Sept 2011

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Massage MultipliedBenefits of Massage Improve with FrequencyKarrie Osborn

Regularly scheduled massage has proven a powerful ally in health and wellness.

"Appreciateyourself andhonor yoursoul" Yogi Tea

Office Hours and Contact

Lynn Spurling Massage & Yoga Therapywww.lynnspurling.massagetherapy.com828-606-6600

In this Issue

Massage MultipliedSteer Clear of the Gym Massage for Old Injuries

What kind of massage client are you? Doyou make an appointment aftersomeone has given you a massage giftcertificate? Do you try to get in everynow and then for a stress-relievingtune-up? Or do you see your therapistreligiously--once a week, every threeweeks, once a month?

While getting a massage--regardless ofhow often--is incredibly beneficial toyour body and mind, getting frequentmassage treatments is even morepowerful as a healthcare ally.

"People who get massage regularlydemonstrate a reduction in pain andmuscular tension and an improvementin posture," says Anne Williams, author

of Spa Bodywork: A Guide for MassageTherapists (Lippincott Williams andWilkins, 2006).

"People regularly make a commitmentto fitness. People regularly make acommitment to changing their diet. Thedifference they'd experience if theyregularly made a commitment tomassage is mind-blowing," she says.

Stress KillerOne way in which frequent massage canimprove our quality of life is byalleviating stress. Experts say mostdisease is stress-related, and nothingages us faster--inside or out--than theeffects of stress. As stress-relateddiseases continue to claim more livesevery year, the increasingly deadly rolestress plays in modern-day life ispainfully clear.

Massage is a great way to take charge andreverse the situation. Mary Beth Braunand Stephanie Simonson, authors ofIntroduction to Massage Therapy(Lippincott Williams and Wilkins,2007), explain the benefits of massage

therapy in the simplest of terms:"Healing input influences healingoutput." They note that frequentmassage can reduce the accumulation ofstress and improve overall health. "Thebenefits of massage are cumulative," theywrite.

A consistent massage routine helps you manage stress before it causes illness.

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This being the case, it only makes sensethat those aches and pains you see yourmassage therapist for might disappearfaster, stay away longer, or even go awayaltogether with more frequent visits.Stress might never reach thosephysiologically detrimental levels wherethe immune system is suppressed or thenervous system is sent into an alarm stateif you are able to receive stress-relievingbodywork with some consistency. Notonly would your body benefit byregularly unleashing its aches and painsinstead of adapting to them, but yourmind would have time to wash away thestresses of a life lived in overdrive. Bothare critical pieces for living well.

Experts say the body and mind can learnto live more calmly, more efficiently,and more healthfully when frequentmassage shows the way. That makes for ahealthier whole, allowing us to continueto live life at its fullest, even as we dealwith each new stress or challenge.

Preventive MeasuresIn so many ways, massage is preventivehealth care. Yes, it can address injuries,scar tissue, and chronic pain, as well asprovide relief for cancer patients andreduce hospitalization for prematurebabies, among many other valuablebenefits (go to Massagetherapy.com formore information on the myriadbenefits of massage). But when thehealthy, and trying-to-be-healthy,among us seek out massage on a regularbasis, it helps us live a proactivelyhealthier life.

Since bodywork influences every systemin the body, there are enormouspossibilities created by increasing thefrequency in which you address thosesystems. It's best to discuss your sessiongoals with your massage therapist andtogether devise a plan of frequency thatmeets your needs, while taking intoaccount your therapist's best advice.

Body AwarenessAccording to Benny Vaughn, sportsmassage expert and owner of AthleticTherapy Center in Fort Worth, Texas,one of the benefits of consistent andregular massage therapy is betterflexibility. "This happens becauseregular and structured touch stimulusenhances the nervous system's sensoryand spatial processing capacity," he says.

"That is, the person becomes moreaware of their body's movement in spaceand becomes more aware of tightness orpain long before it reaches a criticalpoint of mechanical dysfunction."

Quite simply, frequent massage puts youmore in tune with your body. "Theconsistency of massage therapy over timecreates a cumulative stress reductioneffect," Vaughn says. "The personbecomes acutely aware of stress withintheir body long before it can createstress-driven damage."

He says the consistency of receivingregular massage therapy has the potentialto create a cumulative wellness effect."Ultimately when one feels good, ourwhole being follows suit on all otherlevels--i.e., decision-making is better,processing life events is better, andbeing happy is easier when you are notin pain or feeling 'heavy' or 'tight.'"

Williams says she's certain people's liveswould be changed if they could schedulemassage and bodywork more frequently."I encourage clients to commit togetting massage once a week for a monthand then evaluate the results they get,"she says. "I guarantee they will becomemassage enthusiasts for life."

Massage Can...--Alleviate low-back pain and increaserange of motion.--Create body self-awareness.--Improve muscle tone and stimulatetheir nerve supply.--Improve elasticity of skin andpromote skin rejuvenation.--Improve sleep and calm the mind.--Increase endorphin and seratoninproduction.--Reduce edema, as well as jointinflammation.--Release negative holding patternsfrom previous injuries.

Take it easy and let your massage soak in.

Steer Clear of the Gym Take it Easy After Your MassageRay Bishop

Massage for Old InjuriesAncient Injuries Don't Have to Make You Feel OldArt Riggs

When booking a massage, consider yourschedule, and try to avoid any strenuousphysical exertion for at least 24 hoursfollowing your bodywork session.Exercising after a session can bothincrease muscle soreness andcompromise the value of the soft-tissuework you've just received. "Strenuousexercise" includes activities such asrunning, weight lifting, high intensityaerobics, or power yoga classes.

Light exercise such as moderate walking,gentle stretching, or swimming laps atan easy pace is okay for healthyindividuals. One widely accepted view infavor of this twenty-four-hour recoveryperiod is that sustained pressure onconnective tissue makes it more gel-like.The technical term for this change isthixotropic effect. This state ofincreased softness lasts abouttwenty-four hours, so high-intensityexercise may pull or move the tissue backto old patterns or even induce newstrain patterns.

Experts usually suggest taking it easy that

evening and the following day. Tofurther reduce any bodywork-relatedsoreness, drink at least two liters ofwater in the next twenty-four hours tohydrate and flush your system. Take ahot Epsom salt bath and drink gentlycalming teas such as chamomile orpassionflower to facilitate sleep andreduce stress that is so commonly seen asa contributing factor in chronic muscletension and soreness. If you're dealingwith an injury, the guidelines should beadjusted, but these basic suggestionsseem to work well for most people.

It does appear that healthy people whoexercise vigorously five to six days a weeksometimes find even these modestrecommendations quite challenging. Ifyou're one of these people, considerworking out before your session andthen take it easy afterward.

To get the most out of your massage,hold off on the workout. When you dohit the gym again, you'll likely discoveryour body is more fit than ever, thanksto the healing power of bodywork.

Injuries such as chronic back pain, trickknees, and sticky shoulders are notnecessarily something you just have tolive with. Massage techniques might holdthe key to unlocking this old pain.

Will Massage Help?The benefits of massage will depend onthe extent of the injury, how long ago itoccurred, and on the skill of thetherapist. Chronic and old injuriesoften require deeper and more precisetreatments with less emphasis on generalrelaxation and working on the wholebody. Massage works best for soft tissueinjuries to muscles and tendons and ismost effective in releasing adhesions andlengthening muscles that have shorteneddue to compensatory reactions to theinjury. Tight and fibrous muscles not

only hurt at the muscle or its tendon,but can also interfere with proper jointmovement and cause pain far away fromthe original injury.

Therapists who perform such work oftenhave specialized names for theirwork--such as orthopedic massage,neuromuscular therapy, myofascialrelease, medical massage, etc.,--butmany massage therapists utilize aneclectic approach combining the best ofthe specialties.

It Works!A recent Consumer Reports article ranthe results of a survey of thousands of itsreaders and reported that massage wasequal to chiropractic care in many areas,including back and neck pain. Massage

also ranked significantly higher thansome other forms of treatment, such asphysical therapy or drugs.

If that nagging injury persists, considerbooking a massage. Be sure to discussthe injury with your practitioner: Howdid you receive the injury? Have youreinjured it? And what exactly are yoursymptoms? Often, the bodycompensates in one area to protectanother that has been traumatized, andthis can create new problems.

Discuss the issues with your massagetherapist. (Sometimes just talking aboutold injuries can play a significant role inthe healing process.) Together, the twoof you can work to determine atreatment plan.

Hello and welcome to my Fall 2011 newsletter.

I hope you've all enjoyed your summer and are lookingforward to the cooler temperatures and colors of fall. Growing up in South East Asia, it was tropical all year longso this time of year is special to me especially living here inthe beautiful mountains.

This fall, revitalise yourself in deeper ways by making time toschedule a massage regularly. Try something different like apampering or therapeutic deep tissue massage or a privateyoga session and celebrate your true colors! Standing on thecusp of a new season affords you the opportunity to lookinward and discover what propels you forward.

Fall into deeper relaxation and wellness this autumn.

Please help share my mission to create a total wellnessbeing through what I offer with your friends and family. Yougain a complimentary session with me with every 3 referrals.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~20% OFF Gift Certificates and first session! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Call/Text 828.606.6600www.lynnspurling.massagetherapy.com

Lynn Soo-Spurling

Asheville , NC 28801