What is Manual Lymph Drainage?

First, let’s break it down. 

Manual tells us this is done by hand. 

Lymph is a liquid in the body carrying cells that help fight infection and disease. It is also the fluid that can pool after receiving an injury or in a number of conditions that we think of as edema/swelling. The Lymphatic System is a system of organs, lymph nodes, lymph ducts, and lymph vessels that make and move lymph from tissues to the bloodstream. The lymph system is a major part of the body's immune system and works hand in hand with the Circulatory system (heart, arteries, veins).

Drainage explains that this technique is moving water/liquid.


Second, let’s shorten it to MLD from here on out.

When can MLD Help: 

MLD is a gentle, non-invasive manual treatment that is recognized as a primary tool in edema/swelling management. It is known to help with the following issues: 

1. Recovery from surgery (primary relief for cosmetic/medical procedures)

2. Soft tissue injuries (sprains, strains, bumps and bruises)

3. Migraines and Headaches

4. Sports/Training/Event swelling and fatigue

5. Sinus issues

6. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

7. Fibromyalgia

8. Pregnancy swelling

9. Conditions that involve circulatory challenges (restless leg syndrome, cramping)

Manual Lymph Drainage also supports the body’s natural purification and immune defense process. It’s rhythmic style also has a lovely way of calming down the nervous system.



What to expect from a Mending Hands MLD session:

Like all appointments with Mending Hands, each session will be all about YOU.  If you are looking for manual care and MLD is an appropriate fit, we will discuss the treatment plan for your particular needs. I will also be happy to explain why a certain sequence will be used and as well as why this body work is a lighter, more pathway guided modality. Most of these specific stokes do not involve oil and due to the style of this work, these sessions may not be full body treatments, depending on the allotted time and need of each client.

If you are interested in booking a Manual Lymph Drainage session with Melissa or have any questions, please contact melissa@mendinghands.com!

7 Types of Headaches

Headache pain is the most often reported type of pain in the U.S. Learn about some of the most common types of headache pain, and if massage can help to alleviate or reduce the frequency of this sometimes debilitating infirmity.

By Linda Fehrs, LMT, Original Post Here

Some people rarely, if ever, get headaches. Some get them every few weeks or months. Others experience them frequently, several times a week or even every day. More than 9 out of 10 adults will experience headache pain at some point in their lives. It is the most common form of pain and results in time out from work or school. A moderate to severe headache often interferes with normal daily activities.

Although there are only three main categories of headaches, within those divisions are more than 200 individual types, some of which massage therapy may help to relieve or even reduce their occurrences.

Here are seven relatively common types of headaches, symptoms and common therapies used to ease them:

1. Tension – Tension headaches are the most frequently occurring of all headaches. They affect women more than men. The exact origin of a tension headache is not known, but it is likely a result of muscle contraction, primarily the muscles of the skull, including occipitofrontalis which draws the scalp both posteriorly and anteriorly as well as elevates the eyebrows. When a person becomes stressed – whether it be physical or emotional – so too do the muscles, which then start to spasm, causing pain. The pain is often described as band-like pressure or tightness. Even with the pain of this type of headache, a person can function normally. While massage therapy is not a cure for tension headaches, it can help to relax a person and reduce stress resulting in less frequent and less severe ones.

Mending Hearts: Why I Became a Massage Therapist

Years ago my mother survived an Aortic Dissection. Her Aorta (the major artery of the heart) started to separate (in a spiral - I remember a doctor saying) from my mothers heart. Emergency open heart surgery (with all the bells and whistle of helicopter transport and me getting a call at Martha Stewart  in NYC saying I needed to come to my home state - Now! ) some medical miracles and a few days of hazy life later - she woke up.

She knew who I was and wanted to eat a whole lot of Popsicles.



In the hospital, I saw how the nurses used body work - stretches, tapotment, effleurage to get my mom's body systems working for her again. 

When she came home, she was in so much pain. He back, having been stretched due to how they manipulate the ribcage during open heart surgery, was one of the places she said she felt the most pain.

We had moved my childhood bed downstairs for her recovery, I crawled in behind her and just began to rub...

She felt relief. She felt connected. And eventually, she healed.



This, is one of the main reason I am becoming a massage therapist. 

I have always been a fan of massage therapy. I had felt how it had made a difference in my mind, body and spirit. Yet it was this time with my mom, the time I used my heart and my hands to give her support in healing that planted the biggest seed.



Reblogged from a few years ago.

Valentine's Day Gift Certificates Available!

Treat your sweetheart to the Gift of Relaxation! Mending Hands has Gift Certificates available for purchase online! 

Whether you want to get all of your gifting done while cozied up to your morning coffee or you remembered that special person who could use a massage the night before the big event - you can give the gift of relaxation at your convenience! 

Online Gift Certificates here: http://bit.ly/1Bg78gH

You can review the Mending Hands list of Services here: http://bit.ly/bD506f

How To Set Your Desk Up For The Most Productive Workday Ever

You may have your work routine down to a science, from where you prefer to grab some quiet space to the exact time you take a lunch break. But there's one very important element you may be forgetting when it comes to success in the office: Your desk.

How you use your workspace -- from the way you sit to the way you decorate -- can influence overall productivity and creativity. Simple things like knowing how to place your feet on the floor or when to hit pause on Pandora can all make a difference in optimizing work efficiency.

Taking pride in your workspace could make the difference in your office happiness. Research shows if you're joyous and satisfied at work, your productivity increases.

Take a look at the infographic below to see how exactly to set up your desk for success. To-do list: demolished. Post with larger image here: http://huff.to/1Sagdzg