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How Massage Therapy Can Help Recreational Athletes

LeBron James regularly sees a massage therapist to improve the jump in his jump shot. Soccer star Megan Rapinoe counts massage therapy as a crucial part of her all-too-necessary recovery regimen to allow her muscles time to heal after a hard day of training or a tough game. And remember those round red marks on Michael Phelps ? Professional athletes often work with massage therapists before, during and after training and competition. While you may not get a paycheck for completing your favorite workout or playing on a rec league team regular massage therapy can benefit your training and well being. While Training It’s normal for new aches and pains to pop up when you start a new activity. More aches may present themselves as you work to increase your endurance and strength. Regular massage can help you stay ahead of any issues that could slow down your training. Massage therapy keeps you in touch with how your body feels so you can adjust your training as needed and stay
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Common Myths About Back Pain

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There are dozens upon dozens of myths out there about what leads to back pain, what you should do to prevent back pain, and what kinds of treatments may solve your back pain troubles. Today, I am here to tell you that you should think again about what may be causing your aches and pains and urge you to think twice about your course of treatment. My goal as a massage therapist is to help relieve your pain. But what if many of the commonly suggested treatment solutions are ineffective at best? Throw out everything you know about back pain, and let’s take a look at some of these claims to see whether or not they stand up to science. Have You Made Any of These Frequent Misconceptions About Posture and Pain? You probably have heard that poor posture causes back pain. In fact, it’s likely that you heard it frequently from your parents when you were growing up as they were encouraging you to stand up straight. And chances are you’ll find lots of experts claiming this to be tr
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Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with Massage

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When you think of massage therapy, what comes to mind? Perhaps you consider those aches and pains in your shoulders and neck, or maybe your sore, tired, or swollen legs, or even a way you can cope with excess stress. However, the therapeutic nature of massage therapy extends far beyond just relieving stiff muscles or alleviating stress and anxiety. You can actually ease the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome with massage therapy. So what exactly is carpal tunnel syndrome? Why do certain people develop carpal tunnel syndrome? And how does massage therapy improve your life if you are dealing with the pain and discomfort of carpal tunnel? What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? Carpal tunnel syndrome is a fairly common condition that affects the hand and wrist. It causes pain, numbness, tingling and weakness . This happens when there is an increase in pressure in the wrist, which compresses a nerve known as the median nerve, which runs through the wrist.   This median nerv
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The Physiological Effects of Monthly Massages

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S ure, it feels great to pop in and see a massage therapist every now and then. It’s a great way to pamper yourself and relieve stress during a particularly crazy time. Self-compassion and the idea of splurging on yourself for once, otherwise known as “ Treat Yo-Self, ” means that it’s actually really great for you to spend a little time on self-care. However, have you considered regular, monthly massage appointments? Besides having one day set aside each month, to treat yourself with a relaxing spa session, you will actually start to see some physiological effects of regular massages as well.   Here are a few short-term, and long-term ways you may start to notice your monthly self-care trip is benefiting your health. After Three Months of Routine Visits to Your Massage Therapist: Lowered Anxiety and Stress Levels: Even after your first massage, you will start to notice that you feel more relaxed, which can be a major plus if you suffer from stress and anxiety . When our bod
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Improve your health with breath

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Breath. Such a simple thing. It’s essential to life, but yet how often do we think about it? It ebbs and flows throughout our days and we barely give it a second thought. September is Healthy Lung Month and we’re going to look at some ways our breath improves our health - including some techniques you can utilize today. Deep breathing can reduce anxiety Implementing a deep breathing technique when anxiety strikes can make the difference between a full on attack and an unwelcome blip in your day. Deep breathing lowers your heart rate, improves circulation and promotes clearer thinking. You can use your breath to calm down Let’s face it, when tempers flair it seems almost impossible to think about anything other than the current situation that set you off. Practicing simple breathing techniques can encourage calmness and help reverse the physical symptoms of anger.             TECHNIQUE for Anxiety and Calm ●      Isolate yourself from everyone for 15 minutes ●     
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Why Your Hands (and Forearms) Need Massage

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Gripping a steering wheel. Working a trackpad or mouse. Hovering over keyboards. And stoves. And laundry. You get it. We put our hands and forearms through an awful lot of stress every day. Squeezing and clenching and buckling and writing. All of it. And yet, when I start to massage a hand and forearm, I often hear, “Oh! I had no idea my arms were so sore!” It’s a common surprise, but not really a surprise. They get sore. And when they get really overworked, we end up with carpal tunnel, tendonitis, trigger finger and a whole host of other issues. The upside here: it’s pretty easy to massage your own hands and forearms. Here’s how: Start at the top. Using the opposite hand, gently squeeze the meaty, fleshy areas just below your elbow. Squeeze on the inside of your arm then on the outside. Gently is the key here, don’t be jamming your thumb in there hard and causing pain. It should feel good, and if it doesn’t, back off a bit. If you want to get fancy, roll the wris
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How to Offer Support to Families Dealing with Cancer

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Families are in the trenches fighting cancer every day. If cancer hasn’t crossed your path, whether directly or through a loved one, consider yourself lucky. It’s easy to feel helpless when friends and people close to you are struggling. Since September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re going to give you some simple things you can do to help those who are facing the dreaded “C” word. Do. Don’t ask. It’s easy to say, “let me know if you need anything.” What the family needs is someone to say, “hey, I’m making you dinner.” Or “I’m babysitting - just tell me what day (or night).” Don’t give them the burden of asking. Just offer it. Gift cards go a long way. Treatments can sometimes take a patient and family far from home. Do a little research and purchase gift cards for restaurants, hotel chains and gas stations near the hospital they are using. A gift subscription to Amazon Prime or Netflix may be helpful to someone who is bedridden. Some downtime and low key enter
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