Have you had your Vitamin F today?

Not one of my normal posts, but good info!  I receive many requests to forward on emails of various types. While not accustomed to doing so on a regular basis, I thought you would benefit from this particular “forward” I received from a friend of mine today. I hope you enjoy it!

Why do we have a variety of friends who are all so different in character? How do we get along with them all? I think that each one helps to bring out a “different” part of us.

We joke with one friend.

We sit down and talk about serious matters with one.

With another, we laugh a lot.

We may have a coffee with one.

We listen to one friend’s problems.

Then we listen to another one’s advice for us.

Our friends are all like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

When completed, they form a treasure box.  A treasure of friends!

There are friends who understand us better than we do, who support us through good days and bad days.

Real Age doctors tell us that friends are good for our health. Dr. Oz calls them Vitamin F (for Friends) and counts the benefits of friends as essential to our well being. Research shows that people in strong social circles have less risk of depression and terminal strokes.

If you enjoy Vitamins F constantly, you can be up to 30 years younger than your real age. The warmth of friendship stops stress and even in your most intense moments, it decreases the chance of a cardiac arrest or stroke by 50%.

Make an effort to keep a stock of Vitamin F!

In summary, we should value our friends and keep in touch with them. We should try to see the funny side of things and laugh together, and pray for each other in the tough moments.

Thank you for being one of my Vitamins!

Regular Massage? How Often is Beneficial for Me?

Happy New Year! As we reflect on what we accomplished in 2011, it’s a great time of year to plan for where we want to go in 2012. What are your goals? Your dreams? Are you going to reach for the stars this year? Do you want more time with the family, to gain more productivity or success at work, or are you selecting the ever popular “lose weight” resolution?

Whatever your resolution is (or isn’t for those who don’t make them or stick to them!), one of the most important things in life is your health. When you’re sick or in pain, everything in your life suffers…your relationships with family/friends may suffer because you feel awful (you can’t keep up with them on the tennis court with a sore hip), or you may have to stay home from work when your back decides to go out which may cause your success to be less than productive.

If you want to take care of yourself and your health in 2012, consider regular massage. What exactly does “regular massage” mean? People often ask me how often they should get massage. There is no one-size fits all when it comes to massage frequency. “Regular” massage can be a different frequency for everyone, and it can vary over time for a person. The frequency of how often you should get in for massage or bodywork depends on your body, how you respond to bodywork and how active you are.

Rehab an Injury
If you are trying to recover from an injury, the frequency may be more often for shorter amounts of time (e.g. 30 minute massage sessions 2 or 3 times per week). Once you have fully recovered from an injury, it’s a good idea to get on a preventative maintenance schedule to avoid future injuries.

Athletic Feats of Accomplishment
If you enjoy pushing your body to the edge with strenuous athletic activities, do repetitive activities (golf, weight lifting, even knitting!) or are training for an athletic event (marathon, century bike ride, etc.), you will find that weekly 60 or 90 minute massage sessions keep you performing at your peak. The therapist will work through tight muscles that have not had a chance to become problematic yet and you will be able to continue to train at a level that will help you attain your goal.

Preventative Maintenance
For the person who doesn’t want unforeseen musculoskeletal problems to arise in their lives (remember when your back when out after you stood up from that long car ride to visit relatives this past holiday season?), massage every 4 – 5 weeks is ideal. This frequency helps alleviate physical tightness, but it can also relieve stress of a hectic work schedule, holiday stress (good thing that is gone!), and improve the quality of your sleep. By moving the body into the parasympathetic state, our body shifts out of “fight-or-flight” mode and into “rest-and-digest” mode. Circulation improves, endorphins are released into the blood stream, and cortisol levels are decreased with regular massage. The benefits are numerous.

Many who work out and perform repetitive motion activities think that massage is only needed once you start feeling pain or there is an injury. In the long run, if you receive massage “regularly” (whatever that is for you), the benefits compound. You are less stressed out physically and mentally, you are able to continue working out/training athletically (which again reduces stress and keeps those excess pounds off), and may even cost you less than if you wait until you have an injury and have to come in for multiple sessions, take time off to go to see a Doctor/chiropractor, etc.. Plus, many therapists offer a reduced rate if you purchase more than one session. I offer package specials of 3, 5 and 10 sessions that have a price reduction the more sessions you purchase together.

Don’t you deserve to take care of yourself this year? Give yourself what your body ordered for 2012…relaxation for your mind, body and spirit. May 2012 be the year you hit that PR!

Stressing over the Fall Chill?

With the falling of the leaves comes the change of seasons! It also is time for a change for me and my business...I will be moving into my Eden Prairie location at 10360 West 70th St, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 exclusively, beginning on Nov 1st. I will continue to see clients in my St Louis Park location until Tues, Oct 25th.

Fall brings a change to the weather and also to people's spirits and attitudes. While it's been absolutely beautiful outside, it means that winter is on its way. I received an email this weekend talking about how the change into darker, colder days can mean that many people fall into feeling less energized, less motivated and even depressed. Now is the time to nip that attitude in the bud!

Massage helps relieve pain and eases tension. It also can help improve circulation, reduce stress and enhance your mood. Pamper yourself this fall (or give the gift of massage to someone you care about) by getting a massage. By stimulating the brain and the body, massage rids your body of distractions and helps you get in tune with both physical and emotional feelings, regenerating sapped power reserves to give you energy for the rest of the day.

So don't stress over the fall chill, but embrace the change and be sure to take time to care for yourself. Massage is a great way to take time for yourself and help minimize stress-related illnesses that can creep up this time of year. See how Frequent Massage Therapy Can Reduce the Dangers Of Stress. Having a massage puts the focus on you and the present, taking it from problems and the past or future.

Summer Activities

With the weather warming up, it's so nice to see people out and about enjoying the sunshine here in the Twin Cities. People are canoeing, kayaking, golfing, running, biking, etc. in the great weather! I'm sure I have overlooked the favorite activities of many out there, but you get the idea. Spring and summer are the seasons so many of us look forward to when we don't have to bundle ourselves up from head to toe! As someone who is from WI, but spent the last 7 years in Atlanta, I know I've missed the sun and warmth that an outdoor activity provides without wearing multiple layers!

How are your outdoor activities feeling this year? Is your golf game not what it should be? What about the times on your runs...not quite setting any PRs? Are your arms or back stiff from rowing in your canoe or kayak?

Routine massage/bodywork can keep you performing your best throughout the summer season. Athletes of all sports can benefit from routine bodywork to help recover from injuries, but it's better if you never get injured in the first place. Just think how much more fun you can have this summer if you don't have to stop participating in your sport of choice. See what others have to say about massage for athletes, and get out there to enjoy this beautiful weather!
http://ezinearticles.com/?Treating-Athletes-Using-Massage-Therapy&id=917719

- Bonnie

Align Body - Relieve Pain - Improve Wellness - Enhance Performance

Active Isolated Stretching

One thing about me is that I strive to push myself to be a better person and better therapist. I love learning new techniques to help my clients. One of the many reasons I love being a massage therapist is that there are endless tools I can add to my toolbox. Being a nationally certified massage therapist requires a certain amount of CEU's to stay up to speed in the profession. I know that I won't ever have a problem meeting that requirement!

I just completed a fascinating 4 day seminar on stretching. I was a little hesitant about taking the class...Would it be worth 4 full days? Would it be beneficial for clients? Would it be worth the expense? Well, I can now answer all those questions with an emphatic "yes".

Remember back in the day when you'd warm up before doing an athletic activity? You'd reach toward your toes (either standing or sitting) to stretch your hamstrings. You'd bounce back and forth, or maybe you had a stretching partner that helped push you down. In the 70's and early 80's, I remember (and recall the pain!) the straddle leg position to stretch the hamstrings and inner thigh muscles. You and a partner would sit on the ground facing each other with your straight legs in an outward straddle position. Your feet would be butted up against your partners feet...you'd clasp hands with your stretching partner, then you'd lean forward into the stretch as your partner would lean back (and pull you to the point of crying "Uncle"). Of course, the stretch was reciprocated when you leaned back. I can still almost feel the pulling sensation all these years later.

After the "bouncing stretch" lost popularity, we all learned that prolonged static stretches were the way to go. Static stretches didn't tear muscle fibers and the longer you stretched the muscle, the better. This was again, usually done before athletic activity. I'm not sure when the next change occurred, but pretty soon it was recommended that you shouldn't stretch before exercise...cold muscles shouldn't be stretched. Rather, you should do a light aerobic activity to warm up the muscles, then exercise and then you can stretch the muscles. This is the method I've used for years. It seemed to make sense to me...until this past weekend.

I attended a 4 day seminar the past weekend called "Active Isolated Stretching (AIS)" taught by Aaron Mattes. Aaron has some very interesting success stories of those he has worked with, and the list is pretty impressive. I had a brief introduction to AIS about a year ago when I was still practicing in Atlanta, but really got to see (and feel) some amazing results this weekend.

AIS is a powerful method of stretching where the target muscle is first isolated. The antagonist (or opposite) muscle is contracted by the active client while a simultaneous stretch is done for no more than 2.0 seconds.Research has shown that a static stretch over 2.0 seconds triggers a protective stretch reflex to further contract or tighten that muscle, which is the opposite of what we want to accomplish. With AIS, the target or isolated muscle stays relaxed while the antagonist muscle is contracting (reciprocal inhibition). This allows the isolated muscle to lengthen without trauma.

Let me repeat that the client is active during this session. The client is not lying limp and having the therapist stretch them like often happens in a massage session. The reason for the active client is that when a muscle is contracting (or being activated by the client), the muscle we're isolating is relaxed and can be stretched. If you do 4 successive days of this work as a client, let me tell you, it feels like a workout!

After experiencing this work, the client will learn how to do these stretches on their own. I must admit the therapist assisting the stretch gives a much fuller stretch, but there is a lot the client can accomplish on their own.

AIS helps improve circulation and increase the elasticity of muscle joints and fascia. The benefits gained by regular use of AIS techniques help restore range of motion, rehabilitate and prevent injuries. Over the course of the 4 day seminar, I witnessed bunions being straightened, a woman with Lyme's disease feel better, someone with a 10 yr old back injury (broken back that never recovered properly) get up without pain, and an 8 year old's personality improve (and stand straighter).

Here are a few links from ASHA, the massage school I graduated from, so you can see what's involved. I didn't work with this therapist, but I feel these videos give a good idea of what's involved in a session.

Upper Back, Shoulders, Back

Hips & Pelvis

This method of stretching is great for athletes, children, elderly, those looking to prevent or rehabilitate an injury…really anyone who is looking to get more out of their daily lives!

If you’re interested in improving the range of motion in your back so you can golf this summer, or training without injury for a fall marathon, give me a call so we can get your body working again!

Spring Training

It feels like Spring is finally making its way to MN (just don't look at current weather forecasts that are predicting snow for Sunday night into Monday!).

With the change of the season, people are coming out of hibernation. Maintaining an exercise program through the winter can be challenging, especially if the sport includes running or biking outdoors! As a runner, there were icy roads, piles of snow, and dark mornings and evenings I had to deal with during the winter. Even now with more daylight, there are puddles, mud and the occasional pothole to watch out for. This will soon give way to glorious sunrises with singing birds (that is as close to a "tweet" as I get), the smell of someone's wonderful breakfast through their open window (I'm not the only one who smells eggs and bacon on my long runs, am I?), and the feeling of pain by over stressing your body.

What? Pain? Over stressing the body? How can that happen if I ran all winter?

Perhaps you have a race on your calendar you need to start training for. Did you get in lots of speed workouts or intervals on those icy roads this winter? Oh, you worked out inside on a treadmill. As you probably know, running (or biking) inside is completely different than running outside. The change to outdoor training (and the exhilarating feeling of fresh air!) can push many people into adding too much (mileage, speed, races, etc.) too soon.

Be smart about building your training schedule so you don't hurt yourself. Remember to take the time to recover and rest when needed. For those training for long endurance events, include quality recovery time into your schedule so you can continue to build your training through the big event. One of the ways I work to stay healthy during my marathon training is to increase the frequency of massages I receive. I incorporate weekly massage sessions when my mileage ramps up so that I can stay loose and keep on my training schedule. Not only does weekly massage help me recover from the previous weeks runs, it alerts me (and my therapist) of other areas I need to focus on stretching that are becoming tight.

After the big event, I celebrate with a more relaxing massage to help increase circulation and let my body recover. I reduce the frequency of massages I receive to every month or so.

So get out there and enjoy the beautiful Spring weather...just don't overdo it too fast!

- Bonnie
Align Body - Relieve Pain - Improve Wellness - Enhance Performance

Low Back Pain Resolved - without working the low back

I worked with a client last week who came in complaining of low back pain. His low back hurt him while sitting, standing, laying down...there was no position that was comfortable for him. The pain was affecting his mood and attitude as well. Very understandable if you are in constant pain!

Before we started the session, I assessed his hips, his shoulders, and where his head, neck and shoulders were positioned vertically in relation to the rest of his body. We discussed a plan of action for the session. I was going to begin with releasing some restrictions in the bones in the cranium/skull (Craniosacral Therapy). Based on my assessment of how the client's body lined up, I was also going to work on his quads and a very deep muscle, the psoas, located in the lateral abdomen area. I explained that the bones in the head can restrict or govern the joints of the body (like the hip area). If the bones of the cranium are released first, the hip joint and the muscles around the hips would release better. Tight quadriceps muscles and psoas can cause pain in the low back because they pull the entire hip area too far forward.

We began the session doing about 30 minutes of Craniosacral Therapy (CST) on the skull to decompress the cranial bones. The client was laying on the treatment table face up. CST can feel like very minimal movement to the client...some people don't feel anything while this work is being done, while others can feel sensations and/or releases in their hips, shoulders or other areas of their body. It is very relaxing work and many clients fall into a very deep state of relaxation.

After this initial work, I asked the client to stand up, walk around and tell me how his low back felt. The pain had reduced from when he first came in, but he could still feel some discomfort. I spent a few more minutes working out some tender areas on the clients head/cranium. Once the tender areas in the skull were relieved, I did some rocking of the sacroiliac (SI) joint. This is the area just below the top of the back hip bone. Once things loosened up with rocking, I performed static work on the SI joint where I distracted or attempted to pull the ilium (upper hip bone) away from the sacrum. This helped create a bit more space and movement in the joint.

Next, it was time to move on to the quadriceps. There were trigger points in the quads that I released using Neuromuscular Therapy techniques. Trigger points are tight spots in the muscle that restrict both contraction and stretching ability of the muscle. After the quads released, I moved to the psoas muscle. Psoas work can be very sensitive on people with low back pain. When working on this muscle, the client may feel a referring sensation into the thigh or into the back. We spent a lot of time working in this area with good dialogue to gauge the level of any discomfort.

I again asked the client to stand, walk a bit and tell me how his back felt. He responded that his back was much better! Great results when I hadn't worked any muscles on his back to that point!

I finished up our session with some work on the low, mid and upper back. The muscles were pretty pliable, and there wasn't much additional work needed since the primary causes of low back pain had already been addressed. Several days after our session, the clients low back still felt fine. He was able to workout without low back pain and had a more positive outlook on everything.

If I had just worked the low back area, the muscles in the back would have relaxed temporarily, but the cause of the pain would not have been addressed. By identifying the cause of the low back pain, restrictions in the body were released for effective long term pain relief.

- Bonnie
Align Body - Relieve Pain - Improve Wellness - Enhance Performance