Hints for a Healthy Holiday

The busier you are, the easier it is to overlook those important aspects that contribute to a healthy and happy life. And what busier time is there than the end-of-year holiday season? Here are a few tips:

• Know when to say “No, thanks.” There’s so much to do at this time of year, and many people find it difficult to say “no.” Do what you can, but know where you need to draw the line. You don’t want to push yourself too hard and end up in bed, recovering.

• Plan ahead. With so many tasty temptations available at this time of year, it’s wise to decide before you hit the parties what you’re willing to consume. Remember that your body must pay the price if you choose to overindulge, so try to decide in advance how to handle your holiday feasting. And be sure to drink plenty of pure water; it’s the “rinse cycle” that helps to cleanse your body internally.

• Feeling valuable contributes to your happiness. Include in your life activities that give you a sense of purpose. Helping others offers major personal rewards. Choose things that have meaning to you.

• Take care of yourself with massage. De-stress, stay relaxed, and help keep your body functioning smoothly. Take those vital few minutes just for you—put the rest of the world on hold for a couple of hours while you take care of yourself. When you make the commitment, you and your life will be better for it!

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How's the Head?

From annoying discomfort to debilitating pain, headaches can be thoroughly disruptive. Fortunately, massage can help bring relief to headache sufferers.

According to the National Headache Foundation, over 45 million Americans suffer from chronic, recurring headaches, costing industry an estimated 50 billion dollars per year due to absenteeism and medical expenses. Over 4 billion dollars is spent annually on over-the-counter remedies, many of which prove ineffective. At best, drugs mask the pain but do little to address the cause of the problem.

There are several types of headaches, including tension, sinus, migraine, and cluster, with tension headaches comprising about 90 percent of the total.

Tension headaches are caused by stress, anxiety, fatigue or anger and are felt in the head and neck region. Both migraine and cluster headaches are believed to be caused by chemical reactions in the brain. Migraines can be triggered by certain foods, hormonal changes, weather and stress. Sinus headaches are usually brought about by an allergic reaction or an infection.

Studies conducted by the Touch Research Institute have shown that both migraine and tension headaches respond well to massage. Benefits from the migraine study included more headache-free days, better sleep, less anxiety, and an increase in serotonin levels. With massage shown to get this kind of results, doesn’t it make sense that regular massage sessions could help to lessen the onset of headaches?

If you are bothered with headaches, please be sure to bring it up at your next session so we can see what can be done to get you some relief.

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More Women, Men Stressed at Work

“Results from a study conducted by Lluminari, a national health education firm based in Delaware, show how stress is affecting the health of working Americans. The researchers found that differences in the way that men and women are managed at work puts both men and women at risk for cardiovascular problems, depression and a higher susceptibility to infectious disease.

“Though massage wasn’t specifically mentioned in the study, Marianne J. Legato, M.D., founder and director of the Partnership for Gender-Based Medicine, Columbia University in New York, and one of the study’s lead advisers, says that women are relegated to clerical work more often than men, often involving long hours in uncomfortable positions. ‘The chronicity of position and the overuse of the same muscles produces repetitive strain injury at the worst, and at best, muscle aching and spasm, particularly in the forearm and upper back. Headaches and neck pain are also quite common. These are quite responsive to massage,’ Legato says.
More than 1,100 men and women from companies with 1,000-plus employees participated in the study. Fifty-four percent of respondents said they ‘often to always’ come home from work in a state of fatigue.

“Legato adds that since prolonged sitting can also exacerbate low back pain, massage might therefore benefit women more than men simply as a function of occupational assignments.” --Massage Therapy Journal Vol. 43 No. 3

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Season’s Greetings!

Are you prepared for this year’s holiday season? As busy as day-to-day life can be, the pace always seems to pick up at the end of the year. The season can be much more enjoyable when you focus your time and attention on the things that are most important to you. It can be an ideal time to step back from life’s challenges and to devote some quality time with the people that mean the most to you.

This holiday newsletter covers some tips to help you make this a happy, healthy season and some recent health news that we hope you find useful. Please let us know what information you’d like to see in the future; We are here to help you!

As you embark on this year’s holiday shopping, keep in mind that massage gift certificates make a wonderful present for just about everyone on your list. You can lighten your shopping load and save some time while sharing the gift of health and relaxation!

Thank you for your trust in choosing us for your massage needs; We look forward to continuing to work with you in the coming months. My greatest reward is seeing you feeling your best and being as healthy as possible. So plan on taking proper care of yourself and make your regular massage sessions a life-enhancing priority. See you then!

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We look forward to seeing you soon.