Research has shown that depression can lead to reduced immune functioning. A recent article in Massage Magazine describes how depressed people are more prone to premature ageing of immune cells, “which could in turn open the door to serious illness, such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke and dementia.” A challenged immune system does not … Continue reading
Image by darijus via Flickr Massage Magazine has published several articles about how massage can help dealing with depression. Lots of research is being done in the field. Researchers prove many things we as massage therapists intuitively have known for a long while. Now it is backed up by scientific studies and research. This week … Continue reading
When we read about what massage is good for, the majority of focus is placed on physical benefits. This is easy to study and research scientifically, as it can be weighted and measured. There is another aspect to massage which is rarely mentioned. The emotional benefits. How massage affects our feelings, our mood and emotional … Continue reading
I came across an article on Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) written by Paul Ingraham which addresses some rather interesting facts and fictions. I highly recommend you read the entire article if you wish to understand the topic in depth and the science behind it. Here I will just give a brief summary. 1) RSIs are … Continue reading
Image via Wikipedia An article on The Medical News website describes how massage helps bereaved deal with grief and find strength to better deal with the situation. Receiving soothing massages for eight weeks after the death of a loved one can provide much-needed consolation during an intense, stressful period of grieving. Touch can be very … Continue reading
Image by Pandiyan via Flickr Stress has a tendency to settle in the muscles, making them tense and eventually painful. For myself, it’s especially the jaw-muscles which tense up and can become so tense and sore that it can be hard to yawn. For many mothers I’ve treated tension is located in shoulders and back. … Continue reading
Image via Wikipedia Not all people should receive massage. There are contraindications and situations where a massage can be directly harmful. When you use heat and cold in a massage, these multiply and you need to be even more aware of the conditions the client has and how to deal with them. Temperature extremes stresses … Continue reading
Hygiene is very important when you massage, especially in these times where the threat of the new flu is hanging over us. We as therapists are very aware of the situation and take our precautions. For a normal massage we do the following: Wash our hands before and after a massage. Change sheets and towels, … Continue reading
Image by Scott M Duncan via Flickr Body Sense recently published an article “Massage Multiplied – benefits of massage improve with frequency” (the PDF file can be downloaded here). In short it tells how frequent massages can improve your overall health and wellness, get rid of injuries and tensions faster and how it serves as … Continue reading
Image via Wikipedia When you use the chest instead of with the stomach (diaphragm) to breathe, you can cause trigger points and tensions the upper chest and back. This can result in headaches, numbness and pains in chest, arm, shoulder and hand. For instance the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by tensions … Continue reading