Neuromuscular Therapy

This is a great, succinct piece defining Neuromuscular Therapy (a.k.a. Trigger Point Therapy), how it works, and its benefits. Definitely worth a read!

Neuromuscular Therapy | oakworksblog.massagetables.com:

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What IS a trigger point?

Follow the link below for an excellent description of trigger points. If you think your pain is from a trigger point, find a massage therapist who practices trigger point therapy, like me!

Mending Hands - Melissa Finley Massage Therapy Park Slope Brooklyn 11215 Swedish Institute: What is a trigger point?:

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Massage Can Ease the Journey Through Cancer

Today is Keeping in Touch's first ever guest post! Melanie Bowen is a writer for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. Melanie joined the MCA in 2011 as an awareness advocate for natural health and cancer cure initiatives. Her work includes highlighting the great benefits of alternative nutritional, emotional, and physical treatments on those diagnosed with cancer or other serious illness. She also assists in social media outreach in her efforts to spread awareness. You can check out Melanie's blog for the MCA here.


Massage has some relaxing effects while relieving muscular discomfort and promoting flexibility. Special techniques can relieve pain, fatigue and stiffness. If you are suffering from any form of cancer such as breast cancer, mesothelioma, lymphoma, skin cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer or any of the other 100 types of the disease, massage can have a powerful effect on your recovery. Massage therapy can benefit you whether you are suffering from cancer, going through treatment or remission.

The method of massage involves the manipulation of the muscles and soft tissue, rubbing and kneading in order to promote relaxation while enhancing the functions of the body tissue. Oncologists massage therapists are specially trained to provide you the proper technique at the appropriate pressure, while providing support of mind, body and spirit through the fun and relaxation of oncology massage.

Each patient can withstand varying degrees of pressure and certain pressure points, depending on your type of cancer and pain level. The therapists and doctor work closely together to put together the perfect plan for you personally, according to your specific needs. Massage works in conjunction with the treatment as prescribed by your doctor.

Your massage therapist will consider your treatment and medical situation as well as your desired outcome in order to help you deal with the cancer. Massage can be effective and safe in promoting recovery during these challenging times. The premise behind oncology massage is to ease your journey through cancer with support from family, loved ones, friends and caregivers.

Massage can improve your quality of life while managing your symptoms of pain. Research has proven that the power of massage can relieve your pain and anxiety, reduce depression and give you more strength and stamina to move forward.

Treatment for cancer brings about its own set of side effects such as fatigue, nausea, pain, bowel problems, infection, memory disorders, depression and other physical and emotional difficulties. The power of massage can relieve many of these side effects to bring relief from nausea, pain, fatigue and emotional disabilities associated with cancer and the treatment plan.

Massage helps in maintaining inner strength and a positive attitude in order to fight the cancer. Working with your oncology massage therapist will help to provide you greater mental and emotional stability while also loosening tension and muscles to find pain relief and more comfort in life.

Other benefits include an improved blood circulation, removal of toxins in the body as well as stabilizing your blood pressure. Massage does not claim to be a cure for cancer but rather give you mental and emotional stability and well-being to beat this demon. Alleviating the aches and pains that linger in your lymph nodes and tiring muscles can bring a great sense of relief for you, along with the support of loved ones and family.

Massage therapy along with the prescribed treatment plan of your doctor, good nutrition and exercise can bring about a quicker recovery. The power of massage can provide you the overall health and well-being necessary to return to your normal way of living with more energy.

The power of breath: Breathe better to feel better

You can live a week without water, a month without food, but only a few minutes without oxygen. You can't generate energy in your body without oxygen. And many people equate energy with life itself. Energy is essential for your physical and emotional health. Thinking, moving, sensing, digesting and every other function require energy.

Muscling your breath

Breathing involves the chest, abdominal and back muscles, and the diaphragm, a bell-shaped muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. The diaphragm is the primary muscle of respiration, but many people don't use it efficiently. Instead, people often overuse the muscles around the ribs to inhale. But these muscles don't push fresh air into the lower lungs the way the diaphragm is designed to do. If the lower lungs don't receive enough air, the body cells don't get enough oxygen. In addition, when people overuse the chest and back muscles to breathe, muscle tightness increases in those areas, which can lead to chronic tension and pain. 

Poor posture, muscle weakness, lung disease and even lack of understanding of the breathing process can contribute to inefficient breathing.

Releasing your breath

Through observation and bodywork to your upper body, a massage therapist can help evaluate your breathing habits. She or he can apply techniques to release trigger points and tight muscles that restrict the breath, and demonstrate better breathing habits. When you improve your breathing habits, you can increase your energy and mental clarity, and decrease tension and pain.

Tuning in with bodywork - Increase your awareness and let go of tension

In addition to helping you tune into your breathing, massage and bodywork can enhance your awareness of tension in your body, which may be the first step in releasing it.

At some point in your life, for example, you may have tightened your muscles after an experience of grief or fear. Over time, these constricted muscles may have dulled the awareness of pain, or blocked the flow of energy or breath in the body. This may have led to even more tension and pain.

When muscle tension is released, you can observe what it feels like to relax, and then work toward consciously creating that feeling in between bodywork sessions. In your everyday life, practicing breathing exercises is a great way to build awareness, relax and let go of tension.

Breathing exercises - Reduce stress and breathe easier
The natural rhythm of breathing includes inhalation, exhalation and resting. You can learn to observe and improve this rhythm. Some questions to ask yourself are: What's longer, your inhalation or your exhalation? Can you rest between cycles? Do you feel strain when you breathe naturally?

Observe your breath. When you are stressed, your breath may be fast and shallow. If you are tired, you may have an irregular, slow cycle with yawning as an attempt to increase oxygen coming in. When calm, the breath is usually regular and relaxed.

Practice breathing exercises when you wake up or when you get in bed at night. By practicing regularly, over time you can learn to notice when your breathing changes in response to stress, exercise, moods and rest. This can help you develop easy, rhythmic breathing.

•     Sit or lie comfortably with closed eyes and observe the breath. Use no effort. Notice the quality of the breath and how it moves in the torso.
•     Place one hand beneath your navel and one under or on your tailbone and notice the movement in these areas.
•     Place your hands on each side of the lower ribs. Observe your breath. Now cross your arms, placing each hand under the opposite armpit. Feel the breath come and go. Then release your arms and observe any changes in your breathing
•     Now you are ready to try abdominal breathing. Rest your hands lightly on your stomach. Slowly and deeply inhale through your nose, pushing the hands outwards. Then slowly exhale, squeezing the belly tight. Practice four inhales and exhales.

A Great Exercise to Erase Low Back Pain

Check out the following short article about correctly picking something up off the floor. And then watch toddlers as they move around. They do it all correctly - and it's all instinct. We actually get worse as we age, even though no one tells us to. Teach your kids to ignore adults in this regard and to move as they already do based on instinct - their gut feeling is right!

A Great Exercise to Erase Low Back Pain:

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Making Contact: The Right and Wrong Way to Use Exercise Machines

I am obsessed with ergonomics. It's part of being a massage therapist. So it's no surprise that every time I go to the gym, it's like nails on the chalkboard. I'm constantly seeing someone straining on the machines, just cruising for an injury. Because it's usually my husband.

He should really read this article below. It goes over the proper points of contact and stabilization needed to help prevent injury and maximize your reps. And proper alignment on the machine isn't the only thing to keep in mind. The article doesn't cover two other things to consider: Using too much weight or trying to complete your sets too fast are other recipes for injury (cough cough husband).

Making Contact: The Right and Wrong Way to Use Exercise Machines:

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Meditation for spring

Review and plan your life for a more satisfying year

Spring is a potent season to look over the past and institute changes for the future. It is a good time to set clear goals, or intentions, that reflect your desires. This spring, try letting your impulses follow the growth you see in nature, and see how it affects your own perceptions and desires. To get started, try this personal reflection and writing exercise.

1. Find a favorite place to sit quietly, indoors or out. Breathe fully and deeply for a few minutes, keeping your attention on the breath.

2. Ask yourself: What can I clear out or let go of from the past year as I move into this fresh season of growth and rebirth? Observe your thoughts and feelings for 3 or 4 minutes.

3. Write down three things you would like to let go of. Put this “Let Go” list aside.

4. Now ask yourself: What do I desire in this new season? What seeds would I like to plant? Again see what answers come to you.

5. Write down three intentions for the coming year.

6. Take the “Let Go” list and burn it, or bury it in the soil.

7. Go back to the “Intentions” list. If you would like, illustrate or add color to it. Hang it up somewhere you will see it each day as a reminder of the seeds you have sown inside.

If you rearrange your life so that you plant new creative ideas in spring every year, you may be amazed by the increase in satisfaction you experience, as well as a deeper connection to the flow of nature’s seasons.

Massage and bodywork for allergies

Relief for congestion and pain

All year long, allergy sufferers complain of sinus congestion, headaches due to pressure,and exhaustion. But springtime allergies are especially known for the havoc they wreak.

Techniques that help
Bodywork can bolster your immune system and may even lessen the need for allergy medications. Massage to the head, face and neck can help clear mucus from the nose and throat. Pressure point therapies such
as shiatsu, acupressure and reflexology can be particularly helpful because they relieve congestion at the same time they encourage the body to return to a healthful balance.

Releasing trigger points
Massage is also known for its ability to release trigger points, knots that radiate pain to other spots. With massage, you can receive relaxing work to the face and around the eyes, as well as the upper back and shoulders where many trigger points to the head and face are located. When those areas are released, your headaches and congestion may also be relieved.

Stress reduction helps
Few studies researching massage therapy and allergy relief exist, but a 2009 Ohio State University study  showed that even slight stress and anxiety can substantially worsen a person’s allergic reaction to some routine allergens. Massage recipients the world over report that massage helps reduce their stress. You may well find that simply relaxing with massage helps relieve your allergy symptoms.

If you suffer from hay fever or some other spring allergy, try one or more sessions of massage this season. It may make all the difference.

Preparing for action

Three tips for getting moving in the spring



Springtime marks the end of winter hibernation. Like so many others, you may feel the need to get out of the house and start moving. Start the season right with these tips.



Start slowly and gradually

Spring is the time to recondition our bodies for outdoor activities. Whether it’s baseball, running or yard work, you may wake up one Saturday, feeling ready to go. But it is easy to get injured if you move too fast!


Warm up
Starting slowly and gradually before brisk activity can really pay off. Go outside and march in place for five minutes or take a quick walk around the block. Then gently stretch your neck, arms and legs.


Play smarter, not harder
As you begin your gardening or engaging in your sport, focus on using your body “smarter, not harder.” Switch activities every 30 minutes so you are not using the same muscles for extended periods. Take regular rest breaks and stretch the muscles you’ve been using.


Ramping up your outdoor activities carefully will give your body time to adjust and could prevent soreness and
even injury.

Self-care for neck pain

Seven Self-Care Tips for Clients with Neck Pain

Above is the link to the full article, and I encourage you to read it as it goes into more depth on the causes of neck pain, which makes the preventive tips below make more sense. It also includes a list of references.  

1. Stress Relief - While stress will aggravate neck pain, relaxation can ease it. Suggestions for accomplishing this feat include deep abdominal breathing, meditation, visualization and other relaxation techniques.

2. Frequent Breaks - Even though sustained positions foster muscle tightness, this practice is deeply ingrained in our culture. If driving long distances or working long hours in one position, make sure to take frequent breaks. Breaks are best used to stretch, breathe deeply, take a sip of water and return to proper posture.

3. Exercises and Stretches - While some must be prescribed by a physical therapist, a massage therapist can suggest exercises and stretches for the neck as long as they don't cause pain. Exercises and stretches help reduce pain by restoring muscle function, optimizing posture to prevent overload of muscle and increasing the strength and endurance of the neck muscles. These can include shoulder blade rolls/squeezes/shrugs, cervical extension/flexion, rotation, stretching the front wall chest muscles, strengthening the shoulder muscles and isometric exercises.

4. Hot and Cold Therapy - Most practitioners suggest alternating heat and cold to help a stiff, painful neck. Reduce inflammation by applying a cold pack for up to 20 minutes several times a day. Alternate this approach with heat, either a warm shower or a hot pack, for up to 20 minutes. Heat can help relax sore muscles, but it can aggravate inflammation if the area is red, warm and swollen.

5. Evaluate Ergonomics - Adjusting home or workplace conditions to relieve unnecessary neck stress can go a long way in preventing cervical discomfort. This includes proper positioning of a desk, chair, computer and phone so the screen is at eye level, knees are slightly lower than hips, arms rest comfortably on armrests and the neck is in a relaxed neutral position while on the phone.

6. Sleep Deliberately - Since a lot of neck pain can arise from poor positioning during sleep, deliberately planning a sleep position can prevent a painful neck. Avoid sleeping on the stomach and use a pillow that supports the natural curve of the neck. Back sleepers are advised to use a rounded pillow (neck roll) under the curve of the neck, with a flatter pillow cushioning the head. Side sleepers should keep their spine straight by using a pillow that is higher under the neck than the head. The goal is to prevent overnight neck flexion.

7. Sock and Tennis Balls - A simple homemade device can be used for self-administered cervical acupressure. Put two tennis balls in a sock and tie off the sock so the balls are stationary. Place the tennis balls under the occiput (base of the skull) so they are pressing on the hollows under the skull on either side of the spine (Gallbladder 20) for about 10 minutes. Lying on this device can help relax taut, posterior neck muscles.

Bone Basics: What You Should Know About Your Skeleton

It's so easy as a massage consumer, or even as a massage therapist, to forget that muscles are only part of the body's story. With out the skeleton, muscles would be pretty useless. The skeleton and muscles fit together to make up one large system of pulleys and levers. One without the other would go no where fast. Your muscles move your bones (the pulleys); your bones provide the structure your muscles need to move (the levers). And, just like your muscles, your bones need care. They need to be strong so your body as a whole can be strong. They too need nourishment in the form of nutrition and exercise.

Read this excellent article below, and don't forget those that truly make you stand tall!

Bone Basics: What You Should Know About Your Skeleton | The Daily Muse:

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Baby, it's cold outside ...

Happy new year! I hope you had a fun, safe holiday season and wish you the healthiest, happiest year yet for 2012! I am ready to learn new things and share them.

With the new year comes even colder weather as we are now deep into winter. And that means more risk for extreme cold pathologies, such as frostbite. I'm mentioning this because something like frostbite should NOT be massaged, even though you may feel the instinct to do so.

"About Frostbite
Occurring when the skin and other tissues are exposed to very cold temperatures, frostbite can cause permanent tissue damage. Usually affecting the hands, feet, nose, cheeks and ears, frostbite can happen within minutes of exposure to extreme cold, or even in above-freezing temperatures if there is a strong wind chill or if the person is at high altitude or wet.

When exposed to cold, the body strives to preserve heat. By constricting the blood vessels near the skin's surface, blood is forced into the body's core to keep the vital organs warm. This is exactly the mechanism that prevents the extremities (such as hands and feet) from receiving enough blood, which causes them to become cold and makes them vulnerable to frostbite. The following sequence of events can lead to frostbite:

• Initially, the blood vessels alternate between narrowing and widening to keep the extremities as warm as possible.
• Under extremely cold conditions the vessels stop widening.
• When the skin's temperature drops low enough, ice crystals form around and within the cells, freezing tissue and possibly rupturing cells.
• The lack of circulation that occurs when the body directs blood flow away from the extremities can cause damage to the cells.

Frostbite Stages
There are four degrees of frostbite severity, each with their own symptoms:

1. First Degree - Known as frostnip, this affects only the skin's surface. Initial symptoms are itching and pain, and some numbness may exist. These symptoms are usually not permanent.

2. Second Degree - This level involves freezing of the skin, but not deep tissue. The affected area usually will develop blisters one to two days after cold exposure.

3. Third Degree - Possibly causing a temporary loss of use of the affected area, this level is deep enough to involve tissue, muscle and tendons. The skin turns hard and waxy and purplish, and blood-filled blisters may be present.

4. Fourth Degree - Freezing tissue, muscle and tendon, this is the most severe stage of frostbite. The affected area suffers permanent loss of function and is at risk for possible amputation due to infection.

In general, the indications of frostbite are:

• Itching, pain or prickling progressing to numbness
• Pale, hard, cold skin with a waxy appearance
• Flushing from blood rushing to the area after being re-warmed
• Burning sensation and swelling from collected fluid that can last for weeks

Medical help should be sought right away to prevent permanent tissue damage, as the extent of the injury may not be apparent until the area is re-warmed. If medical care is not available immediately, a mildly frostbitten area can be warmed in warm water (101 - 104° F), or by repeatedly applying warm cloths to the area for 30 minutes. Never use hot water, fire, a heating pad, or other dry heat because these methods may burn the skin before the feeling returns. Because the affected area may swell, remove any jewelry before re-warming. You can also give the person with frostbite something warm to drink (no alcohol or caffeine). If the toes are the frostbite culprit, help the person ambulate without them putting pressure on their feet. If there is any danger of refreezing, wait to thaw the area out until warm shelter is guaranteed. Thawing and refreezing can cause even more serious damage to tissue.

Warming should be done without applying movement to the tissue. That means no rubbing, massaging or shaking. Excessive movement will cause the ice crystals to injure sensitive body tissue."

Source: What Massage Therapists Should Know About Frostbite

As always, the best game plan is prevention. Remember your hat, scarf and gloves before going outside. Even if you don't think you'll need them, pack them in your bag, or stuff them in your pockets. It may be 50 this Saturday, but only in the middle of the day. Winter temperatures can drop dramatically in short periods. And if you suspect frostbite, please follow the instructions above.

Stay safe out there!