A Hugle

Pain In The Foot

2008-07-12T01:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you know what carpal tunnel syndrome is--that pain in the wrist that affects so many massage therapists, desk jockeys, and grocery store cashiers. But did you know that you can develop a similar problem in your feet?

Ben Crabtree over at Massage San Antonio has a great article on Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. If you or your clients are experiencing foot pain or numbness, this is worth checking out.

Great Reference Site

2008-05-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

I'm reposting the link for this site because the link in the old post goes to a site with a lot of broken links.

My friend K was asking for good reference material on trigger point therapy and therapeutic massage. The old Orthodoc site is one of the best. I wish I knew where this guy was posting now. If anyone knows, please let me know.

How Can I Know Unless You Teach Me

2008-02-01T00:34:00.000-08:00

When I was in the eighth grade, my English class was given a chance to enter an essay in a statewide competition. The essay was supposed to be about the first governor of Oklahoma. Most of us headed straight for the encyclopedia and state history books and wrote factually accurate but very boring papers. After reading our efforts, the teacher ranted at us collectively for not knowing that an essay was supposed to contain more than dry facts. There needed to be color, voice, something that made each paper unique.

I felt frustrated; I had worked very hard on my paper, and I thought it was good. Was it my fault that I was a product of the very school system that this teacher worked for? The trouble was this teacher expected us to already have knowledge of things she hadn’t taught us. If she didn’t teach us about essays, where were we supposed to get this knowledge? I guess she expected all of our previous teachers to have covered this topic, but did she bother to check?

This same problem exists in the work world. Over and over, I see young supervisors being lambasted for not managing effectively. But like my junior high colleagues and I, no one has ever taught them how to do their job. Often they are promoted to a supervisory role because they were good at their previous job which had nothing at all to do with supervising. Later, because they have been given no coaching to help them develop managerial skills, they are not able to advance up the next rung of the ladder.

I realize that businesses do not exist solely as management training programs and bosses have more to do than coach those under them. However, if a company has a policy of promoting from within (which it should) then it needs to have the mechanisms in place to ensure that its people are ready for promotion when the time comes. A good leader is also a good teacher, passing down her knowledge and skills to the next generation.

Another area where I see this problem is in customer service. If people are hired into positions where they will interact with the public, they need to be trained in human relations and customer service. They cannot just be given a uniform, sent onto the floor and expected to perform at a five star level. For some people good customer service comes naturally, a lot of it comes down to having good manners and respect for other human beings. However, some aspects of great service need to be taught.

This is where good management comes in. A leader/teacher will instruct new employees how to interact with the guests, how to handle difficult situations and each customer’s expectations are exceeded. A good leader will also teach by example, not only in her interactions with customers, but also in her dealings with colleagues and underlings.

Keep in mind that I am not a manager, nor do I ever aspire to be one. I am one of the peons and I’m perfectly happy to stay that way as long as I have good managers to work with.

rainbow connection

2008-01-31T20:27:00.001-08:00

I have a sore throat/ear infection and I've had a bad day. Kermit always cheers me up. Hope he adds a little joy to your day.

The Magic Three: What it Means for Massage Therapists

2008-01-06T00:40:00.000-08:00

Brian over at copyblogger has a neat little article on using the "Rule of Three" to create great online content. He explains that the human mind is geared to discern patterns and "three is the smallest number of elements required to create a pattern." The Rule of Three shows up in children's stories, comedy routines, and famous quotes. Readers' comments on the post also point out that Three is an important number in other areas as well: Three primary colors, Three sides of a triangle, Three branches of power.

This got me thinking: In massage school, we were told over and over (and over) again to start and finish each body part with Three long effleurage (gliding) strokes. Throughout the massage we were also told to perform various strokes, stretches and movements in Threes. One instructor explained that Three was a magical number (if she told us what made it magical, I don't remember).

I was skeptical but the pattern stuck. Now I understand why. Grouping the movements into Threes made it easier for me as a beginning therapist to establish a flow or routine. Even if I deviated from the routine to concentrate on a specific problem area, I could pick it back up and continue on with the massage, making sure I worked every part of the client's body.

The Rule of Three makes for a better massage. The person on the table unconsciously grasps and responds to the rhythms and patterns established by this Rule of Three. For them it is comfortingly familiar, maybe even a bit hypnotic, allowing them to relax into the flow of the massage. The client doesn't realize you've used the Magic of Three on them, she just knows that you gave her a truly magical massage.

How to Use the “Rule of Three” to Create Engaging Content | Copyblogger

Legal Sites Provide Answers to Work Related Questions

2007-12-23T00:49:00.000-08:00

Change happens. When it happens at work, change can bring many benefits, but it can also cause major disruptions in both our job environments and our home lives. When management makes major changes at work the first thing people often ask is, "Can they really do that?"

Well, chances are that the bosses have already researched their rights and responsibilities regarding their relationships with their employees. If you work for a large company, there is probably a Human Resources department and a legal team that make sure that every policy change is within the company's legal rights. Even small business owners hate being sued, so they are usually pretty diligent about playing by the rules.

Okay, but what if the slave driver you work for really doesn't seem to care about the Geneva Convention much less the state labor commission? What if the tightwad in the big office has suddenly decided that bathroom breaks are a waste of company time? What is the difference between a pain in the rear and a violation of your rights under state and federal law?

NOLO is a great resource for finding out this sort of information. They have a whole section dedicated to employee rights on their website with FAQ's and links to state and federal information. The office of the state Labor Commissioner also has information regarding state laws. The Office of the Nevada Labor Commissioner's website has FAQ's, state statutes and regulations, and forms for filing complaints.

Of course, these resources are also helpful to business owners and managers. NOLO also has sections regarding human resources and other legal issues that may come up in the course of business.

It's So Nice to Know Someone Really Cares

2007-12-11T23:25:00.000-08:00

I get a little grumpy sometimes. And nothing sets my grumpiness off faster than the knowledge that there are people in this world abusing or mistreating animals, or kids, or women, or really anyone weaker than themselves--I just don't like bullies in general, okay? Another thing that chaps my hide is someone (or some corporation) trashing this beautiful planet I live on or destroying some precious ecosystem just for the sake of big profits.

Someone Who Cares is a great little blog dedicated to educating the public about various social and political topics. The blog is an off-shoot of the website. Faith Autumn Reign is the founder of the site and blog, but she encourages user participation through a MySpace group. Members of the group post stories and testimonials on the group bulletin board and Reign adds them to the site and/or blog.

If you are interested in getting involved in a cause but don't know where to begin, or if you just want to connect with others who support the same causes as you, this is a site you should check out.

Give the Gift of Massage to Those Who Take Care of Others

2007-12-11T18:28:00.000-08:00

Alzheimer's - A Great Holiday Gift for Caregivers - A Massage!

People who spend most of their time caring for aging or ailing loved ones often neglect to take care of themselves. The physical and mental stress of acting as caregiver can take a toll on one's body. Regular massage therapy can go a long way towards alleviating some of this stress.

However, many caregivers are strapped financially and are not able to "splurge" on this sort of relief. For this reason, Dorian Martin over at Healthcentral.com recommends giving gift certificates for massage therapy to any caregivers that you know. This would surely be more useful to them than another collection of candles or bath gels.

When That Pain in Your Neck Really Gets on Your Nerves

2007-11-28T23:55:00.000-08:00

I am not the world's most graceful person. Slips, trips and bodily injuries are such a common occurrence with me that the local EMT's know me by name. So does the staff at the urgent care close to the house. And the one by work. You get my point? Accident prone does not even begin to describe me. At the spa where I work, I am the only person who has ever gotten away with calling in sick on New Years Day (busiest day in Las Vegas) because I did it from the emergency room--and I hadn't even been drinking!

So I should have known better than to walk down our carpeted stairs in just my socks. I mean, a klutz like me should know the benefits of traction, right? But there I was, prancing down the stairs in my sweats and socks, paying absolutely no attention to what I was doing. Whewsh! My sock-clad foot slid on the rug and out from under me. I tried to catch myself on the banister, but bounced down several steps on my behind, back and elbows before stopping near the bottom. The breath was knocked out of me and I knew my shoulders were gonna hurt from trying to catch myself, but at least I hadn't hit the hard tile at the bottom of the stairs. I didn't think it was that bad.

Until the next day. A busy Saturday at the Spa and I was fully booked with massages. At first it wasn't too bad, my back and shoulders were a little stiff; but as the day wore on, I started getting a lot of pain in my right wrist. I must have injured it in the fall and not realized it.

Now, a bum wrist is one of the scariest things in the world to a massage therapist. After all, our hands are our tools; without them we can't work. Two or three weeks off to allow a sprained wrist to heal is two or three weeks with no money coming in. But working with an injury only leads to more damage and a longer recovery time, if it recovers at all.

So I went to the urgent care as soon as I got off work to get things checked out. I explained my fall to the doctor and he checked out my wrist. But everything seemed to be fine there. So then he checked out my neck and shoulders. Turns out that the muscles in my neck and shoulders had tightened up so much that they were putting pressure on the nerve that went down my arm into my wrist.

Ben Crabtree over at Massage San Antonio has a great article on Nerve Entrapment Syndromes. These painful conditions occur when the various tissues surrounding the nerve constrict and place pressure on the nerve and/or its root creating either localized or referred pain. Some of you may call this a "pinched nerve."

Ben explains why these entrapments happen and how various types of massage can help alleviate the pain. Check out Ben's article and the rest of his blog. He has lots of great information posted over there. And if you're in San Antonio, go get a massage from him.

Massage San Antonio: Nerve Entrapment Syndromes And Massage Therapy

Another Reason to Love Your Hips

2007-11-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

Psychology Today: Beauty Beat: Sharp Curves

Turns out that having ample curves means you'll have smarter kids. According to Psychology Today, omega-3 fatty acids are stored in a woman's hips and thighs then released during the third trimester of pregnancy. Then these essential fatty acids are used to build baby's brain into a super computer. So go ahead, eat that brownie--you're doing it for the children.

These Hips

2007-10-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

Why do women always seem to have so much muscle tightness and pain in their hips? Sure, there are many physiological explanations: wearing high heels, carrying children, etc. But maybe there is another possible factor involved: we don't show them enough love. In fact, from the time we are barely teenagers, most of us have learned to loathe or at least dislike these parts of our bodies. How many times have you said, “God, I hate my butt!” or “I wish my hips would just go away.”? You know what they say about chocolate: once on the lips, forever on the hips. Maybe the same applies to our words. Every time we say something nasty about a body part, some of that hate gets transferred into the cells of that part in the form of tension, knots and chronic pain.

How do we rectify the situation? By learning to love all of our parts lumps, bumps and cellulite.

Check out this wonderful, empowering poem by Lucille Clifton. Embrace it. Listen to the story of your own hips and let them sing. They are feminine, they are powerful, they are beautiful.

Scoliosis and Postural Therapy

2007-10-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

James Clay has written a wealth of valuable information for anyone who is interested in using massage therapy to help alleviate postural problems in children and adolescents. Here is a link to some of the websites I've found so far.

Posture Therapy for Children and Adolescents.

Important information about Scoliosis.

Unfortunately, this is an old site and many links are broken.

What Color is Your Personality?

2007-10-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

Dr. Ragan over at Psychology of Clutter has posted a link to this quiz. Dr. Ragan is skeptical of the results and asks her readers to try it at compare notes. Are the results accurate? Or are the descriptions so broad that they could fit just about anybody? Here are my results. You decide.

A+Hugle took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test!

"Needs a peaceful environment. Wants release from s..."

Click here to read the rest of the results.

Get Answers to Medical Questions with Medical Edge Television

2007-10-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

Is that natural remedy you've been hearing about safe? Do men have hot flashes? What's the latest treatment for carpal tunnel? Is there any help for this painful plantar faciitis?

The answers to these questions and more are available on Medical Edge Television News from the Mayo Clinic. These videos are informative but easy to comprehend. The range of topics is astounding.

I love the Mayo Clinic's site for looking up medical and drug information. Having this information is handy when discussing issues with your doctor or making choices in the grocery store aisle. This is just one more great feature that allows everyone to take charge of their own well being.

Get Your Game- and Massage On At the Same Time

2007-10-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

The Escapist : News : Massage Meets Gaming, Finally!

In the what-will-they-think-of-next category: someone has come up with a suit that acts as a wearable gamepad. The idea is that your buddy can give you a back massage while killing MOBs, stealing cars, and saving the world. The project is called Massage Me and the website offers DIY instructions for those of you who are up to the challenge. Now gamers can experience a level of bonding never before possible.

For the truly addicted gamer there is always this.

New Study Finds That Massage Reduces Stress--But We Already Knew That

2007-09-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

In a recent study, emergency room nurses who received aromatherapy massages accompanied by music experienced reduced stress levels. According to ScienceDaily, 86 Australian nurses took part in the 12 week study. Usually, 54 to 65 percent of ER staffers suffer from moderate to severe anxiety, but during the course of the study that number fell to 8 percent.

Those nurses only got 15-minute massages, which seems like such a tease. But it shows that even if you only have time for a short massage, you will still experience some benefits.

Seed sense | Society Guardian | SocietyGuardian.co.uk

2007-09-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

Seed sense | Society Guardian | SocietyGuardian.co.uk

A must read article from the Guardian about the need to preserve older varieties of vegetables and how the world governments and the large corporations have worked together to limit biodiversity and force these heritage varieties into extinction.

A Place for the Family

2007-09-18T00:19:00.000-07:00

The fondest memories of my childhood are of my grandma’s house. Grandma’s was a place where the whole family gathered for Sunday dinners or special occasions, a place where everyone unwound and reconnected with their loved ones. Most of the time, these gatherings spilled out onto the front lawn.

Grandma lived on an old dirt road in the-middle-of-nowhere Oklahoma. Passing cars would raise dust trails behind them that could be seen long before the vehicles themselves were visible. No other houses were visible from Grandma’s yard, only tall weeds and blackjack trees for miles around. Two old rusty Ford trucks sat out front, one red, one blue, although the paint on both had long ago oxidized to pale versions of their original hues.

The front gate, framed by a crepe myrtle bush on one side and a honeysuckle vine on the other, hung lopsided on its hinges so that it scraped the red stone walk at one corner. The mimosa tree on the right served as second base during evening softball games (the gate and front porch were first and third respectively), its soft feathery pink flowers littering the ground and emitting a delicate perfume into the air. Every year Uncle Dale attempted to grow a garden in the barren patch of land that made up the right front corner of the yard. Beyond the fence of the yard proper, lay a tangled pasture overgrown with blackberry bushes, nightshade, and prairie grass.

The left front corner of the yard held a tree we called the bean tree because it produced long skinny pods resembling green beans. Ahead, just to the left of the walk stood an immense elm with branches sturdy enough to climb almost to the top. As a young child I used to stand in the top of the tree and swear I could see all the way to California, while my mother stood below yelling for me to come down before I broke my neck. Next to the elm squatted a small cactus my parents had brought back from Arizona one summer. It never actually thrived in the Oklahoma humidity, but it never died either. It just stood in the shadow of the elm never growing more than two feet tall.

To the left of the elm, just beyond the fence, was the storm cellar, full of water from years of summer rains, which had never been properly drained. Some time ago, Dale had thrown a few fish into the cellar so the grandkids could go fishing without having to leave the view of watchful parents. Past the cellar was a narrow trail that led down into the pasture.

The house had been built in the early nineteen hundreds shortly after the Oklahoma land rush. Originally, it had been a three-room cabin, but as time and technology caught up to it, a kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom—complete with running water—were added. The outside walls were covered with a mauve shingle common to older houses in that part of the country. The facade of the house was square and symmetrical with an A-frame roof, simple and functional. Concrete steps flanked by half-pillars led from the sidewalk to the front porch. A few of the planks had rotted across the bottom and black wasp-like insects called dirt daubers had built a nest in the hole in the ceiling, but overall the porch was fairly sound. At night, we would sit on the porch and look up at the Milky Way, which ran parallel to the front walk, and talk about life beyond our cozy little planet.

Almost every summer Sunday would find cousins, aunts, uncles and sometimes grandparents out in the yard, shooting the breeze, playing a game of softball or climbing trees. These were happy, carefree days when family hierarchies and sibling rivalries would be put to rest for a little while and we all just enjoyed our time together.

100 Great Foods That Will Boost Your Brain and Your Body

2007-09-15T00:35:00.000-07:00

Lani over at My Beautiful Chaos has pointed the way to this terrific article about the Top 100 Foods to Improve Your Productivity. This very thorough list includes samplings from every food group and tells what benefits they provide. Whether you want to kick your energy level up a notch, defog your brain, or arm your immune system against biological nasties that could keep you from running at peak performance, there is some goody on this list that will help. Just reading about all that food makes me hungry.

Is That Buttery Popcorn Taking Your Breath Away?

2007-09-06T23:24:00.000-07:00

Environmental News Network

Feel like spending a lazy Friday night watching DVD's and eating microwave popcorn instead of getting dolled up and hitting the town? Well, slouching on the sofa may be more relaxing than the club scene, but you may want to rethink your snack of choice.

It seems the fumes from nuking your kernels can cause a nasty little lung disease commonly referred to as "popcorn lung." The disease is caused by exposure to diacetyl, a chemical used to make the buttery flavoring. For years, factory workers who have been exposed to this chemical have been getting sick, some even dying, while little has been done by their employers or the government to protect them.

In July, Dr. Cecile Rose, chief occupational and environmental health physician at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, CO, wrote of a patient who may have developed the disease from microwaving popcorn in his home several times a day. This has been the first known case of someone developing the disease who wasn't exposed through occupation.

As a result of Dr. Rose's findings, the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association is recommending that its members reduce the amount of diacetyl in their butter flavorings. Also, at least two popcorn manufacturers, ConAgra and Pop Weaver, have said that they would stop using diacetyl completely.

Great, so now we can all breathe a sigh of relief, assured that we will soon be able to buy "safe" fake-butter flavored popcorn if we're diligent about reading labels.

But isn't this all a bit too late? Shouldn't ConAgra and Pop Weaver and OSHA and the FDA and a whole lot of other people acted when the first workers started getting sick?

The Pump Handle has been keeping track of the whole story and has a lot more to say about where the government dropped the ball.

2007-09-06T00:27:00.000-07:00

I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,

If you want me again look for me under your bootsoles.

You will hardly know who I am or what I mean,

But I shall be good health to you nevertheless,

And filter and fibre your blood.

Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,

Missing me one place search another,

I stop some where waiting for you”

--Walt Whitman

30 things every woman should have and should know by the time she's 30: Lifestyle: glamour.com

2007-08-19T01:05:00.000-07:00

I've had this list sent to me several times, often mistakenly attributed to Maya Angelou. Snopes, of course, set the record straight and guided me to the original author and this update. This is a list that every woman should print, memorize and pass on to every other female that she cares about.

To Pamela Redmond Satran, thank you. Through your words many women have found inspiration and a model to live by.

Astronomy Picture of the Day

2007-08-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

I have to share one of my favorite websites. Astronomy Picture of the Day has the coolest photos imaginable. Sometimes the view is of the heavens from some vantage point here on earth. Other pictures show distant galaxies or planets from our own solar system. Many of the pictures are truly inspirational. The captions explain where and how the pictures were taken. The site is maintained by professional astronomers Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonell. Be sure to check out the archive.

Technorati

2007-08-14T01:20:00.000-07:00

I'm on Technorati now. Apparently this is necessary to promote the old blog and try and rustle up some new readers. You can view my profile here: Technorati Profile. It's nothing glamorous. I hate writing anything about myself. I would much rather write about anything else.

A Grown Girl's Guide to a Super Sex Life

2007-08-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

The New Science of Sensational Sex

Does you sex life leave a little to be desired? Does the idea of an amorous evening with your significant other have all the appeal of,say, folding laundry? Have you really come to believe that chocolate is better than sex?

Nancy Kalish, writing for Prevention.com, explains that there are many reasons a woman might experience a low sex drive. Hormone changes, distracting thoughts, certain medications. These are just a few of the reasons a girl could find herself faking a headache more often than she'd like.

Fortunately, Kalish also suggests possible solutions. From prescription products to herbal therapies to a special lube, Kalish offers remedies that could help rev up your engine.