Tag - massage therapist

Proprioception and Massage

  Your body has its own genius navigation system that orients you in relation to the space around you. This awareness is known as proprioception and it is described as the ability you have that allows you to touch your nose with your index finger when your eyes are closed, balance on one foot and know where your arm is when you hold it up or put it down by your side without actually looking at it. Even if you [...]

Dealing with the Endless Disruption of Restless Leg Syndrome

  Just when you need to sleep and rest from a hectic life, it starts. You finally are in bed and your lower leg and foot muscles start to tingle, spasm and generally feel like the above image looks. Accompanying these sensations, is the overwhelming urge to move the affected limb. You try rubbing your legs, walking around or doing deep knee bends but those crawly feelings just won’t let you sleep.  Welcome to the world of Restless Leg Syndrome [...]

Why Mobility Matters and How Massage Can Help

  “Mobility is the ability of a joint to move freely through a given range of motion (ROM) without restriction from surrounding tissues. Flexibility is defined as the ability of soft tissues (which include muscles, tendons and ligaments) to lengthen correctly, which allows a joint to move through its optimal ROM” ~ movebybjc.org You probably don’t think too much about the gift of mobility in your life. Most of us hop out of bed in the morning, drive our car to work, and freely [...]

Massage, Touch and Your Emotional Wellbeing

  By nature, we are social beings who need connection with our fellow humans. Healthy touch is one of the most powerful ways to accomplish that. Healthy touch is a basic and vital human need that from our birth is a source for emotional wellbeing in us all.  When caregivers hold and nurture an infant, it provides a sense of safety and creates necessary bonding with others that reverberates throughout life. Touch is so impactful as we grow that it [...]

How Massage Therapy Can Keep Your Cells Healthy Part 4 of 4

Taking Out the Trash – Removal of Cellular Waste Products     Constant cleansing of the cells of the body is a crucial a biological process for your optimum health. It is as important and necessary as it is for you to keep your home orderly, free of debris and clean.  Without cleanliness in your home, you would surely be buried in your own trash and your living space would be choked with unhealthy, decomposing materials that would invite disease and would [...]

How Massage Therapy Can Keep Your Cells Healthy Part 3 of 4

Increased Oxygenation     Oxygen circulates to the cells of the body through the bloodstream. When it reaches the cells, there is a release of toxins and waste as the oxygen molecules flow into the space that the toxins have left behind. When circulation is optimum, oxygen’s many supportive properties help assure the body is energized, properly respirated and that the many cellular functions occur as designed. A massage encourages and increases oxygenation throughout the body because it boosts blood circulation.   Why does [...]

How Therapeutic Massage Can Help Sciatica

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It runs from the lumbar spine at the lower back, moves through the buttocks and branches out to extend down both legs to the feet.  It is responsible for sensations experienced in the lower back, hips, legs, outside of the knee, upper foot as well as the heels and soles of the feet.  When the sciatic nerve is inflamed or becomes irritated (sciatica), it can cause throbbing, burning pain, [...]

MyoFascial Release with Massage – Why It’s Important

  Fascia is our biggest sensory organ, our organ of awareness– our internal ocean. ~ Tom Myers   What is Fascia? Fascia is the system of slippery, white-colored connective tissue that exists throughout the body and surrounds every muscle, organ, and nerve. Its purpose is to provide protection to the inner physical body from external trauma. It is also a structural support for muscles and bones to help them function through a wide range of motion including sitting, running, jumping and changing positions (from [...]

How Massage Can Improve the Pain of Shin Splints

If you are a runner or have drastically changed the intensity of your workouts recently, you might experience the painful condition known as Shin Splints.  Medically known as ‘medial tibial stress syndrome’, it is a condition that refers to pain experienced along the tibia or shinbone at the front of the lower leg.   Are you at risk?  Shin splints develop as a result of repeated stress on the bones, muscles and joints that run from the knee to the ankle. This [...]

Can Massage Improve Brain Function?

Brain health is a primary focus of well-being. Your brain chemistry and function improve as you learn a new language, take up a new activity, stay socially engaged or when you commit to new experiences on a daily basis. Another significant way to maintain brain health is through regular physical activity. Here are two ways that exercise supports optimal cognitive function: Besides helping the body maintain good health, physical exercise is also known to increase the size of the brain’s hippocampus, [...]