10/5/2023 0 Comments The Importance of MindfulnessToday, I want to take a moment to reflect on a subject that has been transformative in my own life and holds immense significance in our fast-paced world: mindfulness.
Mindfulness is not just a buzzword or a passing trend; it's a powerful practice that can profoundly impact our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. At its core, mindfulness involves paying deliberate attention to the present moment, without judgment or distraction. Here are a few reasons why I believe mindfulness is so crucial:
Incorporating mindfulness into our daily routines may seem daunting, but it doesn't require hours of meditation. It can be as simple as taking a few conscious breaths, practicing gratitude, or fully immersing ourselves in a task. The key is to start small and be consistent. I encourage you to explore mindfulness in your own way and experience its transformative power. Whether through meditation, mindful walks, or mindful eating, you can discover a renewed sense of balance, presence, and peace. In this busy world, where distractions abound, let us not forget the profound importance of mindfulness in our lives. It's a gift we can give ourselves and those around us. Massage can be a gateway to becoming familiar with mindfulness. You don't have to talk during your massage. You can rest and relax and simply enjoy the moment. This is time you can spend with your body, to listen to what it is telling you. We spend so much time ignoring our bodies' cues, that, at some point, we become immune to the warning signs our bodies' are sending us. A backache makes us shift our position, but it doesn't rid of us the annoying ache. We take some tylenol or motrin to mask the symptoms until they go away on their own. But, our bodies' messages are cumulative. They add up and multiply. Don't be caught off guard by your body. Be proactive and engage in regular self-care! Wishing you a mindful journey filled with clarity, peace, and joy.
0 Comments
7/26/2023 0 Comments AlexithymiaMassage is not a cure-all. It is a tool that can be used to alleviate stress and pain. And not just physical pain. I'm not a licensed mental health practitioner (although I do have a BA in psychology ), but I am aware of how our physical and mental well-being affect one another. And mental or physical pain can impact how we function day to day.
There's this book I love to recommend to people "The Body Keeps The Score" by Bessel Van Der Kolk. In my copy of the book (because I like physical books, sorry Kindle) on page 274 and 275, you can find these sentences. "Alexithymia, the technical term for not being able to identify what is going on inside oneself." People with this condition are "physically uncomfortable but cannot describe exactly what the problem is. As a result they often have multiple vague and distressing physical complaints that doctors can't diagnose." I can't solve alexithymia (I don't even know how to pronounce it; ), but I do know that massage therapy can lead to greater self-awareness of what our bodies are feeling and what it means, which allows us to take care of ourselves. How do I know this? I have clients that come in to see me for the first time and I hear: "everything hurts" "can't sleep" "stressed out for no reason" "I'm a walking bruise" (one of my favorites). They get relief during the first session (sometimes a little, sometimes a lot), and as we work together (weekly, 2x a month, monthly), and they do their homework (stretches, self-care) they start to zero in on the cause of their own pain. When everything hurts, it's hard to realize that the problem might just be an easy fix. A new pillow. Light stretching. Breaks from desk work. Eating healthier. Drinking more water. Meditating. Posture. Teaching your dog proper manners while walking them so they don't dislocate your shoulder. 4/23/2023 0 Comments Headaches and Massage“When I get a headache, I take two asprin and keep away from children. Just like the bottle says.”
Headaches are not fun. It doesn’t matter how frequently they occur; the pain can be unbearable and have extremely detrimental effects on our lives. Massage can help treat, prevent, and manage headaches, depending on the cause. Types of headaches that massage has proven to help are:
Tension headaches cause a dull, aching sensation all over your head. In addition to the headache, you may feel tenderness or sensitivity around your neck, forehead, scalp or shoulder muscles. Anyone can get a tension headache, and they are often triggered by stress. Depending on the frequency and duration of tension headaches, you might only require a monthly massage and follow suggested self-care routines to manage them. If you are receiving a 60 minute session, my method is to start face down with glute work, release tension in the upper back, and then have you flip over to work on pectoral muscles, upper arms, neck, head, and face. 90 minute sessions would allow for additional areas to be worked, as tension throughout the body can cause additional complications to tension headaches. Migraine headaches cause an intense pulsing from deep within. This pain can last for days and significantly limit your ability to perform any task. It is throbbing and can cause sensitivity to light and sound, as well as nausea and vomiting. Migraine headaches might be genetic or associated with other nervous system disorders. Some common migraine triggers involve environmental factors (stress, sleep disruption, dehydration, skipped meals, hormone fluctuations). Massage may reduce migraine pain and will absolutely improve your quality of life. According to WebMD (https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/migraine-massage-therapy#091e9c5e8235c9a7-1-2) a U.S. study of people with migraines placed 26 participants into two groups. The control group received no intervention, while the massage group received two massages a week for 5 weeks. The massage group reported:
My treatment for migraine sufferers is to focus on the shoulders, neck, face, and scalp. Migraine pain can cause all of these areas to tighten up, and chronic sufferers might have years of tension stored in their muscles. A single massage might help, but weekly massage at the start is the most beneficial method. It is common for migraine sufferers to be too sensitive for deeper work in the beginning. Massage does NOT have to hurt to be beneficial. If your body is in crisis mode, caused by significant pain, a gentle approach that delves deeper into the muscles in subsequent sessions is the best approach. Allergy or sinus headaches are just that, pain caused by an allergic reaction. This pain is usually focused in your sinus areas and in the front of your head. Antihistamines are the most common treatment method. To treat allergy or sinus headaches, my massage work focuses on the head, face, and neck. Sinus massage involves gentle pressure starting at the sides of the nose and working towards the ears. This can stimulate nasal drainage and help break up mucus in the sinus cavities. Sinus pressure is often accompanied by jaw clenching, so work along these areas also helps release the jaw muscles. As with any type of pain, our muscles will tighten up, so neck and scalp work will alleviate secondary symptoms. Massage doesn’t treat the allergy itself, but the pain and headaches that are triggered by allergens. Hormone headaches are commonly experienced by women before, during, or even after your period, as well as during ovulation. These headaches can also be known as menstrual migraines and may be treated with the same medication used to treat migraines. Massage helps treat ongoing tension caused by hormone headaches. Massage helps manage cortisol, the stress hormone, which can block or cancel out any production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that can help our bodies feel good and manage pain. My treatment of hormonal headaches, or any work occurring during a menstrual cycle, involves stretching, hip and glute work, low and upper back work, and neck, face, and scalp massage. The body doesn’t forget the pain it has felt, past or present. Pain can have long term effects on how our brains and bodies work. If you are in chronic pain, you will absolutely benefit from regular massage and by following suggested self-care routines. While I recommend monthly massages for all my patients, weekly and every other week massage are the keys to helping reset your body and pain levels. This might seem like a large commitment, both in time and finances, but if you want to see results, experience less pain, and enjoy life more fully, massage is essential. Find out for yourself what it feels like to be pain free. |
AuthorSamantha L. Duke Archives
October 2023
Categories |