Author Archive
Want to live longer?
Everywhere you look these days there are articles and ads about how to live longer. While I too wish to live a long life, the part that intrigues me is the living healthier. How do I live well? Do we have to adhere to the latest fad diets? Latest exercise craze? Daily massage like Bob Hope? Or take a dozen or so of the medications the ads tell us about whose side effects scare the dickens out of everyone?
The answer seems to be a bit of each. Balance. A balanced life is key.
Attitude is truly crucial no matter which part of yourself you are working on. Eat healthy, balanced meals, get some exercise and fresh air every day you can (be careful not to overdo with your exercise program. Too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing!). Get massages regularly. Take medications that you and your doctor decide is best. Socialize with friends.
Re-evaluate your program for your life regularly to see if you are progressing in your quest to be healthier and happier.
I find that writing down goals is a great way to accomplish them. It also reminds me to stick to my plan when I may have forgotten for a day or two. I keep a basic check list on my fridge reminding me to eat veggies and fruit (a matchstick line for every serving so I see how much I am eating), get fresh air/sun, take meds, exercise etc. What will your check list include? Maybe just to smile at a stranger, pack lunch instead of fast food, walk the dog etc. Its the little things that can make a huge difference! Be well! ~Terry
Best Massage?
The time of year has rolled around to vote for the best therapeutic massage in the Ann Arbor area again. If you are so inspired, please help us with a vote (link below).
What exactly does this local contest mean? Does it guarantee that you will have the best? Not really. It just means that lots of folks were willing to go online, figure out the voting system, get a confirmation of their account and go back in to vote. Techie folks and the younger set will do this easily. Others will have to be very committed. Others will just look it over and give up.
So if it doesn’t mean that the therapists meet a certain standard and have proven themselves to be the best, why is it a coveted thing? Visability, advertising and “prestige”.
Whether we achieve first place or not, I would rather have the therapists continue to use their energies to focus on providing the very best massage they can. But don’t get me wrong, we would love to have the priviledge of knowing you spent the time to vote for us. So, if you get a minute, would you help us out ? 
Acupressure to Relieve Headaches
Acupressure to Relieve Headaches
Acupressure is (can be) a self-care treatment regimen related to acupuncture, the ancient Chinese traditional medical treatment modality which uses needles inserted into the skin at strategic points along meridians in the body to treat numerous conditions. How the treatment works is unknown, but acupuncture and, presumably, acupressure have been proved to result in increased levels of blood beta-endorphin, the body’s natural pain-killing substance. Acupuncture is effective for pain relief, and even anesthesia, though not equally in all people, and probably with greatest effectiveness in the head and neck regions. It is therefore a reasonable self-treatment approach to reducing headaches, particularly those with mild-to-moderate pain intensity.
The most powerful acupressure point for headache is Gallbladder 20 (Gates of Consciousness the two points on either side of the neck vertebrae where the neck muscles attach to the skull), located immediately below the prominent ridges at the rear base of the skull on both sides of the skull in the depression between the skull and the vertical neck muscles.
Rubbing these points and the surrounding one-square-inch area steadily for three to five minutes, using firm pressure at 90 degrees to the skin is often effective by itself in decreasing headache pain.
Additionally, except in pregnant women where it is traditionally forbidden, massage of the point Large Intestine 4 (Hoku or Adjoining Valley), one of the most powerful points overall, is often suggested. This point is located in the webbed area between thumb and first finger on the upper (dorsal) surface of the left hand where the bones and attached muscles come together in a “v”.
Staying fit in the cold
Hard to believe it is December already. Slippery sidewalks abound thanks to freezing rain topped witha dusting of snow. My favorite form of exercise is walking. Usually with my dog, but thanks to a high impact fiasco involving said friend, I fractured some ribs and cannot walk her for awhile. Having had a senior citizen dog for so long made me forget about youthful pups. She has two speeds, off and full tilt. While we work on the command (or desperate request!) “easy”, I have to think of still getting my exercise in the winter.
What about you? Do you walk? Ski? Sled? Have snowball fights? I know, you are telling me that snowball fights are not exercise. Depends upon how good a shot your opponent is and how much you don’t want to get hit with the ball! Sprinting and dodging are great exercise! Remember your stretching too. Whatever you do, stay active this winter!
Relieve muscle pain and doldrums.
I don’t know about you, but this rain with the cold wind makes my whole body achy. Normally I love going out and walking my dog, and that loosens me up (unless she drags my about chasing squirrels!) but in this weather it just seems to make things worse.
What I want to do mostly on days like this is curl up under a blanket with a nice cup of tea. There is one other thing that will get me willingly out of that desire for a cocoon and that is a great massage. Thankfully all of our therapists are greatly skilled and have blankets so I am still getting that part of my fantasy! Having the muscles that are so sore massaged can make a dreary day turn into a lovely rendition of “Singin’ In The Rain”. Come on in and give it a try. I cannot promise we have your favorite tea, but go ahead and bring that with you. We have the mug and water for it!
How can massage help with dental care?
There are two areas that I am going to address in regards to this topic, but only one in todays blog, a personal experience regarding a root canal. The second and most obvious one I will cover in the near future will be about TMJ Dysfunction.
The sad day came that I needed a root canal. This came very closely on the heels of my first horrible experience at the dentist office. I used to love going to the dentist! My teeth were in good shape, which means a nice cleaning and lots of compliments from the dentist. Then came the day one of my old fillings had to be replaced. I went in as cheery as usual, but once the drill slipped breaking the filling and hitting my nerve, that was it! The new filling was replaced a couple of times, didn’t work out right. I was going to need a root canal!
I had heard the horror stories, so was filled with apprehension about the whole thing.. Todd offered to take me to his dentist who is known for doing great root canals. I went. The dentist even had awards for his work. At that point I was still nervous about the whole thing.
When it came time for the procedure, Todd went with me and massaged my feet. (I know, you wondered when massage was getting involved!). With the chatting and massage, I was shocked to find out we were done and that it was complete.
I now am a huge advocate in massage during scary procedures, be it a hand, foot, scalp, whatever. The peaceful, caring energy helps the mind forget the fear. It was great having a pro with me, but a loving friend or partner can help out too. Check with your dental expert to make sure there will be room for that extra person first. Be certain that it is someone who can help you relax, and not be distracting to the dental staff. Good luck!
Some of our FAQ’s answered about the first visit
So you want to know what happens on your first visit to our office. Some things are the same whether you come in for a relaxation massage or specific clinical work. The key point in getting the therapeutic massage that works for you is to communicate with your therapist. Below I will cover some of the usual questions we receive.
1. You will come in a few minutes early to fill out a health questionnaire. It will take 5-15 minutes depending on how much you need to write. Once you have filled that in, your therapist will take you to the treatment room and go over the form with you.
2. If you have chronic muscle pain of any type, plan on having a few tests for muscle range, perhaps some orthopedic tests and such to assist the therapist in figuring out a great treatment plan for you. I like to do some of that before you get on the table, and some during the session. Depends on the therapists style.
3. Your therapist will tell you to get undressed and get under the sheet (a technique called “draping” keeps you covered except for the area being worked on.) while they step out of the room. If you are uncomfortable with taking your clothes off, let your therapist know and they will work with you. There are many techniques. Most people will leave on their underpants, but remove everything else. Some folks, like myself, will leave on socks in the winter until we get to the feet. I love to have my feet worked on, but even with cozy blankets and such, my feet are often cold. Again, as always, communication with the therapist is key.
4. Music. Ah yes. We all have a variety of choices. I tend to play quite a bit of Celtic, although New Age, mellow jazz or peaceful classical are regulars too. Others like more ethereal styles, and some others like much more upbeat styles. Some clients bring in music that they want to hear, or request none at all. Many musicians find the music distracting as they start working the piece out in their minds. If your therapist doesn’t ask, and it matters to you, ask what the choices are and pick what will help you relax.
5. Pressure. Everyone has a different idea of what feels good or therapeutic. We tend to work with a 1-10 scale. 1 being no pain and 10 being unbearable pain. Please talk with your therapist about pressure. If it is too much, say so. Same goes for too light. Hopefully it will be just right, but if not a few words from you and it can be.
6. The next time you come back, you and your therapist will know each other much better! We look forward to building a wonderful professional relationship with you!
Massage-kids view
Getting massages as a kid is great especially if you play sports.
I play soccer and it feels great after a game to get a massage.
I’ve getting massages since I was a baby. I love massage!
Josh- 8 years old
Massage and Cancer: New Rules?
Written by Terry Hirth Caldwell
I have been racking my brain to figure out what to write about Oncology Massage. There are books on the subject, and I was hoping to narrow some facts into a a couple of nice blogs. Not easy. There is a lot of new information out there due to updated research. When I was in school we were told not to massage anyone with cancer. Now except for a few rare exceptions, massage is a regular treatment to aid the healing process. Periodically I will have blogs in here about specific instances and such. Write feedback if you have a particular subject you would like addressed.
I think I will start with the communication part. To me, that is the key to any quality relationship.
First off, check with your Oncologist(doctor treating the cancer)to discuss whether or not massage is appropriate at this time. Can you have swedish? Trigger point work? or energy work? At certain times during treatment, increasing circulation is contraindicated as is deep pressure.
When you call or come in to see a massage therapist, the first thing you will be asked is “Did you check with your doctor first?” Remember, we too live by the adage “Above all do no harm”. Then your therapist needs to collect some information from you. Be honest. For both of you.
1. What is your diagnosis? (type of cancer, symptoms,etc.)
2. Have there been complications to other areas? (metastasis-cancer now in other organs/areas).
3. What treatment are you undergoing? (surgery? Were lymph nodes taken also? How many?, chemotherapy? Radiation?)
4. What is your treatment schedule? When did you last have___?
5. What have been your side effects from treatment?
After getting this information, your therapist can then figure out how best to work with all of you. What position would be most comfortable, pressure to use, areas to avoid , etc.
Massage is a wonderful adjunct to cancer treatment, when done properly. Be well.
Exercise tips: Part 2
Written by Brooke Bailey
The last tip I have is to try several different types of exercise to find something that you like to do. There are so many choices. I mentioned walking before, and there are many other options such as hiking, dancing, Barre classes, pilates, bicycling etc. Check the Ann Arbor Observer online for beginning classes.
If being on your feet bothers you, try swimming. Over time you will wonder why you hadn’t taken whatever you choose up sooner!
These are just a few tips I tried for myself when I got myself back into working out. I never sweated the details of my workouts until much later. My first goals were to commit myself to a 1 mile walk followed by five minutes on a machine.
Pretty soon I was back to doing all different kinds of cardio including classes and I also added back weights. Now if I don’t workout I feel out of sorts. I need it simply to feel strong at work, healthy and happier. I hope this helps however simple this may seem. Of course don’t forget, come for a massage to help your muscles out as you train or even as a reward for a job well done!
