Let's Talk About Stress

In recent years, we've discovered more and more about how stress affects a person's health. Medical studies are continually pointing to the very real effects stress has on our bodies and minds. So, it seems only natural to pay attention - and make a real effort to find ways of dealing with stress.

One of the first things to note might come as a surprise: stress is not all bad. According to Dr. Kate Hathaway, a clinical psychologist working in the academic and clinical field of health psychology, the positive benefits of stress include alertness, increased self-confidence when induced in a challenge-based situation, and improved coping and interpersonal problem-solving skills.

When stressed, a combination of physical, cognitive, emotional and social responses occur. Your heart rate and breathing might be affected, and you may tend to concentrate on the stressor. Generally, you have less access to emotional reactions, with the exception of fear and anger, and you might withdraw emotionally.

Managing Stress

"Stress management," Hathaway explains, "is an individual challenge. No one solution works for everyone." You'll do well to remember, too, that the environment supplies the stress and you provide the coping mechanism.

This concept is easy to understand from an outside perspective, when you might not be feeling any - or very little - stress. But what can you do when you're in the thick of it and need some techniques that can help you get control of the stress?

Here are a few ideas:

The physical effects of stress are sometimes the most bothersome. One great way to deal with the physical signs of stress, particularly if you can't get away from work, is to simply stretch. If you're at a desk or have some time between clients, go through a simple, basic stretching routine. You don't need to do anything extensive to realize some benefits and get some relief. Also, pay attention to your breathing. Take a couple of deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly. These efforts don't require a lot of time, but can go a long way in interrupting your focusing on the stressor and stop the stress from spiraling.

Be sure you're taking care of yourself. Making sure you're eating well and getting enough sleep are integral aspects of combating the effects of stress. Ask yourself during times of high stress: Am I getting eight hours of sleep? What have I been eating, and is my diet balanced? Am I taking my vitamins? Whenever possible, get outside. Taking a brief walk over your lunch hour, for example, gives you the benefit of getting fresh air as well as new visual stimuli. Even for brief periods of time, getting a new perspective by getting up and out can really help.

Cognitively speaking, Hathaway has some suggestions as well. "Increase your sense of control," she explains. "Increase the 'I can' statements while decreasing the 'I can't' statements you make." You should also be careful about the number of "would've, could've, should've" statements you're making and instead, focus your energy on planning, reorganizing and prioritizing.

Remember, you can't go back in time, but you can effectively deal with the present.

To this point, Hathaway encourages individuals to try to eliminate the "all or nothing" approach to stressful situations. Open yourself up to the possibility of having options, and instead of passing judgement, increase your acceptance of where you are. "Acceptance is not the same as judging the situation to be good," Hathaway explains. "But you can admit your own influence over a situation and unglue opinions from facts."

The key, as with maintaining a holistic vision of your health, is to be mindful of what's going on physically and emotionally. "Observe yourself and your thoughts," Hathaway suggests. "Be aware of your body posture."

The emotional aspects of stress also need to be managed. Two places to start include practicing optimism and finding ways to increase your joy. "Access your memories, especially any time you've spent in nature," Hathaway encourages. "Practice gratitude, kindness and generosity."

The recurring theme throughout is continued here: Being mindful. "Practice staying in the moment," explains Hathaway.

Did you know that April is "Stress Awareness Month"? Come celebrate by booking yourself a massage and working on managing your stress!



~mtj/Massage Therapy Journal Spring 2011

http://www.etmnewton.com/

http://www.etmbelmont.com/

Body Sense

Pain is the body's wake-up call. Although we often fail to notice minor stresses and strains, most people notice pain as the body calls out for attention. Our typical response to pain is to try and suppress it or get rid of it. However, there is another, more powerful way to work with pain: by feeling it instead of avoiding it.

It may not seem like it at the time, but pain exists in our bodies as a way of getting our attention back to ourselves. Pain is one of the pathways our body uses to spontaneously and automatically remind us to notice a physical or emotional threat we may have been avoiding. This noticing and feeling directly into our bodies, even our pain, is what I call embodied self-awareness, or more simply, "body sense".

Body sense is the ability to feel sensations and emotions in the present moment without the mediation of judgement or thought. In fact, whenever thoughts of any kind come into our awareness, we immediately go offline from our body sense; we are not in the moment.

Present moment body sense is like a booster shot for the nervous system. When we become aware of feelings, including pain, it means that the self-regulatory network of the brain can be activated as a single unit of neural integration. This integrated network is exceptionally powerful because it can find the most optimal form of functioning across neuromuscular, digestive, hormonal, cardiovascular, and immune systems leading to a reduction of pain and ultimately a return to healthy functioning.

Body sense is one of the oldest, most powerful tools available for healing. It is as simple as noticing the aroma of good food, feeling your feet on the floor, or sensing the warmth and softness of touch. Body sense calls us to the present moment, brings us back to ourselves, and wakes us up to what our body really needs. Body sense is also elusive, mysterious, easy to forget and difficult to rediscover. It takes practice, discipline, and concentration.

Below is a quick and helpful body sense exercise you can do in your spare time:

Find a quiet place to sit or lie down, coming to rest inside of yourself. Let your body sink into gravity as much as you are able. Locate the painful area and feel the boundaries of the pain. Is it, for example, the whole leg, just in the thigh, or localized to just above the knee on the inside of your leg, etc? Your headache may be just behind your right eye, or just over your left ear. Shift your awareness between painful areas and adjacent non-painful areas. Notice the differences. Let the non-painful parts talk to the painful parts. This is often enough to start the pain to move or soften.

Now forget the pain and focus on your breathing, the sense of your body connecting with the surface on which you are sitting or lying, or on some other constant and reliable presence that feels safe, stable and supportive. These are your resources. Other resources could be the non-painful parts of your body, the trees over your head, a clock ticking, someone's hand that you are holding for support, a bodywork practitioner who is touching you, a stuffed animal, or a mental image of a person you love. Make sure you can locate these resources reliably, because you'll need to come back to them anytime the pain becomes too much.

Now, localize the pain again; then access your resources. Practice going back and forth between the pain and the resource. Finally, with you resource in mind, come back to the pain, and this time, go into it. Really try to feel it. You may not be able to do this at first. your pulse may quicken, you might cry or sweat, your breathing may become shallow, and you may gasp for air. This is your sympathetic (arousal) nervous system's response to feeling threatened. Come back to your resource. See if you can let your parasympathetic (relaxation) nervous system help you settle down. Try again. This is a process. It may take multiple tries and multiple sessions. If your resource stops working for you, try a different one. You can have a whole collection of resources - no limit - if that helps.

~Excerpt taken from an article written by Alan Fogel, PhD, LMT in Massage and Bodywork, March/April 2011

http://www.etmnewton.com/

http://www.etmbelmont.com/

Benefits of Massage Therapy for Seniors

It’s no secret that the fastest-growing segment of the American population is 65 or older. According to the Department of Health & Human Services, the number of people 65 and older numbered 39.6 million and represented 12.9% of the US population in 2009. By 2030, there will be about 72.1 million people 65 and older, or 19% of the population. As this population group grows, there will be an increased emphasis on health, quality of life and well-being.

Massage therapy offers many possibilities to this senior group of citizens. Massage can provide relief from various types of muscle tension and overall discomfort for seniors who are still very active as well as those who are living with limiting conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure.

Therapeutic massage, provided by a licensed massage professional, has been proven to do the following:

• Decreases anxiety and stress


• Lessons the symptoms of depression


• Stabilizes blood pressure


• Helps alleviate sleep disorders


• Increases circulation


• Improves joint mobility


• Decreases inflammation


• Increases the sense of well being


• May lesson dependence on pain medications and other types of medications


• Improves the flow of lymphatic fluid


• Improves digestion


• Provides much needed touch and nurturing

Additionally, the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) states that massage therapy can improve the quality of life for those in hospice living or comfort care. Most licensed massage therapists are knowledgeable of the conditions that can occur in seniors, and can provide light to medium touch massage for specific, individual needs. Of course, all therapists are sensitive to each client’s sense of modesty and privacy and will respect and accommodate special requests. Before undergoing any massage session, it is always recommended to discuss your needs and make sure the therapist is trained in massage techniques for seniors.

Some may wonder if a physician’s approval or a prescription is required for massage therapy, and it is generally not. However, there may be instances when a client should consult with their physician to insure safety before beginning a massage program. For example, someone who has an acute illness, is undergoing chemotherapy, has osteoarthritis, osteoporosis or has had recent surgery, should talk to their doctor first.

All of the Massage Therapists at Elements Therapeutic Massage are trained in providing a massage that is specific to the needs of senior clients!

http://www.etmnewton.com/

http://www.etmbelmont.com/

~Copyright, 2010 Elements Therapeutic Massage

Oh, My Aching Back!

More than 100 million Americans suffer from lower-back pain, and nearly 25 billion dollars is spent in search of relief annually. A 2003 study shows that massage therapy produces better results and reduces the need for painkillers by 36 percent when compared to other therapies, including acupuncture and spinal manipulations*.

Therapeutic massage can indeed be an effective way to ease the pain of a wide variety of spinal conditions including: muscle tension, spasms, inflammation, aches, stiffness and pain. A skilled massage therapist will knead, rub and manipulate the affected muscles to increase blood flow (circulation) throughout the body. This will deliver oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and helps eliminate any acids or other waste products that accumulates in the affected area. The outcome is pain relief.

Here are some tips on how to massage away that pain in your back:

• Make sure the massage therapist you use for your back pain has received training from an accredited school and that they have completed 500 hours of training.
• If you’ve been injured during exercise of some type, consider a sports massage. Sports massage promotes both flexibility and relieves deep muscle tightness and strains.
• For acute pack pain, request a deep tissue massage, but be prepared for an aggressive massage designed to liberate muscle fiber and detoxify the muscle tissue. There may be a slight level of discomfort, but it should not feel too uncomfortable. The therapist should check in with you during the treatment to determine if the pressure it right, “Should I go deeper, stay at the same level or even go somewhat lighter?”
• Try a massage that alternates hot and cold treatments to alleviate back pain caused by sprains.
• A hot stone massage can be very effective as the stones transfer heat into your body, allowing the therapist to work more effectively.
• For a quick and temporary fix, look at investing in a hand-held home massager to take away minor pain. This will not provide all the benefits of a professional massage therapist but it will help you in a pinch.

Always remember, not all types of massage is appropriate for all types of back pain. A deep tissue massage is potentially not a good idea for someone suffering from rheumatoid arthritis or other degenerative diseases; however, a lighter touch massage would be appropriate. Be sure to always discuss the techniques to be used by the massage therapist, before beginning the massage session. If you have acute back pains, you should also consult your physician before beginning any massage therapy program.

At Elements Therapeutic Massage, our therapeutic approach is designed to match you with the therapist and the specific technique that’s best for your unique health and wellness situation. We also use a proprietary numbering system that indicates the level of work a therapist does, which is very important when dealing with back pain.

*Annals of Internal Medicine, June 2003

http://www.etmnewton.com/

http://www.etmbelmont.com/

~Copyright, 2010 Elements Therapeutic Massage

Therapeutic Sports Massage - for the Elite and Occasional Athlete

Therapeutic sports massage was originally developed to help athletes prepare their bodies for optimal performance and aid in quick recovery. Many elite athletes consider sports massage an essential part of their training and recovery routine. They rely on it to help them train more effectively, improve performance, prevent injury and speed their recovery after strenuous exertion.

All that being said, you don’t have to be a professional athlete to get a therapeutic sports massage! It’s ideal for anyone who’s physically active – as well as someone who’s just starting out with a new workout program at the gym, running their first 10K or marathon, or doing anything else that’s outside their normal activity routine. If you’re a novice athlete, a pre-event sports massage can make a better, less-painful event for you. Or, if you’re a “weekend warrior”, a regular therapeutic sports massage may be just what you need to concentrate on a specific problem (sports or otherwise), chronic pain or a restricted range of motion.

There are four types of sports massages:

• Pre-event Sports Massage - A short, stimulating massage before an event. It is directed towards the parts of the body that will be the most heavily involved in exertion.

• Post-event Sports Massage – Usually this takes place either an hour or two after an event. The objective is to normalize the body’s tissues and prevent stiffness or soreness.

• Restorative Sports Massage – Takes place during training to allow the athlete to train longer, harder and with less possibility for injury.

• Rehabilitative Sports Massage – Should take place on a regular basis and is designed to either alleviate pain, increase range of motion or to restore the body to health.

Because every sport and athletic event uses muscle groups in a different way, there are a variety of methods used to administer a therapeutic sports massage. Generally, this is a type of massage often combined with various forms of stretching. A sports massage will stimulate circulation of blood and lymph fluids and may include one or more of the following techniques:

• Deep Swedish massage – Long, broad and flowing strokes which may be used before, during and after any of the techniques listed here. Designed to increase circulation and remove toxins. It also re-aligns the muscle fibers to get them back to their normal state.

• Deep Tissue massage – Muscle-specific massage for chronically tight or painful areas.

• Trigger Point massage – Designed to break down adhesions and increase range of motion. Left untreated these tender points often lead to restricted and painful movement of entire body regions.

• Lymphatic massage – Stimulates lymphatic-drainage pathways, which improves the body’s removal of excess fluids in the tissues that cause swelling and pain.

• Compression Massage - A rhythmic compression into muscles to create blood flow and to soften the tissues. This is usually a warm-up for deeper, more specific massage work.

• Cross-Fiber massage - A friction technique used in a general manner to create a stretching and broadening effect in large muscle groups. This helps reduce adhesions (knots in the muscles) and creates strong and flexible repair during the healing process.

Whether you’re a serious or an occasional athlete, enjoying less muscle pain and stiffness as well as improving your sense of well-being is good reason to take advantage of a regular therapeutic sports massage.

To get the most benefit from a therapeutic sports massage, be sure and ask your therapist about their training and techniques to learn what is right for you. And, no matter what type of massage you choose, the therapist should always check in with you about your needs and expectations during the massage.

At Elements Therapeutic Massage, you can always find a skilled therapist to help with your sports-related aches and pains.

Call or email the studio to make an appointment!

Newton - newton@touchofelements.com

617.467.6072

Belmont - belmont@touchofelements.com

617.484.3400

http://www.etmnewton.com/

http://www.etmbelmont.com/

~Copyright 2011 Elements Therapeutic Massage

Therapeutic Massage is for MEN too!

It’s a proven statistic. More women than men enjoy the benefits of regular therapeutic massage. According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), statistics from their 2009 national studies reveal 40 percent of women and only 29 percent of men reported seeing a massage therapist in the past five years.

Therapeutic massage is clinically proven to provide a wide-number of important health benefits including stress reduction, pain relief, lower blood pressure and improvements to the immune system. As a result, healthcare providers are increasingly promoting the benefits of massage to their patients.

In AMTA’s 2009 survey, thirty-nine million American adults discussed massage therapy with their healthcare providers. While physicians led the way in recommending massage, chiropractors and physical therapists also recommended massage therapy when their patients discussed it with them. Additionally, more than three-quarters of massage therapist (76%) indicate they receive referrals from health care professionals.

So to the 71 percent of men out there not experiencing massage, what’s the problem?

According to many experts, including licensed massage therapists, here are some of the questions about massage that men always want to ask, but are too embarrassed to ask….

1. Do I have to undress and if so, will the therapist be there when I undress? Nudity is indeed the number one concern for everyone getting a massage. But don’t worry; you should always undress to your level of comfort. It’s perfectly acceptable to leave on your undergarments and sometimes more, depending on the areas that need attention. If you do disrobe (totally or partially) all clients are discretely draped under a sheet with only one body part uncovered at a time. Additionally, the massage therapist always leaves the room so you’re alone to remove clothing and get under the top sheet/blanket. Don’t rush, they will knock and ask if you’re ready before coming in – just like at a doctor’s office.

2. What if I have a certain body part that I’m self-conscious about? People are indeed concerned about their bodies for a variety of reasons; overweight, scars, excessive body hair, etc. Don’t worry, massage therapists are used to seeing all shapes, sizes and condition of the body and they have an entirely clinical perspective, no different than any other health-care provider. However, if there’s a certain part of your body you really are subconscious about, just ask the therapist to avoid it.

3. I always chat when I get my hair cut, should I talk during the massage? If you want to talk, feel free, but don’t feel compelled to do so. This is your time to recuperate and relax. The therapist should check in with you during the massage to make sure the pressure level is correct and that they’re addressing your concerns. Of course, always speak up if anything is uncomfortable or you if forgot to mention something during the pre-massage consultation.

4. What if I’m uncomfortable with a male (or female) therapist giving me a massage? Don’t ever hesitate to specify that you would prefer a female or a male therapist. In fact, most massage studios will be upfront and ask you for your preference, before you have to ask.

5. If it’s a therapeutic massage, am I supposed to tip? I don’t at the doctor’s office. Whenever you’re pleased with the massage services, a 15 to 20% tip is standard. However, if you’re in a clinical/medical setting there really aren’t any ground rules. When unsure, don’t be afraid to ask if tipping is customary – either when you arrive or call ahead.

So your basic questions are answered and you’re ready for a massage. What type of massage do you want to experience?

Most massage studios offer a wide range of massage options, which can also be confusing. For many men, a good place to start is with a therapeutic sports massage. This is a type of massage technique that focuses on treating soft tissue aches and pains associated with recreational activities.

You don’t have to be an Olympian to benefit from sports massage. Whether you are a regularly sports enthusiast or an occasional athlete (even just a “walker”), a sports massage is the perfect way to relax tight, overworked muscles with a mix of techniques and stretches. The areas may include the hamstrings, quads, calf muscles and glutes. It also helps reduce adhesions (knots in the muscles) relieving the stress they can place on tendons, ligaments and joints. Sports massage is also good for those with injuries, chronic pain or a restricted range of motion.

For all the men who are hesitant about massage therapy, now’s the time to experience a massage! There are an increasing number of credible massage studios that always welcome women and men with convenient locations, plus evening and weekend hours. Whether you choose a therapeutic sports massage or any one of the many other massage techniques available, you’ll soon learn the value of regular massage therapy.

Men - Elements Therapeutic Massage is the perfect place for a “first-ever” massage or regular monthly massage. When you call to book your appointment we will schedule you with the therapist who best matches your specific massage needs. Our therapists will talk with you to learn where the pain is and help you decide what treatment is best for you.

Ladies – help your “significant other” learn about the benefits of massage, treat him to an Elements gift certificate!

Feel free to call or email to schedule an appointment!

Newton - 617.467.6072, newton@touchofelements.com

Belmont - 617.484.3400, belmont@touchofelements.com

http://www.etmnewton.com/

http://www.etmbelmont.com/

~Copyright 2011 Elements Therapeutic Massage

Valentine's Day is Coming! Gift Cards Available!

Valentine's Day is ONLY 6 days away!

Have to work Monday? Celebrate Valentine's Day early and come in over the weekend!

Bring your sweetheart in for a COUPLES Massage. Single? Pamper yourself - you deserve it!

Space is limited and spots are going fast - call the studio now to reserve your spot!

617.467.6072 ~ Newton

617.484.3400 ~ Belmont

************************************************************************************

No time to come in for a massage with your sweetheart?

No problem, just stop by or hop online and grab a Gift Card or two.

Afterall, who needs flowers and chocolate when you can have a massage?!

http://www.etmnewton.com

http://www.etmbelmont.com