Tag Archives: deep tissue massage benefits

Regular Massage Recommended for People with Fibromyalgia

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Massage and other touch therapies including myofascial release and connective tissue massage have been found to reduce pain, anxiety and stiffness associated with fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by chronic pain, joint rigidity, intense fatigue, sleep disturbances, headaches, anxiety and often depression. Fibromyalgia occurs more often in women than in men, and the interruptions in quality of life seem more dramatic for younger patients with fibromyalgia than in older patients.

A 2011 study published in the journal Rheumatology International, showed that aerobic exercise combined with neuromuscular treatment of eighteen specific trigger points significantly improved quality of life, pain control, range of motion, ability to sleep and mobility in the test group.

Lower Back Injuries are Common in Young Athletes

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A recent study conducted at Loyola University Medical Center showed that lower back injuries were the third most common injury in young (high school and college) athletes behind knee injuries and ankle injuries.

One place in particular that causes lower back pain in athletes is a trigger point located in the gluteus maximus—a thick extensor muscle necessary for stair climbing, power push offs and jumping. A developing trigger point in this large muscle may be perceived as lower back pain or hip pain and can be greatly relieved through neuromuscular massage.

Because repeated lower back injuries can lead to chronic back problems, sports massage is often used by colleges and some high schools to keep young athletes in top shape.

Lafayette Celebrates Small Business Saturday

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In my role as President of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, I had an opportunity to visit 30 local small businesses, along with Chamber Executive Director Vicki Trumbo, and board member Michelle Irons, to recognize the owners with a rose on Small Business Saturday.

We were recognized for our efforts in the nationwide newsletter, The Chamber Executive Network.

Small Business Saturday takes place each November and is a way for the community to come out and celebrate our hard-working small business owners.

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Hand and Wrist Stretches for Kids at School and People Who Work at Desks

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Straighten your arm in front of you with your palm up. Use the other hand to gently press your fingers down toward the ground in a slow gentle stretch. Repeat on the other hand. Then, straighten your arm in front of you with your palm down. Use the other hand to slowly bend your fingers back toward your body stretching your wrist. Repeat on the other hand.

Sugar Suppresses Your Immune System

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A landmark study from Loma Linda University years ago showed that ingesting processed or refined sugar as opposed to a more natural form of sugar found in fruits and vegetables makes the white blood cells—the cells we rely on to fight infections—less responsive.

One thing that ingesting sugar is known to do is to provoke an inflammatory response. The body’s reaction to that is to send the protective white blood cells to limit the damage that inflammation can do. If white blood cells are made less responsive by the sugar that is present, they’re less able to protect the body from inflammation.

Here are 5 additional reasons to limit the amount of refined sugar in your diet:

  1. A steady diet of refined sugar can lead to insulin resistance which means your body is less able to make good use of the sugar through a simple release of insulin. Over time your body may need far more insulin to make use of the sugar you are consuming to keep your blood sugar levels steady.
  2. Sugar promotes inflammation. Inflammation is a known risk factor in heart attacks and strokes.
  3. It can lead to weight gain. This one’s a no brainer. Empty calories are empty …
  4. Sugar contributes to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Our livers process refined sugars the same way they process ethanol (alcohol). Eating too much sugar is like alcohol without the buzz.
  5. Sugar acts like fertilizer for cancer cells. Cancer cells without fuel grow slowly making them far less dangerous than cancer cells that grow and spread quickly.

Refined sugars—syrups, honey, table sugar, soda, baked goods, etc.—when consumed in quantity, or even in small quantities but consumed regularly can lead to disease and can hamper your ability to fight off infection.

If You Get Cold at the Stadium, Exercise These Muscles

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If you get cold sitting at the stadium watching a game, get your big muscle groups working to warm you up.

Abdominal circles – squeeze your lower abdominal muscles and hold for 3 seconds, then your right abs, then your upper abs, then your left. Repeat that circle 5 times.

Calves Lifts – Lift your legs up so that you’re on the balls of your feet, hold for 10 seconds and release. Repeat 5 times.

Butt and Thigh Squeezes – squeeze your buns and hold for 5 seconds, then squeeze your thighs and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 5 times.

Tension Headaches and Trigger Points

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Tension-type headaches are common and can be greatly relieved by massage. Headaches can be caused by referral pain from trigger points in the muscles of the neck and head. Often, the symptoms are pain that runs up through the temple, or around the eye, or across the forehead. These are classic signs of trigger points that can be treated with neuromuscular massage.

Knee Injuries from Long-Distance Running

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Long-distance runners often complain of knee pain due to the structure of the knee and the way it gets used while running. Often pain caused by the soft-tissue structures around the knee can be the source of pain that feels like it’s coming from within the knee. Strains in the hamstring or quadriceps can mimic intra-joint pain as can strains in the iliotibial band. Muscular sources of knee pain can be relieved by neuromuscular massage.

Pain in Your Feet First Thing in the Morning?

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People with plantar fasciitis often complain about pain in the heel that is most painful with the first few steps in the morning. The pain then subsides with movement. Massage can treat the musculature that places stress on the plantar fascia—the thick connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot from the heel to the toes.

Massage can also treat soft tissue injuries that mimic plantar fasciitis. Pain in the foot that results from a long day of walking but never occurs in the morning is more likely to be pain referred from trigger points in the calf muscle that is felt in the foot. Either way, neuromuscular massage can help relieve the symptoms.

Treat Sciatica with Neuromuscular Massage

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Sciatica is an inflammation of the sciatic nerve that causes pain that runs down the back of the leg from the three gluteal muscles to the hamstrings, the calf muscles and even to bottom of the foot. Pain can also be accompanied by numbness in the leg. Most often, sciatica is caused by a disk that has slipped or herniated. Typically, sciatica only affects only side of the body.

There is another condition that mimics sciatic pain: piriformis syndrome (also called pseudo sciatica). Piriformis syndrome causes the same pain pattern as sciatica. The piriformis, a muscle in the gluteal area that sits on top of the sciatic nerve allows us to walk, shift our weight from one foot to the other and maintain balance. When this muscle gets tight and contracts, it pushes onto the sciatic nerve causing pain.

Unfortunately, many doctors will prescribe pain killers which only mask the pain, physical therapy which can decrease the pressure on the nerve, injections of cortisone-like-anti-inflammatory drugs which can have side effects, or surgery which can be difficult to recover from and doesn’t always work.

Neuromuscular massage can fix piriformis syndrome, and the symptoms do not usually come back. Neuromuscular massage can also relieve the pain of sciatica, but may require a combination of therapies to eliminate any underlying structural problems.