My business is coming together!

     For those of you that may not know, I have started my own business! It is called The Sacred Self and it is located at 800 Washington Street in Canton, MA.

     It has taken some time getting to this point, but things are finally moving along and coming together! To see what I've been up to these past few weeks, here are some photos:

     The walls have been put up, and now they are freshly painted!

     The camera lens made the green room look way more "lime" green than what it actually is.  I chose a soft, sage color for that room.  But so, these are going to be the two massage rooms.  And on Thursday, the carpet will be installed. I'm getting excited; I plan on opening prior to Memorial Day weekend.  But, I will definitely let you all know for sure what my opening day is when that time comes!

P.S.  Feel free to check out my website: The Sacred Self, LLC
        And please "like" my Facebook page! Thanks!

Massage and Addiction

     I read a very interesting, and informative, article in AMTA's Massage Therapy Journal: Massage & Addiction; How massage therapy is being used in addiction recovery centers.  Within the article, it is considered a "sobering experience," because it offers recovering addicts a way to feel comfortable in their own skin. 
     It is becoming more and more apparent that addiction centers are including massage therapy as part of their recovery program.  It's becoming one of the most popular offerings.  Recovery is a bit of a process, and quite often a difficult one.  Oftentimes the client cannot fully articulate what is going on, and because massage isn't exactly a talk-type therapy, it can meet them wherever they are.  Maureen Schwehr, NMD is a naturopathic physician and craniosacral instructor in Arizona, and she says, "that most conventional therapy for recovery focuses on the mind.  Once you start considering a mind/body/spirit model, you have more treatment options.  The spirit of who we really are.  Our mind is our thinking brain, and our body houses this.  If you're an addict, you often have to ignore your body, because you are, in essence, hurting your 'house.'" She goes on to say that addicts continue their destructive behavior because they don't check in with their 'home.'
     According to NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse), addictions impact nearly all American families in some way.  And it's still not clear as to what causes addiction.  Most experts say it's a combination of physiological susceptibility and environment.  And nearly any behavior can be addictive (i.e. shopping, eating, sex).  It doesn't matter the 'drug' of choice.  When addicts get a hit of their drug of choice, dopamine (the feel-good neurotransmitter) floods their brain's reward system.  And this may be why massage, which has been proven to increase dopamine and serotonin, and decrease cortisol, can help those in recovery.  There are other physiological and emotional issues during recovery, such as pain, anxiety, and sleep problems.  Massage also helps with these.
     On a more superficial level, clients often just feel better after receiving a massage.  As a massage therapist, I am able to show people what relaxation feels like.  And it's been said that massage therapists may have an advantage over medical doctors.  We understand the stress/disease connection more than doctors do.  We can actually feel when a client is tense.  Most physicians don't put their hands on a client/patient like that.
     After a while, clients start realizing that the medicine is inside them.  First, it's being seen on their faces, then in the way they talk and their feedback.  This is a great shift.  Massage can help with the basic rewiring of our brains.  When you're being touched, it's not always to receive pleasure, most often it's to put yourself in touch with yourself.  Massage builds trust.  And when someone has the opportunity to be touched, to have therapeutic work done to them, it can bring recovery work home to a much deeper level.  It helps connect the body to the emotions, and when you bring someone back to their body, it's like bringing them home. 

Acupuncture

     Okay, so this isn't exactly post about massage therapy.  But, there are other natural/holistic healthcare modalities worth trying should you experience any pain and discomfort, and one of them is Acupuncture.
     I, myself, have never actually tried Acupuncture.  I've wanted to, but it just seems I can never get my finances in order with timing.  I do, however, know plenty of people who have tried it and love it! So, I thought I'd share a little history about Acupuncture and its benefits for you.

     Acupuncture is a family of procedures involving the stimulation of points on the body using a variety of techniques. The acupuncture technique that has been most often studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation. Practiced in China and other Asian countries for thousands of years, acupuncture is one of the key components of traditional Chinese medicine.    
     According to WHO (World Health Organization) acupuncture is effective for treating 28 conditions, while evidence indicates it may have an effective therapeutic value for many more. People with tension headaches and/or migraines may find acupuncture to be very effective in alleviating their symptoms, according to a study carried out at the Technical University of Munich, Germany. Another study at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center found that twice weekly acupuncture treatments relieve debilitating symptoms of Xerostomia - severe dry mouth - among patients treated with radiation for head and neck cancer. 
     Here is a list of conditions that Acupuncture may treat:

• Addiction
• Allergies
• Anxiety
• Arthritis
• Autoimmune Disorders
• Back Pain
• Bronchitis
• Chronic Fatigue
• Colitis 
• Colds 
• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Digestive Disorders
• Fertility
• Fibromyalgia
• Gastritis
• Headache
• Hypertension
• Indigestion
• Insomnia
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Low Back Pain
• Lupus
• Menopause
• Migraine
• Morning Sickness/Nausea
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Musculoskeletal Pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Pain
• PMS
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Sciatica
• Sinusitis
• Sleep Disorders
• Smoking Cessation
• Stress
• Women's Issues
• Vertigo  

      I've found that when it comes to pricing, there is a wide range.  I've discovered that some places will charge $55 a session, and others in upwards of $125 a session.  And there are some places that will take insurance, provided your insurance carrier covers Acupuncture treatment.  But despite the wide margin in rates, I feel it's worth looking into.  Unfortunately, healthcare is not free.  If you don't have your health, well, you wouldn't be able to do anything.  Plus, Acupuncture is a wonderful companion modality to massage therapy.  

     See? I can make an Acupuncture post relative to a massage therapy blog . . .

Dealing with the [Winter] Blues

     So, it's the middle of Winter and much of New England is blanketed in snow.  The air chills you to the bone and the sun is lacking (though, thankfully, it is setting later each night!).  People are passing the time away hibernating inside their homes and/or drinking themselves into a stupor.  This season is rough.  In general.  Aside from snowboarding, skiing, sledding, and hot chocolate, there isn't too much fun to be had during Winter.  And I find that peoples' attitudes and energy wanes drastically.  I believe this is known as Season Affective Disorder (SAD).  The lack of vitamin D from the sun, and the warm air, and the general happiness that Spring and Summer bring may/can actually cause you to be sad and depressed.  While these people are all around me, I have also noticed (over the past several months) that I have been connecting with more people who are depressed; and not of the SAD kind either.  I am talking about PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
     Dictionary.com defines PTSD as "a mental disorder, as battle fatigue, occurring after a traumatic event outside the range of usual human experience, and characterized by symptoms such as reliving the event, reduced involvement with others, and manifestations of autonomic arousal such as hyper-alertness and exaggerated startle response." A coworker of mine has had it and is still dealing with the remnants of it.  A friend of mine is going through it.  And I couldn't even tell you how many of my clients are trying to work their way out of it.   Being such a positive and optimistic person, it's sometimes hard for me to see how someone can get so depressed.  But unfortunately, it happens.  And I try to help them in the best way I know how: through touch.
     There have been studies (not enough in my opinion) on this very topic.  In fact, I wrote a little blurb about it early last year.  But I'm not talking about studies this time.  I don't care what scientific facts there are, and what doctors think.  I'm talking about my experience in working with people who have PTSD.  I have been a massage therapist for almost 7 years now.  (June will officially mark 7 years!).  During this time I have encountered a wide variety of . . . people.  And I find that I get the most satisfaction out of helping someone who not only has some physical discomfort, but some mental and emotional discomfort, too.

     Touch is a powerful thing.  It relaxes the muscles, releases endorphins (endorphins make you happy), and provokes a somato-emotional response.  A somato-emotional response, or release, as defined by Dr. Upledger of the Upledger Institute, is "the expression of emotion that, for reasons deemed appropriate by some part of the patients's or client's non-conscious, has been retained, suppressed and isolated within the soma." Soma is the entire body of an organism.  I have touched hundreds of people over the better part of the decade, and I have witnessed every single one of them respond to it, including those with PTSD.  Through my experience I have also found that those with PTSD take a little longer to respond.  After talking with many of them, I can conclude it's usually because they tend to hold things in.  Like, super tight and closed up, and they've put up these emotional walls and are very guarded.  But being touched by someone else is part of their undoing; it un-glues them.  If you really don't want to be touched by someone else, you won't.  The simple act of touching is actually a very sacred thing.  You're allowing someone else to connect with you.  And by connecting with another you're allowing yourself to heal.

     What's the #1 thing massage can do for you? It can relax your muscles.  I'm repeating myself because it's so true.  In turn, your body goes through a physiological change and relaxes the mind as well.  When your body can let go of stress, your mind will follow suit.  And after a while (meaning: after receiving a decent amount of massages) your mind and your body will learn what it's like to not be stressed.  And it will like it! And isn't that part of the healing process? Those suffering with PTSD deal with the mental, emotional, and physical discomforts it brings.  But they don't have to suffer for the rest of their lives.  Doctors and studies aside, massage therapy works.  I'm not saying it MAY help you; I'm saying it WILL.  And I can say that because I have witnessed it.     

              

Relieve Sinus Pressure with Massage

     'Tis the season to experience cold symptoms!  One of those symptoms being sinus congestion and pressure can wreak havoc on your body.  And if you're having a stuffy nose, sniffing in is just going to add to the pressure already there.  One of the ways to relieve all of this pressure and congestion is through massage therapy.

     Two of the benefits of massage is an increase of circulation and the relaxation of muscles and fascia.  (Fascia is connective tissue that surrounds absolutely everything in your body.) There are different massage techniques that can combat sinus pressure.  And one of those techniques is Lymphatic Drainage. 

     Lymphatic Drainage gives your lymphatic system a "tune up." By manually stimulating the increased flow of lymphatic fluid, it can reinvigorate your immune system and sweep out any harmful toxins.  Specific lymphatic drainage procedures can relax your facial muscles and open up your sinus passageways to allow the removal of congestive material within that area.  A draining will literally take effect, and you will start to feel clear again.  Lymphatic drainage allows the body to heal itself the way it's supposed to.  It helps it along.

     Another way to massage away sinus pressure and congestion is through Trigger Point Therapy.  There are specific pressure points on the face that when pressed, or triggered, can release the congestive material from your sinuses, and help drain them away.  The pressure points that I like to trigger when massaging someone's face is at/along the eye orbit closest to the nose, as well as at the corners of each nostril, and along the apples of the cheeks.  I then do a sweeping motion towards the ears to allow the draining to occur more easily.

     And you don't need to be dealing with a cold in order to receive a massage designed for sinuses alone.  By getting your face massaged when you're feeling well will help to prevent your sinuses from "filling up" once a cold hits.  Getting regular massage trains your body to relax, and if your facial muscles are already relaxed, you'll be able to breathe easier! So, come in and get a massage! Like I said: 'Tis the season!

Location, Location, Location!

     When starting a new business, it is imperative to find a space to suit your needs.  You don't want to go too big in case you end up wasting money, and you don't want to go too small for you may end up having to move sooner than you thought.  But in the end, it all comes down to location.  Potential customers and clientele should be able to find your space quite easily, and I believe it should appeal to them.  When it comes to massage, creating ambiance is important, but so is the actual space you work in.  You want people to like the location and the space itself.  It needs to look and feel good.
    
     Well, I am in the process of starting my own business. Yay! I'd like to settle into Norwood, MA,  but I haven't found a location yet.  I don't know if I'm just being picky, but I have a vision in mind of what I want my business to look like on the inside and out.  And I also don't want to overspend on the rent and utilities.  I've been doing a lot of online searching; I work 7 days a week so it's hard for me to find the time to just go driving around and search for a place.  But I know I will find a place soon, and it will be magical.  I know I'll be starting my business by the end of January, and I am looking forward to it.  If anyone happens to stumble upon a space for rent, please don't hesitate to let me know! I also ask my angels, guides, and the universe to make it happen sooner rather than later.  Thank you!

Recovering from a Motor Vehicle Accident

     Getting rear-ended, into a fender bender, or even into a head-on collision is not uncommon these days.  You know what isn't common? Common sense.  But I digress.  Every day people are getting injured due to a motor vehicle accident.  The most common injuries are whiplash and lower back sprain/strain.

     Whiplash, also called neck sprain or neck strain, is injury to the neck. It is characterized by a collection of symptoms that occur following damage to the neck. In whiplash, the intervertebral joints (located between vertebrae), discs, and ligaments, cervical muscles, and nerve roots may become damaged.  Whiplash is caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward; and as I've said, is most commonly caused by a MVA (motor vehicle accident); specifically, getting rear-ended.  Symptoms can include (but are not limited to) neck pain, headaches, neck stiffness, pain in the shoulders or in between the shoulder blades, pain or numbness traveling down the arm and/or hand, ringing in the ears or blurred vision, difficulty concentrating or remembering things, sleep disturbance, and fatigue.  Of these, the most common symptoms I have encountered with my clients is the neck pain and stiffness that travels down into the shoulders, and headaches.

     The second most common injury due to a MVA is lower back pain (a.k.a. lower back sprain/strain).  A low back muscle strain occurs when the muscle fibers are abnormally stretched or torn. A lumbar sprain occurs when the ligaments, the tough bands of tissue that hold bones together, are torn from their attachments.  Unfortunately, this can occur no matter how your vehicle was hit.  Aside from just feeling pain in your lower back muscles (which by the way can travel into your buttocks and down your legs), I have had many clients tell me there is also stiffness involved.

     Now, I'm not saying that these two injuries will occur everytime you're involved in a MVA.  That's just not true.  I know plenty of people who have been in a MVA and have walked away with a perfect bill of health.  But, these two are the most common.  Other possible injuries can include scratches, bruises, dislocated joints, internal bleeding and loss of limbs/life (if the accident was quite severe), etc.  But, I mention these two because those are the injuries I have worked on the most.

     Massage Therapy is an excellent aide to helping your muscles/body recover from a MVA.  It can help you recover by helping to restore balance to your autonomic nervous system (i.e., the relaxation benefits of massage can help reverse the effects that the shock and trauma of a car wreck can have on your nervous system). Massage also promotes circulation of both blood and lymph, which can help manage the swelling (edema) that usually comes with auto accident injuries. During the sub-acute stage (a few days to a few weeks, or even longer, after the accident), massage can help maintain and improve range of motion and may help prevent the formation of scar tissue and other myofascial adhesions. It can address specific musculoskeletal injuries like whiplash, neck pain, back pain, headaches, shoulder sprains/strains, etc.  For the past 6.5 years, I have worked on many (I don't even know the number) clients who have suffered injuries due to a MVA.  And now, they are better for it.

     So, if you or anyone you know, have been injured in a MVA, tell them to get a massage! It will help them recover so much faster.