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

Diabetes and Massage

A few days ago I wrote about having a fever, cold or flu and obtaining a massage. Tonight I will write about 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. 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 Diabetes?

Some tips for you if you want to get a massage:

1. Make your appointment at least an hour after you have taken your insulin injection, or before you are going to eat/take your insulin shot.
2. At your appointment, before your massage, inform your therapist where you inject your insulin. This will help your therapist choose what type of strokes to use and where during your massage.
3. Make sure to tell your therapist when you last took insulin.
4. During your massage, if you are starting to feel dizzy, weak, or have any other symptom of insulin shock, please tell your massage therapist. Do not be afraid or embarrassed if you need to stop your massage. Your health is the priority.
5. If you have advanced Diabetes with kidney failure or arherosclerosis, a Swedish massage would not be advised. Find a therapists that specializes in energy techniques instead.

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

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.

Deep Tissue vs. Deep Pressure Massage - Do you know the difference?

Have you ever become nauseous from a massage before? To my knowledge none of my clients ever have, but I had someone the other day ask me about that very thing. A friend of hers had a very “deep tissue” massage while on vacation and became very ill right after the massage. Notice I put “deep tissue” in quotes here. Here is why:

Myth: Deep tissue massage should hurt, and have a huge amount of pressure.

Truth: Deep tissue massage is not deep pressure massage!!! Rather, it is quite slow and not so painful, unless the therapist and client are working through some trigger points. Trigger points can be painful, but should never go above the 4-6 range on a pain scale. (0=no pain and 10=worst pain you have ever felt) Deep tissue massage is also not a full body massage. It is contained to only a couple of areas of the body.

There are a few possible reasons behind why this person became sick after her massage.

1. She was dehydrated. You definitely want to make sure you are drinking enough water each day, and especially before and after a massage. Not because it removes toxins from the body, but because keeping hydrated helps your body do what it needs to do on a cellular level. When you are dehydrated, your body has a difficult time coping with anything you put it through. If you don't like water, then read my post about how to give your water some excitement.

2. It wasn't a deep tissue massage, but a deep pressure one. Much too deep a pressure of one. When causing so much pain to someone through a full body deep pressure massage, the body can go into shock. This can cause the nausea that this person was feeling.

3. The face cradle was not positioned correctly. I stress to my clients of how important it is for them to tell me if they are ever uncomfortable before, during and after a massage. This is a key in point reason. If the face cradle was positioned so that it was hitting pressure points on the client, it can cause sinus pain, headaches, dizziness, and of course nausea. Please don't be afraid to speak up to your therapist if you are ever uncomfortable on the table, or in a massage chair for that matter. Even if you started out comfortable, but after a few minutes, or even halfway through the massage, let your therapist know. A skilled therapist will be able to work on your muscles in any position that you need to be in. I can work on your back, even if you are laying on your back.

So now you have a bit more information about why a massage could not make you feel so great afterward, and what do to to make sure that doesn't happen. Drink plenty of fluids, talk to your therapist about his/her pressure, and let your therapist know if you are ever uncomfortable during the massage. If you do become sick after a massage, please let your therapist know about it, so you can figure out why that happened, to prevent it from happening again.