September 2008

Welcome to this month’s article! Are you staying busy? It’s pretty easy these days to run out of day before you run out of things you need to get done. Keeping a busy schedule can be very rewarding, as long as you can maintain your health. After all, when you have so much to do, you don’t have time to get sick or rundown.

Sometimes people delay scheduling a massage because they are so busy. If you are pressed for time, massage is more important than ever. As you probably know, regular massage can help you to stay healthier and rest better.

The way we manage our time and set priorities decides just what we are able to accomplish every week. By making massage one of your priorities, you are helping yourself to be in a better condition to get all the other important things done in your life. Make the most of your current and future health by scheduling your next massage session. You’ll enjoy your busy life more when you do!

To learn more about how important massage is to your overall health, read this month’s featured article, below. See you soon!

Massage to the Rescue

We all know how wonderful massage is at relieving stress and making you feel better. But did you know that massage can aid in alleviating pain and in the healing process? Clinical research has shown that massage therapy has benefits for many serious medical conditions. To learn more, read the following excerpts from an article found on the American Massage Therapy Association’s website:

Low Back Pain
Chronic low back pain sufferers find enduring results from massage therapy, according to a study conducted by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Center for Health Studies. The researchers plan to determine the specific components of massage therapy that contribute to its effectiveness.

A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine supported the idea that massage therapy produces better results for low back pain than other therapies, including acupuncture and spinal modification.

Breast Cancer
Massage promotes relaxation and reduces anxiety in patients with varying kinds of cancer, and has proven especially effective for breast cancer survivors. Research shows therapeutic massage is an effective complement to traditional medical care for women undergoing lumpectomy, mastectomy or breast reconstruction. Pre-surgery, massage relaxes muscle tissue and increases the flow of lymph. Post surgery, women who apply specialized lymph drainage techniques from a well-trained massage therapist to their treatment may experience less pain and swelling.

In a study performed by the University of Miami School of Medicine, breast cancer patients who were massaged three times a week reported lower levels of depression, anxiety and anger. Benefits of massage after breast cancer treatment also include boosting the immune system and helping women reconnect with their bodies.

Other Kinds of Cancer
Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center asked cancer patients about the severity of their symptoms before and after receiving massage therapy, and patients reported reduced levels of anxiety, pain, fatigue, depression and nausea.

Heart Bypass Surgery
In-patient massage treatment performed after heart bypass surgery helps reduce pain and muscle spasms, confirmed by a pilot study conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Because of its effectiveness, 60 percent of the massage group in this study expressed a willingness to pay for massage therapy out-of-pocket.

Anxiety
A review of more than a dozen studies concluded that massage therapy helps relieve depression and anxiety by affecting the body’s biochemistry. Researchers at the University of Miami School of Medicine reviewed studies that measured the stress hormone cortisol in participants before and immediately after massage and found that the therapy lowered levels by up to 53 percent. Massage also increased serotonin and dopamine, which are both neurotransmitters that help reduce depression.

Migraines
In a 2006 study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, massage therapy recipients exhibited fewer migraines and better sleep quality than the control group. A 1998 study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience found that massage therapy decreased the occurrence of headaches, sleep disturbances and distress symptoms in adults with migraines.

Carpal Tunnel
A 2004 study by the University of Miami School of Medicine explored the effects of massage therapy on carpal tunnel syndrome. The study concluded that carpal tunnel patients receiving massage experienced less pain, reduced symptoms and better grip strength than patients that did not receive massage.

Hypertension
Research has shown that hypertensive patients who received three 10-minute back massages a week had a reduction in blood pressure, compared to patients who tried to increase relaxation without massage.

Q: What benefits will I get from getting massage more regularly?

A:Just like most things in life, consistency really pays off when it comes to your health. When you get a massage, it helps to return your body toward its ideal state.

To stay healthy, your body is continually making adjustments. Get too hot, and you perspire to cool off; too cold, and your body concentrates its warmth inwardly to protect your vital organs, leaving you shivering.

Those soothing massage strokes help your body’s systems to function better, leaving you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. The longer you wait between massages, the more your body can get “out of tune.” That means that many of the results from your next massage will be handling the decline your body has experienced over the weeks or months since your last massage. But when you get regular massages, you can maintain a higher “normal” condition, and each massage can help to keep you in better overall condition. If you’d like more information, please ask at your next appointment.

There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone's life.
— Sister Mary Rose McGeady