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Sunday, March 25, 2012

Self Care: hot bath with epsom salt


Magnesium sulfate is a natural mineral found in water. When the Epsom salt dissolves in warm water the magnesium sulfate is absorbed through the skin and rejuvenates body levels of magnesium. This mineral helps your body to produce serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of calm and relaxation. It can also relieve the pain of inflammation which makes it effective in treating sore muscles, bronchial asthma, and migraines. 
The effective ingredient in Epsom salt is the magnesium. Magnesium is an important mineral because it regulates the activity of 325 enzymes in the body, reduces inflammation, and helps prevent artery hardening. The benefits of magnesium are numerous: body temperature regulation, detoxification, energy production, and helping muscles and nerves to function properly.  It has also been known to reduce irritability by lowering the effects of adrenaline. During your bath your blood pressure decreases creating a relaxed feeling, which in turn will allow you a better night’s rest. 
Epsom salt can be easily purchased at any drugstore or supermarket. Epsom salt can be used not only for your health but for beauty purposes as well. Adding a teaspoon of Epsom salt to your favorite body or facial cleanser can create an effective exfoliate to wash away dead skin. If you don’t have time for a full bath try a relaxing foot soak. Epsom salt has been known to relieve the pain of sprains and bruises, athlete’s foot and gout. 

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Elevated levels of stress hormones

Research indicates that massage can be of value in helping reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Massage causes the body to release many therapeutic mood and health enhancing chemicals, it increases dopamine and serotonin and reduces the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. It increases the relaxation alpha brain waves and also increases pain relieving levels of endorphins. Massage lowers noradrenaline and lowers the stress hormone ACTH (Adrenocorticotrophic hormone). Massage boosts the immune system, stabilises blood sugar levels, improves lung function and peak air flow, it generally reduces the number of visits to the doctor while increasing work productivity.

 Our skin is full of many millions of nerve receptors that are linked to our nervous system. When the skin is massaged it causes stimulation and release of chemicals in the brain like serotonin that help reduce stress, anxiety and depression. 


It's known that the skin and nervous system are intimately connected. A single part of the developing foetus known as the neuroectoderm gives rise to both. 

Call 612 205-4453 for appointment.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

What is Orthopedic Massage?

Orthopedic massage is a type of massage therapy which is focused on treating painful conditions which affect the soft tissues of the body. The massage therapist may integrate a range of techniques to treat these conditions, ideally adapting his or her style for each client, as every person's body is slightly different. Orthopedic massage may be recommended by a physician who wants a patient to pursue multiple treatment modalities, and people can also see an orthopedic massage therapist independently. Training in orthopedic massage is offered by several massage schools. A therapist who performs orthopedic massage focuses on problems with the client's musculoskeletal system. He or she may release tight muscles, help to stretch shortened muscles and tendons, and decompress joints. The goal is to normalize the soft tissues of the body, both to treat specific conditions and to keep clients generally healthy and fit. Because orthopedicmassage is designed to treat medical conditions, it requires extensive training, as an unskilled therapist could harm a client by accident. The first step in an orthopedic massage session is assessment, in which the therapist will talk to the client about the problem and examine the area of interest. If the massage therapist partners with a physician, he or she will also look over notes from the physician. Then, the therapist establishes a treatment plan which considers the physiological effects of various massagetechniques. Orthopedic massage is very flexible, since it integrates a wide range of bodyworkstyles with the end goal of improving the client's condition. Finally, the therapist works with the client on the table. By using various soft tissue manipulation techniques, the massage therapist can alleviate an assortment of painful conditions caused by soft tissue strain. Depending on the client's issue, the massage therapist may recommend multiple sessions to treat the problem, to ensure that it is eliminated and to build up strength and resistance in the affected area so that the condition does not recur. Because many serious medical conditions can present with things like painful muscles and tendons, an orthopedic massage therapist needs extensive training to learn to differentiate between orthopedic problems like a strained shoulder and medical problems like strokes and heart attacks which can spark muscle pain at their onset. Some conditions can also be exacerbated by massage therapy; some experts argue that some cancers, for example, can be encouraged to spread with massage, or a therapist could unwittingly cause lymphedema in a patient with improperly applied massage techniques. If you are considering orthopedic massage, you may want to talk to a doctor first to make sure that it is the best treatment for you.