Could crossing your arms be enough to significantly reduce pain?

In a small study, participants were given a pinprick on their hand.  It was given once with their hands at their side and again while their arms were crossed.  They were asked to rate the intensity of the pain and in addition were given an EEG to measure the electrical responses.

Both their self-response and the EEG showed significantly less pain sensations when their arms were crossed.

Dr. Giandomenico Iannetti, lead author, suggests

“In everyday life you mostly use your left hand to touch things on the left side of the world, and your right hand for the right side of the world – for example when picking up a glass of water on your right side you generally use your right hand.

This means that the areas of the brain that contain the map of the right body and the map of right external space are usually activated together, leading to highly effective processing of sensory stimuli. When you cross your arms these maps are not activated together anymore, leading to less effective brain processing of sensory stimuli, including pain, being perceived as weaker.”

Researches believe the results from this study could help to find new treatments for pain.

For us, it’s another tool to help reduce pain symptoms in the here and now.

 

“The analgesic effect of crossing the arms”
A. Gallacea, D.M.E. Tortab, , G.L. Moseleyd and G.D. Iannetti
PAIN – Volume 152, Issue 6, June 2011, Pages 1418-1423

Have you noticed how dry the air has become lately?  Thanks to static electricity, I’ve zapped my long haired kitties more than once.

It was not appreciated given the looks I received.  Cats have very expressive eyes.  And teeth.

I have ways to keep the dryness away and your hands and feet soft (yes, even for you guys!)

I came up with this idea while setting up for an event at Vanderbilt.  Check out the video!

For the rest of this month, add a paraffin treatment to your massage for $5.  That’s over SEVENTY  PERCENT off the usual price.

So give yourself a treat and just let me know if you’d like to add it on when you make your appointment.

Happy Holidays!

Think you can’t take time for a massage during the holidays?  Think again!

This time of year brings many additional stressors that can wear down your immune system.  Don’t you want to take every precaution necessary to protect your health this time of year?

In the study at Cedar Sinai Medical Center,  one group of 29 subjects received 45 minutes of Swedish massage.  A second group of 24 received 45 minutes of light touch massage. Massage therapists were taught identical protocols in both Swedish and light touch work.

Prior to the massage, study participants were fitted with intravenous catheters in order to take blood samples during the study session.  Blood samples were collected from each person before and at the end of the 45-minute massage session.  In addition blood samples were collected at one, five, 10, 15, 30, and 60 minutes after the massage.

Among the study’s results:

• People in the Swedish massage group experienced significant changes in lymphocytes ,(lymphocyte numbers and percentages white blood cells that play a large role in defending the body from disease.
• Swedish massage caused a large decrease (effect size -.74) in Arginine Vasopressin (AVP) a hormone believed to play a role in aggressive behavior and linked to helping cause increases in the stress hormone cortisol.
• Swedish massage caused a decrease in levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
• Swedish massage caused a notable decrease in most cytokines produced by stimulated white blood cells.

You’ve got the science to back it up!  So go book a massage for yourself today.

*Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. “Adults demonstrate modified immune response after receiving massage, researchers show.” ScienceDaily, 8 Sep. 2010. Web. 23 Nov. 2011.

There may only be three small steps to my office door, but sometimes after a massage it sure is nice to have a handrail nearby as you slowly (and in a VERY relaxed fashion) make your way to your car.

Well, it’s finally happening!  I came into work on Thanksgiving to see the beginning of a new handrail that should be finished this week!  It’s the little things that make a big difference.

One of the biggest myths in massage therapy is that massage can help release lactic acid from the muscles by increasing circulation.  While this has be dis-proved and there are no studies to support this theory(that I am aware of), I continue to see it listed on websites as a benefit to massage.  Infact massage is often encouraged after rigorous activity to help speed up the healing process!

Unfortunately the truth is massage can actually impair blood flow to the muscles, hence also restricting the movement of lactic acid from the system.  Massage can actually increase your discomfort.  Deep tissue massage even more so!

Choosing a stretching session instead of a massage can get you the results you are looking for.  To be more specific, an Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) session will speed up your recovery time.

But not all stretches are equal.  Static stretching (stretching where the muscle is taken to its full range and then held), which is what I observe most people doing before and after physical activity, has the same result as massage.   While the stretch is held blood supply is cut off  and lactic acid is actually increased in the muscle.

In AIS the stretch is taken from the beginning position, into the stretch, held for two seconds and returned to the beginning position.  This motion actually pumps blood and lymph into the muscle, effectively flushing out lactic acid and re-oxygenating the muscle tissue making for a faster recovery.

Got a race coming up?  Make your appointment today and see the difference for yourself!

Your lymphatic system circulates 1.5-3 liters of lymph on a daily basis.  When you receive Lymphatic Drainage work, your lymph system becomes more efficient and increase the amount of lymph circulated.  A single lymphatic session can increase the daily amount from 10 up to 30 liters of lymph a day!

There are many benefits to this increase in lymph circulation. 

When the amount of lymphatic fluid is pushed through your body’s lymph nodes, it increases the amount of lymphocytes produced.  Lymphocytes are cells that perform numerous immune and phagocytic actions in the body.  When  an aggressor enters the body, the lymphocytes gather than antibodies to fight it off.

In addition, your lymphatic system serves as your own personal detox system.  Clients and students alike have often heard of me referring to the lymph system as our “pool guy”.  This is because our lymph capillaries, which form a net across our body, collect waste such as dead cells, used hormones, toxins, bacteria, body waste, debris, etc, from our system and carry it out of our body.  The more lymph collected, the more waste it collects to eliminate from our body.

So when you can’t get in to see me and receive lymphatic work, you can still increase your lymph flow in your morning shower, effectively boosting your immune system!

Alternating hot and cold water in your shower is a simple but effective way to reach this end.

Cold water is stimulating.  When showered with this temp it makes surface blood vessels constrict which slow up blood flow.  It also inhibits the biochemical reactions that cause inflammation (hence the reason we use ice post-injury).  Cold water also causes the body to send blood towards the internal organs helping them to function better.

Hot water relaxes.  It dilates blood vessels and the movement of the dilation stimulates the lymphatic capillaries to open and pull more fluid in.  Additionally, the warmth reduces blood pressure and increases blood flow to the skin and muscles easing stiffness and sending more oxygen and nutrients into the tissue to repair damage. 

Alternating the water temperatures stimulates the lymph system into activity with great results for you! 

Here’s how you can give your immune system a boost right in your shower!

Take your shower as usual.  When you reach the time you would normally get out of the shower, slowly turn the water to a cool temperature.  Leave it there for a minute and then slowly increase the heat to a comfortable warmth for a minute. 

Continue this cycle three or four times ending your time in the shower on a final minute of cool water.

In addition to a nice boost to your immune system, you’ll feel invigorated and ready to start the day!

Are you someone who relaxes when the right audio sounds hit your ears?  Here are some of my favorite go-to tracks when I need to relax.

1.  Nature Sounds -  Believe it or not, finding a good nature sound recording is actually quite difficult as the audio quality has a tendency to be quite poor.

I have two I use both in the massage room and my home on a regular basis.  First a nice medium rain sound can be found here.

Prefer a babbling brook?  Check this track out.

2.  Guided Imagery-  Drifting Downstream:  Guided Meditation for Stress Release isn’t exactly for sleep, but I’ve used it successfully for this purpose for two years now.  If you’d like to hear it, request it next time you’re in my office!  Give it a try and see if it works for you!

3. Lomi Music-  I fell in love with Anugama’s albums Shamanic Dream I & II during my first Lomi Lomi training.  This steady, slow drumbeat is hypnotic and I often play it while I am writing or even taking a nap!  These albums are the most asked about Lomi music I have.  And I do believe they are available as mp3 downloads from the itunes store.

4.  Background Music -  Loreena McKennitt has some hauntingly beautiful music that keeps me calm while preparing dinner or reading books in the evening.  An Ancient Muse is one of my favorites along with the CD and DVD set of her live work Nights From The Alhambra. Or check out Mars Lasar’s Yosemite:  Valley of the Giants for some music that dips and soars!

5.  Meditation – I’m not really heavy into meditation, but I do believe in taking a few minutes out of my day to sit quietly and just…well, BE!  Mars Lasar created the album 8 Minute Mindscapes Meditation which is made of eight 8 minute tracks of lovely, calming music.  No timer or alarm is necessary when I go to center myself for bed or for my next session!

I am always looking for new relaxing audio.  Do you have a favorite?   Be a resource for us all and share it in the comments below!

Daydreams are the launchpad for living our purpose.

I had a life coach that encouraged us every morning, before we got out of bed to envision a day in our perfect life.  Not a casual dream, mind you, but a thoughtful vision where we could see every detail of our life.

I spent time imagining my perfect office from the blend of aromatherapy that would permeate the rooms right down to thread count of the sheets.

My phone is ringing off the hook and my book is full of appointments with people living with purpose and passion.  Each massage is crafted and designed to create a respite for the amazing people on my table.

Encouragement along with resources I create make me a part of each client’s support team to rejuvenate them and move them forward to live their dreams of changing the world.

And I saw an ongoing way to use massage to celebrate life and support cancer causes that are so near and dear to my heart.

It was quite the thrilling way to start the day.  But more thrilling to realize I am already living much of that dream!

When I look over my client list, it is chock full of people who are changing lives – their own and others.  On a daily basis I am inspired by you.

And this past week has cemented that fact so firmly in my mind I can’t help but think that our futures are all very bright.

A Massage For A Cause is the reality of my desire to use massage to raise money and awareness of how Cancer affects lives.  I started it back in 2009 but my illness and then recovery from multiple surgeries put that on the backburner until this past month when I felt ready to bring it back.

Yesterday I was hoping to fill the six massage appointments and be able to raise $300.  Obviously I’m not dreaming big enough.

Not only did I book my day solid and had to turn some people away, but donations came in from people who couldn’t be there and April Schmitz of Dove Discoveries jumped in to offer her support with chocolate sales!

Currently the amount is at $505 with a little more to trickle in.  To top that off, I spent the day with people who were there to participate with the purpose of honoring loved ones who had battled and won the fight with cancer and sadly some who had fought hard and lost.

There were hugs, comfort and often bittersweet tears.  An abundance of gratitude for our loved ones, friends and life was present.  And despite being exhausted when I closed up the office, I felt renewed and resolved in my desire to grow this program.

My new dream for A Massage For A Cause is to see more of you able to share in that profound experience the seven of us had yesterday.   I want to find a way to honor all those people both here and gone who were in your heart and mind when you come for massage on that special day.  And most of all I want the celebration of life, purpose and passion to be big and joyful!

Saturday, December 11th will be the next Massage For A Cause Event.  I hope to see you there!