Massage News

Massage as a business expense? Oh yeah!

Are you self-employed? Maybe an actor, an athelete, a contractor? Do you work hard in the field or in a warehouse or even in the office?

If so, then you may be able to not only receive great benefits from massage, but also deduct massage fees as a business expense!

Purchasing a package of massages during 2015 to balance out your end-of-year bookkeeping and keep yourself stocked with massage sessions in the new year makes good sense! Not only financially, but also, c’mon, you are going to be better at anything you do if you’re more relaxed, focused, and healthy!

Get started now by Making an Appointment!

Back Home

 

Using your Health Savings Account (HSA) for massage? You bet!

Did you you know you can use your HSA (Health Savings Account) funds to purchase massages from qualified licensed massage therapists?

You most certainly can! Even better -- you can purchase massages in the form of gift certificates which not only means you get your massages, but if you’re ever stuck for a gift, you have instant gifts ready to go!

Perfectly timed to just-before-Christmas so you can tell yourself you’re getting these as gifts for other people (by “other people,” of course, we realize that you probably mean “people who are you in the future”).

Multiple Package Deals (lower per massage cost) and Gift Certificate (ready gifts for others or for yourself) options for you to choose from!

Get started now by Making an Appointment!

Back Home

 

Avoid whiplash!

Double check your vehicle seat and head rest position!

I got hit from behind while at a red light last week. It was a relatively low speed collision, but I still got lucky: no whiplash injury! I am so grateful! Here is a video about how to set up your seat and head rest so you can avoid it too.

Back Home

 

How does massage relieve stress?

There are two main mechanisms that have been studied. The mechanical stretching of the muscle tissue is one. The other is all blood chemistry.

Lengthening of muscle tissue by pressing on it or by movement, at a comfortable speed, through the range of motion at a joint, results in relaxation of the muscle tissue. This relaxation allows more blood to flow through the blood vessels increasing gas and nutrient exchange in the cells. Tight muscles decrease the space available for their blood vessels so they partially close off, depriving the cells of oxygen and allowing a build up of both carbon dioxide and metabolites (sometimes called “toxins”) which can cause the feeling of muscle fatigue and after a period of time, pain. Opening these vessels back up through relaxing the muscle allows the normal exchange to resume increasing a person’s sense of well-being.

The other effect of massage is changes in the levels of neurotransmitters and hormones that act as neurotransmitters. The application of touch when it feels safe (slow, gentle to moderate pressure that does not cause the client to flinch) stimulates the autonomic nervous system which is responsible for the resting and recovery activities of the body. Digestion is stimulated and other processes become the physiological focus. Cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, is decreased. Serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin which are all hormones associated with feelings of well-being, are increased.

Get started now by Making an Appointment!

Back Home

 

Hot or cold for pain?

Applying heat and cold to injuries or painful areas can help reduce the discomfort. Most of us have heard this, but how do you know whether to use hot or cold?

Ice is good for acute pain. For instance, you just tripped and turned your ankle. The onset is sudden and intense. Bag up some ice cubes, commandeer a bag of frozen peas or acquire a fancy ice pack made specifically for the body area to be iced. Wrap your cold source in a layer of towel, then apply to the painful area for 10-20 minutes. If even ten minutes feels too intense, wrap the ice in another layer of towel. Return your ice pack to the freezer then wait the amount of time that it takes for your skin to return to normal temperature before reapplying. It’s fine to apply ice several times a day as long as you have normal temperature sensitivity and you allow the area to come to normal skin temperatures between applications.

Heat is good for chronic pain. Maybe your neck has become stiff and occasionally painful through daily computer work over a long period of time. The onset was gradual and the pain waxes and wanes depending on stress levels or with approaching deadlines. Heat is great for this. A hot bath, hot tub, a hot towel (moisten slightly with water, then microwave for 20-25 seconds (check the temperature before applying to your neck or other sensitive skin areas), or a hot water bottle. Apply for 20 minutes or until the hot compress/bath cools and see how you feel.

Both ice and heat break the cycle of pain causing spasm causing more pain causing more spasm, etc. by increasing blood circulation, dulling the pain (ice) and relaxing the muscle (heat). Alternating 20 minutes of ice with 20 minutes of heat may be best for a chronic pain that is currently feeling more acute because of overuse or other reinjury.

Get started now by Making an Appointment!

Back Home

 

Free Advice #4

Who said nothing’s free in this world? Not me!

Having trouble getting some of your muscles to let go and lengthen while you stretch? Try using about 10% of the power of the stretched muscle to gently resist the stretch for about ten seconds. Release the resistance and see how much further you can stretch.

Back Home

Set up an Appointment...

...or feel free to ask more questions. I am always happy to hear from clients, potential clients, and awesome people.