Different Types of Massage

"Many different types of massage are offered at places from health care facilities and fitness centers to resorts and spas. Here's a sampling:

Swedish: Intended to relax and energize you, this is the most common type. Long strokes, kneading and friction techniques are used on the more superficial layers of the muscles, combined with active and passive movements of the joints.

Deep tissue: For muscle damage from an injury, such as whiplash or back strain. It's designed to release chronic patterns of tension through slow strokes and deep finger pressure on contracted areas.

Injury: Uses the technique of deep tissue massage and targets areas specific to injury or illness, such as headaches, back pain, ankle sprains and joint disorders.

Hot stone: A technique used in conjunction with other modalities in which warmed stones are placed on specific spots, such as acupuncture points, and sometimes used as massage tools.

Sports: Aimed at enhancing athletic performance and recovery by helping to prevent and treat injuries and keep the body flexible." ~ Source: CourierJournal.com

Please contact John Morgan, certified massage therapist, to learn more about massages!

Massage Reduces Stress in Breast Cancer Patients

"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. As a result of this devastating disease, many women are susceptible to stress disorders. The National Cancer Institute states that as many as one in five women with breast cancer (22 percent) may have posttraumatic stress disorder over the course of their lifetime. Now, a group of German researchers recently published an article in the Archives of Women's Mental Health that shows that massage is effective in reducing stress in breast cancer patients.

A group of 34 women diagnosed with primary breast cancer received either 30 minutes of massage twice a week for five weeks (17 patients) or standard care with no massage therapy (17 patients). All patients were given a questionnaire to rate their stress and mood levels. In addition, blood samples were taken to measure levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

At the end of the study period, patients who received massage therapy reported lowered stress and fewer mood disturbances, particularly in the areas of anger, anxious depression and tiredness. In addition, their cortisol serum levels were lower than those women who did not receive massage therapy.

The researchers concluded, "Our randomized controlled study suggests that women with breast cancer benefited from a 5-week massage treatment within the first years after surgery. Our study suggests that massage therapy may lead to a short-term reduction of stress perception and cortisol levels.

Furthermore, we found a positive impact of massage on mood disturbances. This study also raises questions for further investigations that may help in the understanding of the mechanisms of massage therapy and its physiological and psychological effects." ~ MassageToday.com

For more news, contact Edmund Morgan's School of Neuromuscular Massage, the best school for massage therapy in North Carolina!

Effect of Massage on Chronic Low Back Pain

"Lower back pain is one of the most common conditions in the United States and a leading reason why people see a doctor. Four out of five adults will suffer from low back pain during their lives.

Unlike lower back pain, which is often caused by muscle strains, chronic lower back pain typically persists for more than three months. The pain may be progressive, or be characterized by flare-ups. The causes of chronic pain can be hard to pinpoint, but they can usually be linked to a degenerative disc disease or a lumbar herniated disc. While some doctors prescribe muscle relaxants, many patients prefer to avoid these drugs. People feel drowsy, dizzy, confused, lightheaded or less alert when using muscle relaxants.

Other side effects include blurred vision, clumsiness or unsteadiness. Thus many patients are turning to massage therapy for relief.

Many healthcare providers accept massage therapy as an effective treatment to relieve the symptoms of lower back pain. A majority of providers advise patients to combine massage therapy with medical treatment. Massage therapy can reduce lower back pain, depression and anxiety. It may also improve a patient's range of motion and elevate their serotonin and dopamine levels, allowing for enhanced sleep.

The American Massage Therapy Association points to research showing massage therapy improves blood circulation, relaxes muscles and increases endorphin levels. Endorphins are the feel-good chemicals the body produces to help us deal with pain.

A research study conducted by the Center for Health Studies in Seattle, Washington revealed that massage therapy could have prolonged benefits for sufferers of chronic back pain. In the study, 262 adults, ages 20 to 70, were given Swedish and deep-tissue massages, trigger-point therapy (applying pressure to tender muscle tissue), neuromuscular therapy and movement education. After 10 weeks, participants noted that the benefits of massage therapy continued well beyond the last treatment and persisted up to one year later.

When suffering from chronic lower back pain, first consult a primary care physician before attempting massage therapy. If the doctor advises that massage may help, find a licensed massage therapist who is nationally certified through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (www.ncbtmb.org) or the American Massage Therapy Association (www.amtamassage.org). Note: Medicare and most private insurance do not cover massage." ~ MassageToday.com

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Massage Therapy and Alzheimer's Disease

It has been said that in 25 years, the United States will have two kinds of people: those who have Alzheimer's disease and those who are caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease. Dementia is a term meaning loss of memory and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia.

Licensed massage therapists agree that the transformation that can occur when intentional touch is offered, enhancing quality of life of individuals living with Alzheimer's disease.

For example:
- The woman, withdrawn and thought to be non-verbal, who looked me in the eye and said "thank you" following a hand massage.
- The gentleman whose agitation was calmed with a simple back rub allowing the nurse's assistant to help him get dressed without the usual struggle.
- The activities director who said to me, "She has been here for several months, but when I gave her a hand massage, I felt like I really got to know her for the first time!"

So what is at the heart of these seemingly magical moments? There is clearly something profound happening that goes well beyond simple touch. We can explore the relationship between human needs and well-being to gain a greater understanding of how deep our touch truly goes.

Massage therapy can reduce muscle pain

Muscles that are in spasm will be painful to the touch. The pain is caused by ischemic muscle tissue. Ischemia means the muscle is lacking proper blood flow, usually due to the muscle spasm. This in turn creates the following undesirable process:

- Because the muscle is not receiving enough blood, the muscle is also not receiving enough oxygen
- The lack of oxygen causes the muscle to produce lactic acid
- The lactic acid makes the muscle feel sore following physical activity.

After the muscle is relaxed through massage therapy, the lactic acid will be released from the muscle, and the muscle should start receiving enough blood and oxygen.

Neuromuscular massage therapy will feel painful at first, but the pressure of the massage should alleviate the muscle spasm. At this point, it is extremely important to communicate with the massage therapist regarding the pressure - whether the pressure is too much, too little, getting better, getting worse. The therapist should listen and respond accordingly. The massage therapy pressure should never be overly painful. In fact, most people describe the pressure as “good pain”. ~ Source: SpineHealth.com