2014 April
No Fooling!
Contrary to common belief massage therapy is NOT a luxury. It has this ‘stigma’ because many doctors, unfortunately, do not regard it as a viable adjunct therapy for pain management. The truth is, massage is a THERAPY for a reason! Massage:
-Lowers blood pressure
-Enhances immune system by stimulating lymph flow
-Reduces pain patterns bu shutting off feedback loops
-Increases joint flexibility
-Reduces depression and anxiety
-Reduces stress hormones which increases overall health and wellbeing.
-Improves sleep patterns
-Reduces risk of injury for athletes
-Prevents muscle dysfunction and overuse injuries
-Reduces number of sick days taken
With these benefits alone, it is worth putting massage in your wellness plan. And the next time you check in with your doctor for pain, ASK if massage could be prescribed as a preliminary treatment for you.
Be Well!
Online Reviews Helpful
Online comment sites like Angie’s List, Yelp!, and Google Maps help me to communicate with people just like you who are wondering if massage could help them. Your comments about why you came in to my office for massage, craniosacral therapy, a detox footpath, or essential oils and the benefits you experienced are really helpful for those seeking to help themselves. Would you please take a minute to visit a sit or two leave a comment about what you were looking for from a bodywork session with me and how it helped onto the road of becoming pain-free?
Two places to leave comments:
Why Touch Matters!
(The following ideas are excerpted from “Why Touch Matters: 10 Things You Should Know” by Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR)
Touch deprivation in old age is real. Studies show elderly people are less likely to receive expressive touch because public attitude about old age (we don’t like it) and fear about touching (I’m afraid I might hurt them). Caregiver demands leave little time to offer one-to-one attention. High-tech health care adds distance between health professionals and those they care for. Lack of touch contributes to feelings of isolation, anxiety, pain, loneliness, boredom and helplessness.
Compassionate presence combined with focused touch causes the person to feel validated and pain to be relieved. Brain studies show that when we feel compassion for another our heart rate decreases and levels of oxytocin, the “care and connection” hormone, increase. One study shows that only 40 seconds of focused attention from a doc changes how the patient feels about their care and confidence in them!
Studies confirm touch improves quality of life for elders physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. Benefits include: decreased anxiety, improved sleep, lessened physical pain, increased nutrition intake, improved skin condition, increased social interaction, reduced agitated behaviors, and enhanced relationship with caregivers.
With so much attention given to technical aspects of medical care, a person can feel lost in the shuffle. Massage can bring together the world of medical technology with the human side of care simply by reaching out with compassionate touch. Dr. Abraham Verghese had said in a 2013 presentation: “The most important innovation in medicine to come in the next 10 years: the power of the human hand.”
(…I couldn’t agree more!)