STD's and Massage (Part 2)

In this series of posts, I will give tips for people with certain conditions to let them know if they should even obtain a massage or not, and what are the important points to go over with your massage therapist.

Yesterday we talked about Mollusum Contagiosum Virus (MCV), Genital Warts (HPV), Syphilis, and Hepatitis. Today the subject at hand is HIV/AIDS.

Can I get a massage if I have HIV?

Since this virus is spread through bodily fluids, and not skin to skin contact, it is safe for a client with HIV to obtain massage.

Your massage therapist needs to take extra care to make sure to not put you at risk for getting sick. She/he may or may not wear gloves as protection for you.

What should I tell my massage therapist?

Inform your therapist what stage of HIV you have. Let them know if you have any other complications related to the virus.

If you are in phase 4-5 of the disease (most advanced stage of AIDS), please tell your therapist. This will affect the type of massage you can receive.

All stages of HIV/AIDS are safe to receive bodywork, but it depends on what phase, and how you are feeling as to what type of bodywork you will receive.

Massage can be a great additional option of treatment for those with HIV/AIDS. In the beginning phases, Swedish massage can be very stress reducing which can help the immune system. In the more advanced stages, energetic work and other non-circulatory massage can become a great source of comfort for a population that is often outcast.

As always, if there are any subjects you would like me to talk about let me know by commenting below, or by sending us an email to info(at)melrosemuscletherapy(dot)com

STD's and Massage (Part 1)

In this series of posts, I will give tips for people with certain conditions to let them know if they should even obtain a massage or not, and what are the important points to go over with your massage therapist.

STD's and Massage (Part 1)

Although most sexually transmitted diseases are only spread through sexual contact, there are a few exceptions.

Mollusum Contagiosum Virus (MCV), Genital Warts (HPV), and Syphilis

These viruses can be spread through any kind of skin to skin contact. They can also be spread with contact to contaminated linens. Treat these STDs first and postpone any massage appointments until there is no chance of spreading the infection to others.

If you know that you have any type of STD, make sure you treat your infection. Once the infection is cleared up, you can make your appointment for massage.

Hepatitis

Let your therapist know if you have any open wounds, or small cuts anywhere on your body. Your therapist may wear gloves during your massage as a precaution for two reasons: first to protect you, and second to prevent transmission of the disease. Please do not take offense if they choose to wear gloves. They may have a cut on their hand, or fingernails. I have had quite a few massages where we practiced with gloves during my massage training. If your therapist is good, you won't even realize the gloves are on.

If your Hepatitis is in the acute stage, certain types of massage strokes should not be used, so please make sure your therapist is aware of what stage you are in. If your Hepatitis is in the chronic stage, you may have the option to get a circulatory massage. You may not, if your overall health isn't well. Each person is different, and you should discuss with your massage therapist what your benefits are from having massage. Energy work and non-circulatory massage are options that you might consider during all stages.

As always, if there are any subjects you would like me to talk about let me know by commenting below, or by sending us an email to info(at)melrosemuscletherapy(dot)com

I have brittle bones, is massage safe for me?

In this series of posts, I will give tips for people with certain conditions to let them know if they should even obtain a massage or not, and what are the important points to go over with your massage therapist.

Yes, massage can be a safe option for you to relieve any discomfort you are experiencing from having weakened bones.  Keep reading to find out what you should know to keep your massage safe.

Do you have Osteoporosis?

It is very important to inform your massage therapist that you have Osteoporosis. You would not want to get a deep pressure massage, as that could have the potential to fracture your bones. That wouldn't be very relaxing now would it?

That being said, gentle massage can be very beneficial to someone with Osteoporosis. It can naturally relieve the pain and discomfort, however temporarily, that you feel from the loss of bone density.

If there is ever a time where you feel your massage therapist is giving you too much pressure, please tell them right away.  Remember, the time you have on the massage table, is YOUR time.  If you are ever uncomfortable, let your therapist know.  

Do you have a current fracture?

Inform your massage therapist how acute the fracture is, the degree of fracture (hairline fracture or complete broken bone), and the location.

You can not receive massage in the local area of the fracture, but the rest of your body can receive bodywork.

Example of how massage can help you:

If you have a hairline fracture on your left foot, your right leg will be working harder to compensate for the lack of movement from your left leg. You will not get massage on your left foot, but it would be beneficial to you to get massage on your right leg and foot since those muscles are currently working harder than they are used to.

I will continue to post about some other conditions such as 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

Arthritis and Massage

A few days ago I wrote about having a fever, cold or flu and obtaining a massage. Yesterday it was Diabetes. 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. In this series of posts, I will give tips for people with certain conditions to let them know if they should even obtain a massage or not, and what are the important points to go over with your massage therapist. Tonight’s topic is Arthritis.

Do you have Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Your basic Swedish Massage can help you as long as your RA is not in an acute stage. If it is, you will want to make sure to explain that to your massage therapist, as it will determine the type of strokes they use with you during that time. During the subacute stage of RA, it is safe to obtain a circulatory massage such as Swedish. Massage can help maintain and even increase joint function.

Do you have Septic Arthritis?

Do not get a massage! SA is a kind of arthritis that is brought on by a bacterial infection. Massage would only make that infection spread. Massage is advised, however, once the infection is completely gone. It will help regain some of the range of motion that was lost due to the infection.

Do you have Osteoarthritis?

If you are in an acute stage where you have pain, heat, and redness at the joints affected, then do not get massage in those areas. If you are in the subacute stage of Osteoarthritis, then massage can be very helpful in reducing pain with soft stretches included in the massage.

Over the next few days I will post about some other conditions such as Osteoporosis, 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.

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. =)

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.

Make your own foam roller

Have you heard about foam rolling and its benefits? It is basically a way for you to be able to massage your muscles on your own.  It is a great way to save some money, and take care of yourself between massage appointments.  The use of foam rollers has become widely popular to athletes and workout enthusiasts, but you don't need to have an intense workout routine to get the benefits of self massage through foam rolling.

Foam rollers come in different sizes, and vary in density.  There are ways to make your own by covering pvc pipe with layers of foam, but I have found an even cheaper way to make one.  You know those pool noodles that keep you afloat?  they make monster size ones, and that is what I used.  To give it a bit of support, insert a broom stick, or a skinny pipe, or you can even cut the noodle in half and use one half cut to size to fit inside the other.

Here is a picture of the homemade foam roller that I created.  It works great and better yet it cost less than $5 to make.  I cut the noodle in half, and took a plastic broom handle to add support.

Here it is!  My DIY foam roller.

That's it.  How simple is that? 

Now you want to know how to use it?  A quick search on youtube will get you many results, but we found this very well put together video.  http://life.gaiam.com/video/roll-it-out-myofascial-release
I would just suggest going a bit slower to really feel out the areas that need extra attention, and when you find one, sit there for a while with your foam roller pressed into that area and breath into that spot until it relaxes a bit.

Quick Ways to Relieve Stress

We all have had those days where we were so stressed out that we couldn't think straight. We couldn't concentrate on anything. It was just not possible to be productive at work or at home. We became easily aggravated, and we felt like we were just mad at the world. These are the short term affects of dealing with a lot of negative stress.

Photo courtesy of ABMP.

Quick Ways to Relieve Stress:

Take a moment to laugh, even if you have to force one out. Did you know that if you start laughing on purpose, eventually that laugh will become a real laugh.

Give yourself a timeout. Close your eyes, picture yourself surrounded by your favorite things, or picture yourself surrounded by nothing at all. Take a few deep breaths, and concentrate on your inhale and exhale.

Act like a kid. Put on your favorite show when you were a kid. Odds are it had some music in it that you can still sing along to. Pretend like no one is watching and sing and dance along, just like when you were a kid.

Spend some quality time with some animals. Petting your dog or cat has a very relaxing effect, even if only for a few minutes. Seeing their unconditional love for you helps you to feel happier, decreasing the stress hormone cortisol, and increasing oxytocin.

Clean up! Being surrounded by a messy area can be very distracting and nerve wrecking. So take some time to clean a bit of it up, whether it is a drawer, a closet, or your workspace.