Happy New Year! It’s that time of year when we make a quick pitstop to see if
we’re on the best path in life to take us to our goals.


When you review your goals this New Year and re-evaluate your plans, no doubt
your health will be one of the things you consider. While there are many
elements involved in building and maintaining good health, one thing that seems
to support nearly every aspect of health is regular massage.


Like most things in life, consistency pays noticeable dividends when it comes
to massage and your health. When you are able to commit to a regular schedule
for your massage sessions, over time you should notice several benefits—your
body functions better overall, you have more energy and a pleasant mental
outlook.


As massage has been shown to boost the immune system, you may have fewer sick
days, and long-term, those regular massages just might help you fend off more
dangerous diseases and add more quality years to your life.


Remember to put your health high on your list and support your health with
massage. See you soon!


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It won’t be long ...   You know that special someone would love
a massage gift certificate for  Valentine’s Day! Call to order . .
.


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Simple Health Strategies Can Add a Decade or More to Your Lifespan


Massage therapists know that self-care is essential to a ... healthy life—and
new research shows how simple changes can add up to more years of life.
According to a press release from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada,
these seven strategies could potentially add 10 years or more to your life:


1. Get active. Inactivity can shave almost four years off a person's expected
lifespan. People who are physically inactive are twice as likely to be at risk
for heart disease or stroke.
 
2. Know and control your cholesterol
levels. High blood cholesterol can lead to the build up of fatty deposits in
your arteries, increasing your risk for heart disease and stroke.
 

3 Follow a healthy diet. Healthy eating is one of the most important things
you can do to improve your health – yet many people don't meet the healthy
eating recommendations.
 
4. Know and control your blood pressure.
High blood pressure is often called a silent killer because it has no warning
signs or symptoms. By knowing and controlling your blood pressure, you can cut
your risk of stroke by up to 40 per cent and the risk of heart attack by up to
25 per cent.
 
5. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Many
Americans are either overweight or obese, major risk factors for heart disease
and stroke. Being obese can reduce your life span by almost four
years.
 
6. Manage diabetes. Diabetes increases the risk of high
blood pressure, atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries), coronary artery
disease, and stroke, particularly if your blood sugar levels are poorly
controlled.
 
7. Be tobacco free. As soon as you become smoke-free,
your risk of heart disease and stroke begins to decrease. After 15 years, your
risk will be nearly that of a non-smoker.


Source: massagemag.com


New: Massage Therapy Lowers Blood Pressure in Pre-Hypertensive Women


Approximately one in every three Americans, or 31.3 percent, has high blood
pressure, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and
high blood pressure is a risk factor for stroke, congestive heart failure, heart
disease and kidney disease.


In new research, massage therapy resulted in significantly lowered systolic
and diastolic blood pressure in comparison with a control group, according to an
abstract published on www.pubmed.gov.


The investigators set out to evaluate the effect of Swedish massage to the
face, neck, shoulders and chest on blood pressure of the women with
prehypertension, according to the abstract.


This was a single-blind clinical trial study, the abstract noted, and added:
"Fifty pre-hypertensive women selected by simple random sampling [were] divided
into control and test groups. The test group (25 patients) received Swedish
massage 10-15 min., three times a week for 10 sessions and the control group (25
patients) also were relaxed ...[and received] no massage. Their [blood pressure]
was measured before and after each session."


The investigators noted, "Findings of the study indicated that massage
therapy was a safe, effective, applicable and cost-effective intervention in
controlling [blood pressure] of the prehypertension women ..."


"The effect of massage therapy on blood pressure of women with
pre-hypertension" was published in the Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery
Research (2011 Winter;16(1):61-70.) It was conducted by investigators with the
Department of Internal Surgery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan
University of Medical Sciences, in Isfahan, Iran.


Source: massagemag.com


How chairs cause cancer --


Sitting still for long stretches of time—at work, in the car, or at
home—increases your cancer risk, even if you exercise regularly, WebMD.com
reports. New research shows that as many as 49,000 cases of breast cancer and
43,000 cases of colon cancer could be prevented in the U.S. each year if people
simply stood up more often. “It seems highly likely  that the longer you
sit, the higher your risk,” says Neville Owen, a researcher at Australia’s Baker
IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, but “even breaks as short as one minute” can
lower it. The research supports a previous 14-year study that found that six
hours of sitting a day increased a woman’s odds of dying in that period by 37
percent, and a man’s by 18 percent, compared with people who sat for half that
time. Adults today are immobile for more than nine hours a day on average. Even
if you hit the gym, the American Institute of Cancer Research now says, it’s
crucial that you get up and move at least once an hour—by pacing during phone
calls, visiting the water cooler, or going to talk to a colleague in person,
instead of sending an email.


– The Week Vol. 11 Iss. 542


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Maybe the most any of us can expect of ourselves isn't perfection but
progress.
— Michelle Burford


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The content of this letter is not intended to replace professional medical
advice.
 If you’re ill, please consult a physician.
© 2012 Massage
Marketing. Used with permission; all rights reserved.

Holiday Greetings, and welcome to the December 2011 newsletter! As we say
goodbye to another year, here’s wishing you lots of holiday cheer. Often the
best part of the holidays is catching up with all those who give your life
special meaning. Enjoy yourself!


This issue has another recent report on massage benefits—this study was done
on the other side of the world in Korea. Wherever you go today, more people are
discovering the many ways massage can help them lead healthier lives.


Toward the end, you’ll find a couple of interesting health reports that show
we are constantly learning about how our bodies work. And the more we learn, the
more tools we have to pursue a healthier future for ourselves and our loved
ones. Good health is created in part by making healthy choices, so hopefully
these newsletters help inspire you to take better care of yourself.


If you’re still trying to decide what to give some of the folks on your
shopping list this holiday season, remember that massage gift certificates are a
wonderful solution—and just a phone call away! Until we meet again, enjoy the
rest of your holidays!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Doing some last-minute holiday shopping?
How about a massage gift certificate?


Nothing offers a greater reward than the gift of health and well-being.


Holiday shopping made easy — Call today!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Stay Healthy This Holiday Season


This time of year can remind us of how life is in a constant state of change.
When families and old friends gather together, we observe the kids getting older
and life moving forward for us all. It’s a good reminder that we have a hand in
choosing the future conditions we’ll have for our families and ourselves.


The first element that sets the stage for a happy life is being as healthy as
possible. This incorporates all aspects of life—the emotional, mental, and
spiritual as well as the physical—each being vital to attaining optimum health.
The more you contribute to improving all of these elements in your life, the
more rewarding your life should be.


Getting regular massages in Jefferson GA can help you and your loved ones improve the odds
for being healthy in the days to come. Here’s one example of how regular massage
can benefit you:


By design, our bodies function better when they get lots of physical use.
Since most people today lead fairly sedentary lives, their bodies may be more
prone to poor health. Massage can help you experience some of the health
benefits you may be missing from inactivity.  The various massage strokes
can help to stimulate many body functions as if you were being physically
active. And if you are physically active, it can help to relax those sore
muscles!


So schedule your next massage—be sure to make your well-being a high
priority, so you can really enjoy your life feeling your best!


Research Shows Massage Therapy Relaxes the Autonomic Nervous System


Any massage client will attest to the relaxing power of massage therapy. And
new research indicates massage therapy combined with heat relaxes the autonomic
nervous system [the system that controls involuntary reactions, such as
digestion & breathing].


One hundred thirty-nine subjects volunteered and completed this study,
according to an abstract published on www.pubmed.gov. Heat and massage were daily
applied for 40 minutes, five days a week for two weeks.


Among the results was a significant decrease in levels of both serum
cortisol, commonly referred to as the stress hormone, and plasma norepinephrine,
which causes vasoconstriction and increased heart rate.


"The results of this study suggest that heat and massage applications provide
relaxation to the autonomic nervous system without serious adverse events," the
investigators noted in the abstract.


"The effects of heat and massage application on autonomic nervous system" was
conducted by investigators at Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine in
Korea and was published in Yonsei Medical Journal. (2011 Nov 1;52(6):982-9.)


Source: massagemag.com


Slowing the aging process — Could there be a cure for getting old? Scientists
have discovered that if they remove a special kind of cell that promotes aging,
mice are freed of many age-related conditions. As cells age and lose the ability
to divide, they become what scientists call senescent cells. These cells, which
build up in aging tissue, pump out inflammatory toxins. They “act like demon
seed and kill everything around them,” James Kirkland, a physiologist at the
Mayo Clinic, tells Science News. When researchers used drugs to eliminate
senescent cells in genetically engineered mice, the mice stayed far more
youthful: They didn’t develop cataracts, their skin didn’t wrinkle, and they
maintained high levels of energy. This breakthrough “suggests therapies that
might work in real patients, ” says No rman E. Sharpless, an aging expert at the
University of North Carolina. Previously, scientists weren’t sure if killing off
senescent cells would have negative side effects, but the mice in the study were
healthier without them. If the same holds true in people, purging these cells
could ward off a host of age-related diseases, from cancer to dementia, and keep
us healthier longer.


– The Week Vol 11 Iss 541


Why diets usually fail — Hormones, not lack of willpower, may explain why
four out of five people who lose weight gain it all back within a few years. A
new study has found that even a year after dieters lose weight, their bodies are
still sending them strong and often irresistible hormonal signals to eat more.
Australian researchers put a group of 50 overweight adults on a strict, 10-week
diet that caused them to lose an average of 14 percent of their body weight.
When they tested the subjects a year later, they found that levels of hormones
like leptin, which keeps appetite in check, and ghrelin, a hunger stimulant, had
changed dramatically, slowing their metabolism and intensifying feelings of
hunger. Their bodies had been programmed to keep weight at a higher “set point,”
and were fighting to gain back the lost pounds. As a result , the volunteers
gained back an average of half the weight they had lost, despite sticking to
careful meal plans designed to keep it off. “What is impressive is that these
[hormonal] changes, don’t go away,” Rudolph Leibel, an obesity researcher at
Columbia University, tells The New York Times. By dieting, he says, “you are
putting your body into a circumstance it will resist.”


– The Week Vol 11 Iss 541


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Peace is when time doesn't matter as it passes by.
— Maria Schell

The  content of this letter is not intended to
replace professional medical advice.
                                        
                If you’re ill, please consult a physician.
© 2011 Massage
Marketing. Used with permission; all rights reserved.

Hello, and welcome to the August 2011 newsletter! This summer certainly has been a hot one! Extreme temperatures can increase physical stress levels, so it’s more important than ever during these hot days for you to stay hydrated by drinking lots of pure water. It’s one of the best ways to keep you going strong. Other drinks may be tasty, but nothing helps your body hydrate as well as plain, old water—the original health drink!

In people young and old, from head to toe, studies continue to show how massage can help you to maintain a healthier body and mind. When you read the rest of this issue, you’ll see some of the latest news on how massage can help to support your personal health goals.

Is regular bodywork the ultimate in preventive health care? Since it aids in improving the body’s ability to maintain a better state of balance, it certainly can help you to function better.

And of course, we all know how great massage is in helping to recover from stiffness and soreness. So, be sure to keep regular massage as a high priority in your life.    

Enjoy the rest of your summer; see you soon for your next massage!

Lift a loved one’s spirits with a massage gift certificate — 
Call today to order...

New Research Shows Massage Therapy Eases Back Pain Validating what massage therapists and clients already know to be true, massage therapy was found to ease chronic low-back pain in a new, randomized controlled trial.
 
"We found that massage helps people with back pain to function even after six months," said trial leader Daniel C. Cherkin, Ph.D., a senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute. Better function means they are more able to work, take care of themselves, and be active.
 
"This is important because chronic back pain is among the most common reasons people see doctors and alternative practitioners, including massage therapists," Cherkin added. "It's also a common cause of disability, absenteeism, and presenteeism, when people are at work but can't perform well."
 
The trial enrolled 400 Group Health Cooperative patients who had had low-back pain for at least three months. Their pain was nonspecific, meaning with no identified cause.
 
They were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: structural massage, which involved identifying and focusing on specific pain-related soft tissues, including muscles and ligaments; relaxation, or Swedish, massage; or usual care. Usual care was what they would have received anyway, most often medications. The hour-long massage sessions were given weekly for 10 weeks.
 
At 10 weeks, more than one in three patients who received either type of massage, but only one in 25 patients who got usual care, said their back pain was much better or gone.
 
Also at 10 weeks, a questionnaire showed nearly twice as many massage patients (around two thirds) as usual-care patients (more than one third) were functioning significantly better than at the trial's outset.
 
Patients in the massage groups spent fewer days in bed, were more active, and used less anti-inflammatory medication than did those with usual care.
 
"We found the benefits of massage are about as strong as those reported for other effective treatments: medications, acupuncture, exercise, and yoga," Cherkin said. "And massage is at least as safe as other treatment options. So people who have persistent back pain may want to consider massage as an option."

Source: www.massagemag.com

Research Shows Massage Therapy Benefits Older Clients in Many Ways Massage clients seek sessions for pain relief, relaxation, stress reduction and additional factors that can vary with physical condition and age. New research indicates massage therapy is associated with a variety of positive outcomes ranging from decreased pain to improved emotional health for adults aged 60 and older who self-reported on quality-of-life measures.
 
"Persistent pain is a frequent complaint among older adults and can greatly decrease quality of life while also contributing to other negative outcomes such as poor health, increased pharmaceutical medication usage, increased rates of depression, and cognitive decline," researchers from the Graduate Center for Gerontology at the University of Kentucky, in Lexington, noted in an abstract posted on www.pubmed.gov.
 
The purpose of this study was to measure massage therapy's effect on persistent pain by comparing self-reported health-outcome scores among those who had and had not utilized massage therapy in the past year.
 
Lexington-area adults aged 60 and older who reported persistent pain were eligible to participate in the study.
 
The research found massage therapy is associated with less limitation due to physical or emotional issues, better emotional health, more energy, less fatigue, better social functioning, and better overall health in older adults who self-reported on these items.
 
"While many causes of pain for older adults elude cure, further study is warranted that examines [massage therapy] as an intervention to improve coping in older adults with persistent pain," the researchers noted.
 
"Massage Therapy Usage and Reported Health in Older Adults Experiencing Persistent Pain" was published in the Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine.

Source: www.massagemag.com

To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act.
— Anatole France

Happiness gives us the energy which is the basis of health.
— Henri-Frédéric Amiel

The content of this letter is not intended to replace professional medical advice.
If you’re ill, please consult a physician.
© 2011 Massage Marketing. Used with permission; all rights reserved

Hello, and welcome to the July 2011 newsletter! Have you been enjoying your summer so far? Are you finding some time for yourself, to rest and recuperate?

This month’s issue has some recent articles relating to your health that you should enjoy reading. As more health studies are conducted, we learn of potential threats that are by-products of some of today’s technological advances. A general conclusion you could draw from these studies is that some scientific advances can contribute some long-term side effects that may not become evident for many years.

Fortunately, ongoing studies show that good old massage—one of mankind’s oldest and most effective support systems for health—can help us to maintain healthier, more balanced lives.

What other health regimen can do so much to boost your physical and mental well-being, and make you feel great at the same time? Massage is just the best! 

So, while you’re planning your summertime schedule, be sure to make time to treat yourself right with your next massage! See you then...

Surprise someone special with a massage
gift certificate  — celebrate your friendships!
Call today to order...

Take a Break this Week . . . with a Massage! Life can be so demanding; there’s so much to do. Give yourself a needed break from your hectic schedule with a relaxing, revitalizing massage!

We know from various studies that about 80 percent of illness is stress-related. Nothing handles stress better than a massage; it’s a great way to keep yourself healthy and going strong. In fact, research indicates that many health conditions can be improved through regular massage sessions.

Summer is vacation season; isn’t it nice to know that you can have a wonderful “mini-vacation” anytime you want one simply by scheduling your next massage? Book your next trip to the land of personal relaxation and peace of mind today!

Holding in Anger Increases Pain Massage therapists are aware of how emotions can be held in the body and sometimes released by the client in session. In new research, investigators found that the intentional suppression of anger results in increased pain and blood pressure.
 
"Suppression of anger may be linked to heightened pain report and pain behavior during a subsequent painful event among chronic low-back patients," the researchers noted in an abstract published in www.pubmed.gov.
 
For the study, chronic low-back pain patients were assigned to Suppression or No Suppression conditions for a cooperative computer maze task during which a confederate harassed them.
 
During baseline and maze task, patients' lower paraspinal and trapezius muscle tension, blood pressure and heart rate were recorded, according to the abstract. After the maze task, patients underwent a structured pain-behavior task.
 
Results indicated that the subjects who suppressed their anger experienced greater lower paraspinal muscle tension and systolic blood pressure increases during the maze task than did the nonsuppressors.
 
"Results suggest that suppression-induced lower paraspinal muscle tension and systolic blood pressure increases may link the actual suppression of anger during provocation to signs of clinically relevant pain among chronic low-back pain patients," the researchers noted.
 
"Suppression of anger and subsequent pain intensity and behavior among chronic low back pain patients: the role of symptom-specific physiological reactivity" was conducted by researchers at the Department of Behavioral Science, Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago, Illinois, and published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

Source: www.massagemag.com

For Better Living ... What wrinkles reveal -- A glance in the mirror may be enough to gauge how likely you are to suffer bone fractures as you age. A new Yale University study shows that the deeper a middle-aged woman’s facial wrinkles appear, the weaker her bones are. Researchers tested postmenopausal women in their late 40s and early 50s and found a link between wrinkles and osteoporosis, regardless of whether the women smoked, took vitamins, exposed themselves to the sun, or were overweight. The reason may turn out to be that firm skin and strong bones are both built by collagen, a protein our body begins to lose as we get older. Study author Lubna Pal tells ABCNews.com that confirming a link between wrinkles and bone health could help doctors identify and treat osteoporosis among older patients. The condition currently requires an expensive diagnostic test, so it oft en goes unnoticed until a person breaks a hip or a leg. But “if things on the outside of us can indicate a risk to things inside,” Pal says, “osteoporosis may not be such a silent disease.”

– The Week Vol 11 Iss 520

Gadgets are ruining our sleep -- Why do more than 40 percent of Americans say they don’t get enough sleep? One likely culprit: our ever-glowing screens. A new study by the National Sleep Foundation found that 95 percent of people polled had used some sort of electronic device less than an hour before bed the previous night. Light-emitting TVs, smartphones, computers, and video-game players “can suppress the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin” and rev us up, making it difficult to nod off at a restorative hour, study author Lauren Hale tells USA Today. The consequences of the national sleep deficit are both broad and alarming. Out of more than 1,500 people surveyed, 37 percent admitted to having driven while tired in the past month—the cause of 100,000 crashes and 1,550 deaths per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control a nd Prevention. Young people, the heaviest users of light-emitting gadgets, were the drowsiest, convincing Hale that the trend “could really affect the future of sleep” and “have serious consequences” for physical and mental health. Her advice: Power down before hitting the sack, and read or listen to music instead.

– The Week Vol 11 Iss 507

The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.
— Bertrand Russell

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap
but by the seeds that you plant.
— Robert Louis Stevenson

The content of this letter is not intended to replace professional medical advice.
If you’re ill, please consult a physician.
© 2011 Massage Marketing. Used with permission; all rights reserved.

Happy Summer, and welcome to the June 2011 newsletter!

As we head into the summer months, it’s prime time for a holiday. The point of taking a vacation is to relax and revitalize. Whether you stay at home or go somewhere to take in the sights or to visit friends or relatives, you should allow yourself enough time to catch your breath and take a real break from your day-to-day routines.

This issue features some hints for making the most from your vacation time. The additional articles were found online at www.massagetherapy.com, a site with lots of interesting information on health and massage.

Nothing beats a massage for getting your body and mind in a relaxed, healing state—really a mini-vacation anytime you want it. Countless studies verify that regular massage is one of the best things you can do to support good health.

If you do plan on traveling this summer, be sure to schedule a massage before and/or after your trip. The rigors of travel can take a toll on your body. A massage is a great way to make sure you’ll be in the best physical and mental shape possible for your vacation and for returning to work and your regular routines.

See you soon!

Who do you know who could really use a mini-vacation?
Make their day with a gift certificate for a relaxing massage.
Call today!

Close to Home . . . A staycation is creative leisure By Nora Brunner

If you are resolving to take better care of yourself... but find the prospect of a full-blown vacation too expensive, consider taking the “bloom-where-you-are-planted” approach and stay home.

Traditionally, time off has meant time away, but economics and a new appreciation for simplicity are creating a trend in home-based vacations. This doesn’t mean moping around the house wishing you were in Paris, but instead making an intentional effort to rejuvenate yourself without spending a bundle to travel. Rule one, however, is no chores.

During your time off, it’s absolutely key to change your routine and, ideally, lose track of time the way you do on faraway trips.

Be deliberate about unplugging, experts advise. As much as possible, dispense with cell phones, e-mail, and pagers, and limit time-wasting television and online games. It’s OK to be cagey about how you share your plans in order to avoid unwanted intrusions. If you mention at work or to family and friends that you’re sticking close to home, set boundaries for calls and visits.

Find out about local attractions you haven’t taken advantage of, possibly splurging on a short stay at a nearby exclusive hotel. While this may sound expensive, you are already way ahead budget-wise by skipping the long-distance airfare and hotel. Less expensive options are trying out that Pilates class, visiting a ceramic-painting studio, hauling out board games and movies for family time, or getting outside with your camera. ... Some families camp out in the backyard or enjoy bicycle outings.

Get Up and Go Experts also recommend having someone clean your house before and after your staycation so you aren’t tempted to do it yourself. If you hate to cook or don’t want to be bothered, consider carryout or eating out, or have a few meals delivered by a gourmet meal service. If you love to cook and find it relaxing, this may be your opportunity to try out that new recipe, perhaps involving the whole family in preparing the special meal. Fresh flowers on the table and using good dishes might make the occasion more fun. Everyone who can help clean up should do so.

Choose plenty of activities and get out and do things. There are free and low-cost activities in your area and a little Internet research may turn up pleasant surprises. Many hotels and tourist businesses are offering discounts to make up for fewer out-of-town visitors.

While being intentional about planning your time, allow unstructured time for reading, daydreaming, and, in general, moving at a slower pace.

Staycations have their critics and some see them as no vacation at all. Like anything else, the effort and imagination you use to plan your fun is essential, whether your time is spent on Main Street or Hollywood Boulevard. While there may never be a substitute for broadening your horizons in other cultures or locations, with the right attitude, there’s no place like home.

Nora Brunner is public relations specialist for Associated Skin Care Professionals and editor of Skin Deep.

Tips to Enrich Your Life ...  Easy Options to Enhance Well-Being By Jacqueline Sidman

• Take three deep breaths before you eat to increase your body’s supply of oxygen, relax, and help you digest your food. You’ll eat slower and give your body a chance to know it is full. This will benefit your waistline and your stress level.

• Cut back on coffee, tea, and cola drinks. The caffeine in these beverages makes you jittery and causes dehydration by taking more liquid from your system than they put in. Try herbal teas instead, and drink plenty of water to cleanse and hydrate your system.

Jacqueline Sidman, Ph.D., is a life coach and author of Instant Inner Peace.

Vacation is what you take when you can't take
what you've been taking any longer.
— The Lion

The content of this letter is not intended to replace professional medical advice.
If you’re ill, please consult a physician.
© 2011 Massage Marketing. Used with permission; all rights reserved.

Hello, and welcome to the May 2011 newsletter!

How have you been doing? Have you ever known someone whose life was going quite well in some areas but really poorly in others? One of the real tricks in life is balancing all of the different aspects and allotting enough time and attention to each, knowing what is important and what can be put off until later.

Often people ignore things that really do matter, maybe because there were no obvious signs—like health problems that develop quietly.

You have to devote enough time to your family, your work, your friends, and yes, even some time for your own needs to have a happy, well-rounded life.

You probably matter quite a lot to some people. To be there for them, you have to devote some attention to providing for yourself. Take care of yourself with proper rest, diet, exercise—and with your regular massage sessions. Your benefits can be improved with routine visits; schedule your next appointment today.

This issue contains recent health news that reinforce the many benefits massage can offer you.

See you soon for your next massage in Jackson County!

Make a real difference in someone’s life
with a relaxing massage gift certificate!
Graduation, Father’s Day, Anniversaries, or just because...
Call today to order.

Less Stress Could Lead to Weight Loss Add another benefit to the long list of reasons to get a massage: weight loss. According to new research, reducing one's stress might also reduce one's pant size.

A new Kaiser Permanente study found that people trying to lose at least 10 pounds were more likely to reach that goal if they had lower stress levels and slept more than six hours but not more than eight hours a night, according to a Kaiser press release.

Many other studies have shown massage therapy induces relaxation, reduces pain and creates well-being, while it also reduces stress and depression and improves sleep patterns.

"This study suggests that when people are trying to lose weight, they should try to get the right amount of sleep and reduce their stress," said lead author Charles Elder, an investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon, who also leads Integrative Medicine at Kaiser Permanente Northwest.

The paper was published recently in the International Journal of Obesity and was the result of a study funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Nearly 500 participants from Kaiser Permanente in Oregon and Washington took part in the study, which measured whether sleep, stress, depression, television viewing and computer screen time were correlated with weight loss, the press release noted. Several previous studies have found an association between these factors and obesity, but few have looked at whether these factors predict weight loss.

Participants were asked to lose at least 10 pounds over six months. Participants attended weekly meetings at which they were weighed and advised to reduce calorie intake by 500 calories per day, adopt a low-fat, low-sugar diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, increase physical activity to 180 minutes a week and keep daily food records.

The research team found that sleep and stress levels were good predictors of weight loss, but depression and screen time were not.

Source: www.massagemag.com

Get the Most from Your Massage Sessions! Here are some suggestions from the American Massage Therapy Association on how to get the most from each massage:

• Don’t eat immediately before your appointment.

• Be on time. If you arrive in a rush, it will take longer to get to a relaxed state.

• Report any discomfort during the session, whether it’s from the massage or related to the environment, e.g., room temperature or lighting.

• Quiet your mind by focusing on how the therapist’s touch feels.

• Don’t get off the table too quickly after the massage if you’re dizzy.

• Drink extra water after a session. Massage releases waste products and toxins from your muscles. Increasing your fluid intake lowers this toxicity and lessens the strain on filtering organs.

• Allow for some open, quiet time after your massage.

Killed by overtime — The eight-hour work day is becoming obsolete, as companies pressure employees for “productivity”—that is, long work days. But employees may pay the ultimate price for overworking, a new British study finds. Researchers followed more than 7,000 healthy, middle-aged U.K. government employees for roughly 12 years and discovered that those who reported clocking 11-hour days had a 67 percent higher risk of heart attack than those who logged a more moderate 7 to 8 hours.

Ten-hour workdays produced a 45 percent higher risk. “This study might make us think twice about the old adage ‘hard work won’t kill you,’” Stephen Holgate, a chairman at Britain’s Medical Research Council, tells Reuters.com. Scientists aren’t sure exactly how overtime harms the heart—or whether it simply contributes to other risk factors like unhealthful eating, failing to exercise, stress, depression, and lack of sleep. Clearly, though—just like blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking—work habits are a predictor of heart health. Doctors should start asking patients: “How many hours do you work?” says researcher Mika Kivimäki of University College London. “Our research presents a strong case that it should become standard practice.”

– The Week Vol. 11 Iss. 511

Happiness is not the absence of problems but the ability to deal with them.
— Baron de Montesquieu

The content of this letter is not intended to replace professional medical advice.
If you’re ill, please consult a physician.
© 2011 Massage Marketing. Used with permission; all rights reserved.

Hello, and welcome to the April 2011 newsletter! How is your spring going? There’s no doubt that everyone has been anxiously awaiting an improvement in the weather this year.

As the days grow longer and the weather turns nicer, you’ll have more opportunity to get out and increase your activity level. Be sure to pace yourself and to make time in your schedule for your next massage. It can help you to keep going strong!

This issue includes some recent information you should find helpful in your pursuit of health and happiness. The feature article on stress really enforces the importance of getting regular massages for your long-term well being.

Massage is one of the best ways to handle stress in your life and support your body’s overall health. When you make the effort to include positive lifestyle choices—proper diet, plenty of rest, exercise, and water, etc.—massage is the ideal therapeutic health aid. If you have any questions on how massage can help you to function at your best, please ask at your next appointment.

See you soon!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner.
This year treat Mom with a massage gift certificate
a great way to show her how special she is to you!

Call today to order ...

Even a Little Stress Can Cause a Lot of Health Problems The effects of stress are many, and range from lowered quality of life to life-threatening diseases such as hypertension. Jefferson Massage therapy has been shown to reduce stress, and any regular client will attest to massage's stress-relieving benefits.

But people should not wait until the effects of stress are obvious; new research shows that even mild stress is linked to long-term disability, and mild stress should be taken more seriously, the study's authors say.

Physical and mental health problems are associated with long term disability, but the impact of milder forms of psychological stress is likely to have been underestimated, say the authors.

• Between 2002 and 2007, the authors tracked the health of more than 17,000 working adults up to the age of 64, who had been randomly selected from the population in the Stockholm area.

• All participants completed a questionnaire at the start of the study to measure their mental health and stress levels, as well as other aspects of health and wellbeing.

• During the monitoring period, 649 people started receiving disability benefit: 203 for a mental health problem and the remainder for physical ill health.

• Higher levels of stress at the start of the study were associated with a significantly greater likelihood of subsequently being awarded long term disability benefits.

• Even those with mild stress were up to 70 percent more likely to receive disability benefits, after taking account of other factors likely to influence the results, such as lifestyle and alcohol intake.

• One in four of these benefits awarded for a physical illness, such as high blood pressure, angina, and stroke, and almost two thirds awarded for a mental illness, were attributable to stress.

The authors say that it is important to consider their findings in the context of modern working life, which places greater demands on employees, and social factors, such as fewer close personal relationships and supportive networks.

The research was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Source: massagemag.com

Energy Tips to Put Spring in Your Step Feel as if you’re dragging yourself through the day? Exercise can help keep you energized, and so does getting enough sleep. But if you need a quick boost, these fast energy fixes can put some pep in your step:

• Go easy on the caffeine. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, which provides that quick pick-me-up. But more than 200 or 300 daily milligrams of caffeine (the equivalent of two to three cups) may work against you; It can cause jitteriness, digestive problems and headaches. Stop for a mocha latte too late in the day, and the caffeine jolt can prevent a good night’s sleep.

• Drink more water. Even mild dehydration drains energy. It also reduces your ability to concentrate and brings down your mood, research at Tufts University shows. How do you know if you’re sufficiently hydrated? Doctors typically recommend eight or nine cups a day, but just make sure you drink enough so you rarely feel thirsty, and yes, check your urine—colorless or slightly yellow urine indicates adequate fluid intake.

• Take a walk outside. There’s no question regular exercise reduces fatigue—and studies have shown just a little can make a difference. Scientists at California State University found that a brisk 10-minute walk increases your energy level and sustains it for two hours; the more you walk, the peppier you fell. Step off the treadmill and head outside for an even bigger boost: A series of recently published studies shows that spending 20 minutes a day in the outdoors can significantly increase vitality.

Source: USA Weekend magazine, 3/27/11

Commit to your health!  ~  Schedule your next massage! Regular appointments can:

• Help support better health
• Minimize stress
• Strengthen your immune system
• Make you feel great
• Give you something to look forward to each month

A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.
— Jean de La Fontaine

The content of this letter is not intended to replace professional medical advice.
If you’re ill, please consult a physician.
© 2011 Massage Marketing. Used with permission; all rights reserved.