Cancer and Massage Therapy

Well, October is just a few days away! In light of it being Breast Cancer Awareness month (and lots of Pink being displayed to show support...I love it!!!), I wanted to share some information with you about massage therapy and cancer. Though massage won't stop cancer from growing or spreading, studies have shown that massage therapy does offer several benefits for those with cancer:

1. Improves Sleep

2. Anxiety Relief

3. Helps with Nausea

4. Eases Pain

5. Eases Fatigue

From the American Cancer society:  

Massage is recommended by some health care professionals as a complementary therapy. Supporters believe massage can help reduce stress, anxiety, and pain in people who have serious illnesses such as cancer. It is also known to help relax muscles. Many people find that massage brings a temporary feeling of well-being and relaxation. Massage is also used to relieve pain and stiffness, increase mobility, rehabilitate injured muscles, and reduce the pain of headaches and backaches. Some practitioners claim massage raises the body's production of endorphins (chemicals believed to improve overall mood) and flushes the waste product lactic acid out of muscles. Proponents also claim massage promotes recovery from fatigue produced by excessive exercise, breaks up scar tissue, loosens mucus in the lungs, promotes sinus drainage, and helps arthritis, colds, and constipation.

Visit the link below to read more about what the American Cancer Society has regarding Massage Therapy and cancer.  

http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/ManualHealingandPhysicalTouch/massage

I also found this among my search for information:

In a study done by Janice Post-White in 2003 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and the United Hospital in Saint Paul, 230 people who were receiving chemotherapy for cancer were given various treatments including massage to see how they responded.

In the study, people were given four 45-minute treatments of intervention therapy a week. They were monitored to see what their responses were after the therapy.
At the end of the study, they found that massage therapy and healing touch reduced pain, improved mood and increased relaxation more than just having a caring person present in the room or the usual care control. Both massage and healing touch lowered respiration and heart rate. Only massage lowered anxiety.  

http://www.massage-therapy-benefits.net/massage-and-cancer.html#axzz1ZARI40l4

Important things to consider before trying massage therapy

If you have cancer  it's important to let your massage therapist know about your diagnosis, treatment, and any symptoms you may have. You may also want to speak to your physician regarding massage before you book an appointment.  Keep these things in mind:

• If you've just had breast surgery, you should lie on your back for a massage until your doctor decides it is safe for you to lie on your stomach.
• Deep massage, or any type of massage that involves strong pressure, should NOT be used if you are undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. People undergoing chemotherapy may have a decrease in red and white blood cells, so with deep massage, there is a risk of bruising. Since deep massage can be taxing to a system already vulnerable from chemotherapy and radiation, it is not recommended for people currently in treatment. Light massage can be used instead.
• If you're currently undergoing radiation, your massage therapist should avoid touching any sensitive skin in the treatment area. Massage and massage oils can make already-irritated skin feel much worse. Your therapist should also avoid touching any temporary markings in the corners of the radiation treatment field. If you don't have skin irritation in the treatment area, any massage to this area should be done very lightly through a soft towel or cloth.
• If you have had lymph nodes removed, the massage therapist should only use very light touch on your affected arm and the area around the underarms.
• If you have arm lymphedema, your arm and underarm area should be treated by a different kind of massage especially for lymphedema, called manual lymphatic drainage. Look for a physical, occupational, or massage therapist trained and certified in manual lymph drainage to treat your lymphedema.

You can view additional information at http://www.breastcancer.org

If you know someone that is fighting cancer, please share this information with them!  I've had several clients come in post-surgery and/or pre/post-treatment and their feedback was that they felt great after their massage.  

Also, for the month of October, I will be donating 10% of each service to Susan G. Komen for the Cure (and you'll also see me sporting my pink hair...just a streak, not my whole head!). If you want to donate, find a local team that is participating in the walk or visit http://www.komen.org

 I'll post again soon; I miss having time to blog! :)  

STRESS & Learning to Manage It - PLUS Special Surprise for two weeks in September!!

Well, here goes another blog entry!  :)  I've been spending the last couple of days preparing for the holiday season.  I'm so excited about it.  I've got a great deal for Breast Cancer Awareness next month!  I have my holiday services, bundles, deals, etc. all lined out.  I'm about foaming at the mouth to share this stuff with you guys (just kidding...no foaming, promise!).  When it comes to Christmas time...seriously, ask anyone that knows me, my holiday spirit is a problem!  Haha!  But, for my clients this year, it's a good problem!  :)  Think candy canes, spiced apple, pumpkin, Christmas cookies, GREAT gift options, etc!  HOWEVER, it is only September 14 (sigh), so I'm going to have to hold off on the holiday talk for a few more weeks!  Don't want to be "that" girl!  :)  However, with the holidays quickly approaching, I figured it would be a good time to talk about stress and stress management!  Hopefully this will give you the upper hand when the time comes and the hustle and bustle are pushing you to your limit! :)

"Stress" is a word that makes people cringe!  Everyone has it, at SOME point.  People giggle when they answer the first question on my intake form: "Do you suffer from stress?".  And most of the time, the answer is an instant "YES"!  Stress is a part of life, but how it's dealt with can make a huge difference in your quality of life.  Personally, my family doesn't stop. We go and go and go.  It can get stressful (if you don't believe me, you're welcome to chauffeur my oldest son to football games and baseball tournament in two different towns while working and taking care of a mischievous 1 1/2 year old, all in one weekend!  Haha).  I love my life AND my family AND my work, but without stress management you may see me wandering around muttering nonsense and looking as if I'd lost my mind (if you do see this, please intervene with a Diet Coke and some Chocolate! ;))  Of course, everybody will have their "I need to scream" moments...and that's natural!  It's when it becomes a constant that it becomes a problem!  And, learning how to deal with those moments is essential!  As the Mayo Clinic put it: "In looking at the causes of stress, remember that your brain comes hard-wired with an alarm system for your protection. When your brain perceives a threat, it signals your body to release a burst of hormones to fuel your capacity for a response. This has been labeled the "fight-or-flight" response. Once the threat is gone, your body is meant to return to a normal relaxed state. Unfortunately, the nonstop stress of modern life means that your alarm system rarely shuts off.  That's why stress management is so important. Stress management gives you a range of tools to reset your alarm system. Without stress management, all too often your body is always on high alert. Over time, high levels of stress lead to serious health problems. Don't wait until stress has a negative impact on your health, relationships or quality of life. Start practicing a range of stress management techniques today."

Easy enough, right?! :)  Just manage your stress...that's it.  For most, that is easier said (or written) than done.  What if you have no idea how to do that?  You're not the only one, I promise!  Again, from the Mayo Clinic: "The first step in successful stress relief is deciding to make a change in how you manage stress. The next step is identifying your stress triggers. Some causes of stress are obvious — job pressures, relationship problems or financial difficulties. But daily hassles and demands, such as commuting, arranging day care or being overcommitted at work, can also contribute to your stress level. Positive events also can be stressful. If you got married, started a new job and bought a new house in the same year, you could have a high stress level. While negative events in general are more stressful, be sure to also assess positive changes in your life.  Relaxation techniques are an essential part of stress management. If you're an overachiever, you may put relaxation low on your priority list. Don't shortchange yourself. There are active ways of achieving relaxation. Relaxation is invaluable for maintaining your health and well-being, and repairing the toll that stress takes on your mind and body."  

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-management/MY00435

So, how do you relax?  If you're like so many others, your day needs a few more hours in it to begin with...no way you can take time from it to "relax", right?  Wrong.  Relaxing isn't lazy.  It's not self-indulgent.  It's not wasted time.  Sometimes, it's simply NECESSARY!!!  Find something that relaxes you and do it, even if it's only for 10-20 minutes a day.   Get a monthly massage (Yes, 30 or 60 minute massages make a big difference).  Take a walk or head to the gym (exercise boosts Endorphins...Endorphins make you happy - get it?).  BREATHE! For goodness sake, just BREATHE! :) Doing some deep breathing while driving to work (in that terrible traffic! ugh.), sitting in line to pick up your child at school, in between phone calls at work or waiting at the doctor's office can make a big difference.  Try to incorporate a few minutes deep breathing during different parts of your day!  No matter what you choose, be consistent.  Try to keep it up and make it a regular part of your routine!

The link below is something I found regarding Quick Stress Relief.  It talks about your senses and how you can relieve stress and prevent stress overload by simply tapping into your senses!  "The key to practicing quick stress relief is learning what kind of sensory input helps your particular nervous system find calm and focus quickly. Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so an awareness of your preferences is essential for reducing stress."

Check it out: http://helpguide.org/mental/quick_stress_relief.htm

Okay, wow...that was long.  But there is a lot of information out there about stress and stress management and I honestly LOVE sharing any information that I can find to help folks manage their stress and live each day a little better!  Hope you are all having a great week!  Until next time...  

OOOOOHHH....WAIT, DON'T GO YET!  I almost forgot the best part!  Because I'm glad you're reading the blog, I'll give you the first heads up on a little surprise I'm starting next week!  Anyone that comes in for a massage (valid for 30, 45 or 60 minute massages) from Monday, September 19th to Friday, September 30th will receive a super-special discount!  I received my new 20 oz. promotional water bottles, see below, and I'm itching to give some away!  When you come in for your massage, you'll pick a bottle (of course you get to take it home and enjoy the wonderfulness of it whenever you'd like!  haha) and inside the bottle there will be a discount for you to use THAT DAY! :)  The discount amounts will be: $5, $10, $15, $20, $25 & $30 off!  If you get a 30 minute massage, it has potential to be free!!!  Did you hear that?  FREE.  :)  Now, I know what you're thinking...you're thinking i'm going to put a bunch of $5 cards in them and only one $30!  Well, you're wrong!  I can't believe you'd think that (but, I'd think it too, if we're being honest! HA! :)  I love surprises and deals just as much, if not more, than the next person, so there will be a good amount of each for you to pick (just depends on how lucky you are)!  

Massage eases PMS? Really? YES!!!

I was reading an email today from Massage Magazine, and it included this article.  I listed "easing PMS symptoms" as one of the Total BodyWorks "Top 10 Reasons to get a Massage" and this explains why.  Read away! :)

Women suffering from symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), such as irritability, headaches, anxiety and weight gain, felt relief from regular massage sessions, according to results from a recent research study.The study, "Premenstrual symptoms are relieved by massage therapy," was conducted by the Touch Research Institute in conjunction with the University of Miami Medical School. Twenty-four women, aged 19 to 45, with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (a severe form of PMS) were selected from gynecological practices. The women were randomly assigned to a massage therapy group or a relaxation group. Those in the massage therapy group received twice-weekly, 30-minute massage sessions for five weeks. The sessions started during a premenstrual week to establish a baseline measure. At the end of the study, results indicated that the massage therapy group experienced a decrease in anxiety, a decrease in depression, a reduction in perceived pain, and an overall reduction in PMS symptoms including pain and water retention.  Researchers wrote that future studies might focus on the effects of a longer-term massage therapy program.

"Overall, the present findings suggest that massage therapy may be an effective long-term aid for pain reduction and water retention, and short-term for decreasing anxiety and improving mood for women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder. 

"Source: Touch Research Institute. Originally reported in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, March 2000, Vol. 21, pp. 9-15.

Thanks for checking in.  It really does make me so happy that I've got this blog now to share all of the great information I find!  

Oh, and check out the Summer edition of Body Sense Magazine.  I posted the link under "Body Sense Issues".  It's got some good info in it.  I'll be posting those as I receive them from now on! :)

Hope you all have a great week and take some time for yourselves amid the crazy, busy days we call "life"! :)

-Nicole

Increase the Frequency...Increase the Benefits (Seriously)!

I was reading through some information from a ABMP (Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals) and came across this article.  I thought it'd be a great starting point to broaden the awareness of how many things massage can be good for.  Most people just call for a massage when something hurts or when they are absolutely maxed out.  While there is NOTHING wrong with that (getting one is better than not getting one, any day of the week!), this article discusses the ability to use massage as a preventative measure (instead of waiting until you just can't stand it anymore).  Massage can certainly help alleviate the symptoms of many issues (back pain, neck pain, headaches, etc.), but when done more frequently, it's also a maintenance tool to help keep those issues from developing into another super painful situation.  I tell my clients often...I can't undo 20 years of bad posture, heavy lifting, a stressful working situation, etc. in 60 minutes.  I wish I could, but it is just not possible.  Working to get you in a good place and then MAINTAINING that good place is all up to you...and a frequent massage could be just the ticket to get you there! 

Benefits of Massage Improve with Frequency

By: Karrie Osborn

What kind of massage client are you? Do you make an appointment after someone has given you a massage gift certificate? Do you try to get in every now and then for a stress-relieving tune-up? Or do you see your therapist religiously--once a week, every three weeks, once a month?

While getting a massage--regardless of how often--is incredibly beneficial to your body and mind, getting frequent massage treatments is even more powerful as a healthcare ally.

"People who get massage regularly demonstrate a reduction in pain and muscular tension and an improvement in posture," says Anne Williams, author of Spa Bodywork: A Guide for Massage Therapists (Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2006).

"People regularly make a commitment to fitness. People regularly make a commitment to changing their diet. The difference they'd experience if they regularly made a commitment to massage is mind-blowing," she says.

Stress Killer - One way in which frequent massage can improve our quality of life is by alleviating stress. Experts say most disease is stress-related, and nothing ages us faster--inside or out--than the effects of stress. As stress-related diseases continue to claim more lives every year, the increasingly deadly role stress plays in modern-day life is painfully clear.

Massage is a great way to take charge and reverse the situation. Mary Beth Braun and Stephanie Simonson, authors of Introduction to Massage Therapy (Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2007), explain the benefits of massage therapy in the simplest of terms: "Healing input influences healing output." They note that frequent massage can reduce the accumulation of stress and improve overall health. "The benefits of massage are cumulative," they write.

This being the case, it only makes sense that those aches and pains you see your massage therapist for might disappear faster, stay away longer, or even go away altogether with more frequent visits. Stress might never reach those physiologically detrimental levels where the immune system is suppressed or the nervous system is sent into an alarm state if you are able to receive stress-relieving bodywork with some consistency. Not only would your body benefit by regularly unleashing its aches and pains instead of adapting to them, but your mind would have time to wash away the stresses of a life lived in overdrive. Both are critical pieces for living well.

Experts say the body and mind can learn to live more calmly, more efficiently, and more healthfully when frequent massage shows the way. That makes for a healthier whole, allowing us to continue to live life at its fullest, even as we deal with each new stress or challenge.

Preventive Measures - In so many ways, massage is preventive health care. Yes, it can address injuries, scar tissue, and chronic pain, as well as provide relief for cancer patients and reduce hospitalization for premature babies, among many other valuable benefits. But when the healthy, and trying-to-be-healthy, among us seek out massage on a regular basis, it helps us live a proactively healthier life.

Since bodywork influences every system in the body, there are enormous possibilities created by increasing the frequency in which you address those systems. It's best to discuss your session goals with your massage therapist and together devise a plan of frequency that meets your needs, while taking into account your therapist's best advice.

Body Awareness - According to Benny Vaughn, sports massage expert and owner of Athletic Therapy Center in Fort Worth, Texas, one of the benefits of consistent and regular massage therapy is better flexibility. "This happens because regular and structured touch stimulus enhances the nervous system's sensory and spatial processing capacity," he says. "That is, the person becomes more aware of their body's movement in space and becomes more aware of tightness or pain long before it reaches a critical point of mechanical dysfunction."

Quite simply, frequent massage puts you more in tune with your body. "The consistency of massage therapy over time creates a cumulative stress reduction effect," Vaughn says. "The person becomes aware of stress within their body long before it can create stress-driven damage."

He says the consistency of receiving regular massage therapy has the potential to create a cumulative wellness effect. "Ultimately when one feels good, our whole being follows suit on all other levels--i.e., decision-making is better, processing life events is better, and being happy is easier when you are not in pain or feeling 'heavy' or 'tight.'"

Williams says she's certain people's lives would be changed if they could schedule massage and bodywork more frequently. "I encourage clients to commit to getting massage once a week for a month and then evaluate the results they get," she says. "I guarantee they will become massage enthusiasts for life."

Massage Can...

--Alleviate low-back pain and increase range of motion.
--Create body self-awareness.
--Improve muscle tone and stimulate their nerve supply.
--Improve elasticity of skin and promote skin rejuvenation.
--Improve sleep and calm the mind.
--Increase endorphin and seratonin production.
--Reduce edema, as well as joint inflammation.
--Release negative holding patterns from previous injuries.
--Stimulate lymph circulation and enhance immunity.

Of course, I understand that finances are a part of everyone's daily woes.  With the economy the way it is right now, some things take a back seat.  But, YOUR wellness plan should definitely NOT be in the back seat! :) I offer discounts on massage packages (groups of 3 massages) for this reason.  It is to try to encourage the repeated sessions that I know could be so beneficial to some people!  In the long run, you'll be glad you tried it out...I'm confident of that! :)  Until next time...

Body Sense Magazine - Summer 2011

Quarterly, ABMP (Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals) puts out a publication called Body Sense magazine.  It usually has some great information in it and I wanted to be sure to share it with you all!  :)  This Summer's edition includes information like:

• Making massage a part of your wellness strategy
• Smartphone Neck Syndrome and Blackberry Thumb (info about smartphone habits that aren't so smart!)
• Three Stretching Principles 
• Massage and Recovering from Abuse

Simply click the link below to be taken to the digital issue.  Hope you enjoy :)

Body Sense Magazine - Summer Issue

Here's to my first blogging experience...

So, I'm new to writing blogs.  I read other people's blogs, on occasion, and have actually learned a thing or two from them! Recently, I decided that I needed to give it a shot and help my clients and those interested in massage learn just what all it can do!


These days, Massage Therapy is considered SO MUCH more than a luxury. I consider it an INVESTMENT IN YOUR HEALTH (I can almost guarantee that I'll write that over and over and over...I'm a big believer in that phrase) and there really is much more to it than just the occasional day of pampering (even though that's definitely nice, too!  Regular massage sessions (when I say regular, I mean monthly or bi-weekly...depending on why you are coming) can really help you in a lot of different areas of life: stress, muscle aches/pains, healing from an injury, did I mention STRESS, insomnia, your immune system function, circulation, etc.  I could go on and on and list the many different things massage is good for...but, as tempting as it is, I can't write EVERYTHING in the first blog post!  :)  There are so many different studies and articles about the benefits of Massage Therapy, self-care techniques, stretching, prevention...it goes on and on!  I can't wait to share them with you!  Also, if you're not familiar with the plethora of different techniques that can be used (hot stone massage, heat/cold therapy, sports massage, deep-tissue massage, etc.) this is the place where you can find out about them and see whether or not you want to try something a little different next time you come in for a session!  


Of course, there will be random things thrown here and there (because that's just how I am!). Hmm...writing this was a lot easier than I thought. :)  Excuse any grammatical errors.  I get carried away with exclamation marks and lots of smiley faces.  I'll work on that (promise!)! :)  I'll update soon (for sure) and am SUPER excited about sharing all of the great information I find that could help YOU on the road to wellness and healthier, less-stressful days, from this point forward!! 

-Nicole