The Massage MonthlyMarch 2019

Continued on page 2

What Massage Can Do For YouBeyond Pain Relief, Massage is Valuable for Preventive CareKarrie Osborn

Massage helps you maintain a healthy body.

A rested body is ahealthy body.

Office Hours and Contact

Ohana Therapeutic Massage218-263-1501March HoursMon thru Thurs: 9am-6pmFriday: 9am-2pm Saturday, 3/16: 9am-1pm

In this Issue

What Massage Can Do For YouHealthy Energy BoostersThe Power of Tea Tree Oil

This article first appeared in the Summer 2013 issueofBody Sense.

Whether it is an aching back, recoveryfrom an injury, a case of carpal tunnelsyndrome, or a host of other debilitatingphysiological conditions, there's nodoubt massage and bodywork works torelieve pain. But once your therapist hashelped you tackle your pain, do you quitcalling? When the pain is gone, are yougone, too?

Massage therapy is highly effective forpain relief, but it is an amazingpreventive therapy as well. Massage helpsbuild and maintain a healthy body (andmind), it combats stress, and it works to

keep the immune system strong. Inshort, massage can keep on working foryou, even after the pain is gone.

MASSAGE FOR WELLNESSIf it's been a while since you bookedyour last massage--because your pain isno longer an issue or your injury is fullyrehabbed--you might want to considermassage for preventive care.

Massage can play an important role in agood health-care regimen. Just as youeat healthily, exercise regularly, and takeyour vitamins to ward off illness andmaintain a fit body, you should considermaking frequent massage a part of yourwellness lifestyle.

According to Benny Vaughn, a sportsmassage expert in Fort Worth, Texas,one of the benefits of consistent andregular massage therapy is betterflexibility. "This happens becauseregular and structured touch stimulusenhances the nervous system's sensoryand spatial processing capacity," he says."That is, the person becomes moreaware of her body's movement in spaceand becomes more aware of tightness or

pain long before it reaches a criticalpoint of mechanical dysfunction."

As a preventive measure, frequentmassage puts you more in tune with yourbody. "The consistency of massagetherapy over time creates a cumulativestress-reduction effect," Vaughn says.

Regular massage helps reduce stress and improve your quality of life.

Continued from page 1

"The person becomes acutely aware ofstress within her body long before it cancreate stress-driven damage."

And the more massage you receive, themore benefits you reap. "Massagetherapists know that people who getmassage regularly demonstrate greaterimprovement and notice a reduction inpain and muscular tension, as well as animprovement in posture," says AnneWilliams, author ofMassage Mastery: From Student to Professional(Lippincott Williams Wilkins, 2012).

"People regularly make a commitmentto fitness," Williams says. "Peopleregularly make a commitment tochanging their diet. The differencethey'd experience if they regularly madea commitment to massage ismind-blowing."

STRESS IS A KILLERStress is more than just a word we throwaround to describe the nature of ourhectic day. Today, we understand thatstress kills.

According to the Benson-HenryInstitute for Mind Body Medicine,60-90 percent of all US medical visitsare for stress-related disorders. Chronicpain, headaches, heart disease,hypertension, and ulcers can all bewrought from stress. Many would arguethat the best benefit of massage is itsability to reduce the stress in our lives.

From the perspective of daily living,think about the stress you felt at today'smeeting--now it's hiding in your neck.Tomorrow that can turn into stiffnessand eventually begin to affect other partsof your body. If you see your massagetherapist for your regular session thisweek, the chances are good you won'treach the tipping point. Think ofmassage and bodywork as a way torebalance your body.

Noted researcher Tiffany Field and hercolleagues from the Touch ResearchInstitute at the University of MiamiSchool of Medicine report that massagecauses positive biological changes whenit comes to stress. Through the course ofmore than 20 studies, these scientistsfound that massage decreases cortisol (astress-derived hormone that negativelyaffects immune function and kills ourimmune cells) and increases dopamine

and serotonin (the neurotransmittersmost associated with emotionalwell-being).

Add to this the research that showsmassage can lower your heart rate anddecrease your blood pressure, and youhave a mighty effective,nonpharmacological, stress-fightingtool that's about as natural as natural canget.

A ONE-HOUR VACATION AND SOMUCH MOREYou may no longer need to rehab thatknee or work the scar tissue from yoursurgery, but don't forget abouteverything else massage can do for you.Massage is the entire package, helping toheal body, mind, and spirit. Think of itas a one-hour vacation with amazingreturn on investment.

Whether it be maintaining joint

flexibility, managing blood pressure, orenhancing immunity, massage works.From repair to relief and from recoveryto relaxation, massage is a magnificentpiece of natural medicine you shouldalways have as part of your health-careroutine.

Karrie Osborn is senior editor for Body Sense.Contact her at karrie@abmp.com.

Stay hydrated to keep energy up.

Healthy Energy BoostersTips to Staying Energized and AlertRebecca Jones

The Power of Tea Tree Oil

Here are some tips for keeping yourenergy levels up.

Snack SmartStrategic snacking can be a good way tosmooth out dips in your energy level andavoid hunger cravings that can lead youto overeat. Go ahead and snack---justbe as choosey in your snack selection asyou are in meal planning.

Grab an Energy BarDon't fall for the fiction that allso-called "energy bars" are unpalatablebut good for you. A lot of energy barsare filled with chemicals and with sugar,so read labels, and look for high fiber,high protein, and limited carbs.

Pick-Me-Up SnacksNuts such as almonds, Brazil nuts,cashews, and hazelnuts are among thebest choices for healthy, pick-me-upsnacks, nutritionists say.

Stay HydratedEven slight dehydration can leave you

tired and lethargic. The answer is, ofcourse, to drink plenty of water. If thetaste of plain water doesn't excite you,consider some of the flavored varieties,keeping in mind that loads of extra sugarshould be avoided.

Get Your Beauty SleepThe number one myth about sleep isthat you can get by on six hours a night,but the further away you deviate fromgetting eight hours sleep a night---andsome people get too much, not toolittle---the greater the risk ofcardiovascular disease, depression,obesity, and a host of other maladies.

Avoid Caffeine, Get to SleepCaffeine is a great pick-me-up firstthing in the morning, but it has a six- toseven-hour "half-life," meaning thathalf the caffeine in that cup of coffeeyou consumed to ward off the 3:00p.m. doldrums will still be lingering inyour bloodstream after the 10:00 p.m.news.

Rebecca Jones is a Denver-basedfreelance writer.

Is your medicine cabinet full ofointments, oils, and creams that eachtreats one specific ailment? Maybe youcan cut down on some of the clutter byadding nature's own wonder drug, teatree oil, instead.

What is Tea Tree OilProduced in Australia from the tree M.alternifolia, tea tree oil acts as anantiseptic, fungicide, insect deterrent,and more. It has been used in Australiaby aborigines for generations and, sincethe country's colonization, has spread tothe rest of the world.

Tea tree oil, which can be found as anessential oil as well as in creams,ointments, shampoo, and eventoothpaste, can be used to treat astaggering variety of conditions,including: acne, arthritis, athlete's foot,

burns, cuts, dandruff, eczema,gingivitis, infection, insect bites andstings, lice, muscle sprains, psoriasis,and rashes. And that's just a partial list!

Potential BenefitsThe exact cause of tea tree oil'seffectiveness is difficult to ascertain, andresearchers are still looking into justhow much the natural remedy can do forus. Newer studies have looked at itsability to stop the spread ofsometimes-deadly methicillin-resistantstaphylococcus aureus in hospitals.

Use SafelyWhile there are plenty of benefits tousing tea tree oil, its strength can also beproblematic, even dangerous. The MayoClinic advises that it's not safe to ingestor take tea tree oil internally, and it isconsidered particularly harmful if

ingested by pets.

Also, like most natural remedies, the USFood and Drug Administration does notregulate tea tree oil as it does othermedicines, leaving no standard qualityof tea tree oil products. And, whilemany people enthusiastically support teatree oil, it is no substitute forprofessional medical care.

Yet, many people agree that, if nothingelse, tea tree oil should be a part of yourfirst aid kit in case of bites, burns, orscrapes. But who knows? You might findyourself using it for much more thanthat.

How someonetreats you is areflection ofwhat is going oninside of them.It's not aboutyou.

UPCOMING EVENTS!

Self Centered Care Class Part 5- Shoulders & Arms ~ SunMarch 3rd 4:30pm - 5:15pm; 10 paid in advance; $15 at door

Perrella Home Show ~ Saturday, March 9 from 10am-4pm@ Hibbing Memorial Area

Helping you Heal yourself

208 E Howard StHibbing, MN 55746