Low Back Pain

Why should you get a lymphatic massage before surgery? If you are preparing for surgery, your doctor might suggest a lymphatic massage pre-surgery. A lymphatic massage is recommended prior to surgery as it helps prepare your body for the surgical procedure. The massage stimulates the lymph vessels of your lymphatic system to remove waste products, bacteria, viruses, excess proteins, excess fluid, and any other unwanted substances from your body. This optimizes the cellular environment in the area of the body being treated. Pre-surgery lymphatic massage can also help reduce the risk of post-surgical complications such as infection, excessive swelling, bruising, and scar tissue formation. Another plus point? After the massage, surgeons find it easier to make an incision through [...]

UNDERSTANDING THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM/IMMUNE SYSTEM The Lymphatic System may be one of the less understood systems in our body. Many of us have heard of it in reference to being sick (swollen lymph glands in the neck, armpits, or groin) and how we need a healthy immune system to ward off colds, infections, diseases, etc, but do you know its many other functions throughout our entire body? WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? The Lymphatic System is a complex system made up primarily of lymph vessels and lymph nodes. The lymph is a colorless fluid that is the waste disposal system of the tissues and the lymph nodes are the battlefields in the body where most infections are fought. It [...]

CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY CAN HELP WITH TRAUMA Craniosacral therapy is a hands-on therapy that assists the body’s natural capacity for self-repair. ‘Cranio’ refers to the head or cranium and sacral to the sacrum, the big bone at the base of the spine. Maybe a better way to think of it is ‘top to bottom, as it’s a therapy that treats the whole body in each session. THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT REACTION The body is designed to protect itself from physical knocks or emotional stress by contracting. If the shock is particularly severe, prolonged, or accompanied by strong emotions, everything stays contracted, even after the moment that caused the shock is over. There’s a reason for this. You’ve probably all heard [...]

Why Do I Need Lymphatic Drainage Massage? Lymphatic drainage massage, also known as manual lymphatic drainage, relieves swelling that happens when medical treatment or illness blocks your lymphatic system. Lymphatic drainage massage involves gently manipulating specific areas of your body to help lymph move to an area with working lymph vessels. What is a lymphatic drainage massage used for? Lymphatic drainage massage, also known as manual lymphatic drainage, is a gentle form of massage used to relieve painful swelling in your arms and legs caused by lymphedema. Lymphedema often affects people recovering from breast cancer surgery. Lymphedema happens when your tissues retain fluid left behind after your cardiovascular system sends blood to your tissues and organs. The remaining fluid is called [...]

The word “sciatica” can sound scary if you don’t know exactly what it is. I know from personal experience, having suffered from it during pregnancy. If you’ve landed on this page it’s probably because you are suffering from, or are worried you might have sciatica. First let me say, you are not alone. Your pain can likely be managed and sciatica does not have to be as scary as it seems. While sciatica is painful to deal with, it’s rarely a permanent condition and can almost always be treated non-invasively. Only severe cases require more in-depth treatment options. The best news I have is that you likely already have common tools within your own home that can help relieve your [...]

By Amy Wallace   |   April 3, 2017 Researchers at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis found real-world massage therapy is an effective treatment for chronic low back pain. The small study included 104 patients with low back pain who were referred by their primary care providers to participate in 10 massage therapy sessions with community practicing licensed massage therapists. The participants were measured at baseline and after massage therapy at 12 and 24 weeks. The researchers tracked participants for 24 weeks, comparing pain levels at the start of the study, at 12 weeks and at the end of the 24-week trial. The results showed 55.4 percent of patients who reported clinical improvements in symptoms [...]

Lower back pain and neck pain can have many potential causes. Pain in these areas can be anything from an occasional ache to a debilitating and constant discomfort that affects a person’s work and home life. These two areas are prone to tension accumulation due to how a person walks, sits, and even sleeps. Acute lower back pain, described as pain that has lasted less than six weeks in duration, may resolve itself with little or no intervention. However, lower back pain that is sub-acute or chronic, lasting longer than six weeks in duration, is likely to require attention and care. There are several forms of massage that are particularly effective for lower back pain. Anyone considering massage for lower [...]

Recent research into the negative health consequences of sitting all day has fueled the popularity of sit-stand desks, which allow employees to alternate between sitting and standing—and which might provide new challenges to massage therapists. If office workers spend more time standing, will those aches and pains become a thing of the past? Not likely, said massage therapist Caylon Ellis, owner of Caylon Ellis Therapeutics in Carlsbad, California. The idea that standing is a good way to counter the effects of sitting so much “is a fallacy in logic,” Ellis said. “I don’t think that is sound logic, to assume that the opposite of something that’s bad is good. It depends on a lot of factors.” Highly Personalized One such [...]

March 27, 2015 by Allissa Haines We know massage will make us move better and feel happier, but not everyone can make time for regular appointments. Luckily, massage is great preventive care and it can have some instantly-gratifying results. Check out these 3 things massage can help you with right now. Headaches   Tension headaches (often called stress headaches) are the most common type of headaches among adults. Pain or pressure in your forehead or on the top or sides of your head? Could be a tension headache. It’s especially likely if you’ve been hunching over a desk or some knitting, spent a ton of time in a car, or if you’re still shivering and huddling to keep warm as [...]