Sha Zen Massage Can Help

By Barbara Hey A massage works in wonderful ways, easing stress and pain, calming the nervous system, increasing circulation, loosening tight muscles, stimulating internal organs, and enhancing the skin. The multiplicity of physiological responses sends a simple, clear message to the mind: Massage feels good. Of course, you want to hold on to that just-had-a-massage feeling -- total body relaxation, muscles relaxed and at ease, and fluid movement restored -- for as long as possible. But how long that bliss lasts depends on the state of your body. If you're suffering from chronic pain or recovering from injury, then it may take more sessions and perhaps different modalities before optimal health is restored. If massage is part of your regular [...]

When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, and this applies to any massage that promote weight loss. Massages simply knead your skin, muscles and other bodily tissue, which can benefit you in a number of different ways, such as releasing stress, relaxing injured tissue, increasing flexibility and even stimulating endorphins. Reducing fat, however, is another story. The Benefits of Massage Besides relaxation, the only potential benefit of a massage is to improve your blood circulation, according to Patricia Floyd, author of “Personal Health: Perspectives and Lifestyles.” Massages do nothing to change the way in which your body metabolizes food, so you’re not experiencing any increase in calories burned. Since calories are key to weight loss, a [...]

By Cecilia Comperatore LMT-Florida MA 54038 Many people wait for an injury in their life to seek out massage therapy. Those that have car accidents are a typical example, wanting relief from whiplash and other accident related injuries. Massage therapy is an excellent choice to assist you in healing from a car accident. After an accident, people are most likely to feel like they have the flu or describe the symptoms as feeling like they got hit by a car. Weakness in the neck may also be felt due to whiplash. Whiplash is the sudden jerking of the head, backward and forward, that is felt during impact of the vehicle. The symptoms: pain and aching to the neck and/or back, [...]

By Chris Woolston From an early age, we learn that the touch of a hand can ease pain. When a toddler bangs his knee in a tricycle accident, he'll instinctively rub the sore spot. Likewise, an office worker with stiff shoulders will probably try to knead them. And if a dancer can't shake the throbbing pain in her back, she just might schedule an appointment with a massage therapist. The healing power of a well-placed hand is so apparent that just about every culture in history has used massage to relieve pain. Massage faded into the background with the arrival of modern medicine, but a growing number of people are turning (or returning) to hands-on relief. According to a 2008 [...]

By Lia Stannard Overview Patients with multiple sclerosis have problems with their immune systems attacking their nerves, resulting in nerve damage. MedlinePlus explains that multiple sclerosis affects the brain and spinal cord, causing pain, movement problems and other symptoms. While the treatment for multiple sclerosis often involves medication to control symptoms, some patients may opt to include massage therapy as part of their treatment program. Pain Reduction Many multiple sclerosis patients experience pain when the disorder affects their sensory nerves. MedlinePlus notes that patients can have facial pain or a burning sensation in their limbs. The pain from multiple sclerosis may impact other functions. For example, if a multiple sclerosis patient has pain in her legs, she may have difficulty [...]

When you think of massage, odds are you think of an hour of relaxation – a little “me” time. Massage certainly offers a great way to escape from the stresses of our everyday lives, but more and more studies are showing that regular massage gives you so much more: a range of emotional and physical benefits. Here are the top 10 reasons to incorporate more massage in your life. Massage reduces stress – A single massage can lower your heart rate, cortisol and insulin levels, all of which are tied to how stressed you feel. Massage helps you relax – Long after your massage is over, you will still benefit from a host of brain chemistry responses that encourage feelings [...]

The jaw or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a major target for an array of joint disorders. Disorders of the jaw are typically referred to by the same name, TMJ. The temporomandibular joint connects the mandible to the skull’s temporal bone and contributes to the acts of biting, chewing, swallowing, speaking and making facial expressions. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states over 10 million people in the United States suffer from TMJ problems. Symptoms Pain is the most common TMJ symptom. The pain is often described as a transient, dull ache in the jaw joint and nearby areas, including the ear. Instead of pain, some sufferers only have problems in the use of their jaws. Additional symptoms of TMJ can [...]

Often forgotten in conversations regarding overall health, the value of the lymphatic system has been bolstered by recent scientific breakthroughs. This research, which changes how we look at the lymphatic system and the circulation of cerebral spinal fluid, is causing gradual shifts in massage therapy. The January/February 2016 Massage & Bodywork cover story by Bruno Chikly, MD, DO, and Alaya Chikly looks briefly at the historical journey of our ongoing understanding of fluid dynamics, unveils some of the newest and most exciting discoveries concerning the circulation of lymph and cerebrospinal fluid, and offers some effective manual therapy techniques for lymph drainage that can help facilitate the natural exchanges between these fluids.

An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from a known hypothyroid condition, and 10 percent of adult American women may have some degree of such conditions, according to endocrineweb.com. January is National Thyroid Awareness Month, sponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, a time when massage therapists can learn how clients with thyroid disorders might benefit from massage therapy. Signs of a Challenged Thyroid The term hypothyroidism encompasses any condition witnessing the thyroid gland’s inability to produce adequate levels of hormones known as T3 and T4. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune inflammatory condition that destroys the thyroid gland, is the leading cause of hypothyroidism. The other major cause indicates a broad medical treatment term that includes surgical procedures to remove [...]

For people with fibromyalgia, massage therapy may help soothe symptoms to some degree. Marked by chronic pain and fatigue, fibromyalgia typically causes tenderness throughout the body (especially in the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms, and legs) and triggers sleep troubles, headaches, memory problems, and irritable bowel syndrome. Although massage therapy isn't proven to provide long-term relief of fibromyalgia symptoms, early research shows that receiving massages may help fight pain and enhance well-being in fibromyalgia patients. Fibromyalgia Soothe Massage Fibromyalgia Pain Relief Back Pain Support Treatment of Sciatica Benefits of Massage for Fibromyalgia Patients While massage has yet to be extensively tested for its effects on fibromyalgia, the existing studies show "modest support" for its use in treating the condition, according [...]