Relay all appropriate medical historyAllergies? Injuries? Medications?Surgeries? Speak up, for safety reasons.Your preexisting conditions couldchange your therapist's protocol foryour session.

Set clear goalsHave you explained the areas you want

addressed? Your therapist isn't a mindreader.

Be openTherapists' strategies may not involve adirect path to your sore elbow.Understand that the body works inmysterious ways, and yourknowledgeable therapist may take a morecircuitous path to healing than youexpect.

Be quiet ...It's your time; you paid for it. Relax andbathe yourself in the stress reductionand healingbodywork offers.

... But speak up when you don't likesomethingRoom too cold? Too hot? Pressure toodeep? Too light? Music not to yourtaste? Aromatherapy too pungent? Yourtherapist wants you to enjoy your time,so let him or her know when somethingisn't right.

Book your next sessionRome wasn't built in a day, and yourbody may not be "fixed" in one session.Bodywork is cumulative and oftenrequires a regular regimen to get thingsjust right. Before you depart, be sure toschedule your next appointment.Discussing a treatment plan with yourtherapist will help you reach nirvana.

Regardless of whether the threat is asimple cold or the flu, there are severalthings you can do to protect yourselffrom unnecessary downtime.

Proper Hand WashingThis gets top billing because of its trueeffectiveness in preventing illness. Themost important aspects of hand washingare the length of time (at least 30seconds) and the amount of friction youuse, not the water temperature. In fact,warm water is better than hot, as hotwater dries the skin, leaving moremicroscopic openings on its surface. Incases where hand washing is notpractical, keep hand sanitizer available.Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can alsocontribute to drying of the skin, so bediligent about moisturizing.

Immunizations

Have you had all your shots? The mostunderimmunized group in America iswomen aged 30-55. Check with yourphysician to make sure you areup-to-date on everything frominfluenza to tetanus.

Fluids and More FluidsStaying well hydrated clearly benefits ourskin, the largest organ of our immunesystem. The advice to stay adequatelyhydrated is even more important in thecold, dry months of winter.

Eat Your VitaminsA balanced diet, which includes all foodgroups, gives your immune system theresources it needs when it faces achallenge like the flu.

Eight Hours of SleepResearch continues to prove how vital

this is to every part of our well-being. Itaffects everything from our ability toresist illness to managing weight.

Hands and FaceIt is important to keep your hands awayfrom your face--particularly the eyes,mouth, and nose, which are favoritepoints of entry for viruses. Start payingattention to how frequently you touchyour face. Break the habit, and youcould reduce your risk of colds and fluthis season by more than 50 percent.

Leslie Roste has degrees in nursing andmicrobiology and is employed by KingResearch in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Try to be arainbow insomeone's cloud.-Maya Angelou

MY GIFT TO YOU

$20 off any massage with this coupon.

Expires January 31, 2016Remain calm, serene, always in command of yourself. Youwill then find out how easy it is to get along.

Paramahansa Yogananda Yogi & guru

Massage can help you manage your stress levels. Massageis not only effective in decreasing muscle pain but lowersblood pressure and elevates mood.

Schedule your massage today.

Massage Therapy Center of Plano

614B East 16th StreetPlano, TX 75074