Massage News - Articles of Interest
 Fall is a time for many people to get back to their routine. The carefree days of summer are over, and we’re back to our regularly scheduled routines. When we get out of our routines, sometimes we forget to keep up with some of our self-care habits. Massage can be a very beneficial part of our routines. Including regular massage in your schedule can result in many different mental and health benefits. Let’s talk about some of them.
Light and Relaxing Massage Swedish and other therapeutic massage techniques are primarily used for relaxation and warming muscle tissue, sometimes in preparation for deeper forms of massage. Deep Tissue Massage We combine deeper pressure massage techniques for health improvement, improved sports and daily performance, as well as restoration and recovery from injury. Myofascial Release Myofascial Release involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the Myofascial connective tissue restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion. Prenatal Massage Living Touch Massage has specially designed pregnancy cushions. Specialized cushions support the expectant mother, so she is able to lay face down without putting pressure on the baby. Lymphatic Massage Manual Lymphatic Drainage is manual manipulation of the lymphatic system to help flush and drain lymphatic fluid from the body. Lymphatic work can be used as a detoxification massage and is used as a medical treatment for lymphedema management. Chair Massage Massage chairs can be set up in a public setting or an office. Think about adding massage to your special event, conference, or Friday afternoon in the office. Ask how you can make chair massage part of any special event! Another aspect to consider when getting back into your routine is to keep your workstation in an ergonomic position. Making sure that your chair and desk are at the right height make a world of difference for your posture and preventing back pain. Another option would be to get an adjustable desk. It gives many people the ability to stand throughout the day, rather than sitting for 8+ hours, 5 days a week. Are you a regular client or have a gift card? Schedule Your Appointment by calling our texting Rita at 218-368-2964. Are you a new client? Sign-up for our waitlist to be contacted when we have an opening. Want to purchase a gift card? Stop by our office or SHOP HERE Hope you are all having a wonderful summer! Living Touch Massage will be increasing prices effective July 5th. We will continue to offer both a cash or check discount and credit card rate to offer flexible options for our clients. A price increase is always a difficult decision. News like this is never easy, but these increases are necessary in order to continue to provide the best therapeutic massage and environment possible. Certifications, additional training, and office costs continue to increase, and our goal is to provide our clients with the best potential outcome when it comes to the benefits massage provides. We know you work hard, especially in the recent challenging times and difficult economy. Your resilience inspires us to provide the best services possible in order for you to invest in self care and practice preventative care, both of which massage addresses. This price increase will help ensure we’re able to continue delivering the benefits of massage that ultimately help you maintain or improve your overall health both mentally and physically.  Thank you again for your support and continued business. We value each of you as clients and want you to understand how important you are to Living Touch Massage.
Not only does springtime thaw the earth around us, but it also thaws our bodies. The changing of seasons can bring out unique aches and pains. This transition between seasons is a good time to add massage into your self care routine. A deep tissue massage combines deeper pressure massage techniques for health improvement, easing any muscle discomfort you may be experiencing.
Many of us dread the spring season all because of one thing: allergies. This unavoidable side effect of spring can also take a toll on your body. A lymphatic massage can do wonders for your immune system. Manual Lymphatic Drainage is manual manipulation of the lymphatic system to help flush and drain lymphatic fluid from the body. Lymphatic work can be used as a detoxification massage and is used as a medical treatment for lymphedema management.
These transitional months can be exciting, but they also present challenges for our bodies. They bring out aches that we haven’t felt since the previous summer and sometimes they just need a little help from a massage session or two to get worked out. Take the time today to make sure you have your appointments scheduled, Living Touch Massage books up quickly and Rita wants to make sure everyone enjoys the warm weather this year.
We’re always told to lift with our legs and not our back. Lifting with our legs helps lessen the strain on our back. However, lifting isn’t the only time we can work on minimizing the strain on our back. In our day-to-day lives, we need to be more aware of our body positioning. Just like Barbie, if we keep our backs straight and work on bending at the pelvis, we can improve our back pain.  In 2020, many people found themselves working from home. This comes with its own set of advantages and challenges. It might provide more flexibility for some people to create a more ergonomic work environment, but it could be more difficult for others if they don’t have the right supplies to create their ideal workstation set up. It’s important to have a comfortable work setting. Whether you’re working from home or still in the office, you should be customizing your space to best fit your body and positioning. If you prefer standing, put together a taller workstation that allows for your screen to be at the same height as your eyes when you’re standing straight. The same goes for if you’re sitting. You want to be able to keep good posture while looking at your computer. Whether you choose to sit or stand, it’s important to move or adjust your positioning every 20 minutes. If you keep your body in one position longer than that, it starts to train your body to settle into that position. According to Mayo Clinic, here are three things for you to adjust to make your work space a better fit for you and your body positioning:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/office-ergonomics/art-20046169 Expanding a bit more regarding your choice of mouse, you may want to consider a vertical mouse. The vertical mouse is actually a relatively new design invented after suffering from the constant discomfort caused by the traditional mouse. Referred to as the “handshake” design, it has been validated by a number of people who suffer from hand and wrist pain. and who have found great relief after switching over to this design. The handshake position is the neutral position for most people’s arm and hand at rest, which is also the most comfortable. There is no pronation of the forearm, and your shoulders are naturally rotated externally. A vertical mouse is ergonomically shaped to help the user maintain that handshake design while operating it. Instead of twisting your wrist so it’s parallel to the desk to operate a regular mouse, there is little to no twisting of the wrist required to grasp a vertical mouse. The 4 main benefits of using a vertical mouse include:
Most importantly, always invest in yourself. Take the time to set yourself and your body up for success. You can easily prevent muscle strain by adjusting your workstation to be more ergonomic and fit the needs of your body. We’ve all heard the phrase “no pain, no gain,” but is it the best advice to follow when it comes to our bodies? Originating in the 1980s as an exercise motto, it promised greater rewards for the price of hard, and even painful work. Under this conception competitive professionals, such as athletes, are required to endure pain (physical suffering) to achieve professional excellence. Medical experts agree that this philosophy is wrong for exercise and may have prompted the use of steroids in order to enhance performance. Thank goodness we’ve learned a lot more about our bodies over the last 30-40 years.  Any pain or soreness your body is experiencing is like the warning light in your car. It’s letting you know that something is wrong and needs to be checked. Just like your car, the better you maintain and support your body, the less pain you’ll experience.
Why do our muscles get sore? As our muscles repair themselves, it’s common to experience a dull, aching pain. No one is immune from experiencing this pain, but the level will depend on the type of activity and how much the muscles have adapted to that activity over time. Muscle fatigue is common in exercise and occurs when you can no longer perform a specific movement. Your body uses this to signal that the muscles are too tired to continue. With muscle fatigue, the burning sensation usually fades shortly after you stop the movement. Over using your muscles involves pushing your muscles past the point of fatigue, which can lead to injury. You don’t necessarily need to strain your muscle during a workout. A muscle injury can occur when you don’t give your body adequate time to rest and recover. In general, muscle soreness is dull and mild and usually begins 24-48 hours after exercise. When the pain becomes more severe, that may be a sign that an injury has occurred or that something has been strained. This pain can indicate that the muscles were overused. Invest in yourself. Take the time to learn your body and listen to what it’s telling you. If you learn to recognize your pain threshold to identify when your body is telling you to take a break, you can prevent muscle injuries.  2020 proved to be a year that tested many of us in several different ways. Whether it was health related, work or school related, lack of social interactions, our normal routines changing drastically, the list goes on and on. One mindset we are working towards is to keep peaceful and calm thoughts and reactions top of mind in all situations or circumstances we may encounter on a daily basis. Specifically, in ALL circumstances choose PEACE. Why? Because fear and stress have a ton of negative physiological impact and effects on your body. When everything seems to be swirling out of control, STOP, BREATHE, REFOCUS, and CHOOSE PEACE. Fear actually can weaken our immune system and cause cardiovascular damage, gastrointestinal problems such as ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome, and decreased fertility. In fact, fear is very important to address because it can negatively impact both physical and mental health, contributing to cardiovascular disease, immune dysfunction, chronic illness, depression, and anxiety. It can lead to accelerated aging and even premature death. Stress is not much better as we all know. 75% to 90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints. Stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety. Studies have actually found stress can be attributed to several health problems. Stress seems to worsen or increase the risk of conditions like obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, depression, gastrointestinal problems, and asthma.   The best way to manage your stress is to learn healthy coping strategies. You can start practicing these tips right away. Try one or two until you find a few that work for you. Practice these techniques until they become habits you turn to when you feel stress. You can also use this coping strategies form to see how you respond to stress.
Stress-relief techniques focus on relaxing your mind and your body  In Northern Minnesota we are accustomed to the term cabin fever during the winter and early spring, but social distancing has created a whole new meaning for cabin fever. Typically, we experience cabin fever during a winter blizzard or a long rainy weekend, but it can actually occur anytime you feel isolated or disconnected with the world - or you are required by law to practice social distancing.
 As the temperatures drop and the days become shorter, it can be tempting to stay indoors and curl up with a blanket. Most people are less active during the colder months, this can lead to less mobility and more stiffness.
Massage is a great way to wake up your muscles. As inactivity turns into stiffness and you become less flexible, it is more likely that you would sustain an injury when you increase your physical activity. Massage can keep your muscles loose and supple during times of lower activity. Aside from improving flexibility, mobility, and muscle recovery, massage can release serotonin and endorphins to help you fight those winter blues, too! Schedule your winter massage appointments with Rita today! Although our body changes as we age, pain and soreness isn’t necessarily a sign of our aging. It’s our body telling us that something isn’t right. Invest in yourself and your health, schedule a massage with Rita!
|
