Waterbeds : friend or foe, view point of a Massage Therapist

Do you remember in the 1980's when the cool thing to have in your bedroom was pastel colored paintings , black Formica furniture and the largest water bed you could find? While Michael Jackson ruled the pop music world water beds made their way into nearly every home promising each buyer to be lulled to sleep by the comfort of its liquid interior. As a massage therapist I see many people that suffer from back pain. Often times the complaint, "it has to be my mattress" is one I hear frequently. Although back pain can come from many different sources today I will give credit to the mattress as it deserves, but not just any mattress, the water bed. I'm a big fan of ocean waves and the relaxing effects of water, however when it comes to the support of your body during a good night's sleep I think any body worker will recoil at the idea of a water bed. The reason for this is the following; water beds simply do not offer any support for the weight of your body. Although the sinking sensation may seem soothing to some, it offers nothing withstand the weight of your body throughout your valued sleep time. You can often see evidence of the need to support your body through lower back or lumbar support waist bands. The well known cervical pillows offered on television or through different media sources shows the importance of firmness, which supports the natural curvature of your body. All of these products offer support, not sinking material or extremely soft substance. Imagine, health experts recommend eight to nine hours of sleep a night for the average person. Even if you only get five or six hours of sleep, this is still a considerable amount of time to lie down on a surface which wobbles instead of supports. Now, I'm not saying to adopt a bed right out of a Flintstones cartoon but stay in tune with what your body is telling you. This does not mean you have to be a doctor or a nutritionist to understand that your body is uncomfortable and that pain is a symptom of something wrong. In Japan and many other eastern cultures beds are firm and placed near to the ground. In the west we have grown accustomed to lounging among soft pillows,luxury sheets and down comforters. However, for those us who suffer from chronic neck and back pain due to insufficient support during their sleep, consider being guided by the example of out eastern neighbors and invest in a firm mattress. Live healthy and remember to support your local massage therapists!

Stretching and Massage Therapy; A Great Combination and How it Helps Your Work Out

Stretching. One of the oldest and easiest ways to increase muscle flexibility. As a Massage Therapist I work with many people day in and day out and find that the majority of the people I work with do not apply any stretching techniques into their wellness program. Often times getting into an exercise routine after a long time away from one can seem daunting and intimidating. I'm here to assure you that regardless of the level of fitness you practice, stretching is so vital in accompanying any exercise you do. Find a Massage Therapist that incorporates assisted stretching in their session. The difference in the result of the Massage session is amazing. There is simply something about stretching out a muscle that relieves tension that a Massage cannot do. When you combine the two (stretching and massage) you have an amazing result which benefits your client greatly and because the average person does not take the time to stretch they will appreciate it! One of the largest obstacles I see with why people do not stretch is the following two 1) Stretching is slow and you must be patient. Most people want results fast. 2) Stretching does not produce large muscles (what most men want) or loss of fat (what most women want). It is our human nature to want to results quickly, especially in this day and age, however, I assure you that taking as little five minutes to stretch before and after your work out and will be beneficial, any personal trainer will support this! For example, it will produce less cramping and muscle spasms. If you've ever experience a charlie horse (a steady muscle contraction in your calf muscle) it is very painful! Stretching also prevents your muscles from injury, not completely of course, you have to respect the limits of your body but it does allow you to prevent many strains and sprains in the muscles you could have otherwise avoided. Prevention is key and stretching is a wonderful preventive tool that also allows you to increase flexibility. Enjoy, stay healthy and go out there and get a massage!

Massage Therapy,Headaches and Abdominal Exercises :Can you get a headache from doing sit ups?

Yes you can! No, this isn't a political campaign, but today I'm targeting the topic that can help avoid tension headaches in the future and offer some helpful tips if you experience one. Most avid exercisers and maybe even beginners can make the common mistake of overdoing it at the gym. These accidental overdoses of work-out errors can cause strain and pain within your muscles and tension headaches are no different. They are caused by the muscles accumulating too much stress in which the nervous system begins to alert the body that there is a "stress" overload and the situation (or high tension in the muscles) must be taken care of. Your abdominal muscles are usually the ones that most people are eager to transform into that coveted six pack especially during beach season. Common exercises such as crunches or sit-ups though can aggravate anterior neck muscles which can be a prime source for tension headaches. Suggestion? When performing ab exercises, try to focus on the ab muscles in your mind, this will help you in using the ab muscles solely instead of relying on your upper body for assistance. Keep your fingers crossed and lightly cup the base of your neck with your hands. Why lightly? Because if you cup the base of your head and push it forward when doing a crunch, you are literally forcing your neck muscles forward, causing unnecessary strain. Have you ever watched an ab machine infomercial? If you place close attention the speakers emphasize on the fact that you won't damage your neck by forcing it forward if you buy their machine as opposed to straining the neck during traditional work-outs. While many people due accidentally force their neck forward during ab exercises, your neck strain can be spared by 1)not forcing or pushing the neck forward during sit-ups 2)Using proper body mechanics 3) performing lower ab exercises which can be done by curling your legs towards your chest from a vertical or horizontal position; taking away the pressure from your upper body. Doing these during your work out will save you money from buying fancy work-out gear and headaches in the future. If you do experience a headache from strenuous ab or upper body work-outs, use an ice pack on the area for the next few days and stay away from those particular work-outs and of course, get a massage to relax those overworked muscles! stay healthy!

The difference beween migraines and tension headaches

Migraine headaches are often stereotyped and used to describe severe headaches. However as a massage therapist, what is most typically seen is a tension headache. Tension headaches can have similar symptoms much like a migraine headache. The difference is that Migraine headaches are usually caused by genetic factors (they are hereditary), a chemical imbalance in the brain or a hormonal imbalance. Of course you will also find headaches which are caused by tumors and such but we are discussing mostly the difference between those that are chemically or hormonally imbalanced and the headaches caused by chronic stress. If it is a tension headache, then you're odds of natural treatments are much higher and less complicated than a true migraine headache. Tension headaches are mostly originate in the following muscles: cervical (neck), upper back, head and face. When working with trigger points along the scalp and face, most people are surprised to know they have muscles in these areas. Indeed they do and if trigger points persist, as well as tension this could create massive pain and be just as debilitating as a true migraine headache. As I stated, trigger points can be treated to relieve tension headaches. Its important that the average person is educated between the difference of these two types of headaches. A tension headache can be treated by your local massage therapist and a migraine should be diagnosed by someone with higher training in the medical field to truly classify the kind of headache. T.M.J. (tempero-mandibular joint) is known as tension in the jaw muscles on both sides of the face and can also cause headaches. I've treated people with such severe "jaw pain" that they were unable to open their mouths completely without a sharp pain being delivered to their temple areas. So, if your experiencing headaches, do not be quick to self diagnose it as a "migraine", please remember that accumulated stress untreated for long periods of time can cause pain in your body. I encourage you to visit a professional massage therapist , if the headaches continue, seek help from a medical specialist to rule out any other serious conditions. Meanwhile, for those of those of you suffering from typical stress and mounting tension, take comfort in knowing your headaches can be treated in a safe and natural way. Stay Healthy!