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The positive impact that stress management has on your health is well worth the effort! Many people depend on massage therapy to work out their aches and pains and to bring them to a state of relaxation. During this Covid-19 era there has been a heightened sense of anxiety and stress and a lack of ability to continue our normal routines of self care that we desire and that we need. As we've discussed in past articles, there are multiple ways to self-massage to calm muscle tension. Although nothing compares to the hands and skills of  a professional body-worker, some relief can be found through self-massage care. As you break out the tennis balls and foam rollers to work out your knots, don't neglect the importance that mindful relaxation has on your health. The benefits are bountiful and lasting! Some mistakenly understand the pursuit of relaxation practices, including massage therapy, to be only a thing of luxury, something that is decadent, a treat to be h...

Hands are amazing tools for us to use, but when they hurt, we're miserable! Do you ever get achy tired hands? Most people are using computers and phones frequently, which is adding to the problem of over-use syndrome. As we tap away on our keyboards and texting, our small muscles and joints in the fingers, wrists and forearms start to become grumpy.  Just being alive for more than 40 years, can come with it's own set of issues regarding over use.  Without specific therapeutic exercises and stretches done on a regular basis, this achy tired feeling can become a painful sensation that doesn't seem to want to go away.  If this is happening to you, consider a "hot bath" of sorts for your hands to soak in. I can remember in my teen years back in the 1980's an elderly lady that I knew who loved to regularly play the piano at her church. One day I was at her home and saw her dipping her hand into a container of  liquid and pulling her hand out covered in a f...

Myofascial release is becoming more known as people are experiencing the benefits of receiving this treatment.  'Myo' refers to muscle and 'fascia' refers to the material covering the muscle, so myofascial release is the process of loosening the tightness of the tissue. As you can see in the image below, the fascia surrounds the muscle fibers and also attaches itself in between the fibers.  This covering protects the muscle and keeps it in it's place. Fascia is throughout the entire body from head to toe. When there is tension due to daily activities, injury or emotional strain, the body's response is to send extra fascia tissue to the area to help support it. This tissue is sticky and referred to as an adhesion, which allows it to stick to the area in need. The less hydrated the system is, the more sticky the adhesions becomes. Eventually this leads to the feeling of having knots as the adhesions collect and become clumped together in stickiness. ...

Tammara Giving A Kid's Chair Massage Short answer, absolutely! At our massage practice we often work with children who are very active in sports and experiencing aches and pains or the parents are being proactive to prevent aches and pains by bringing them in for some body work. We ask that the parents stay in the room with us and sign a waiver for minors. It is always a blast to work with kids. Some of the younger ones squirm and giggle when first experiencing a release of tension from their tight little muscle. It can sometime feel ticklish until we figure out just the right amount of pressure that works for them. The teens and preteens usually melt into the table and tell us that they want to come everyday! Don't we all? Similar to adults, children experience tight muscles, knots, aches and pains with the only difference being that they recover quicker from pulls and strains than us older types do. Some of the Benefits  Immunity Boost: Massage is beneficial at ...

Anxiety is the worst! Everyone suffers from occasional anxiety, but anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in America according to the ADDA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America). The sad thing is that anxiety disorders are highly treatable, but less than 40% of sufferers seek help. Don't contribute to that statistical fact! Therapy and medications can be incredibly helpful, but don't discount the alternative treatments that are available. Most people know that massage is know to reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure and generally give the mind and body an overall sense of wellness, but there are also some specific foods that are surprising helpful as well. Anxiety is caused in part by an imbalance of neurotransmitters. These are chemical messengers that play a role in mood regulation. Eating anxiety fighting foods can help lower the severity of anxious feelings by balancing the chemistry in your body. Red Wine - No more than 2 glasses a day!  Dark ...

Ouch! The dynamic and forceful twists and turns of tennis unfortunately can lead to many risks of injury. Knees, lower back and shoulders are most prone to muscle strains for tennis players. Keeping an eye on proper form can greatly reduce problems in these areas. Understanding the causes of this can help develop strategies to improve functional movements that help reduce painful injuries and keep you on the court! Know the Source If you're having pain in your shoulders, the problem might actually originate with your hips. The legs pivot in the hip sockets, allowing the spine and shoulders to rotate and the arms to swing during the back-swing and the follow-through.  For a more powerful hit, tennis players often jump during the swing, which intensifies the stress on the body.  Ample ability to rotate the hips is fundamental to proper form for many tennis moves. If the hips are overly tight and not freely moving in full range of motion, other areas of the body compensat...

When pain is felt between the shoulder blades, it would be assumed that there is a problem somewhere in that area, but it could actually be coming from your neck area. Knowing where the pain originates from can help in formulating a treatment plan to alleviate discomfort. Better yet, knowing how the problem started, can help the pain from developing to begin with. Nerves: The Struggle is Real Pain is caused by the nerves becoming entrapped within tight muscles. The area around the neck and shoulders is especially prone to entrapment due to the crowded nerves that run from the neck area down into the scapular (shoulder) area. They twist and turn in tight spaces around and through muscles that run along your spine from the base of your skull down into your shoulder area.  When the muscles become tight and inflamed they further compress and crowd the nerves. That causes the nerves to become grumpy. The grumpiness runs all the way down to the muscles between your shoulder blades. ...

So many tools, so little time!  We are in an era where tools for myofascial release abound. There are so many choices, that it can become confusing as to what tool to use for what issue and how often, how much and....  The confusion can go on and on. Let's try to unpack some of this to make it easier to understand. First of all it is important to understand what the purpose of these tools are for. Muscles build up tension from such stressors as exercise, poor posture, work and lifestyle habits and even from emotional stress. Have you ever been in terrible traffic for a long amount of time and found yourself reaching for your neck to give it a rub because it feels tight? Tightness that stress has caused initiates the body to respond by sending more fascia to the muscles in the area that is feeling stressed. Fascia is a thin sheath of fibrous tissue that encloses muscles and organs in the body. When extra is needed, it is produced with a stickiness to it...

The Many Benefits of Massage for Cyclists (of all levels) Tammara - Massage Extraordinaire and Cycling Enthusiastic Not only is Tammara an Extraordinary massage therapist, she is also an avid cyclist.  Tammara gets a massage at least once a month and sometimes more often if she's dealing with a particular issue.  Her philosophy,  "The better I take care of myself, the better my body takes care of me." Massage Benefits for Cyclists: Help loosen tight spots Promotes recovery by flushing out toxic chemicals Keeps your fibers smooth and limber Relieves post-exercise pain Boosts heart health Prevents injury with the help of stretching Enhances performance Feels good!! Tammara shares how massage can benefit all parts of the body , which take a beating from cycling. " Massage helps TREMENDOUSLY for a cyclist.  Anyone who spends an hour or more in the same position on a bike will tell you that their low back, neck and shoulders can start compl...

Doesn't this look like fun?!?  Chair Massages Poolside Having a drink of your choice while getting a chair massage - RELAXING!  Is this what you thought chair massage was? Chair massage is an easy way to obtain important health benefits.   As little as 15 minutes of chair massage a week has been proven to lower stress, reduce muscle tension, rejuvenate the mind and body, and increase focus. Workplace Massage Benefits - Good for business Increases focus and mental alertness Reduces stress-induced illnesses Reduces absenteeism Reduces injury Increases productivity Increases energy GREAT way to show associates APPRECIATION and Increase MORALE Chair massage can be also be used for: Bridal and Wedding Parties Parties - Birthday, Anniversaries Conventions/Conferences/Trade Shows Golf Tournaments/Sporting Events Health Fairs As you can see, chair massage is not only FUN and RELAXING; it is also good for your health, both for your b...

The Benefits of Lavender The Most Versatile of all Essential Oils 1)  Fragrance is calming, relaxing and balancing - both physically and emotionally Rub 2 - 3 drops of lavender oil in your cupped palms then inhale the scent to calm the mind Rub on your feet, temples, wrists Use in a diffuser 2)  Cleanse cuts, bruises and skin irritations To stop bleeding, clean wounds and kill bacteria 3)  Sleep aid Rub a drop of lavender oil on your palms and smooth on your pillow Use in a diffuser 4) Insect bite / Bee sting To stop itching and reduce swelling 5) Minor burns To decrease pain, redness and swelling 6) Eczema / Dermatitis Mix several drops of lavender oil with  coconut oil and use topically on eczema and dermatitis. 7) Nausea or motion sickness Place a drop of lavender oil on end of tongue, around the navel or behind the ears. 8) Dry or chapped skin and chapped or sunburned lips 9) Dandruff Rub a few dr...