Hello, and welcome to  the September 2011 newsletter!
Ready for Autumn? After another  scorching  summer, most everyone is ready for a break from the heat. Some cooler  weather  often leads to a boost in personal energy. If you increase your  activity
level—working in the yard or other outdoor activities—be sure to schedule a massage to help you with those sore muscles.


Improving the quality of your life ...
Life is always in a  state of change, and what you do  each day helps to determine the direction your  health will be taking in the coming years. One of the most challenging aspects  of creating a truly healthy lifestyle is identifying and incorporating those  beneficial actions that can improve your condition now and in the future.


What makes this  tricky is that we’re creatures of habit, and our busy lives can make it harder  to change our ways and replace unhealthy habits with things that can improve  the quality of our lives.


The rest of this  issue offers you some food for thought on ways to support better health.


Remember,  massage remains one of the best (and most pleasant) ways to support your health  in the long term, so be sure to schedule your next appointment. See you then!


 
Say “I really care about  you!” with the gift of health—a massage  gift certificate!


Call today to order ...
 
 
What science knows about muscle cramps
It comes  out of nowhere—while you’re playing tennis,
gardening, sitting on the couch or  even when you’re fast asleep. Suddenly a
muscle gets locked in spasm, it’s hard  as a rock, and the pain borders on
unbearable.


Muscle cramps usually  target your legs and can last
for a few seconds to 15 minutes or more. Yet as  common as cramps can be,
experts don’t know exactly what causes most cases. And  there’s no solid science
on how to best treat them. Here’s what we do know:


They’re common in  summer. That’s 
because when you exert yourself in hot weather, sweat drains your body’s 
fluids, which helps muscles contract and relax; heat also depletes salt and 
minerals, which may cause a muscle to spasm. Other possible causes: inadequate 
stretching, muscle fatigue or simply holding a position for a prolonged
period.


Try massaging it. Step 1 to ease a
cramped muscle: Stop whatever activity triggered it. Then try  to gently stretch
and massage the muscle, holding it until the cramp stops.  Though a review
published in the journal Neurology showed stretching—and  drinking
water, another common remedy—aren’t proven treatments, both methods  are safe if
done in moderation and may ease pain. The jury is still out on  other common
treatments, such as taking vitamin B complex or calcium channel  blockers, but
experts agree quinine—once the drug of choice for treating leg  cramps—should be
avoided; it hasn’t been proven effective and may cause severe  side effects. 
 
Walk this way for weight loss
When it  comes to exercise, running isn’t the only
way to see results. Michele Stanten,  fitness director at Prevention
magazine, outlines  the Walk Off Weight Program in a book of the same name. By
alternating  high-intensity activity with lower-intensity recovery periods, the
program  helps you burn fat and increase weight loss. Here are some other
reasons to  give walking a try:


Build up your  immunity. When you’re
staying active, disease-fighting cells circulate through your body.  Daily
walking can lead to a higher-functioning immune system, which can mean  fewer
colds and flus and help protect you against conditions like heart  disease,
cancer, stroke, and diabetes.


Keep bones and joints  strong.
Walking can help provide natural antioxidants and nutrients to your joints, 
muscles and bones. A walking regime can help reduce stiffness, aches and
pains.


Get a natural energy  boost. Walking
for just 30 minutes a day can give you that extra boost you need to add  another
component to your workout. So once you’ve been on a walking program for  a few
days, you might feel ready to add a bike ride on top of that.


Get a natural mood  boost. Every
time you walk, your body releases endorphins that make you feel good and 
relieve stress. Just think of it as a twofer: a way to improve fitness and your 
emotional state at the same time.


And get a good  night’s sleep.
Because walking regularly can help improve your mood, lower your stress levels 
and reduce pain, it’s no wonder it also can help you sleep more soundly. 2


— Cara Hedgepeth


1;2: What science knows about muscle cramps
& Walk this way for weight loss excerpted from USA
Weekend,  Aug. 2011




Fast-food  junkies --
If  it sometimes seems that Americans are addicted to
fast food, it might be that  we actually are. Studies have repeatedly found that
the consequences of  bingeing on high-calorie, high-fat foods mimic the effects
of drug addiction. A  recent study by the Scripps Research Institute found that
gorging on fast food  actually changes the brain’s chemical makeup, making it
more difficult to  trigger the release of dopamine (aka “the pleasure
chemical”). That means  fast-food addicts need to eat more and more to feel
happy—the same way users of  cocaine and other drugs, for example, need to keep
upping their dosages to get  high. An earlier study, by Princeton University,
found that rats who were fed  and then withdrawn from a high-fat, high-sugar
diet exhibited similar  symptoms—chattering teeth and the shakes—to junkies
going cold turkey. “Drugs  give a bigg er effect,” said study author Bart
Hoebel, “but it’s essentially the  same process.”


– The  Week Vol. 11 Iss. 528-529




Human beings, by changing the  inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of  their lives. — William James




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.

Hello, and welcome to the March 2011 newsletter!

Spring is in the air! With such a heavy dose of winter this year, it seems everyone is especially excited to see the arrival of spring. It’s so invigorating to experience life’s reawakening after a harsher-than-normal winter.

Remember as you increase your activity level to pace yourself while you are bringing your well-rested muscles back into use. It’s better to take things slowly and not strain anything.

While you’re planning your spring cleaning for the year, remember to put your body on your to-do list. There are so many ways for your body to build up various toxins that can adversely affect your long-term health.

Massage is a great way to help your body do a little spring cleaning. A full-body massage can help to keep things moving at the cellular level where toxins are stored.

Getting regular massage and drinking plenty of pure water can help your body restore itself to a more optimum level, helping to keep you healthier and feeling better.

Enjoy the rest of this issue; see you soon!

Celebrate the coming of Spring
with a massage gift certificate for
that special person in your life!
Call today to order ...

The Power of Touch for Pain Relief: Basic Facts
Jefferson Massage is well known for reducing stress and promoting relaxation. And, a growing body of research also shows that massage therapy is effective for relieving and managing chronic and acute pain, a significant national health problem. According to the National Institute for Health, more than one-third of all Americans will suffer from chronic pain at some point in their lives, and approximately 14 percent of all employees take time off from work due to pain. For example, many people receive injuries because they are involved in car accidents that require windshield replacement.  Increasingly, massage therapists are being incorporated into pain management programs of hospitals and health care organizations. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has suggested massage therapy as one means to manage pain without use of pharmaceuticals.

According to a recent American Hospital Association survey about their use of CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) therapies, among the 1,007 hospitals responding, nearly 82 percent of the hospitals offering CAM therapies included massage therapy among their health care offerings—with more than 70 percent utilizing massage therapy for pain management and relief. In a recent consumer survey commissioned by AMTA, 91 percent of respondents agreed that massage can be effective in reducing pain, and nearly half of those polled (47 percent) have had a massage specifically for the purpose of relieving pain.

Consider recent clinical research on the efficacy of massage for pain relief:

• Massage therapy is more effective for chronic back pain than other complementary therapies.

• Massage therapy promotes relaxation and alleviates the perception of pain and anxiety in cancer patients.

• Massage therapy reduces post-traumatic headaches better than cold pack
   treatments.

• A pilot study conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles found that massage, as part of hospital-based surgery treatment, reduces pain and muscle spasms in patients who have undergone heart bypass surgery.

• Massage stimulates the brain to produce endorphins.    

Source: www.amtamassage.org

A walk to remember — If you’re 55 or older, put down your crossword puzzle and take a stroll. Scientists have found that moderate aerobic activity can improve seniors’ memory by reversing the slow wasting away of a key part of the brain, which begins at around 50. “It used to be thought that aging was a one-way street that was going the wrong direction,” University of Illinois professor Arthur Kramer tells Science News, but his recent study proves “that’s not the case.” Kramer and colleagues recruited 120 sedentary adults between the ages of 55 and 80. Half got their heart rates up by walking for 40 minutes, three times a week; the other half did stretching and weight exercises instead. After a year, scientists scanned each walker’s brain and found that the hippocampus, where memories are formed, had grown by an average of 2 percent. By contrast, the stretchers’ hippocampi had shrunk 1.4 percent, as expected. Though more study is needed, Kramer says initial results indicate that a brisk jaunt several times a week can roll back the pace of age-related memory loss “by about two years.”

– The Week Vol 11 Iss 502

Water Works By Lara Evans Bracciante

Besides decreasing headaches, heartburn, constipation, fatigue and kidney stones, getting your fair share of water each day may help prevent serious illnesses including heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and asthma. One study at the University of Loma Linda, California, showed that people who drink five or more glasses of water every day cut their risk of suffering a fatal heart attack in half. Researchers believe because water, unlike other beverages, is absorbed immediately into the blood stream, it thins the blood and reduces clot risk. This also helps moderate blood pressure because it's easier for the heart to pump thinner rather than thicker blood. Furthermore, researchers at Harvard reported men who drank six cups of water daily reduced bladder cancer risk by 50 percent. Other studies indicate that high water intake also curbs the risk of breast and colon cancers. And ev en asthma sufferers have reason to gulp it down. A University of Buffalo study revealed dehydration reduces lung function and triggers bronchial spasms, especially while exercising.

Source: www.massagetherapy.com

Success is getting what you want;
happiness is wanting what you get.
— Ingrid Bergman

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 February 2011 newsletter!  One of the main goals of sending you this month’s issue is to get you thinking a little more about your body. Life can be so busy that it’s all too easy to take your body for granted.

Back in the days when people used their bodies a lot in day-to-day survival, people didn’t have to put focus on keeping themselves healthy through exercise—it happened naturally. In our more sedentary lives, we can see how lack of physical activity can adversely affect our health.

Staying physically active can make a big difference in your health and the way you feel, so do what you can to get moving on a regular basis.

Since it’s hard for many people to make time for regular exercise, remember that massage can help you in this area. When you use your body physically, your efforts assist your body to do all of its many internal jobs, keeping everything moving properly. Massage strokes also can help your body to function better—while helping you to de-stress and relax at the same time. So, be sure to make some time for your next massage; see you then!

Whether it’s for your favorite Valentine, a friend, family member,
or special loved one, a massage gift certificate
is a wonderful way to let someone know
how much you care about them.
Call to order yours today!

How Does Massage Support Better Health?
If your goal is to improve the quality of your health and well-being, then massage and bodywork make the ideal “life support system.”

For example, stress can adversely affect your cardiovascular, immune, endocrine, and nervous systems. As you take steps to reduce the stressful influences in your life, your regular massage sessions will assist your body to return to a more normal state of operation, actually helping to reverse the physical changes the stress has created.

When you eat properly, you are supplying your body with nutrients to rebuild and maintain healthy cells. Massage aids the body in moving substances throughout the system, encouraging this process.

Water promotes internal cleansing, and again massage is helping to rid your body of its waste by improving the function of the circulatory and digestive systems.

It’s common knowledge that bodywork is a great tool to relax tense muscles. Less known is that massage can assist your muscles to “re-set” themselves to normal conditions, and can help to reverse habitual positions that can cause you chronic discomfort.

Your body is in a constant state of change. The choices you make each day will influence the quality of your life. Making massage and bodywork sessions a regular part of your life can make a significant difference in the results you experience. Do all you can to ensure a healthy future; you’ll be glad you did!

Stress could defeat dieting — As many people rediscover around this time of year, diets tend not to work for very long. One confounding factor may be stress, ScienceNOW reports. Neuroscientists at the University of Pennsylvania found that dieting seems to render lab mice more sensitive to stress and less able to resist the food cravings that it triggers. The mice were first put on a moderate diet that cut 10 percent to 15 percent of their weight. When they were exposed to stressful noises, the dieters’ blood had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol than nondieters’ blood. Those levels remained elevated even after the mice were taken off their diets and returned to normal weight. When subjected anew to mild stress, the ex-dieters were more likely than a control group to soothe themselves by eating large amounts of hig h-fat food. “Dieting not only increases stress, making successful dieting more difficult,” says lead researcher Tracy Bale. “It may actually ‘reprogram’ how the brain responds to future stress and emotional drives for food.” Further studies will be needed to see whether the underlying mechanisms also apply to humans. If they do, they may establish stress as a reason why some persistent dieters struggle to maintain their weight loss.

– The Week, Vol 10 Iss 494

Prevent chronic pain Whether your daily schedule keeps you active or hunched over a desk, you’re always susceptible to chronic aches and pains that develop over time. But if these daily pains aren’t addressed as soon as possible, they can cause irreparable damage to your body, says Todd Durkin, author of The Impact! Body Plan.

The most common causes of our daily pain: too much stress, too much sitting, poorly designed exercise programs, too little stretching before workouts and poorrecovery after. But for every problem there is a solution:

Stretch your legs. When spending hours in any sedentary position, walk around or stretch for 10 minutes at least once every two hours. The idea is to move, whether it’s doing lunges or just walking to the bathroom.

Mind your posture. When sitting, prevent slumping by keeping your shoulders back and chest open, allowing full and deep breaths.

Don’t skip stretching. By emphasizing your preworkout stretches, you’ll improve your flexibility and mobility in the correct joints. Stretching may not yield any visible results, but you’ll feel the difference.

— Christine J. Kim in USA Weekend magazine 11/28/10

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

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

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.
— Eleanor Roosevelt

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 New Year, and welcome to the January 2011 Jackson County Massage newsletter! A recent survey reported on CBS Sunday Morning indicated that about 60 percent of people questioned don’t intend to make any New Year’s resolutions this year. Wouldn’t it be great if you knew that you’d achieve every new goal you set? What makes people give up on their annual resolutions?

When you look at the big picture, it’s not surprising that so many of these goals are abandoned. After all, you’re asking yourself to give up things that you’ve done—often daily—for many years. We’re nothing if not creatures of habit, so it should come as no surprise that we fall back into comfortable patterns, despite the long-term cost to our health.

So this year when you set out to make those improvements to your life, consider breaking those big commitments into smaller, more accessible goals. Teaming up with a like-minded friend can help you both stay on track, as well.

Remember that those regular massages are a wonderful way to support your health goals!

Have a wonderful and rewarding year; see you soon!

It’s nearly that time...
Treat your sweetheart to a massage
this Valentine’s Day, with a massage gift  certificate!
Call to order...

A New Year... A New, Healthier You Have you set your goals for the coming year? A bit of online research into New Year’s resolutions shows that most goals are geared to improving health, eliminating bad habits, losing weight, and reducing stress. Another popular goal is spending more quality time with family and friends.

Before you get caught up in your day-to-day routines and drift back into your familiar ways, realize that most of us believe the quality of our lives can best be improved by making healthier choices. Whenever possible, try to replace the things you’re eliminating with healthier alternatives. For instance, rather than completely eliminating desserts from your life, you can replace sugary treats with fresh fruit.

Ultimately, when you focus on ways to improve your health, you’re improving all the other aspects of your life. When you feel better and have more energy, the rest of your life becomes more enjoyable.

One of the best decisions you can make is to receive regular massage. Here’s a partial list of the many benefits massage can offer you:

• Reduces stress
• Aids digestion
• Improves circulation
• Relieves sore muscles
• Improves sleep
• Aids detoxification
• Increases range of motion
• Boosts immune system
• Helps your body stay in proper balance

An ever-growing number of studies shows that massage tends to improve body function overall, so it may well be your best choice to support your health regimen. The reduction in stress alone can make a positive difference in your health in the coming years.

If you have any questions concerning massage and your health, just ask at your next appointment. See you then!

Massage and Chronic Tension Headaches A new, but small study conducted by researchers in the United States and Spain help fill an evidence gap for massage as a manual therapy treatment for chronic tension headaches, a debilitating condition that does not always respond well to medication. Eleven adult patients were given either head-neck massage or a placebo to treat their persistent pain. Placebos were found to have no effect at all, while the massage sessions increased heart rate variability and significantly reduced head pain for up to 24 hours. The study was reported in Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.

Source: Massage & Bodywork Magazine Nov/Dec 2010

Massage’s Many Benefits Nearly 9 percent of Americans get at least one massage every year, and they’re probably healthier for it: A new study suggests that massage not only relaxes the body, but also boosts the immune system and prompts beneficial hormonal changes. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles subjected volunteers to what was perhaps the most pleasant experiment ever devised: Half received 45 minutes of deep-tissue Swedish massage, while the rest received light-touch massage for the same period. Just a single massage session induced marked physiological changes. Blood and saliva samples from the Swedish group registered lower levels of cortisol, a hormone elevated by stress, and arginine vasopressin, a hormone that can elevate cortisol; they also showed a rise in lymphocytes, white blood cells that aid the immune response. The light-massage recipients showed a greater increa se in the “love hormone” oxytocin and a greater drop in a different hormone that prompts the release of cortisol. Despite the popularity of massage, psychiatrist and study author Mark Hyman Rapaport tells The New York Times, “there hasn’t been much physiological proof of the body’s heightened immune response following massage until now.”

The Week; Vol 10 Iss 484

Sports Drinks Can Make You Fat Sports drinks like Gatorade may help world-class athletes, but for the masses of people who drink them, they’re really no better than sugary sodas, says a new study. Although sports drinks contain electrolytes and carbohydrates that can help hydrate a depleted athlete, they also pack nearly as much sugar and calories as soda, which has been linked to obesity and health problems. Yet the aggressive marketing of sports drinks has convinced consumers that they’re beneficial for everyone. In a survey of the eating habits of some 15,000 middle- and high school students, public health researchers at the University of Texas found that students who drank a lot of sports beverages otherwise acted as if they wanted to avoid weight gain—exercising, and eating a diet containing ample fruits, vegetables, and milk. “People who want to pursue a healthy lifestyle are somehow being misled to believe that these drinks are somehow good for them,” study author Nalini Ranjit tells CNN.com. Few people, he says, exercise enough to benefit from the drinks’ restorative effects, so they’re really just drinking a lot of sugar. (Drink water instead!)

The Week; Vol 10 Iss 485

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.