Massage and Bodywork

Make it a Massage Christmas

December 16th, 2009 No Comments

Give the gift of massage this season.

If you’re having trouble finding the perfect Christmas gift for your friends and relatives this year, may I make a recommendation? Get them a massage.

I know, I know. It’s a bit predictable for a licensed massage therapist with a massage therapy blog to recommend massage as a present, but who could possibly be better equipped to make a case for it? It would be a sin for me not to say something on its behalf.

Massage is easily transportable. You don’t have to assemble, ship, or wrap up a massage gift certificate. Simply put the certificate in an envelope or gift card holder and slide it into your mom’s stocking or send it to your cousin eight states away.

Massage can be for anyone. Even your dad, who says he already has everything, can enjoy a massage for Christmas. It certainly won’t be another gag gift to pile into his den. Even your great aunt could benefit from massage. If an older relative is wary about getting a massage for the first time, you can also buy a massage for yourself and offer to take her out for a spa day. Once she finally goes she’ll be hooked.

Massage is a great way to say thank-you. This year, skip out on the gift baskets or extra tips for your child’s teacher, the mailman, and your hairdresser. A massage gift certificate is more personal and it will go a long way for people who endure stressful days to make your life better.

Massage can also be a great group gift. Talk to your superiors at work to arrange (and pay) for a corporate massage therapist to come to your office. After your coworkers get a seated massage, they will go back to work feeling a little less stressed out—and a little more thankful for you—in the midst of the workplace holiday mayhem.

Massage can fit many budgets. You can opt to splurge on a 90-minute hot stone massage for your best friend or get a 30-minute pick-me-up for the members of your immediate family. I also mentioned in a previous post that many cheap massage deals are out there. If you want to buy in bulk, consider getting all of your family members (even your least favorite ones) certificates for a 10-minute chair massage at a massage station in your local mall. If you decide to hand out gift certificates before Christmas Day, you will give them a good excuse to take a little rejuvenating break from their holiday shopping.

Massage can be free. When I was a little kid, I used to give my mom the gift of “coupons” for things like free hugs and house vacuuming. It sounds a little silly, but if someone gave me a home-made coupon for an eight minute back massage, (example here) I definitely wouldn’t laugh or complain. Would you? I urge you to try it out if you’re strapped for cash. An added bonus: picking up the new skill could make you everyone’s favorite friend/relative in the very near future.

Some Sound Sleep Tips

December 15th, 2009 No Comments

A Cookie Monster is better than no "helper" pillow.

“STOP SLEEPING ON YOUR STOMACH!”

That’s the advice I get from Dr. G, my chiropractor. The way I sleep—twisting, turning, arms flailing about, teddy bear flung half-way across the bed, neck contorted—isn’t good for my body. I know this to be true not just because Dr. G said so, but also because I’m sore when I wake up. The problem is that I find it difficult to convince my sleeping self to stay in perfect form all night long. My sleeping self wants to do what my sleeping self finds to be the most comfortable at any given point. Do you and your sleeping self have the same problem?

Fortunately, the guidelines of ache-free sleeping don’t have to be as rigid as a super firm mattress. There’s just one thing you need to bear in mind. I’ll call it The Rule of Sleep. The Rule is: Regardless of what position(s) you sleep in, do what you can to help your spine maintain its natural curve throughout your whole sleep cycle.

Combine the rule of sleep with a moderately firm mattress, a good neck pillow, and a “helper” body pillow, and you will feel less achey in the morning.

Here are some basic “helper” pillow tips:

If you’re primarily a back sleeper: Placing a “helper” pillow under your knees will help you maintain that natural curve in your lower back. You may add a little rolled towel around your waist (or directly under the small of your back) to have some extra support if it feels comfortable. Always make sure your neck is supported with a pillow, but don’t pile up pillows under your shoulders.

If you’re primarily a side sleeper: Enlist your “helper” pillow to rest between your knees. It will help open up your hips. I personally prefer to sleep with a body-length “helper” pillow because it’s like having an extra-squishy sleeping partner to rest my head on. If you sleep mostly on your side, avoid sleeping with your knees drawn completely to your chest.

If you’re primarily a stomach sleeper: You may get some criticism from your chiropractor for sleeping on your stomach because it can be hard on your neck and your back. However, you’re not out of luck if it’s your default sleep position. Place your “helper” pillow under your pelvis and lower abdominal area (your hips.) When it comes to using a neck pillow, use one that doesn’t feel like it’s causing your neck to strain too much. Look for a “stomach sleeper” pillow at stores such as Bed Bath & Beyond.

And that’s it! If you’re like me and you flop about, do your best to adjust your pillow placement accordingly. You may not be in perfect form all night, but you should feel a vast improvement in the way you feel when you wake up.

5 Steps to Earning a Massage Therapy License

December 14th, 2009 1 Comment

Massage therapy students are sometimes required to give out free chair massages.

Do you want a massage therapy license? Here are some steps you need to take to get one, whether the idea of becoming a massage therapist is just a passing thought or it is your lifelong passion.

1. Find massage therapy license regulations for the state you live in. If you live within the United States, massage therapy license requirements vary state-to-state. In some states (Arizona, for example) they have been regulated across the entire state. However, if you live in a state like California, massage therapy license requirements vary by city. Go here to find a list of requirements by state. To gather more up-to-date information on your state, use a search engine and enter a term such as “massage therapy license Texas” (or replace ‘Texas’ with the state you actually live in.) Sites created by your state government are the most accurate. Decide right now if you can truly commit to the hours, cost, and work necessary to complete a full program.

2. Visit a website like this one to find nearby schools that will cater to your needs as a potential student massage therapist. You may also want to type “massage therapy schools” and the name of your city into your favorite search engine to make sure you’ve located all of your possible options. What you find will vary greatly depending on where you live. If you live in a more rural area, you will probably have to travel a bit to find the school you’re looking for. If you live in a bustling, modern metropolis such as Seattle or New York City, your main predicament will be sifting through all the available massage schools in order to find the one that suits you best.

3. Call the massage therapy school(s) you’re interested in attending to schedule an interview. Most schools will have an admissions counselor/specialist whose job it is to show you around the school and answer any questions you may have. Be aware that this person isn’t necessarily a massage therapist. Her job is to recruit new students.

4. Ask a lot of questions at your interview, including:
-Is the school accredited?
-What types of classes will you take?
-What are the qualifications of its instructors?
-Does the school help students obtain their massage therapy licenses by providing the necessary paperwork, etc.?
-What kind of job placement assistance does the school offer?
-What is the school’s reputation?
-Do classes prepare students to take any massage therapy license-required state and/or national exams?
-What is the cost of tuition and who do you talk to regarding financial aid?

5. Choose a school and get ready to sweat. Because massage therapy is being looked at as a legitimate form of complementary and alternative health care, more and more rules are regulating it and making a massage therapy license more difficult to obtain. Expect to take in-depth anatomy courses and ethics classes. Also expect to give away a lot of free massages before you obtain your massage therapy license. Extra work is a good thing because it means that massage therapists are increasingly being respected as legitimate practitioners rather than as “masseuses” and “back rubbers”.

2 Major Reasons to Get a Prenatal Massage

December 12th, 2009 No Comments

Prenatal massage therapy can help improve your pregnancy.

When you’re pregnant, you deserve a massage.

Your baby is growing at such a rapid pace that your body must quickly change to accommodate him. Since most of your new weight is going to the front of your body, your pelvis pulls forward and adds extra strain to your back, shoulder, and neck muscles. All this added tension is enough of a reason for you to get a weekly massage when you’re pregnant. But then there are the mood swings, the nerve pain, the breast tenderness… the list goes on.

Massage therapists trained in the prenatal massage modality employ techniques that were designed especially for the needs of pregnant women. Plus, a massage table can be set up just for your body. If you can’t find a therapist with a special pregnancy table or a pregnancy pad, you can get a prenatal massage while you lie on your side and hug a pillow. (Pregnant friends have told me that just being able to lie face-down on a pregnancy table was worth what they paid for the massage.)

If everything I’ve mentioned up to this point hasn’t convinced you to get a prenatal massage, consider the following:

Prenatal massage therapy can reduce your stress levels and improve your mood. A study conducted by the University of Miami studied the effects of a twice-weekly 20 minute massage on pregnant women. The results were promising. Researchers found that the pregnant women’s stress hormones were lowered and their mood states were improved.
Prenatal massage therapy can improve your pregnancy experience and improve your baby’s health. The University of Miami study showed that women who received massages also noticed a dramatic decrease in body pain as a result of the hormone regulation. Moreover, the quality of their sleep was improved and their risk of having any pregnancy-related complications was reduced.

With that in mind, massage isn’t just a luxury when you’re pregnant. If you don’t care about getting a massage for your own health, get one on your baby’s behalf.

Tips:

Mention prenatal massage gift certificates on your baby shower wish list.
Join your partner in learning some prenatal massage techniques to save some money.
Click here to find a massage therapist who specializes in prenatal massage.

Warning:

Talk to your OB/GYN before you schedule your first massage treatment. Some pre-existing pregnancy complications are contraindications for prenatal massage.

Does Your Insurance Cover Massage?

December 11th, 2009 No Comments

Insurance coverage is money in the bank.

In December 2008, the National Health Interview Survey showed that about 38 percent of American adults and around 12 percent of kids are treated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) of some sort. Kaiser says that at least 75 percent of adults have at least tried it. Some people receive treatments such as massage and acupuncture to complement their conventional medical care, while others rely solely on such therapies as alternative medicine .

Based on conversations I’ve had with my clients, I believe that a much larger percentage of the population would try—and regularly seek—alternative medical assistance and preventative care if insurance companies were willing to cover more of it.

The good news is that insurance companies are starting to see the light when it comes to covering CAM. Because consumers’ interest in CAM coverage has increased dramatically in recent years, insurance companies have started to offer coverage for treatments like chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture and sometimes even naturopathy and biofeedback.

You owe it to yourself to find out if your insurance plan covers massage therapy or other CAM treatments. At the risk of sounding like a Geico advertisement: A few moments could save you lots of money on complementary and alternative medicine. Here’s how to do it…

How to Find a Cheap Massage

December 8th, 2009 1 Comment

Therapeutic Massage

From what I’ve read, Bob Hope got a massage every day of his professional life. The man lived to be over 100 years old! Wouldn’t it be great if we each had the money to hire a personal massage therapist? Maybe if that were the case the world would see less war. Maybe we’d hug out our problems the way our parents told us to when we got into fights with our siblings.

So the reality is that most of us don’t have money like Bob Hope and political leaders aren’t quite hugging out war-related issues. Yet another reality is that massage is now turning into less of a luxury and more of a necessity. More massage therapy options are giving people (such as struggling massage therapists and freelance writers) the chance to get a well-deserved, quality massage at a discount.

Here are four major ways to find a cheap massage no matter where you live:

1. Look Up Massage Therapy Schools – Just use a search engine to locate massage therapy schools in your city. Most massage therapy schools require their students to have a certain amount of hands-on hours at a student clinic. Massage therapy school websites will give you the information you need to determine the cost of a student massage. If the site itself does not give you this information, the school will definitely provide a phone number. Massage therapy schools often charge between $25 and $40 for a 50 to 60 minute long treatment. That’s less than a third of what you would pay for a massage at most spas. Schools are even cheaper than Massage Envy, plus you won’t have to worry about schools automatically taking money out of your bank account every month.

2. Visit a Chiropractor’s Office – If you can’t find a massage therapy school near where you live, visit Google once more to find local chiropractors. More and more, chiropractors are hiring massage therapists to provide an assortment of massage therapy modalities for patients. Chiropractors also generally charge much less than a spa would charge for a 50 to 60 minute massage. The office I currently work for has a sliding scale depending on the services a person chooses to receive from us, but our “Wellness Package” is very popular. With that package, $40 covers a single 53-55 minute massage or two 25-minute massages per month.

3. Find Cheap Seasonal Deals – This method will take a little bit of research on your part, but if you manage to snag a great deal you won’t regret the effort you put into it. When you look around at spas and hotels near you, you will find that, especially around special occasions like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, most places that offer massages will also offer cheap massage deals. A common discount is something along the lines of a “2-4-1 Romantic Getaway Massage”.

4. Travel Off-Season – If you’re only looking for a luxurious spa day at a discount, the best way to find a fancy cheap massage is to plan an off-season vacation to a place like Scottsdale, AZ where there are tons of luxurious day spas. In Scottsdale, this means: visit during the summer! It is sweltering hot between the months of May and September, and many spas have to offer cheap massage deals because most people don’t want to “vacation” in 112 degree weather. The weather really isn’t a big issue if you’re planning to spend most of your time getting pampered indoors anyway. Keep an open mind!

Tips/Warnings:

When you visit a chiropractor’s office or massage therapy school for a cheap massage, don’t expect a bells-and-whistles treatment that involves aromatherapy, cucumber eye masks, chanting, and rain sticks. You may be able to find one, but if actually you do I’d like to hear about it.
Avoid “cheap massage” places that are open until midnight. This also goes for “cheap massage” places where the therapists wear long fake nails and high heels.
There is a chance that visiting a student clinic will mean that you get a less experienced therapist. This may occasionally mean that the quality of the massage is diminished, professional massage therapists also vary in quality. (Besides, you can simply opt to visit on a different day if you want to avoid getting the same therapist.) Let student therapists know if you have any health conditions so they can ask supervisors for assistance if necessary.

My First Blog Post

November 28th, 2009 No Comments

Welcome to Minding Body’s first blog post.

My About section already offers a little bit of insight about why I started this blog, but I don’t think that a formal overview entirely portrays who I am.

Who am I and what makes me a reliable guide?

Well, to fully cover the most significant aspects of my life I’d need to make myself a large cup of strongly caffeinated tea and have a few hundred extra hours on my hands. I don’t have a few hundred hours at my immediate disposal, but I do have a blog, an indefinite future, and a few spare hours here and there. I’m excited that, in time, I’ll have the chance to let my personality and some credibility shine through these virtual pages.

For now, let me make it clear that I don’t think of myself as a massage therapy guru of any sort. I’m still very new to the field, but massage therapy as it is currently known is also somewhat new. I’m proud to be a licensed massage therapist in a time when more and more research is being dedicated to understanding therapeutic massage therapy as a medicine in its own right. (Did you know that massage therapy is the most commonly used form of complementary and alternative medicine in U.S. hospitals?)

I’m excited and honored that you’ve chosen to join me as I also educate myself about the endless healing potential of human touch.