quick tip - self massage

If you have stubborn problems areas acting up between sessions, you can do a little self care at home. A quick solution is to use a ball, like a tennis ball or racquet ball, and use it to put pressure on your tight muscles. You can lean on it against a wall or lie on it on the floor for more pressure.

Or you can purchase a Theracane which has knobs on a long handle for more precise pressure. (I have a Theracane and can help you get one, if you like.)
Or you can always enlist someone to press on it for you!

quick tip - movement

I shared a quote on my Facebook feed that I thought worthy of a repeat as a gentle reminder.

We get so involved in our tasks, or so focused on completing them as quickly as possible, that sometimes we abuse our muscles by keeping them still for too long. 

Figure out a method that works for you to take occasional breaks (one-two per hour) from sitting in one place. Stand up to talk on the phone, walk down the hall to your co-worker, stop frequently on a long car trip. Set a little alarm if you need to.

Your muscles (and other parts of you) will thank you!

quick tip - warmth

As the days and nights cool, many with muscular tension and pain will feel an increase in how tight their muscles feel. Cooler temperatures do promote constriction. Staying warm and adding heat can help your muscles stay looser.

Stretching after a warm shower is an easy way to use heat at home to enhance the positive effects of stretching. You can certainly use other heat sources like heating pads or hot packs for localized relief of an area, either as an aid in itself or along with stretching or self massage.  (If you're dealing with an injury, however, you should apply ice in the early days following the trauma.)

At the studio, we'll be using our table warmer during these cooler months to help keep your muscles warm and relaxed!

quick tip - protect your hands

As a person who works with her hands, I love to hear information and tips about keeping your hands in good shape.


A member, who is a Physical Therapist specializing in hand therapy, recently shared the following fact with me. The pressure that you put on the tip of your thumb, through pressing or pinching, transfers 30 times that amount of pressure to the joint at the base of your thumb (where it meets the wrist).  If that joint becomes inflamed, it can then radiate back up the thumb. (And I will add that joint inflammation can trigger the surrounding muscles to tighten in an effort to protect the joint further; contributing to any discomfort that may be present.)  


Many people who work with their hands, or who suffer from arthritis, experience discomfort in this area. If you have begun to experience modest tension or pain in this area, you can help mitigate the pain by finding ways to limit the use of your thumbs until it has subsided.  


Some things we therapists do to protect our thumbs include: using elbows, knuckles, or other fingers to press; finding tools to help us work; and finding alternatives to grasping. (And, of course, getting massage- reflexology is great for this!)


I hope this statistic helps-- and thanks Pat!

quick tip - breathing

Breath work and deep breathing exercises help calm the body and mind, aid in meditation, and complement body building practices.


It can also improve your massage experience! When you first get on the table for your massage, take a few deep, centering breaths to foster deeper relaxation and bring your attention into your body.


As your therapist works and finds tender areas, take deeper breaths and slowly release as she increases her pressure. This will aid the muscles in releasing their tension.  

quick tip - focus sessions

As a long-time recipient of massage, I know that my body really craves a full-body massage if I haven't had one in a while.  As an active person, I have problem areas that need focused attention. Sometimes I feel conflicted as to whether I want less focus on my whole body, or intense focus on one or two areas. What's a girl to do!

One strategy that works for me is setting a rotating schedule. Full-body, upper body focus, lower body focus. Sometimes, I go even more in-depth and rotate between hands/arms/shoulders, neck/shoulders, back/neck, legs/hips/feet, hands/feet.

If you haven't yet had a chance to try a focus session- give it a go!  We can choose a strategy based on your problem areas and lifestyle. Give those stressed-zones the extra attention they deserve!

quick tip - why lift with your legs

By now, we've all heard the urging "lift with your legs, not with your back;" but we rarely hear the why behind it.


While in school we learned some spinal stats. The skinny being: An average spinal column can take around 1000 pounds of pressure while it is properly aligned.  Get out of alignment (especially twisted) and that number drops to under 100 pounds.  All it can take is a quick jerk in the wrong direction and a tiny little package can lay you flat.

quick tip - massage on the road

Many of us like to get a massage while on vacation.  One resource for finding a Therapist in another area is the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) "Find a Massage Therapist" index. 


http://www.amtamassage.org/findamassage/index.html

The AMTA is a national professional association that requires its members to adhere to professional, educational, and ethical standards.  The organization works to educate the public about massage, create and uphold professional standards, and ensure fair legislation concerning massage.  


Kristina has held an AMTA membership since becoming a Certified Massage Therapist in 2007 and currently volunteers as a local organizer for the association.

quick tip - letting go

We all accumulate injuries over time to our emotional make up.  As they build up they can lead to increasing malaise and can sometimes manifest into physical problems.  I find that working to let go and forgive makes a huge positive difference in my emotional well-being and my overall well-being.


I've been working with Mimi, a life coach and spiritual coach with GraceMoves, and she has passed along some great ideas on moving forward.  Journaling, of course, is a tried-and-true method of venting the negative out.  If you have a particular person with whom you have negative energy, writing a letter to them and destroying it, or at least not sending it, can help get things moving.  Or, simply, having a conversation "with" them when they are not actually there.


Meditation is a great tool for grounding and centering and leading a balanced life.  I have to admit to being pretty terrible at meditation, but even at my level, I still get a benefit from it.  Reiki is also a great tool for surfacing energies that need to be released and rebalanced.  And even organizing and Feng Shui'ing your physical environment can have a positive impact.

Mimi and I have started putting our heads together to develop an integrated program to help those on a healing journey.  Stay tuned for details! 


The first step, however, is realizing that there is something that needs to be let go.  Then you can start on the path towards healing and integration.  

quick tip - massage at home

We use our hands constantly and we often overlook them when we ask for massage.  They get shoved aside for a nice foot rub or for attention to our aching necks and backs; but, I have to say, a thorough hand massage is one of my favorites (especially to receive).  


To treat someone to a relaxing hand massage try the following:


Find some lotion, cream, or oil (especially at this time of year- skin can be dry and cracked).  I usually use all natural products.  


Have your person relax.  You can sit across from them at a table (you may want to cushion their forearms with a towel or pillow) or have them recline and sit or stand next to them.  Let them know to just relax their arm and you will move it as necessary.


You can begin with pressing down on the hand and arm with your palms, just to warm up the area and get the circulation going.  Then put some lotion in your hand (and hold it for a sec to warm it) and apply it to their skin.  Use long gliding movements with your hands on the forearm and gentle pulls on the hand.


Next use your fingers to massage the palm.  Make sure you treat the whole area with special attention to the "meaty" areas below the thumb and pinkie.  You can use a combination of vertical, horizontal, diagonal, and circular sweeps.  You can also press in with your thumbs if they prefer a lot of pressure.  Also work around the wrist.


Then move to the back of the hand.  Work the back of the wrist.  Then the hand, you can sweep along and in between the bones then across them.  Next work up each finger- ending with a gentle tug.  


Since the muscles that control the wrist and fingers go all the way up to the elbow, glide and knead the front and back of the forearm.  You can end with a few more presses to "set" the work.


Then have them work on you!

quick tip - chronic pain

A majority of my clients come to me with consistent problem areas.  Tight muscles created by repeating an action over and over which stresses the muscle and at a frequency which disallows the muscle to heal properly.  I created my membership programs with this in mind.

In many cases, the offending action is work-related; and while we'd all love to take a month off to rest our bodies, reality usually forbids it.  Thus we must create a management program to help reduce symptoms and manage pain.

Personally, massage comprises a major part of my plan.  In addition to receiving regular sessions, I exercise, stretch, rest well, watch my posture when I'm using the offending area, meditate and do-self Reiki to reduce stress, and lately I have been improving my diet.  Putting all of these things together helps keep the pain at bay and my range of motion in tact.

I found a list of "warning signs" that indicate repetitive stress injuries on www.massagemag.com (Massage Magazine's website).  Here is the list.

"• Stiffness

• Weakness

• Fatigue

• Difficulty using body part

• Waking up with pain

• Tingling, numbness and burning

• Recurring pain

• Lack of endurance

• Feeling of heaviness in body part"

Feeling these sensations consistently in an area tells you that you need to start taking steps to care for that area.  

quick tip - body image

I recently met a woman who said she had always wanted to try massage, but chose not to because she had a very poor image of her body.  She is not alone-- many people deny themselves the gift  and therapeutic benefit of touch due to self-consciousness and body image issues.


As we spoke, I recalled reading a study that indicated how massage helped improve body image in women who battled with eating disorders.  Therapeutic touch can help connect you with your body and also releases your body's own natural happy chemicals!


For anyone who would like to try massage, but has these types of concerns; I would urge you to find a therapist with whom you can create a partnership and who will work with you at your comfort level.  You might start with Reflexology of the hands or feet (or both) or Energy Work- both of which you can receive while clothed.  Also know that, for any massage, you can undress to your level of comfort.  Though many choose to undress to their underwear or completely, we can tailor our work if you choose to keep more clothing on.  We also keep you covered during the session, other than the area upon which we are actively working.  Your therapist should be open to your concerns and take the time to discuss them with you.


One last thought.  In my own experience, I can tell you that I am not thinking about what someone looks like on my table or whether or not they shaved their legs.  During a session, my attention focuses on areas of tension I feel in the muscles, etc.. and what type of work I should perform to relieve it.