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Massage for the elderly helps body and mind

The woman in her 80s hadn’t spoken in months. The nursing home staff figured she had lost the ability. But after six months of massage sessions, therapist Dawn Nelson heard a soft voice utter: “That feels good.”

Nelson, author of “From the Heart Through the Hands” and creator of the program “Compassionate Touch For Those in Later Life Stages,” says massage has improved quality of life for many older clients.

In addition to boosting circulation, easing stress and relieving aches and pains, all important physiologically for people who don’t move around much, massage bestows a basic need the elderly often go without: touch.

A study published in 1998 in the Journal of Applied Gerontology found that elderly people who massaged infants experienced less stress, improved mood and fewer trips to the doctor.

Researchers believe massage, and touch generally, can strengthen the immune system by stimulating pressure receptors under the skin, which in turn reduces the stress hormone cortisol, the chief culprit in killing disease-fighting cells, said Tiffany Field of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine.

But elderly people, who could use the immune-boosting benefits of touch the most, are getting it the least.

Family members and friends can help. Aged skin gets thin and bruises easily, so massage must be gentle; sometimes all it takes is barely caressing a person’s skin.

More than chatting, playing games or holding hands, giving focused, attentive touch establishes a nurturing bond that expresses caring, Nelson said. She has seen it ease symptoms of touch deprivation, such as irritability and a lack of interest in life. In people with dementia, she said, it helps ground them in reality.

Article source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/01/03/2893966/massage-for-the-elderly-helps.html

January 6, 2012 | Categories: massage | Tags: Bellingham Wa, elderly massage, massage | Leave A Comment »

Class teaches parents how to have relaxed, content babies through massage

Four-month-old Journee looked adoringly at her parents Cordell Stiffarm and Kelsey Gascon as they gently rubbed her feet, belly and face. ”We rub her feet all the time,” Gascon said. “She loves it.” Journee was one of four babies who participated recently in an infant massage class at Paris Gibson Education Center. The class brings young parents and infants together through touch, said Karen Thornton, pediatric physician therapist with Benefis Health System and instructor of the class. Thornton’s class is about more than massage. She calls it touch communication. Thornton helps parents learn to read the cues their babies give, and establish communication that can last a lifetime. Each massage begins with parents asking their baby’s permission by rubbing their hands together and wiggling their fingers in front of their child’s face. The baby will learn that this means they’re about to get a massage and can show through body language whether they want one. ”If they don’t want one, you have to honor that,” Thornton said. Children, until about the age of 12, are primarily kinesthetic learners, meaning they learn through movement, Thornton said. That means touch is an important part of learning and communication. On Thursday, Thornton walked a group of parents through massage techniques to use on their babies. She explained how to massage legs, arms, the chest, belly and face. ”Rub the top of the foot and do circles around the ankle,” Thornton instructed. Gascon has found that rubbing Journee’s feet works well when she’s fussy. ”She calms down right away,” Gascon said. Sarah Simpson has used the massage techniques she’s learned in the class to get her 3 1/2-month-old daughter Ahleigha to sleep. ”It helps relax her,” Simpson said. “If we do (massage) and then swaddle her, she’s out all night.” Thornton recommends using massage at home or in situations such as when they’re stuck in a checkout line at a grocery store. Teaching a child to relax is a skill parents will be able to use throughout their lives, Thornton said. Establishing communication at a young age, as Thornton teaches through massage, also can help throughout a child’s growing years, Thornton said. As a child gets older, massage can turn into a game, such as planting a garden on the child’s back by making back-and-forth strokes down the back like a tractor would, making small circles to plant the seeds and tapping fingers as the pitter-patter of rain. ”Make a game out of it, and it’s really fun for little kids,” Thornton said. Massage can be used in a child’s teen years to encourage communication. ”Sometimes teenagers don’t want to talk to you, but they’ll let you give them a back massage,” Thornton said. Massage can be used in a variety of applications throughout a child’s growing years. ”I hope this is something you use with her as she grows,” Thornton told Journee’s parents.

Article source: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20111018/LIFESTYLE/110180305

October 20, 2011 | Categories: massage | Tags: Bellingham Wa, Infant communication, Infant Massage, massage | Leave A Comment »

The art of self-massage

The benefits of massage are plentiful. Massage helps reduce muscle tension and stiffness, it can increase your strength in the gym by 13 per cent, it provides relief from pain and physical stress, and it loosens the muscles and connective tissue allowing the body to move more fluidly.

While not all of us can afford a massage therapist, we can afford a tennis ball. A tennis ball is the perfect self-massage tool. It is portable, lightweight, it provides instant feedback and it’s easy on the pocketbook.

Try the following selfmassage techniques, either in the evenings to work the kinks of the day out, or after a workout to help encourage waste removal and speed muscle recovery.

GLUTES

. Seated on the floor, cross one foot over the knee of the other leg. Place a ten-nis ball alongside the glute of your bent knee (the other leg is straight).

. Supporting your weight with your arms, roll onto the ball using your arms to move your body weight over the ball.

. If you hit a particularly tight muscle (you will know when you do!), allow the ball to settle into that area, slowly releasing the muscle tightness.

SHOULDERS

. Standing with your back against a wall, position the tennis ball to one side of your spine.

. Bend and straighten your knees, pressing into the ball and massaging small sections of the upper back, one section at a time. Start with your mid-back and work your way up to your neck.

HAMSTRINGS

. Sit on the floor and extend the right leg straight out in front of you, hands behind you. Your left leg should be bent with the foot firmly planted on the floor.

. Position the tennis ball under the right thigh and slowly roll the ball up and down the thigh, using the arms and left leg to support and move your body weight.

CALF

. Kneel on the floor with your feet tucked under you and your bum on top of the feet.

. Lift up the bum and place a ball along the top of calf, just below the back of the knee, and then slowly sit back on your heels again. The force of your body weight will give you a great pressure-point massage for the calf muscle.

. Keep doing that along the calf until you reach your ankle.

Feet

. Stand in bare feet with the ball under one foot.

. Roll it in all directions, holding onto a wall or chair for support. If a tennis ball is not enough pressure, or seems too large, try a golf ball.

Article source: http://www.delta-optimist.com/news/self+massage/5177639/story.html

August 2, 2011 | Categories: massage | Tags: Bellingham massage, massage | Leave A Comment »

Leticia Allen Receives the Lifetime Achievement Award at the American Massage Conference

Leticia Allen, president of Atlanta School of Massage, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ONE Concept Gala held during the American Massage Conference on Saturday, May 21, 2011 in Atlanta Georgia.

The ONE Concept Award honors professionals in the field of massage and bodywork who have made significant contributions to the profession of massage therapy. ONE Concept is an organization comprised of alternative health care providers who promote and practice the benefits of operating an environmentally conscious business while preserving our ONE planet.

Leticia Allen founded Atlanta School of Massage, the first massage school in Georgia, in 1980. “I owe this award to all the students, graduates, staff and faculty who embody our vision: the marriage of honed skill and a giant heart of compassion, united by a spirit of service,” said Allen. “I owe this award to Atlanta School of Massage who has been my teacher for 30 years. I owe this award to my mother whose love has embraced me through success and failure.”

Atlanta School of Massage students participated in the conference by offering mini-massages at the “Sanctuary” with all proceeds going towards the Massage Therapy Foundation which provides funding for research in advancement of the industry.

About Atlanta School of Massage

Atlanta School of Massage, the leading Georgia massage school, is celebrating 30 years of providing excellence in massage therapy education.

In keeping with its leading-edge tradition, Atlanta School of Massage continues to expand a long history of accomplishments:

First massage school in Georgia
First Georgia massage school to be accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSC)
Named an ACCSC 2004 School of Distinction
First Georgia massage school to be approved by the U.S. Department of Education to offer Title IV funding
First massage school to partner with Emory University on research into the beneficial effects of neuromuscular therapy on patients with Parkinson’s disease
First Georgia massage school to open a skin care division, Atlanta Institute of Aesthetics

Atlanta School of Massage is located at 2 Dunwoody Park, Atlanta, Georgia 30338. For more information, call 770-454-7167 or visit atlantaschoolofmassage.com. For information on the skin care division, Atlanta Institute of Aesthetics, the premier esthetician school in Georgia, visit atlantainstituteofaesthetics.com

Article source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/6/prweb8571874.htm

June 20, 2011 | Categories: massage | Tags: alternative health care providers, American Massage Conference, massage, professionals in the field of massage | Leave A Comment »

Medical Mystery? Vocal Cord Massage Finally Brings Back Mom’s Voice

After coming down with a cold in May 2010, Erin Martin could only muster a whisper for weeks and then months.

“I woke up on a Sunday with a really bad sore throat,” she said. “A week and a half went by and I didn’t have a voice.”

Three months later, the hairstylist who rarely found herself at a loss for words with clients was rendered voiceless.

Martin of Wilmington, Del., said she thought she would never speak again — that was until she visited Dr. Claudio Milstein at the Cleveland Clinic’s Head and Neck Institute and was diagnosed with functional dysphonia, an abnormal tightening of the muscles around the voice box.

After 15 minutes of massaging and manipulating Martin’s vocal cords, Milstein had the mother of four laughing — and crying — and speaking in her regular voice.

“It just felt so great, like it was a dream,” she said.

No Voice? Doctors Have No Answers

Before she traveled to the Cleveland Clinic, Martin said the eight or so doctors she saw were perplexed by her condition.

“They were like, ‘You should wait another week, give it another month. Call a specialist,’” she said.

Nothing in Martin’s life was the same — not at her kids’ baseball games, not at the salon and not at home with her husband and kids.

“At that point, I was getting depressed,” she said. “Everything was just hard. Just things you took for granted. … You couldn’t do it.”

“The un-fun part was that she had to bang the wall to wake us up in the morning,” said 7-year-old daughter Hayley Martin. “She would have to ask someone else to talk for her.”

Twelve-year-old Alex Martin said she was stressed out. “Everyone thought it was going to be like a month and after a month went by, everyone was worrying,” Alex Martin said. “It felt like two years.”

“We weren’t talking the same way we did,” said husband Tom Martin. “It was like I wasn’t married almost. A lot of things we did, we weren’t doing together.”

Voiceless: Possible Answer in the News?

Erin Martin said one day her brother and friend told her about a story they’d heard in the news.

“They called and said, ‘You gotta listen to this woman. She sounds just like you,’” she said.

The woman in the news had functional dysphonia, in which the vocal cords get very tight and locked in position, making them unable to vibrate to produce sound.

Martin said she was skeptical but made an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic and drove seven hours to get there on her birthday.

Article source: http://feeds.abcnews.com/click.phdo?i=67e353c11d1c2235503cccafc7f864bf

May 19, 2011 | Categories: massage | Tags: functional dysphonia, massage, Vocal Cord Massage | Leave A Comment »

Dine out in Bellingham on May 3 to help feed the hungry

BELLINGHAM – Eat at one of 43 restaurants in the city Tuesday, May 3, to help raise money for a program that feeds the hungry in Whatcom County.

Restaurants participating in the Opportunity Council’s 11th annual Dine Out for Maple Alley Inn that day will donate a percentage of their sales to the effort.

Maple Alley Inn served more than 12,000 hot meals last year. The program offers meals twice a week to those who are hungry or homeless.

Article source: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/04/30/1992357/dine-out-in-bellingham-on-may.html

May 3, 2011 | Categories: Bellingham Evens | Tags: Bellingham News | Leave A Comment »

Cross-friction massage

C ross- friction massage is one of the most effective non-surgical treatments for tennis elbow, rotator cuff, ankle sprains, sports injuries, and other common injuries to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Cross-friction massage is a technique that was developed by a British orthopedic physician, Dr. James Cyriax. The use of transverse friction massage utilized by your doctor or therapist is to see the immediate feedback regarding the potential effectiveness of the treatment.

Muscle, tendons, and ligaments (soft tissues) can be stressed beyond their capabilities, resulting in “micro-tearing.” The normal response to this tissue “micro-tearing” is inflammation. Inflammation plays an important role in the normal healing process; however, if this inflammation remains unchecked then a normal scar forms along the lines of stress in the soft tissue.

This is a bad thing. Persistent overuse and even immobilization can result in increased scarring of the tissue. This scar tissue does not have any of the characteristics of healthy soft tissue. This scarred tissue is fibrous and decreases mobility and extensibility. The loss of the elasticity results in loss of function; loss of functions leads to a vicious cycle of “micro-tearing,” inflammation, scarring, re-aggravation and the return of pain. Not a pretty cycle at all.

Transverse friction massage is applied by the doctor/therapist by applying the fingers directly over the tissue involved. The key here is for the massage to be tranverse to the direction of the tissue fibers. This is where anatomy class comes in handy. The transverse friction massage is a rhythmical stress transversely to remodel collagenous structures of the connective tissues. This transverse friction massage prevents adhesions from forming and ruptures unwanted adhesions form the soft tissue. When transverse friction is applied correctly it will result in an analgesic type reaction over the treated area. This also results in improved range of motion and less pain.

Treatment times vary with the severity and duration of the condition. It is important to treat injuries as soon as possible; however most people will wait, thinking “it will go away.” How many times have I heard that one in the last 25 years? Acupuncture with moxibustion, electrical stim, and laser can also be implemented to improve the outcome.

God bless America and all of our troops. Yours in good health.

Article source: http://www.journal-advocate.com/ci_17057011?source=most_viewed

April 28, 2011 | Categories: massage | Tags: Bellingham massage, Cross Friction Massage, massage, Tissue Fibers, Transverse Friction | 2 Comments »

Bellingham Ladies’ Night Out to benefit local nonprofit

BELLINGHAM – Women can shop and party for a good cause Friday, April 29, during Ladies’ Night Out downtown.

The event includes shopping specials and activities at a variety of downtown stores from 5 to 8 p.m., followed by a party benefiting the Womencare Shelter.

The party will include music, a fashion show and raffle tickets, and will run from 8 p.m. to midnight at the American Museum of Radio and Electricity, 1312 Bay St. Tickets are $15, available at Greenhouse, 1235 Cornwall Ave., the Downtown Bellingham Partnership, 1304 Cornwall Ave., and the museum.

Article source: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/04/26/1986842/bellingham-ladies-night-out-to.html

April 27, 2011 | Categories: Oddball, Personal | Tags: Bellingham Event, Bellingham News, Womencare Shelter | Leave A Comment »

How Safe Is Prenatal Massage – Things You Should Know

By: ayuverdic

Remedial massage has been expansively used for centuries to improve general health condition, ease stress, and reduce muscle tension. More often than not, women receive ambiguous responses from the community health groups regarding the safety and efficacy of reflexology during the course of pregnancy. Recent investigation and research show that prenatal reflexology therapy can be a vital factor and part in women’s prenatal care and should be given careful consideration.

The Benefits

Research studies point out that restorative massage in the course of a woman’s pregnancy can soothe muscle aches and pains. Furthermore, it generally reduces the signs and symptoms of depression. One of the fashionable massage techniques is the Swedish massage which provides the greatest benefits to pregnant women. This type of massage decreases muscle tension, it helps the blood to circulate well and is considered as the most recommended massage for pregnant women as it focuses on the skeletal and circulatory system.

Therapeutic massage studies has demonstrated that expecting women who received massages at least one or two sessions for a five-week period has greatly lowered their levels of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrines. They also showed to have high levels of serotonin and dopamine which are known as the body’s “feel good” hormones. This evidence strongly suggests that therapeutic massage when included in an average prenatal care can give mothers a number of health benefits.

Common conditions during pregnancy may consist of swelling and edema of the joints. These situations are caused by increased pressure on a woman’s major blood vessels from the heavy uterus. The massage can help soft tissues to discharge these trapped fluids, and aid in the elimination of waste products from the body.

Also, most women experience sciatic nerve pain in the late stages of their pregnancy. The weight of the uterus can exert pressure on the muscles located in the upper and lower leg, which then causes acute swelling and pressure on the nerves. Therapeutic massage has been confirmed to help cut down this demands and significantly relieve sciatic nerve pain.

Precautions

To start with, expecting women should discuss with their respective obstetrician the advantages and risks accompanied with this type of massage. You need to further appreciate the advantages and risks of therapeutic massage prior to having it done. Therefore, it is definitive to work with a knowledgeable licensed massage therapist before incorporating therapeutic massage to your pregnancy care.

If your obstetrician allowed you to get massage then you can schedule an appointment from a licensed prenatal care massage therapist. These people are very well trained in the field of massage and they are proficient in addressing the sensitive areas of the pregnant body.

Some pregnant women may perhaps have high risk pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, hypertension due to pregnancy, previous pre-term labor or severe swelling. If you have any of these conditions, you should consult your health care provider prior to receiving a massage. To add on to that, most massage therapists are not likely to attend to any woman in her first trimester of pregnancy. This is because researches have shown that there is a higher chance of miscarriage in the first twelve weeks.

One good benefit of massage is it can enhance the overall prenatal health of many expecting women. Alongside the supervision of a health care provider, this treatment can therapeutically help relieve pregnant mothers of unfortunate medical symptoms. It is proven to produce better pregnancy outcome.

Therapeutic massage is a marvelous way to help reduce some of the discomforts connected with pregnancy, which include back and joint pain, anxiety and swelling. Then again, to be a wise mom, one should be closely monitored either with the opposite partner or a special prenatal care professional.

Article source: http://nationalsportsreview.com/sports/us/dailydeke/2011/04/23/how-safe-is-prenatal-massage-%E2%80%93-things-you-should-know/

April 26, 2011 | Categories: massage | Tags: Bellingham massage, Benefits Pregnancy Massage, massage, Pregnancy Massage | Leave A Comment »

Infant massage helps parents, babies bond

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FROSTBURG — Tiffany Gallion learned something pretty quickly about her 8-month-old son, Waylon, after she began giving him massages.

“He doesn’t like his stomach messed with,” she said. Waylon does enjoy his massages though and Gallion said she’s recommended that other parents learn the techniques she learned from Melanie McDonald, a certified infant massage instructor, at The Judy Center at Beall Elementary School.

“It’s the most relaxing class I teach,” McDonald, who is also the executive director of The Family Junction, said. “It’s pretty simple; we demonstrate on doll babies, then they practice along with us. We also give them a book to take home,” McDonald said. McDonald has been teaching the classes, offered periodically, for about five years.

The Judy Center provides funding for the class. Family Junction provides the teacher, and Family Support Services coordinates enrollment and snacks, McDonald said. “Usually we teach the class several times throughout the year,” she said. The class is one session and lasts about an hour and a half.

“I really liked it; Waylon has some neck muscle issues. He tolerated it well,” said Gallion. “It’s a lot easier than I anticipated. It was better than I expected, it was really hands-on,” Gallion said.

Some of the health benefits of massage for infants include relief of pain and colic, relaxation and the development of good muscle tone, according to Loving Touch’s website. The Loving Touch organization promotes and offers training on infant massage.

Infant massage isn’t only for moms, said McDonald. Dads are encouraged to come too, and overall, the classes break down with about 70 percent mothers and 30 percent fathers.

“We also have had grandparents come as well,” McDonald said. Since the classes are relaxed and informal, parents can change a diaper, and nurse or feed a baby. McDonald is not a licensed massage therapist, so she demonstrates on the doll, not on the actual babies.

“We teach the strokes in sequence. The parents take the booklet home and we give them a little bottle of massage oil. We encourage them to use apricot oil rather than a mineral-based oil, it’s much gentler. They can also borrow a video,” McDonald said.

“People think they have to do it exactly right,” but that’s not the case, McDonald said, and parents can learn a lot from the baby’s reaction to the massage as they continue to practice it at home. “Times when the baby is quietly alert is the best time to do it, when the baby is calm, looking around, but not active,” McDonald said.

The atmosphere created in the class is one of the best aspects of the class, McDonald said.

“The first thing I notice is that the parent enjoys it as much as the babies. All the parents are smiling,” she said. “It’s relaxing and soothing — the soft music, it gets everyone in a relaxed mode,” McDonald said. “Last class, the babies were on their bellies, and the parents were massaging their backs, it got really quiet,” she said.

The usual number of babies is about 15 per class, McDonald said.

For more about infant massage, visit http://www.lovingtouch.com/.

For more information on the Family Junction, visit http://www.thefamilyjunction.org/.

Contact Matthew Bieniek at mbieniek@times-news.com.

Article source: http://times-news.com/local/x69809820/Infant-massage-helps-parents-babies-bond

April 26, 2011 | Categories: massage, Personal | Tags: baby therapy, Bellingham massage, Infant Massage, massage | 2 Comments »

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