March 30, 2012

Relieve TMJ Pain with Massage!

The jaw or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a major target for an array of joint disorders. Disorders of the jaw are typically referred to by the same name, TMJ. The temporomandibular joint connects the mandible to the skull's temporal bone and contributes to the acts of biting, chewing, swallowing, speaking and making facial expressions. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states over 10 million people in the United States suffer from TMJ problems.
Symptoms
Pain is the most common TMJ symptom. The pain is often described as a transient, dull ache in the jaw joint and nearby areas, including the ear. Instead of pain, some sufferers only have problems in the use of their jaws. Additional symptoms of TMJ can include:
· Inability to open the mouth comfortably
· Clicking, popping or grating sounds in the jaw joint
· Locking of the jaw when attempting to open the mouth
· Headaches
· A bite that feels uncomfortable or "off"
· Neck, shoulder and back pain
· Swelling on the side of the face
· Tinnitus or ear pain
· Dizziness
TMJ symptoms often improve without treatment in a matter of weeks to months. However, some individuals experience an increase in symptom severity, and may develop long-term chronic jaw pain.

March 18, 2012

New Service: 90 Minute Massage with Lavender Infused Paraffin Treatment

Physicians have long known that paraffin therapy is a veritable way to speed healing and soothe muscle and joint pain.


Starting with a hand massage using super rich shea butter, your hands will then be immersed in a bath of warm lavender infused paraffin wax, then wrapped and tucked into warm mittens while you receive a soothing back massage.


When the paraffin wax is peeled away your hands will be soft and supple. Your session continues with a full body massage of your choice! Swedish, Deep Tissue, Shiatsu or a focus session to target your aches and pains in more detail. 


Optionally, you can enjoy this healing treatment for the lower back, shoulders or neck.


Benefits of Paraffin Wax Therapy
The use of paraffin wax is quite common and widely used to aid in the treatment of conditions such as the following:
 • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Arthritis
Bursitis
Eczema
Fibromyalgia
Fibrositis
Inflammation
Muscle Spasms
Overworked/Fatigued Muscles
Psoriasis
Scar Tissue
Stiff Joints
Tendonitis
Tennis Elbow
And more…

March 16, 2012

Don't Call It Pampering: Massage Wants to Be Medicine.


While massage may have developed a reputation as a decadent treat for people who love pampering, new studies are showing it has a wide variety of tangible health benefits.

Research over the past couple of years has found that massage therapy boosts immune function in women with breast cancer, improves symptoms in children with asthma, and increases grip strength in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Giving massages to the littlest patients, premature babies, helped in the crucial task of gaining weight.

Is massage just for pampering or does it have true biological effects? A recent study showed muscles rebounded better if massaged after exercising to exhaustion. Andrea Petersen on Lunch Break has details on Lunch Break.

The benefits go beyond feelings of relaxation and wellness that people may recognize after a massage. The American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society now include massage as one of their recommendations for treating low back pain, according to guidelines published in 2007.
New research is also starting to reveal just what happens in the body after a massage. While there have long been theories about how massage works—from releasing toxins to improving circulation—those have been fairly nebulous, with little hard evidence. Now, one study, for example, found that a single, 45-minute massage led to a small reduction in the level of cortisol, a stress hormone, in the blood, a decrease in cytokine proteins related to inflammation and allergic reactions, and a boost in white blood cells that fight infection.

There's been a surge of scientific interest in massage. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health, is currently spending $2.7 million on massage research, up from $1.5 million in 2002. The Massage Therapy Foundation, a nonprofit organization that funds massage research, held its first scientific conference in 2005. The third conference will be in Boston next year.

March 09, 2012

Massage for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Massage therapy eases the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome and increases grip strength, according to a recent study.

“Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms are lessened following massage therapy” was conducted by staff at the Touch Research Institutes at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Florida.
Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include pain, tingling, burning and numbness of the hand. Sixteen people diagnosed with this syndrome participated in the study. All of them held jobs involving heavy word processing or computer work.

Subjects were randomly assigned to either the standard-treatment control group or the massage-therapy group. Those in the massage group received one massage per week on the affected arm for four weeks. They were also instructed in self-massage, which they were to perform each night before bed.