Massage and Fever

I tend to talk about all the times when you should get a massage, such as to relieve tension, ease back pain, or many other times when it is appropriate. Over the next few days, I will talk about times when you shouldn't get a massage, or should find a massage therapist with extra training that specializes in your condition.

Do you have a high fever?

Do not get a massage when you have a fever. There are a few simple reasons as to why.

1. Massage can be taxing for your body. If you have a fever, your body is already fighting something in your system.
2. You should be at home, resting so you can feel better.
3. If you have a fever in conjunction with a cold or flu (or some other underlying infectious disease), you could pass that on to not only your massage therapist, but to anyone that enters the same building after you.
4. Do you really want to get massaged when you have a fever? I know I wouldn't want to.

What if you have a cold/flu?

Massage during a cold or flu can make your symptoms worse, but the duration of your sickness will be shorter. But once again, if you have a cold or the flu, you should stay home and take care of yourself until you are not contagious anymore.

Over the next few days I will post about some other conditions such as Osteoporosis, Diabetes, Asthma, Cancer, etc... Let me know if there are any subjects you would like me to talk about by commenting below, or by sending us an email to info(at)melrosemuscletherapy(dot)com

Stress and Disease

So many problems are related to being overly stressed. Here are quite a few of them:

Loss of sleep

Can't concentrate

Can't seem to remember much

Always tired

Constantly suffering from pain

Anxiety

Depression

Stroke

Heart Disease

Change in your weight

Heart Attack

Headaches

Alzheimer's

Diabetes

Asthma

So what can you do if you are suffering from any of these, or prevent you from getting any of these? How can you change your stress levels to a much lower manageable state?

Figure out what is causing you to stress. What can you do to relieve some of those stressful agents? Just taking a few moments to yourself to clear your mind can help. Turn off every distraction for a moment. Focus on your breathing so that you can't think of anything else. If you can't find a place to be free of distractions, then get a massage. Even a short 30 minutes can help you de-stress so that you can get back to solving any problems that are in front of you.

Living Purposefully and Responsibly

Inspiration from a fellow blogger who has been writing about living with a purpose. You can read his posts here.

The idea of living with a purpose, the way I understand it, is to have goals that you are reaching for and striving for each day. Here is my step by step plan on how to live with purpose.

1. Ask yourself what do you want.

Write down your goals. Do you want to go back to school? Do you want to de-stress your life? Do you want to eat healthier? Whatever it is that you want to attain, write it down.

2. Ask yourself what actions are needed to meet your goals.
   Break down your goals into mini attainable goals if needed. Example: If I wanted to write a novel by next year, I would try to write at least a few pages each week, or day. Each month I would a have a goal of having written at least a chapter. So I have goals set for the year, for each month, and each day. Create a schedule for yourself and try to keep to it.

3. Hold yourself accountable.

Understand that you and only you are responsible for your choices and your actions.

Let us know what you are striving for. How will you live with purpose today?

Helping Students in Need with School Days Supply Drive & Contest

I remember at the end of the school year during my time in elementary school, the teachers were always scrambling for supplies.  We always seemed to run out of paper and chalk and pencils before the year was over.  I vividly remember one year it was October and we didn't have any orange paper left in the entire school.  No pumpkin craft.  We were pretty disappointed kids.  There was another year where we ran out of chalk in each of the classrooms and I remember my teacher purchasing her own to bring in to school.

My elementary school has since closed down, but there are a few schools still in the area.  With state budgets cutting back on school budgets, I figured this year we should do a supply drive for District 89 students and teachers.  To make it a bit more fun, I've included a two part contest as well.

http://www.melrosemuscletherapy.com/Contest.html

I asked the local school district what their wishlist was, and the number one thing on their list was a surprise to me.  White uniform shirts.  Second on the list - socks.  So if you are shopping one day and you see some uniform shirts on sale, please pick up a few, and bring them in, any and all sizes for the kids.  For a complete wishlist, visit the link above.


When you participate, this is what you will get in return- (besides that warm fuzzy feeling) a chance to win a free 60 minute Hot Bamboo Massage.  You also get 10 minutes added to your current massage session and a free Hot Bamboo upgrade to your 30 minute appointment this month.  Oh, and one more thing, if you happen to be the winner of drawing, you also get to pick an area elementary school at which Melrose Muscle Therapy will provide the faculty and staff a day of free massages as a 'thank you' to all they do. =)

Keeping Cool in the Summer Heat

I have been watching the Olympics, and this evening the short distance women runners caught my interest. I used to be a runner during my high school years. I remember how difficult it was to run in the heat during the summer, and at the beginning of the school year. Here are a few tips for you if you are feeling inspired by this years Olympics, and have begun running, or any other activity out in our current heat waves.

Keep hydrated. I say this a lot to my clients throughout the year, but if you are active, it is even more important to avoid dehydration. When you drink anything with caffeine (coffee and teas included), or alcohol, it actually acts to dehydrate you.

Wear cool clothing. Wear lightweight fabrics that allow your skin to breathe. Wear a visor or hat to protect your face. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.

Pick the most comfortable route. On really hot days, try to run in the morning or evening hours when the temperature is a bit cooler. If you do choose to run in the daytime, find a path that has a lot of shade.

Protect your skin. Wear sunscreen with a high SPF. (If you have already been sunburned, schedule yourself for a 'Cool as a Cucumber' Body Treatment and Massage.)  =)

Don't overexert yourself. Heat exhaustion is no fun. Make sure to listen to your body when beginning a new program, or when adjusting your current routine.

What tips do you have for any new runners, especially in the summer heat? Let us know by commenting below.

Have you ever heard of the 42 lb. head?

To quote Eric Dalton, “According to research, every inch the head moves forward of the shoulders, weight is amplified by 10 pounds. As a result, a 12 pound head held 3 inches forward causes the cervical extensors to isometrically battle 42 pounds against the relentless force of gravity.”

You can see an article that he wrote about this here, complete with a few pictures that you can reference.

When you think about it, it is pretty crazy to think that just a small amount of movement forward, can cause such strain for your neck muscles. These muscles are meant to hold up your head in an upright position quite easily. They are not meant to carry such a heavy load, or force. If you have been having a lot of headaches lately and your neck has been bothering you, you may have what is called upper-crossed syndrome. (More about upper-crossed syndrome in a future post)

What causes you to have a 42 pound head?

Technology isn't helping. If you have a smart-phone, a tablet, or an mp3 player, you may be constantly holding these items down as you look at them.

The same goes for reading too. Watch the way you hold your newspaper, books, magazines, or e-reader. If you are keeping your head held down for a long period of time, you are straining your neck muscles.

What can you do to reverse the damage done?

Raise your electronics up so that they are at your eye level instead of holding them in a way that forces you to look down. This will greatly reduce the strain in your neck muscles.

Get a massage. Actually, get a few of them. This will help remind your muscles how to relax, and this benefit will compound each time you receive bodywork.

If you are having headaches and/or neck pain, make some changes to your daily habits, and make an appointment with us.

Reduce Baby's Fever Naturally

The benefits of massaging an infant are numerous. One benefit is to lower your infant's fever.
Whenever your baby has a fever, please do check in and consult with your pediatrician first.

Before beginning any massage strokes, ask permission from your baby first. Let them know what you are about to do. This may sound silly, but your child will communicate with you to let you know, and the more often you perform massage with your baby, the easier it will be for you to communicate with each other and this will bring you closer to them and help you to increase your bond together.

When performing massage with your baby, you would normally use oil. When your child has a fever, skip the oil, and use warm water instead. When your baby has a fever, it is very important to keep him/her covered. Perform the massage while only working a small section of the body at a time, with the rest of the body clothed. The strokes that you would use during this time would move in a certain direction – from the chest towards the hands, or towards the feet. You will keep your strokes soft and fairly light. The idea here is to soothe your baby and comfort her/him. Dip your hands into the warm water and apply that water to your infant's body using quick massage strokes. The heat from their body should come towards the skin to evaporate the water and help cool them down. If at any time during the massage, your baby looks distressed, stop the massage and listen to what your baby is telling you. She/he may want to be held instead, or the water may be too hot, or too cold. Make sure that your baby is comfortable. Once your child is ready, you may begin the massage again.

To learn more about infant massage, you can visit the websites of Infant Massage USA or the International Association of Infant Massage.

If you would like to take an infant massage class from me, you can find more information here.