Benefits of Massage

As you lie on the table under crisp, fresh sheets, hushed music draws you into the moment. The smell of sage fills the air and you hear the gentle sound of massage oil being warmed in your therapist's hands. The pains of age, the throbbing from your overstressed muscles, the sheer need to be touched -- all cry out for therapeutic hands to start their work. Once the session gets underway, the problems of the world fade into an oblivious 60 minutes of relief and all you can comprehend right now is not wanting it to end.

But what if that hour of massage did more for you than just take the pressures of the day away? What if that gentle, Swedish massage helped you combat cancer? What if bodywork helped you recover from a strained hamstring in half the time? What if your sleep, digestion and mood all improved with massage and bodywork? What if these weren't just "what ifs"?

Evidence is showing that the more massage you can allow yourself, the better you'll feel. Here's why.

Massage as a healing tool has been around for thousands of years in many cultures. Touching is a natural human reaction to pain and stress, and for conveying compassion and support. Think of the last time you bumped your head or had a sore calf. What did you do? Rubbed it, right? The same was true of our earliest ancestors. Healers throughout time and throughout the world have instinctually and independently developed a wide range of therapeutic techniques using touch.

 Many are still in use today, and with good reason. We now have scientific proof of the benefits of massage - benefits ranging from treating chronic diseases and injuries to alleviating the growing tensions of our modern lifestyles. Having a massage does more than just relax your body and mind - there are specific physiological and psychological changes which occur, even more so when massage is utilized as a preventative, frequent therapy and not simply mere luxury. Massage not only feels good, but it can cure what ails you. 

The Consequences of Stress

  Experts estimate that 80 percent to 90 percent of disease is stress-related. Massage and bodywork is there to combat that frightening number by helping us remember what it means to relax. The physical changes massage brings to your body can have a positive effect in many areas of your life. Besides increasing relaxation and decreasing anxiety, massage lowers your blood pressure, increases circulation, improves recovery from injury, helps you to sleep better and can increase your concentration. It reduces fatigue and gives you more energy to handle stressful situations. Massage is a perfect elixir for good health, but it can also provide an integration of body and mind. By producing a meditative state or heightened awareness of living in the present moment, massage can provide emotional and spiritual balance, bringing with it true relaxation and peace.

The incredible benefits of massage are doubly powerful if taken in regular "doses." Dr. Maria Hernandez-Reif, from the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami, is known for her massage research, along with colleague Tiffany Field. Together, they and other researchers have done outstanding work proving the value of massage.

 While their studies have shown we can benefit from massage even in small doses (15 minutes of chair massage or a half-hour table session), Hernandez-Reif says they know from their research that receiving bodywork 2-3 times a week is highly beneficial. And if we lived in a fantasy world, Hernandez-Reif has the answer. "I feel a daily massage is optimal."

It's undoubtedly a wonderful thing when your therapist begins unwinding those stress-tightened muscles, and your day's troubles begin to fade away. But it's the cherry on top to know this "medicine" only gets better with frequency.

What You Already Know: The Benefits of Massage

In an age of technical and, at times, impersonal medicine, massage offers a drug-free, non-invasive and humanistic approach based on the body's natural ability to heal itself. So what exactly are the benefits to receiving regular massage and/or bodywork treatments? 

- Increases circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs. 

- Stimulates the flow of lymph, the body's natural defense system, against toxic invaders. For example, in breast cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase the cells that fight cancer. 

- Increased circulation of blood and lymph systems improves the condition of the body's largest organ -

 

the skin. 

- Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles

- Reduces spasms and cramping

- Increases joint flexibility. 

- Reduces recovery time, helps prepare for strenuous workouts and eliminates subsequent pains of the athlete at any level.

- Releases endorphins - the body's natural painkiller - and is being used in chronic illness, injury and recovery from surgery to control and relieve pain. 

- Reduces post-surgery adhesions and edema and can be used to reduce and realign scar tissue after healing has occurred. 

- Improves range-of-motion and decreases discomfort for patients with low back pain.

- Relieves pain for migraine sufferers and decreases the need for medication.

- Provides exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles and reduces shortening of the muscles for those with restricted range of motion.

- Assists with shorter labor for expectant mothers, as well as less need for medication, less depression and anxiety, and shorter hospital stays.

Other Body Therapies

Alexander Technique - A movement re-education therapy that was created by a mid-19th century actor who tried to understand his own movement dysfunctions on stage. The emphasis is on observing and modifying improper movement patterns, thereby reducing physical stress on the body.

Craniosacral Therapy - A gentle method of manipulating the body's craniosacral system (consisting of thin membranes and cerebrospinal fluid which surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord) in an attempt to improve the function of the central nervous system, dissipate the negative effects of stress and enhance health and resistance to disease. 

Reiki - A therapy based on universal life energy that serves to align chakras and bring healing energy to organs and glands. Utilizes visualization as practitioner acts as a channel for the life energy.

Rolfing - Used to reorder the major body segments, this technique utilizes physical manipulation and movement awareness to bring the body into vertical alignment. Treatments are offered in a 10-session series.

Shiatsu - A deep, finger-pressure technique using the traditional acupuncture points of Asian healing. Works to unblock energy flows and restore balance to meridians and organs.

The Need for Touch

As a society, we are touch deprived and this can lead to disease or emotional dysfunction. From the cradle to the nursing home, tactile stimulation and the emotional assurance of caring touch bring about a sense of well-being and security..

In numerous studies conducted on massage for infants, TRI researchers have found improved weight gain and development in pre-term infants, improved weight gain and motor behavior in cocaine-exposed infants, and improved weight gain and decreased stress behavior in HIV-exposed infants. Full-term infants also benefit with increased alertness and social behavior, less crying and increased weight gain.

Baby Health Natural Remedies - Relieve Colic, Intestinal Cramps, Gas, Teething Pain, Promote Sleep

What is the Baby Bowen Procedure? The Bowen Baby Procedure consists of 7 gentle, light touch moves for stimulating balance in your baby's autonomic nervous system (ANA). This gentle stimulation will relieve your baby's colic and enhance her/his overall health and well-being.

Bowen therapy was developed by an Australian named Tom Bowen. The government-commissioned Webb report in 1975 reported Tom Bowen attending some thirteen thousand patients annually with an 80-90% success rate, usually in only one or two sessions.

BENEFITS: Colic; Asthma; healthy functioning of all organs and systems, especially the nervous, respiratory, digestive and alimentary (elimination) systems; promotes bonding between parents and baby.

May perform Baby Bowen Moves as often as needed (at the first sign of your baby's discomfort) for the first six-weeks after birth, or weekly as a preventative and for Well Baby Care.

Your baby lays face down, on her/his stomach, or if there are two of you one may hold the baby with her/his chest facing you while the other one performs the first 2 Baby Bowen Moves.

Always begin by doing your first Baby Bowen Move on the Left side. Place the pad of your Right thumb flat on top of the muscles lying along the Left side of your baby's spine. Your Right thumb is just above the bottom angle of your baby's Left shoulder blade.

Now immediately perform the next Baby Bowen Move by reaching across your baby's spinal column and placing the Right pad of your thumb atop the muscles along your baby's spine.

How to stay healthy for teen

The teenage years are very important for starting healthy habits that will last a lifetime and help boost confidence. Here are some tips for teenage girls who want to start and stay healthy.

Start off right away with drinking more water. Keeping your body hydrated with eight glasses of water a day will help regulate metabolism and purify your body. A good rule of thumb is to take your weight and divide in half to find out how much water you should be drinking daily. i.e. If you weigh 100 pounds, you need to drink half that weight in ounces (50 ounces) of water every day. This will also help you to urinate, which helps you lose weight and flush your digestive system of any foreign substances. Plus, it can improve your skin and boost your immune system.

Maintain a regular sleep pattern. With projects, extra-curricular, tests, and friends or IM, you might not get to bed until after midnight every night, but don't get in the habit of staying up late and skipping out on valuable sleeping time! This can lead to the development of insomnia. The average teen needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. Getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep is a major factor contributing to how healthy you are. Getting enough sleep raises your alertness during the day, and minimizes anxiety.



Eat breakfast every day. Breakfast is the most important meal, because it provides your body with its first fuel of the day. Good breakfast foods include fruit, eggs, milk, cream of wheat, oatmeal, or toast. Starting with a good breakfast will also keep you concentrated during the day, and you will have fewer cravings.


Avoid junk food. This isn't limited to just the foods served at fast food restaurants, all foods with limited to no nutritional value qualifies as junk food. Think of it as littering your body; your body can't do anything productive with junk food. Stick to healthy foods that are high in protein, vitamins and minerals; your body will be able to use these things much better than junk food.

Replace unhealthy foods with healthy foods. You can replace white bread with wheat bread. You can even replace salt with kosher salt. Kosher salt is healthier, but it is bigger.

Eat meals slowly, and stop eating when you are full. This is the most basic principle of good eating habits, yet many people feel they must finish what is on their plate. Hunger is your body's way of letting you know that it needs fuel. Fullness, or satiety, is your body's way of letting you know it doesn't need any more food. If you stop eating when you are full, you will get hungry every couple of hours, which is a good thing, this means your body is using what you give it.

Snack healthfully. Eat a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts, some celery, or a piece of cheese. Anything healthy as a snack will help maintain your energy level throughout the day. Choosing anything low-fat, low-sugar, or low-sodium is better than anything full-fat, full-sugar, or full-sodium.

Exercise at least three to five times per week. Each time you should be exercising enough to work up a sweat for at least twenty minutes (preferably more). But don't limit your physical activity to you work outs at the gym: by walking/biking more places you'll get more sunlight, which boosts your mood, and you'll also get some less strenuous physical activity. Go for a run, a bike ride, or a challenging hike. If you don't like to exercise on your own, join a fitness club, find a buddy to work out with, or join a sports team. Keeping active will make you stronger physically and mentally.

Stick to a hygiene regimen. Wash your face in the morning and at night before you go to bed to keep your skin healthy and clean. Brush your teeth two to three times a day for a clean and fresh mouth. Taking care of your appearance will also make you feel better about yourself, which really is the most important thing.

Keep good posture. Don't slump during class! Hold yourself straight. There are many exercises that can help. If you have a laptop, work at a desk or with your back propped up.

Playing team sports is good for teenagers mental as well as physical health

Playing team sports is good for teenagers' mental as well as physical health, according to a study conducted by researchers from West Virginia University and published in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life.

"Our study demonstrates the benefits of youth sports participation on self-rated health and life satisfaction among young youth at a critical juncture in adolescent development," the researchers wrote. "Our findings suggest that sports team participation may enhance school connectedness, social support and bonding among friends and teammates."

The researchers polled 245 female and male 7th and 8th graders aged 12 to 14 about their physical activity habits, their health, and their satisfaction with life. They found that self-reported health was no different among children who participated regularly in vigorous activity and those who did not. Among girls, physical activity was associated with improved life satisfaction, but no such result was seen in boys.



When the researchers compared those who participated in team sports with those who did not, however, they found that both boys and girls in the former group reported significantly more life satisfaction.

In addition, boys who did not play team sports were five times more likely to describe their health as fair/poor than those who did, while girls who did not play team sports were 30 times more likely.

Research on adults and older teenagers has firmly established a link between physical activity and improved mood, even in people suffering from clinical depression.

"Vigorous exercise can be an effective antidote to bouts of depression," writes Phyllis A. Balch in the book Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition.

"Certain endorphins and other brain chemicals released in response to exercise also produce a natural 'high,'" Balch writes. "This may explain why exercise is the best way to get rid of depression."

The difference in results between team sports and other activities in the current study suggests that social as well as physiological effects may be at work.

"There's a lot of positive things that happen when people participate in sports," researcher Keith Zullig said. "There's communication, team building, and emotional benefits."