Is Massage Is Important To You?

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8 Risk Factors of Low Back Pain

Low back pain is an extremely common problem suffered by 70% of people at some point in time. This common problem can be extremely debilitating and is the second most common reason to seek medical attention. Although low back pain can strike anyone at any time, there are some things that increase your risk of developing the condition. Risk factors include:

~ Being overweight
~ Poor body posture
~ Occupations with lots of lifting or prolonged sitting
~ Smoking
~ Increased age
~ Poor fitness
~ History of low back pain
~ Pregnancy


For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

How to Get Pain Free in Half the Time

You have pain, do you wait and see if it gets better on it's own?  The simple answer is no!  Although pain may subside without any type of treatment, that does not mean that the damaged tissues has returned to optimum health.  If left untreated damaged tissues remain in a weakened state which leaves it vulnerable to re-injury and degeneration.  Don't wait weeks or months hoping that the pain will just magically go away cause it doesn't.  The secret to pain relief is nipping it in the bud when you have the pain, to take care of it right away because the actuality is that your problems will fester and become potentially more and more serious until you are in severe pain.  Or until you re-injure the affected area and don't understand why it is so much worse.  When you wait, the problems will take that much longer for you to heal.  Massage is there to help you relieve the pain as well as to help you heal your body to optimum health.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website . Learn something new daily, connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Chiropractic Care: Hand in Hand with Massage

I've been asked many times by clients my opinion on whether they should see a Chiropractor and what the benefits.  My opinion is that Chiropractic care goes hand in hand with massage.  Chiropractic and massage therapy used in combination, form a powerful healing approach that addresses your pain on many different levels. Whether your pain is the result of traumatic injury, overuse or stress, these two therapies can speed your return to a pain-free and productive life.

Back pain, neck pain and headaches are just a few of the painful and most commonly seen conditions that send most people to a chiropractor.  Misalignment's in your body, called subluxations, can pull on your muscles and disrupt the nerve transmissions, especially in the spine which houses nerves affecting the entire body.  The resulting pain can be at the site of the subluxations as well as places elsewhere in your body, which can also include numbness and tingling in various areas.  Many clients who I see at the chiropractic office I work in will complain of one area of pain and when I massage another area of their body are surprised to feel tension and soreness in other areas.  What they don't realize is when the body is out of alignment this pulls on many of the surrounding muscles as well as causing havoc in the nervous system creating the pain in the body.  Over time these tight, inflamed muscles and fascia (band of fibrous connective tissue enveloping, separating, or binding together muscles, organs, and other soft structures of the body) suffer poor circulation which prevent muscles from lengthening completely.  Sometimes these tight muscles can compress the nerves and cause severe pain.  Plus your tight muscles and shortened fascia can pull your joints right back out of alignment again and this puts you right back to where your started.  In pain!

In general, massage increases circulation to the whole body as well as to the areas of pain. This reduces painful swelling and inflammation and promotes healing by removing waste products and bringing nutrients to your tissues. Like a sponge absorbing water, both fascia and muscles begin to soften and lengthen.  Which in turn helps hold your adjustments in place, decreasing your pain and putting your body back towards a state of health.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Men's Wallets: Source of Your Hip Problem?

Most men stick their wallets in their back pockets.  They just put it back there and don't give it a second thought till then need to get something out of it.  Some of these wallets can be quite thick with credit cards, money, pictures, receipts and more.  I've seen some that are probably about 2 inches thick!  However, like the post I wrote about women and their purses, these wallets can cause problems to men without their even knowing what's going on.  And you men probably thought you were getting off easy since you don't carry a heavy purse around. :)

Let me use the example of the 2" thick wallet.  A man places this wallet in his back pocket.  Then he sits down, he gets in and out of his car, he sits back down at his desk and through out the day this process is done multiple, multiple times.  Each time you sit down you are sitting on this extra 2".  Now visualize how this displaces your hips...it will bring one hip up higher then the other every single time you sit down.  This obviously wrecks havoc on your body.  You may not feel it directly in your hip, it could be radiating up through your back without knowing a direct cause.  So now you know what might be causing you some pain.

For you men you have two easy solutions.  One being put your wallet in your front pocket.  The other being to make sure you take your wallet out of your back pocket each time you sit down.

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Is Your Purse the Source of Your Pain?

I had a conversation recently with a client who realized how heavy her purse is and how much it is adding pain in her arm and shoulder.  It's a conversation I've had with many women, as well as men with their wallets.  So let me explain more in detail as this simple thing us females do everyday that gets so overlooked and could be the major source of your pain.

For many women, they carry large over-sized or overstuffed purses.  Most of them will carry this on one arm or shoulder without ever changing to the opposite side.  What seems to be an almost mindless daily activity can wreck havoc on your body without you knowing it.  If you think about it, a purse with all it's contents can weight as much as 25 lbs.  So everyday you are picking up a 25 lb weight with the same arm, same shoulder.  Then you might complain every day about that particular arm/shoulder and don't know what you are doing to make it hurt so much.  The thing is, it's we usually look for the *big* issues of what happened?  Did we fall? You can't remember what you did to cause this pain and it doesn't have to be a big thing such as a fall to have your body in pain.  Pain tells us something is wrong.

So a few solutions would be to make sure you switch your purse back and forth between the left and right sides.  Vary the sides every time you pick up your purse and switch back and forth when you are out for long periods of time.  Go through your purse and purge out contents that you really don't need...get rid of the excess weight.  Lastly, use a 'backpack' type purse, a purse that has straps to go over both shoulders for even disbursement.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Myth of Cancer Massage

There is a myth out there that a person who has cancer should not be massage. And I said this is a myth. Many massage schools teach their students that massage promotes the spread of cancer by increasing circulation. This included the school that I attended just a few short seven years ago. This myth of course is carried over into the mainstream with doctors, patients and other health-care providers to believe this is true. If this were true then health-care providers would also discourage exercise and other activity for people with cancer as this increases circulation also.

Since my initial classes, I have found through medically funded research that this myth was based on old understandings of how cancer spreads. Thankfully, for cancer clients newer and new research has shown the benefits of massage. Per research done at the Sahlgrenska Academy at Goteborg University in Goteborg, Sweden, they showed that massage relieves nausea in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Many major hospitals have formed an Integrative or Alternative Medicine department such as Beaumont Hospital in Michigan.

Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy have strong effects on the body such as severe pain, nausea, fatigue and depression. Massage can help lessen those effects and give a client some much needed pain relief and anxiety relief. We all know how devastating chemotherapy is to the body as well as to the soul. If a client can gain benefits from massage such as pain relief, stress relief, lessened depression, as well as increase levels of dopamine, serotonin, natural killer cells and lymphocytes then that is an amazing thing. Plus massage is natural. And for many clients even just the simple act of touch is an uplifting thing.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Pillows for Great Body Health

Do you wake up day after day with aches and pains in your neck, back or shoulders? Have you ever considered the possibility that it could be your pillows causing this problem, or even the way your sleeping. Every day many people wake up feeling like this and don't understand why. There are ways you can help improve you bodies health during your sleeping time... use a good pillow that works for your body and your sleeping position. The spine has three natural curves to it. When you sleep you want to work with these natural curves, not against them. When you position your body against these curves that is when you get those morning aches and pains and kinks in your neck.

The best sleeping position for your body is the side. You want to use a pillow that supports your neck and head and does not position your neck towards either shoulder by being too high up or too low down. If the pillow has positioned your neck too close to either shoulder this will cause the kink or pain in your neck. Also another thing you can do for side sleeping is position a smaller pillow between your legs as this will help prevent your hips from twisting. The second best position for sleeping is your back. Again, the pillow for the back sleepers should keep your neck in-line with the spine and back and not push your head forwards towards your chest. So find a smaller pillow to support this style of sleeping then if you were the side sleeper. Another idea for back sleepers to help their bodies is to use a small towel under your hips to help the natural curve in your back, or a pillow under the knees to relieve the pressure in your lower back. The absolute worst position to sleep in is on your stomach. This position places too much pressure on your neck and the upper and lower back areas as it presses the neck into an unnatural position towards your back and undue pressure on the curve of the lower back. This can be a major cause of neck pain. So if you wake every day with these pains, maybe it's time to reposition your body and buy a new pillow.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Simple Self-Massage

Ever have that nagging pain in your shoulder that you just can't quite reach? There is an easy way to do a bit of self-massage to get into some of those areas that you just can't quite reach. What you need is either a tennis ball cut in half or a kitchen towel with a knot in it. Once you have one of these items (1/2 the tennis ball), place it on the floor. You will need to do this on the floor instead of a couch or bed as that is too soft. Lay down slowly on the ball or towel. Do not rush this as it may place too much pressure as well as it will probably hurt. When you have laid down on the ball, slowly roll your body around it. This rolling gives your body the (self) massage. Do this for one to three minutes max. Any longer then that and it will counteract the pain and will make your knot even more sore. Slowly lift your body of the ball or towel and your done. That's it. Simple self massage. :)

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Chair Massage for your Company's Bottom Line

As stated in the previous post, 40% of job turnover is due to stress. These high turn-overs can continually cost your company money and lost time as spend time to search for a new employee in addition to the cost and time it takes to train this new person. Companies all over are looking for answers to reduce costly stress-related absenteeism, low morale, reduced productivity as well as the stated employee turnover. Supporting, encouraging and being proactive in your staffs' individual health is a wise investment in your company's bottom line. Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage encourages you to consider an easy, efficient, natural and cost-effective on-site chair massage program for your organization. I work to relieve the tension and pressure accumulated in the back, shoulders, wrists, and neck of your most valuable asset - your staff. Plus the results of chair massage are immediate. Take this into account:

• Chair massage increases staff loyalty, employee retention and increased productivity
• Massage reduces anxiety, stress, tension and muscle aches leaving the mind and body rejuvenated
• Chair massage can be scheduled for the same amount of time as an employee break
• A chair massage program shows the employer's proactive commitment to the health and well-being of their employees

Little space is required for chair massage and can be set up in an office, break room, or conference room. Chair massage is worked through the clothing utilizing a mixture of massage and acupressure techniques. With a chair massage program not only will your employees promote your company telling people about what a great perk they receive at such a terrific company, in addition your company's productivity and bottom will be improved as well.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website or follow me on Twitter.

Are you Drinking Enough?

How do you know if you are drinking enough water? "A good test is to look at your urine," points out Cleveland Clinic nutritionist Andrea Dunn. "If it’s clear or pale yellow, you’re doing a good job of staying hydrated. But if it’s intense yellow or gold, you probably need to drink more water."

But not everyone likes water. Many people prefer soft drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks, coffee and other drinks. All these drinks can help quench your body’s thirst for fluids, but they typically contain 100 calories or more per serving. "The best alternatives to water are diluted fruit juices, and non-fat or skim milk" explains Ms. Dunn. "But these drinks shouldn't supplant water. Take note of how much sugar is in these alternatives. Sugar slows down the rate at which fluid is absorbed into the body. If you have trouble drinking water because you don’t like the taste, try adding a twist of lemon or lime or a splash of fruit juice. And cold water tastes better."

Ms. Dunn notes that while bottled waters are very popular, tap water works just as well and is more economical. It's also safe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates tap water and requires that it be analyzed for chemicals and bacteria. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water, doesn't require that it be analyzed for these substances. In addition to water and other drinks, many foods are also good sources of water. Juicy fruits like oranges, grapefruit, grapes, watermelon and apples can help keep you healthy and hydrated. Carrots, tomatoes, tuna, yogurt, cottage cheese, soups, rice and pasta also contain plenty of water.

"The key is to think and drink small amounts," suggests Dunn. "The easiest way to stay hydrated is to drink a half-a-cup of water (four ounces) each hour you’re awake. When you get in the car, take along something to drink. When you sit down to watch TV, have something to drink. When you go to a meeting, take along something to drink." All the little sips will add up at the end of the day.

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website.

Shoulder Care Checklist (Part 4)

This is the final part of the four part series on the guide and care of your shoulders. I hope you have learned something great about taking care of your body!

The Shoulder Care Checklist
To prevent shoulder problems from occurring, always practice healthy shoulder habits with these helpful
ideas:

• Maintain good posture - stand with shoulders back and keep shoulders back when on the computer
• Avoid excessive and repetitive use of your shoulders
• If you sit at work, take frequent breaks and stretch
• Don’t put undue stress on the shoulders with heavy backpacks or purses
• Warm up your arms before exercising
• Consult your chiropractor, massage therapist or doctor if you injure or develop pain in your shoulder, even if it seems minor
• Do any maintenance exercises that is given to you
• Stretch shoulders frequently
• Strengthen shoulder muscles

For more information on Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage, please visit my website.

Communicating with your Massage Therapist

We all know that communication is the key for everything. From communicating with your loved ones to communicating with people you may only encounter once in your life. Everyday we communicate, though some days may be better then others on our communication skills. Now I'm sure you're wondering what this has to do with massage. It actually has a lot to do with massage, actually more to do between you and the massage therapist then the actual massage. Just like any other area of your life, communication needs to be present between you and the therapist doing the bodywork. The first piece of communication would be relaying any pertinent information such as particular body parts that you might want more work on then others, any large bruises or sprains that we should be aware of, as well as any type of pain medications that you might be taking. In regards to the pain meds, the reason you would want to relay this information is because with certain strong pain meds such as doctor prescribed, they work so well that you may not feel how deep a massage you might be getting which would not be a benefit for you body and could be counterproductive. Another key time to communicate with your therapist is during the massage. This would be to let the massage therapist know if the pressure is too soft or too hard. Most of my clients are happy with my 'regular' pressure and style of massage. However, we are not all built the same. I have had clients that like a very soft massage as well as ones that have wanted the massage so deep that if it was me, I'd be screaming. Yet, this is what the client wants, not me. Mainly, if your not happy with the pressure, say something! When I massage a client I try to watch the body language to see if it's telling me if the pressure might be too hard. Most of the time the body will speak in ways that the client won't and I try to keep my eye out for it. However, if the body isn't giving me signs, I would not know. I try to always tell my clients to please let me know if the pressure is too hard or too soft. My philosophy is that they are paying me to make them feel wonderful and fantastic, not to feel all right and dissatisfied with there massage. Plus the fact that I just want them to feel wonderful and fantastic! So to reiterate all of this, please talk with your therapist about your massage. Let them know what pressure you like, whether it might be too hard or too soft. And if for some reason you are not feeling comfortable about communicating this during the massage, send them an email or maybe even a text to let them know. I know I won't please every single client, yet I would like to know what they did not like that I might be able to improve for the next time I massage them (hopefully there will be a next time) or for the next client.

The Sound of Music

Music is played by most massage therapists during a session as it can help evoke relaxation. I personally bring my Ipod with over 150 massage 'style' songs. However, I have had clients that will turn on their own music and it has been anything from classic rock to country (though country is not a favorite of mine, it is a nice change of pace for me). We all know that music evokes emotions. Whether it's heavy metal that brings out our inner tyrant, the love songs that may evoke tears as the memories of loves gone bad flood our mind, or even the 70's, 80's, or 90's music that brings us back to our teen years of high school and the quick escape into that time period in our lives.

Listening to healing music can lower blood pressure, boost the immune system, relieve depression, enhance creativity as well as help manage pain. Studies have been done on the effects of music and your body and one study has shown that listening to music strongly effects healing, releases dopamine and simply put makes us happy. Funny how an official study gave us something I think most of us already knew. Researchers have also found emotions aroused by joyful music have a healthy effect on our cardiovascular system, causing blood vessels to dilate and increase blood flow. What a great effect on the physical body as the emotional body feels happy and relaxed. The right music can help create deep relaxation and induce peaceful sleep. Which makes it perfect to go hand in hand with massage.

Heavenly Healing Mobile Massage

Could the Computer Be Hurting You?

In today's world we are hooked on computers, myself included. Most people spend their whole work day on the computer and then come home and play on it more for personal fun and social networking sites like on of my favorites, Facebook. The downfall of all this time on the computer is that we do not take the time to be aware of our posture using the computer, nor do we take a moment to step away and give our body and minds a much needed break, even if it is just for 5 minutes. With this, most of us find ourselves in a bit of pain from the all day use of the keyboard and the mouse. This pain could be in your upper shoulders, your forearms, wrists and for some in the fingers (ever feel that numbing sensation?). Sometimes these muscle issues start showing up right away. Sometimes they may not be for years.


I'm sure if you take a good look at your computer set-up and your posture, you'll quickly realize that things are not ergonomically correct. Yet there are some ways to help yourself have better posture and be more ergonomically correct. These simple measures can help deter you from compromising your body.


1) Receive regular massages :)

2) Acquire ergonomically correct products to support your wrists, arms, lower back and even for your legs.

3) Take breaks away from the computer. Even a quick 1 to 2 minute walk down the hall will refresh your body, get the blood flowing and even refresh your mind.

4) Bring the mouse and keyboard closer to your body so that your not reaching for either.

5) Take a few moments to stretch. Here are a few suggestions:
a) Doorway Stretch: Place your forearm against the frame of a doorway with elbow up. Step forward with the same leg that matches the forearm and lunge. Hold and gently come back. Switch sides.

b) Deltoid Stretch: Pull the right arm across the front of the body using the left arm. Make sure you stretched arm has the thumb facing down. Hold and then switch arms.

c) Tricep and Lat Stretch: Point your right elbow toward the ceiling, then lean the upper torso to the left. You may grab the elbow with the left hand for a further stretch. Hold and switch arms.

d) Wrist Stretch: Hold arm straight out with hand upside down. Gently pull down on the fingers to stretch. Switch hands.


I'm sure one of your first thoughts is how could I fit this into my day? Or I can't do these, what if the boss sees me and thinks I'm being unproductive? Please realize that these simple things don't take up much time and will help you be more productive. If your body is not in pain you will not be spending the time complaining about it, you will get more done and you'll feel better. In the end it is your body and you only have one chance to take care of it.