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By Robert Gardner Client care is something that many will overlook but it's one of the largest factors in whether you get long term relief. Anything a massage therapist can do for you you can often do for yourself. It will never replace the luxury of a massage but we've all heard that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Working on yourself is as simple as breathing, stretching and some simple self massage. Here's a video showing how you stretch and open your gluteals and it often helps ease low back pain. If you're having problems with your neck you can work slowly and gently using the video shown here. If you're sitting at work you can do the same basic neck stretch within what feels comfortable to you. Always remember that you go slow you breathe and nothing should feel painful. These are simple easy to use tools that you can expand upon taking a yoga class and by getting regular bodywork. Once you know where the tension is it's far easier to work on.
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 Top Ten Reasons to Get a Massage by Michele Cook, LMT - Body Ache Escape Massage Center, Columbus, Ohio
#10: No 2 year olds allowed in the massage room. #9: Annoying co-worker gave you a wicked headache. #8: Your husband is a literal pain in the butt. #7: While drag racing that teenager, you couldn't turn your neck to check if you were winning. #6: You want something good to brag about at your next card club. #5: You've been golfing a 9 on a par 3. #4: While trying to show your daughter your old cheerleading move you pull...something. #3: Your morning run has become a run, walk, limp. #2: The in-laws have overstayed their welcome. and the #1 reason to get a massage You have become a monster! What is your #1 reason to get a massage?  by Michele Cook, Body Ache Escape Massage Center, massage in Columbus, Ohio
How to Get a Great Massage Tip #1 Get to your massage early! If you are a repeat customer, get to your massage about 5 minutes early. That will give you enough time to go to the bathroom and get ready in the room. If you happen to get here much earlier, turn on your favorite music in your car and take a few cleansing breaths to help get you in the relaxation zone. Get a Great Massage Tip #2 Breathe DeepWhen you first get onto the table until your therapist comes back into the room, take deep cleansing breaths. Inhale the breath into the stomach, lungs, all the way under the collarbone. When you exhale, relax...sinking into the table more each time. Think only about the breath, trying to clear your mind. How to Get a Great Massage Tip #3 Keep open communication with us.Need an extra pillow....tell us . Too hot or too cold....tell us. Want more pressure?...tell us. Don't like the music....tell us. Want the face rest adjusted...let us know! We are sometimes psychic, but not always! Let us know what you need so your massage can be excellent! Tip #4 on How to Get a Great Massage To Talk or Not to Talk...that is the question.Some people feel like talking will help them relax. If thats you, talk away. If you don't want to talk, thats ok too. Some cues we take that you don't want to talk are..."Don't be surprised if I fall asleep" or "I'm so tired today". Tip #5 on how to get a great massage Try not to help us.Sometimes people think that lifting the body part we're working on will help us. Well sometimes it does, but it makes your massage not as good. More often it makes it harder for us to do what we want to do. So if we're moving your neck or leg or arm to do stretches, just relax and let us do it. The only time you should move your own body is if we ask you too. Tip #6 on How to Get a Great Massage When we stop and push on a sore spot or "knot", relax! I know, I know...its hard to relax when we're pushing on a spot that hurts, but if you relax more with every breath that soreness will go away. Another tip is to relax your body all around the spot and eventually that spot will relax too. A muscle is made up of a bunch of fibers. The knot that you feel is some of those fibers that have stayed contracted. Pushing on the knot helps it to stretch out so that it relaxes back with the rest of the muscle. How to Get a Great Massage Tip #7 Get Regular Massage is a form of detoxifying the body. When the muscles tense up, they draw toxins to it (lactic acid, uric acid, etc.). Massage helps get rid of these toxins, however this process can create whats called a healing crisis. This is when the body is so full of toxins that it creates side effects the next day or two days. The side effects can range from nausea to diarrhea, having a headache or fatigue. These will be temporary. The side effects will not continue once you get on a regular massage schedule. Once a month is a good schedule to prevent the toxins from building up to such an extreme level. I personally try to get a massage every 2-3 weeks. How to Get a Great Massage Tip #8- Stay Hydrated!I talked in a previous tip on how massage releases toxins. Making sure you drink the proper amount of water helps flush all those toxins out of the body to prevent the healing crisis.  By Pearl Russell of Pearl Acupuncture The combination of acupuncture and massage is a powerful method of treatment. Research has shown that both acupuncture and massage individually are excellent for the reduction of pain and muscle spasm, but combining the treatments can enhance the effects. According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 70 conditions, diseases and symptoms that acupuncture treats. Here, we will discuss how the combination of massage and acupuncture can be substantially helpful in the treatment of orthopedic, pain, and sports injuries. Massage therapy aids in the recovery of soft tissue conditions such as muscle spasm, muscle tightness, tissue restriction and scar tissue, as well as imbalances in the positioning of body parts relative to other body parts, muscle weakness, and synergistic or opposing muscles or muscle groups. Massage therapy mobilizes tissues that may require separation from other tissues in the form of scars, tissue adhesions and potential contractures. There is no substitute for the direct impact of working locally on these issues with massage. Just like massage therapy, acupuncture is excellent at pain relief and decreasing muscle spasm. Acupuncture improves blood flow to an area, pushing out fluids that may contain chemicals that cause pain and discomfort. An acupuncture treatment can enhance a massage therapy session in several ways. Acupuncture needles can work into deeper tissues, such as the multifidus muscles in the spine, which no fingers, elbows, or palms can access. Acupuncture can also directly influence nerves and blood vessels with greater impact. A perfect example of a patient benefiting from both massage and acupuncture is the treatment of a previous injury where the tissues are “stuck” and immobile. The patient experiences low-grade pain or tightness regardless of how much the individual stretches. Here, massage techniques can work to loosen up scar tissue. Then, acupuncture can work on manipulating muscle tone and improving blood flow to the area. This moves chemicals that may have pooled due to the scar tissue. The increased blood flow also brings nutrients to the area which positively impact healing. If the scar tissue is deep, acupuncture can access those tissues to augment the work the soft tissue techniques have accomplished, additionally loosening up the scar. If one treatment or another has provided limited results, give both treatments a try. Book a massage and an acupuncture treatment one after the other, and maximize your pain relief. Pearl Acupuncture 512-289-6277 1144 N. Plano Rd. Ste 137 Richardson, TX 75081 Visit Pearl online at www.pearlacu.com
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 The Heeling Hut Barefoot Massage Blog — Healing & Wellness in Plano & Dallas, TX |
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