Archive for the ‘Massage Therapy’ Category

« Older Entries

The Therapist Gets the Treatment

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

My massage clients often ask me, “How often do you get massage?”  “As often as I can!,” I reply.  Many therapists I know make the effort to trade massage so that their body can stay in good condition for their clients.  This can sometimes be a tough task, fitting it into schedules, making time for ourselves.   These points may seem familiar to those seeking massage.    Making time for you is often a barrier for people who could really use a massage.    Those clients that receive massage regularly have made a commitment to themselves, as well as a commitment to those that rely on them, family, friends, work.
Everyone around you benefits when you receive massage, really,
you

  • sleep better
  • have better focus and concentration
  • are more creative
  • your mood is better
  • FEEL GREAT!

Me, My clients and the ones I love reap the benefits I receive from massage. So should you and your loved ones.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Massage Therapy | No Comments »

Massage Parlors shut down, thanks

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

In Local news… Seven massage parlors were shut down for being unlicensed, four of those parlors are now facing prostitution charges.

Six local police departments — Longmeadow, Springfield, East Longmeadow, Hadley, Chicopee, and West Springfield — worked alongside U.S. Immigration Services to shut down illegal, unlicensed massage parlors across the area.

My thanks go out to all departments who worked on this, not only because these places give massage and real licensed massage therapists a bad reputation, but unfortunately the people working in these places are basically slave labor and doing such work because things in their own country are so bad.

Myself, I’ve only had one experience of a client requesting “more” in the three years I’ve been working as a massage therapist. However, the female massage therapists that I know go through such things more often than they’d like, once is too many really!

I let people know what I do, and sometimes when I say” I’m a massage therapist” occasionally a jokester will chime in, however, I am very specific about what I do and what the perception of massage should be as far as professional practice. IMHO the industry should take on a new name for it’s practice, something such as myotherapy, referring to the muscles which most of our work is about. However, this too could be considered somewhat exclusionary of more holistic massage practices not to mention other modalities which are massage but not necessarily muscular bodywork in practice.

I take what I do very seriously as do most licensed massage therapists, unfortunately for us, there are still those that are pushing the envelope as far as good ethics and moral character. I encourage everyone considering getting a massage to at least interview and check out the prospective therapist before working with them. I’ve written a few articles about choosing a massage therapist and what one should expect from a session. What makes a great massage session?
Interviewing a massage therapist

The best I can do is educate and make people more aware. If you have any questions you can e-mail or call anytime.
Full “massage parlor” story here, from 22news (WWLP.com)
Massage Parlors shut down

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Massage Therapy | 3 Comments »

LBP Massage Studies

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Being a bit nerdy I find this kind of info regarding lower back pain and massage very interesting.   All abstracts and articles I have found seem to include “more studies are needed”    I’m looking into being a part of these studies,as a massage therapy provider rather than receiver, I think the line would be pretty long for “subjects”   I really would like it if Massage gained some ground credibility-wise.   It’s a battle though, but each person I can educate is one step closer to this goal.    It’s kind of hard to argue with a practice that goes back thousands of years IMHO.

But I digress,  the part that I find most interesting is that in these studies, as in most massage studies, side effects only include allergic reactions, and minimal at that.    Most people know they have allergies and if your massage therapist doesn’t ask you before the session, be certain to let them know.  The most prevalent allergens in massage oils/creams/lotions are nuts (literally, almond being the most often used).

Massage for Low Back Pain

Main Results

Thirteen randomized trials were included. Eight had a high risk and five had a low risk of bias. One study was published in German and the rest in English. Massage was compared to an inert therapy (sham treatment) in two studies that showed that massage was superior for pain and function on both short and long-term follow-ups. In eight studies, massage was compared to other active treatments. They showed that massage was similar to exercises, and massage was superior to joint mobilization, relaxation therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture and self-care education. One study showed that reflexology on the feet had no effect on pain and functioning. The beneficial effects of massage in patients with chronic low-back pain lasted at least one year after the end of the treatment. Two studies compared two different techniques of massage. One concluded that acupuncture massage produces better results than classic (Swedish) massage and another concluded that Thai massage produces similar results to classic (Swedish) massage.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Massage Therapy | 2 Comments »

Low Back Pain

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

I was talking to a physical therapist the other day about her own troubles with low back pain.   While we agree, as do most, that the human body is a greatt feat of engineering, we both concluded that there are areas that could use some re-engineering, a 2.0 if you will.   Unfortunately, evolution takes quite a bit of time, though it does seem to be working.

Our main focus would be the low back,  specifically the quadratus lumborum and the piriformis or maybe a complete overhaul of the hip.     You see low back pain is more related to the muscles of the hip than it is to the low back itself.  Why?  The muscles of the low back in a general sense, have issues because they are compensating for the lack of work that the hip and core muscles do on their own.   The body is neverendingly trying to remain in balance.    In order to stay upright, whether in a seated or standing position the muscles have to work well together.

Often, when people complain of low back issues and say things like, “Ireally need to strengthen my low back, do you have any recommendations?”  My response is usually,”Really, what you need to strengthen is your CORE.”     Instead of thinking of the body as segmented at the crest of the pelvis, really there’s about 6-8 inches more that should be thought of.   Imagine the split just above the navel, instead of at the waist.   THis then takes into account all of those core muscles and how they interact with the hip and low back in a much better way.

The pain information received from the low back is more from the strain of carrying all of the load, and therefore past the point where it needs to grow, what it needs really is for the other muscles that should be helping to start activating more and helping with some of the work.    It’s like a tandem bike with one weak rider and one strong rider,  eventually the stronger will fatigue and need rest, while if both riders are nearly equal in stamina and the amount of effort they put into the pedals, then the ride will last much longer and both will fatigue at a similar time.  This is what the body wants, in essence,  homeostasis, a balance between everything.

Instead of blaming the area that hurts, think of the other areas and how they could be helping.   If you lived with 6 people and felt like you were the only one doing the dishes, would you do more dishes?

How massage helps…  The goal of massage for the low back is to loosen the over-worked muscles and allow them to recover from the strain they have been under.    Typically, a good massage therapist will work the low back as well as the hips and glutes.   Strengthening of the core muscles is highly recommended and a personal trainer or physical therapist can make recommendations on this.   There are also vids on YouTube like this one

The Best Pilates Core Workout Video it’s only six minutes, and really great info,  all you need is a floor.    Pilates is great for core work.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Anatomy & Health, Massage Therapy | 2 Comments »

Making the Call

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

Recently, I had a client come to me for massage after she was referred by her chiropractor. I later found that another massage client of mine is also a patient of this same chiropractor.
Chiropractors and Massage Therapists can get along wonderfully. Typically chiropractic deals with the bones and how they line up. People often raise their shoulders at even the thought of a chiropractor. Why? Alignment is key for everything in your body to work properly. This is a good thing. Where does massage fit in you ask? The body is very much a tensegrity structure, without bones the muscles would have no way of standing on their own and without muscles the bones wouldn’t last very long on their own either.
Your chiropractor should know a good massage therapist and vice versa. We all want people to heal and our work can be very complementary, leading to your good health long-term when utilized for maintenance and faster recovery when combined for acute pain and other ailments.

Personally, I have a list of chiropractors that I know well and recommend for nearly every town in the Valley. There are a few that are stellar, but if someone’s not willing to travel more than a few miles, their often someone in their neighborhood.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Massage Therapy, Pain Management | No Comments »

Your Massage

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

Clients often ask questions like:

is it okay if I snore?

can i talk?

should i get fully undressed?

can i leave my underwear on?

is it alright with you if i fall asleep?

The answer is always yes to these and many others.   A massage is about you and not your massage therapist.   So whatever is comfortable for you is fine in most cases.  There are boundaries of course, but mostly those boundaries are deifned by the massage client.  There are those that don’t like their feet touched, and those that talk all the way into the office and all the way out the door.   It’s your time.     Basically, the massage therapist should be focused on your comfort.    If you are looking for relaxation and a bit of stress relief then the massage itsself should be tailored ot that, if you’re feeling pain in a certain area the primary goal of the session should be to reduce that pain.

Massage is not about the massage therapist and should never be really, if you find one that talks the whole time and you’d rather be quiet. Please realize that this should not be part of your experience and the best way to curb the talking is to say nothing or pretend to sleep :)   Not all massage therapists should be created equal and it may take a few tries before you find one that you like.  Please do try a few and be sure to give the massage therapist as much feedback and information as you can.   The more we know the better we can help you in your process.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Massage Therapy | No Comments »

« Older Entries