Pre-surgery massage – repost

This is a re-post from bodylogichealth.wordpress.com from July 7, 2009. Still good advice:

“If you pay attention to an injury early enough, Bodywork can become an alternative to surgery. In addition, it can eliminate unnecessary surgery by helping you locate an exact spot of discomfort or injury rather than one of those general, all-over, incurable aches. By generally relaxing your muscles and learning to move with freedom, you may be able to pin-point the exact location of a pain and heal the injury, or worst case treat the effected area with surgical methods rather than having the doctor blindly assess your issues.

However, that is not true for all illnesses and injuries no matter when you catch them. If surgery of ANY KIND is on your horizon, bodywork and massage can be a vital step to pre-surgery preparation and post-operative recovery.

FIRST: CHECK WITH YOUR MEDICAL DOCTOR BEFORE SCHEDULING A PRE OR POST SURGERY BODYWORK SESSION!

SECOND: CHECK WITH YOUR MEDICAL DOCTOR BEFORE SCHEDULING A PRE OR POST SURGERY BODYWORK SESSION!

THIRD: CHECK WITH YOUR MEDICAL DOCTOR BEFORE SCHEDULING A PRE OR POST SURGERY BODYWORK SESSION!

You get the point…then find a qualified bodyworker! Many massage therapists do not understand implications of surgery on the body so make sure your therapist is qualified in this type of massage.

Pre-surgery

Before your surgery is scheduled, bodywork can help you pinpoint the exact location of an injury and in some cases help you and your doctor determine if the surgery is needed or if there may be other options.

Once your surgery is determined necessary, bodywork and massage can be a wonderful tool to helping you feel grounded before your surgery. By entering your operation relaxed and confident, you increase the chance of success and opportunity for healing.

Bodywork and specific weight training can help strenthen surrounding areas, which will lead to a faster recovery.

Also, working with a qualified therapist prior to your surgery, you can learn many hints to a successful recovery that you may not have been told at the doctors office – like stretching, freedom of movement, increased blood flow and an listening ear and heart, not something that is readily available in todays medical world.

Post-surgery

Depending on the recommendation of your doctor, you may be able to receive massage immediately after your surgery. The work can help ease the effects of anesthesia on the bowel system; assist in helping you to move body parts after surgery; increase blood flow to organs and body parts if you are not able to move as you were prior to surgery; and it can be wonderful for the fast healing and elimination of scars.

Many clients are not given post-surgical instructions and walk around for years in unnecessary pain and discomfort. Seeking a qualified bodyworker or massage therapist may help you to stay in touch with your body so that you know what to address with your physician or surgeon. Also, many therapists have experience with other clients in a similar situation as yours and may be able to offer you helpful hints and tips for recovery.

If you are undergoing surgery, remember your health is already vulnerable. Massage therapists, bodyworkers, healers and personal trainers are NOT MEDICAL EXPERTS! Be careful of quick fixes and advice that may be offered and if your therapists offers ANY TYPE of medical advice, we recommend not going back. If you feel the advice could actually be harmful, report the therapist to your local governing body, usually the police or business bureau.

That said, a partnership with a massage therapist, bodyworker, healer or personal trainer AND your chosen medical staff can lead to an amazing recovery and getting back to what you love to do – LIVE your LIFE!”

Using Massage to Improve Athletic Performance

Muscles follow a couple of principles it’s important to understand when training for performance. The first is the “all or none principle”. That means when a muscle fiber contracts, it contracts to its full capacity or it doesn’t contract at all. The other principle is “graded strength”. This refers to the fact that the number of muscle fibers that contract depends on the strength needed. Additional motor neurons are recruited to stimulate more fibers when more strength is needed. What that means to an athlete is, the more muscles that are relaxed and ready for contraction, the more potential energy the muscle bundle has.

Because of the all or none principle, a muscle already in a state of contraction cannot contract any more. We all know what happens when we have a muscle spasm or a cramp – that muscle becomes weak and ineffective. If a muscle is in spasm it can’t be recruited when needed. Consequently, the more muscle fibers that are in a state of relaxation between contractions the more potential strength the body has. That brings me to the role of massage in performance improvement.

Have you ever thought about why taking a nice big breath helps you relax? It’s because muscles need oxygen to relax. Massage increases circulation which brings more oxygen to muscle fibers. When a muscle is in spasm, circulation to that area is impeded. Releasing a knot or spasm brings blood flow to those muscle fibers so they can be available to later contract when called upon. Increasing circulation also clears out lactic acid and toxins that can build up in tissues during intense training and helps the body recover more quickly.

Professional athletes understand this physiology and many sports teams and individual athletes now employ massage therapists as part of their strength and conditioning team. Train like the pros and incorporate regular massage into your training program.

Connections

One of the unique things about massage as a service is the connection – physical, mental and emotional – created between therapist and client. That connection is created through verbal communication, physical contact and focused attention. A dialog is actually established – there’s real-time 2-way feedback between client and therapist. The therapist touches the client and the client’s body responds, then the therapist reacts to that response and the dialog begins. 

Another form of connection is the simple fact of focusing all one’s attention on another person. This attention is perceived by the client, and in itself, can bring about stress relief and reduce tension. Attention combined with healing touch can be extremely powerful. Giving anyone your undivided attention is a wonderful way to say you care about them. It is also a fundamental element of effective massage therapy.

#YesAllWomen

Wonderfull to hear a man so passionate about women’s need to be free from fear! I wish more women were this passionate about their own rights.

Open Mind

If you’re a man, be ashamed. We let this happen.

---

hannah hunt @sw4gbol May 26

#YesAllWomen because on the train a stranger and his friends made rude comments about my breasts & then apologised to my boyfriend, not me

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You might already have guessed that this post is not about science, or math, or climate change. It’s about the fact that all women live in fear of sexual assault.

Yes.

All.

If you haven’t already, search Twitter for the hashtag #YesAllWomen. Read. If you have already, read some more.

I already know that #NotAllMen are sexual abusers or potential rapists. If that’s your attitude — then FUCK YOU. Because #YesAllMenAreTheProblem. Except maybe Jimmy Carter.

Don’t give me any of that “not me” crap. I am so fucking mad, I am so upset, I’m in no mood for any apologist shit.

I’m a white man — I’m even an old…

View original post 574 more words

Professional Development – Continuous Learning

I recently attended the AMTA-KY state conference and came away with a lot of great new information and renewed enthusiasm for body work. Over 200 people from Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Ohio and even Georgia attended. The Board did a great job attracting nationally recognized educators Susan Salvo, Debra Korener, Gloria Coppola, and Eric Stephenson. They raised the level of the conversation and energized the group. Topics included Massage for Special Populations, Massage and Medications, Lomi Lomi, Self-Care, Lower Extremity Injury treatment, Shoulder Injury Treatment, TMJD treatment, Professional Ethics, Deep Tissue Techniques and Practice Development. It was an enjoyable and informative experience and bolstered my respect for my fellow Massage Professionals in Kentucky and the Profession overall. Please ask your LMT about his/her professional development activities. We should never stop learning and sharing our knowledge with our clients.

Why do people resist massage?

When I hear people discussing their various pains and ailments, and ask whether they have tried massage their most common response is something like “I went to my chiropractor and that helped for a while, but now it hurts again”. Huh? Massage and chiropractic are not the same. They are different modalities practiced by different professionals. The same goes for physical therapy. The intention in massage practiced by PT’s is very different from that of a LMT.

My theory on why people get confused is because they automatically turn to modalities that their health insurer will pay for rather than modalities that work for their condition. That’s the same reason someone will subject themselves to surgery for carpal tunnel when in the majority of cases it is not effective in resolving the symptoms. Insurance will pay for surgery but not therapeutic massage by a LMT. I’m actually glad the high deductible plans are becoming more prevalent because I hope people will begin to evaluate their treatment options based on efficacy instead of insurance coverage since they will have to pay a bigger share of expensive  procedures. No more MRI’s for a sprained ankle. No more CAT scans for simple muscle tears. MD’s should start to improve their palpation and diagnostic skills and rely less on costly technology to CYA. People might begin to understand that a less invasive more gradual treatment is cheaper and more effective in the long term.

Why do you think people resist getting massage?

Shoulder Pain – Rotator Cuff

There are many potential causes for shoulder pain, but unless you had a specific event like a car accident, sports injury or serious fall, the odds are good that a short course of massage therapy can help relieve your pain. Some initial assessment is advised to determine whether massage can be helpful and which muscles are involved.

A lot of shoulder pain arises from the muscles that make up the rotator cuff. It is made up of 4 muscles: the Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor and Subscapularis. Assessing each of these 4 muscles independently can identify the source of the problem. Three of the 4 muscles are very accessible and are easily treated with friction and gliding massage strokes along with stretching and strengthening. The subscapularis is a bit harder to reach because it attaches underneath (on the anterior side) the shoulder blade, but it’s still reachable and treatable. There are additional muscles in the upper back and chest that can contribute to shoulder pain so these should be assessed as well.

If you have shoulder pain, before you consider any invasive treatment, give 3 sessions with a therapist trained in massage for injuries a try. If you don’t see improvement in 3 sessions, you might have a more serious injury that could require more invasive treatment.

Arm and Wrist Pain and Numbness – Carpal Tunnel?

Because of the nature of our society and working environments today, more and more people are suffering with wrist and arm pain and numbness. Often, this is diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome. This is a compression of the median nerve which passes through a structure in the wrist called the carpal tunnel. There are however, other causes which could result in the same or very similar symptoms.

If you suffer from these symptoms or have been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome or thoracic outlet syndrome, try a short course of massage therapy before you pursue more invasive therapies. Nerve compression could be happening in a different nerve, farther up your arm and even into your shoulder which then manifests as arm and hand pain and tingling or numbness. With just 3-30 minute sessions with a massage therapist trained in injury work, you might start to feel relief and save yourself from having a surgery that is often not successful in relieving the symptoms. It’s worth a try!

Prevent the Flu and Colds with Massage

Many people think massage is a luxury reserved for wealthy people with lots of leisure time. I would argue that busy moms and dads with small children need to make massage part of their monthly routine and household budget – especially during flu and cold season.

When children are bringing home who knows what germs from school and stress levels are high is just when you need an immune booster. What’s the best breeding ground for illness? Stress. What are the signs of stress? Shallow breathing, tight muscles, lack of sleep, digestive problems, headaches…sound familiar?

How does massage help?

• Slows and deepens breathing,
• relaxes muscles,
• improves ability to get to sleep and stay asleep,
• moves lymph (critical to immune function),
• stimulates digestion,
• relieves headaches…

If you can’t afford to miss work, you can’t afford to neglect your health. Massage can be a key component of your overall health and wellness.

For more information about massage and immune function:

http://www.healthy.net/Health/Article/Supporting_The_Immune_System_With_Massage/716

http://www.organicgardening.com/living/boost-your-immunity-massage

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/09/news/la-heb-massage-20100909

http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/article.php?id=14790

 

Best New Year’s Resolution for 2014: Sleep More!

If you’re one of those people who try to start off the new year with a resolution to lose weight, exercise more, eat better, etc. etc., why not try something easier and more effective to improve your health? Sleep more!

Sleep reduces stress levels, allows your immune system to work more effectively, let’s your body digest food more completely, let’s your muscles recover…the list goes on.

Here are some links to articles about the relationship of sleep to good health: (more links below)

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/262812.php

http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicId=38 (includes references to primary research)

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/17/cheating-ourselves-of-sleep/?_r=0

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/14/sleep-health_n_1310353.html

Fall asleep during a massage? Good for you! Don’t feel guilty or uncomfortable. It just means you need the sleep. The quiet and relaxing atmosphere of the massage room gives you permission to get the sleep you need. In fact, if sleep is a primary objective of the massage session, let your therapist know so he/she doesn’t try to talk to you or ask you to move too much.

Night, night!

Related articles

• How Sleep Deprivation Decays The Mind And Body (wonderfultips.wordpress.com)
• New Resolve for the New Year: Seven Resolutions for a Healthier Lifestyle (omimattress.com)
• Make a new kind of New Year’s resolution (q13fox.com)
• Sleep for Rest and to Protect your Brain (scienceworldreport.com)