Massage offers real health benefits. Although I’ve heard that some people are not getting massage because of our “recession”, the fact is that I have re-built my business this past year despite that. Recessions are a time of increased anxiety and fear for many people. Some have lost jobs, others have reduced income due to stock market declines. And many still come for massage because it helps them to deal with the stresses of their lives, be more productive at work, feel stronger and more flexible and perhaps less likely to be let go from their job.

Some of the benefits of massage, (including some that may surprise you) are listed below. Along with promoting relaxation and improving your sense of well-being, resulting in a better nights’ sleep, getting a massage has been shown to:

1. Relieve pain (from migraines, labor, fibromyalgia and even cancer)

2. Boost your level of alertness and attention.

3. Increase your body’s natural killer cells, which help your immune system to defend against illness.

4. Reduce the effects of stress, anxiety and depression and ease insomnia

5. Decrease symptoms of PMS

If you’ve never had a professional massage before, it will likely only take you one visit to understand why they’re becoming so popular: they feel great! This is because massage affects the nervous system through nerve endings in the skin, stimulating the release of endorphins, the body’s natural ‘feel good’ chemicals.

Massage is one of the oldest and simplest forms of medical care used to ease pain and anxiety, and massages have profound health benefits.  Endorphins help induce relaxation and a sense of well-being, relieve pain and reduce levels of stress chemicals such as cortisol and noradrenaline — reversing the damaging effects of stress by slowing heart rate, respiration and metabolism and lowering raised blood pressure.

Massage also stimulates blood circulation to improve the supply of oxygen and nutrients to body tissues and helps the lymphatic system to flush away waste products. It eases tense and knotted muscles and stiff joints, improving mobility and flexibility.

Massage is said to increase activity of the vagus nerve, one of 10 cranial nerves, that affects the secretion of food absorption hormones, heart rate and respiration. It has proven to be an effective therapy for a variety of health conditions, where stress is considered to be a causative factor.

In addition to the benefits listed above, massage can:

• Stimulate the lymph system, the body’s natural defense, against toxic invaders.

• Relax and soften injured and overused muscles, reducing pain, spasms and cramping.

• Provide arthritis relief by increasing joint flexibility.

• Reduce recovery time for strenuous workouts and eliminate subsequent pains for the athlete at any level.

• Reduce post-surgery adhesions and edema and reduce and realign scar tissue after healing has occurred.

• Contribute to shorter labor and reduce tearing for expectant mothers.

If those reasons are not enough for you, just come see me for an hour and I’ll convince you of the benefits! Try it. You’ll like it.

By Pam Hauser, RN, LMBT

In November, Stephanie Stanton and I went to Charlotte and took a course on Lymph Drainage Therapy (LDT) that was presented by the Upledger Institute. Founded in 1985 by John E. Upledger, DO, OMM, the Upledger Institute, in my experience, upholds the highest standards for their instructors and assistants, and I have been attending continuing education courses for over 30 years. Attendees come from all health professions to include massage therapy, doctors, nurses, physical therapist, speech pathologists, and chiropractors, to name some. Both Stephanie and I have attended their courses before and I always find the information to be timely and the skills applicable to my practice. This particular course was developed by Dr Bruno Chikly, a graduate of St Antoine Hospital in France. His studies in traditional medicine, osteopathy and lymphology, all impacted his creation of Lymph Drainage Therapy. In 1994, he earned the prestigious “Medal of the Medical Faculty of Paris VI” for his exhaustive research on the lymphatic system and lymph drainage technique.

First, I’d like to tell you a little bit about the lymphatic system before I talk about the practice of LDT.

History of Lymph

Historically speaking, the presence of milky fluid has been known about since ancient times. Hippocrates (460-377BC, Greece) spoke of “white blood”, and listed the “lymphatic temperament” as part of his 4 temperaments, but there was no real understanding of lymph. Olof Rudbeck (1630-1708, Uppsala, Sweden) discovered that it was a complete system, with all lymphatic fluid flowing to join the venous circulation at the base of the neck.

We now know that the lymphatic system is a circulatory system, parallel to the one that carries our blood throughout our body. Everywhere that there is blood supply, there is also lymph. This system is composed of lymph vessels which carry lymphatic fluid, as well as lymph nodes. Unlike the circulatory system, it does not have a pump (the heart), but is a slow rhythm, low pressure, low velocity system. The lymphatic system depends on our movement to stimulate its flow. The lymph fluid compares to blood, but without red blood cells and platelets, and along with blood, is formed in the bone marrow. It is usually a clear, transparent or yellowish fluid, and is mostly composed of water (96%).

What does our lymphatic system do for us?

What does our lymphatic system do for us, anyway? If we did not have a functioning lymphatic system, we would most likely die within 24-48 hours. One of its biggest functions is to remove excess fluid and proteins from around our cells. A large portion of protein escapes from the blood circulation and is transported in the lymphatic vessels. If this protein were not recovered, massive swelling, auto-intoxication and death would quickly occur. Additionally, lymphatic fluid carries components which are responsible to a large degree for our immune system. The immune system protects our bodies from substances (bacteria, viruses, antigens, etc) that it identifies as foreign or antagonistic. When the lymph circulation stagnates, fluids, proteins, and toxins accumulate and cellular functioning is significantly compromised. This opens the way to many physical ailments and may hasten the aging process.

Every day, our bodies circulate 1.5 to 3.5 liters of lymph through the thoracic duct (which is the largest lymphatic vessel), dumping fluid directly into the venous circulation. There are two parts to the lymphatic circulation:

• The superficial lymphatic circulation which is just under the epidermis. This accounts for about 70% of all lymph flow in the limbs, and is not directly stimulated by exercise. (Lymph Drainage Therapy helps here.)
• The deep circulation of the muscles, which is stimulated by exercise.

Some of the factors related to promoting the flow of lymphatic fluid are:

• Respiration: The movements of the diaphragm during inhalation and exhalation, as well as the thoracic cage and the negative pressure in the chest have a strong influence on the flow of lymph in the thoracic duct. A “respiratory pump” exists that is influenced by the depth of inspiration and the overall breathing rate. Laughter can stimulate lymph drainage.
• Skeletal muscle contractions: Exercise promotes lymph flow.
• Peristalsis of the visceral smooth muscles: Movement of waste products through the colon promotes lymph flow while constipation slows it down.
• Contractions of adjacent arteries
• External compression: External pressure used in LDT or the pressure of water during swimming or the external counter pressure exerted by bandages, all promote lymph flow.

Some of the things that can negatively affect lymph flow are:

• Fatigue
• Stress
• Lack of physical activity
• Emotional shock
• Cold temperatures
• Infections
• Substantial swelling
• Age
• Chemical
• Food allergies

What are some of the positive results that can be achieved using LDT?

OK, so what does LDT do for us, anyway? Through the techniques we learned at this course, some of the possible positive results of LDT include the following:

• Stimulation of fluid circulation to improve edemas (swelling) of numerous origins
• Absorption of toxins and deep cleaning of the body to promote detoxification, regeneration of tissues from burns and scars (pre- and post-surgical), rejuvenation, anti-aging effects, reduction in the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia and alleviation of wrinkles
• Stimulation of the immune system for preventive health maintenance as well as relief of chronic and subacute inflammations and conditions such as sinusitis, acne ,eczema and allergies
• Absorption of fat molecules to alleviate adiposis and cellulite
• Deep relaxation and rhythmic effects to help in cases of insomnia, stress, depression, loss of vitality and loss of memory (sympatholytic effects)
• Stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system to relive chronic pain
• Antispastic actions (spasm relief) for conditions such as muscle hypertonus or constipation

What is an LDT session like?

I won’t go into how LDT works because I don’t want to bore you to tears. I figure you were there already during the history of lymph! If you really want to know, please email me at pam@phoenixmassageofasheville.com and I’ll tell you personally! What I WILL tell you is what happens in a session of LDT.

• First of all, the first session is never longer than 30 minutes.
• Be sure to arrive well hydrated and eat lightly the day of the session.
• The work is done very gently, with no more pressure than the weight of a dime.
• You may remain fully clothed if only the face and neck are to be worked on.
• The work is extremely relaxing and often clients leave the session in an altered state. Please allow enough time for you to fully return to your body before getting on the road!
• Talking is discouraged during the session to allow the therapist to concentrate on feeling the direction of the flow of lymphatic fluid.
• “Healing reactions” can occur. This is a result of an immune system which is functioning at a higher level and is actually a good sign. Initially, this toxin release can look like sluggishness, muscle aches, tiredness, more frequent urination due to the fluid moved out of the tissues and into the blood circulation, sleepiness or it may even feel like a cold or a rash or a brief increase in whatever your symptoms were before the session.
• If your face will be worked on, please wear little or no makeup.
• Your session may result in your feeling very refreshed, alert and energized!

Contraindications to LDT:

Because LDT boosts the immune system and can dump up to 10 liters of fluid into the general circulation, it is not for everyone! If you have any of these conditions, please let your therapist know. Receiving LDT can aggravate these conditions, resulting in illness or even death.

• Acute infectious/inflammatory illness in development. What makes you feel badly when you have an acute infection are the death viruses/bacteria in your system. Since LDT boosts the immune system, killing off more of the offending agent, you will feel worse before you feel better! On the plus side, the duration of your illness may shorten.
  • Bacterial infections
  • Influenza
  • Fever
• Removal of any lymph nodes. Once you have had lymph nodes removed, the flow of the lymph changes. You absolutely would benefit from LDT, but you need to see a more experienced therapist than either Stephanie or I.
• Serious circulatory problems
  • Thrombosis
  • Venous obstruction
• Major cardiac problems
  • Acute angina
  • Coronary thrombosis (heart attack)
• Hemorrhage (bleeding)
• Acute anuresis (absence of urination): Because the blood volume increases after LDT, more blood circulates through the kidneys resulting in an increased urinary output.
• Active cancer
  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiation
• Lymphedema. Again, you would absolutely benefit from LDT, but lymphedema is beyond the scope of our practice.

Relative Contraindications:

There are some relative contraindications to your receiving LDT. These are precautions. We need to know about these conditions before you receive LDT. Depending on your current condition, you may or may not be able to receive LDT from us.

o Thyroid problems

o Carotid stenosis/carotid thrombosis

o Asthma or allergies (during the acute state)

o Burns, fresh scars, skin hypersensitivity, bruises, eczema, moles, etc.

o Abdominal surgery, aortic aneurysm, abdominal radiation, tumor, bleeding or pain of undetermined origin

o Removed spleen

o Major kidney problems

o Menstruation

o Gynecological infections, cysts, IUD

o Known pregnancy

o Chronic infection/inflammation

o Medication, chemotherapy

by Grace Scarbrough, MS, LMBT

The Benefits of Massage: Is Bodywork Right For Me?

Massage provides relief to people of all ages—from infants to seniors—and from all walks of life—the weekend or competitive athlete to the home gardener or overstressed, overworked executive.

Treating the Body

Massage therapy addresses a variety of health conditions, the most prevalent being stress-related tension, which, experts believe, accounts for 80%-90% of disease. Massage has been proven beneficial in treating cancer-related fatigue, sleep disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes, low back pain, immunity suppression, spinal cord injury, autism, post-operative surgery, age-related disorders, infertility, eating disorders, smoking cessation, and depression, to name just a few. Here’s why:

Bodywork offers a drug-free, non-invasive and humanistic approach based on the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Massage has many physiological effects, such as:

• Increasing circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs.
• Stimulating the lymph system, the body’s natural defense, against toxic invaders. For example, in breast cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase the cells that fight cancer.
• Relaxing and softening injured and overused muscles.
• Reducing spasms and cramping.
• Increasing joint flexibility.
• Reducing recovery time for strenuous workouts and eliminating subsequent pains of the athlete at any level.
• Releasing endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller. For this reason, massage is being incorporated into treatment for chronic illness, injury and recovery from surgery to control and relieve pain.
• Reducing post-surgery adhesions and edema and reducing and realigning scar tissue after healing has occurred.
• Improving range of motion and decreasing discomfort for patients with low back pain.
• Relieving pain for migraine sufferers and decreasing the need for medication.
• Providing exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles and reducing shortening of the muscles for those with restricted range of motion.
• Contributing to shorter labor and reduced tearing for expectant mothers, as well as lessening the need for medication, minimizing depression and anxiety, and shortening hospital stays
  

Contraindications

It’s important to note that there are some conditions where massage is not recommended. For example, massage is contraindicated in people with:

• Certain forms of cancer
• Phlebitis
• Some cardiac problems
• Some skin conditions
• Infectious diseases

Your practitioner should ask you about your specific health conditions and determine if massage, bodywork or somatic therapies are a good idea. In some cases, the practitioner may need your doctor’s permission before providing services.

Treating the Spirit

Massage also provides another therapeutic component largely absent in today’s world: tactile stimulation, or, more simply, touch. In 1986, the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami published groundbreaking research on the effects of massage on premature babies. The preterm babies who received massage therapy showed 47% greater weight gain and six-day shorter hospital stays than the infants who were not receiving massage. But is this study evidence of what loving touch can do spiritually, or rather what massage can do on a physiological level? Regardless, babies are not the only benefactors.

Many adults have reported cathartic experiences on the massage table. As a therapist carefully unwinds a client’s stressed and tired muscles, the therapist may very well be unwinding the taut, pent-up emotions that one doesn’t always have time to process in the middle of the day. And the feeling of being touched in a safe, caring, compassionate manner can be a very powerful experience, reminding the client that she or he is not alone in the world.

As studies continue to reveal the link between kinesiology and physical and emotional health, the effects of massage will be further documented. However, one need only experience a good massage to know it’s beneficial to body and soul.