Swedish or Deep Tissue Massage?

A common question we hear is, “What’s the difference between a Swedish massage and a Deep Tissue massage?” Both massages are popular and have different functions and purposes.

Swedish massage is primarily used to induce relaxation and uses slow, long, circular strokes with light to medium pressure. Swedish massage increases blood circulation, moving metabolic waste out of the body, and kicks your nervous system into gear, which helps relieve pain, improve mood, decrease nervous tension, improve sleep, and promote sharper thinking.

If you are looking for overall relaxation and stress relief, Swedish massage is the modality for you.

Deep Tissue massage is primarily used to relieve specific stressed muscles, usually in the back, neck, arms, and legs. The therapist focuses on the inner layers of muscle tissue to change the muscle fibers, by unknotting and lengthening them. As the name implies, pressure is usually more intense to reach the fascia muscles. Deep Tissue is popular with athletes maintaining prolonged, hard workouts; for chronic pain, such as tension headaches and back pain; for fluid retention; and for carpal tunnel syndrome. Deep Tissue massage should not be painful, as the therapist works with the client's tolerance level.
Because both forms of massage flush the system and toxins out of the body, it’s important to remember to drink lots of water following a massage treatment. The increased fluid helps continue to flush waste from the body. Some muscle stiffness or soreness after a massage is common.

The Benefits of Regular Massage

We all know that a massage is a nice way to reduce stress and relax, but did you know that frequent and regular bodywork can effect positive changes in the body that go far beyond simple stress reduction?

Research shows that in response to massage, specific chemical changes cascade throughout the body creating enormous benefits for acute and chronic disorders:

• Asthmatics show better pulmonary function and increased airflow.
• Those with high blood pressure demonstrate lower diastolic pressure, anxiety and stress hormones.
• Premenstrual Syndrome sufferers have decreased water retention and cramping.
• Preterm infants have improved weight gain.

In addition, regularly scheduled therapeutic massage has been shown to be an effective treatment for reducing pain and discomfort from:

• Sports-related soreness
• Back pain
• Arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Post-surgical pain and tension
• Migraines

But perhaps you don't suffer from any of the above conditions and you enjoy a warm bath and a glass of wine as relaxing way to reduce your stress. Does that mean there are no benefits from massage for you? Of course it doesn't.

Frequent massage therapy and bodywork has also been proven to:

• Boost the immune system
• Release endorphins
• Reduce headache frequency
• Increase circulation
• Improve concentration
• Reduce fatigue
• Increase joint flexibility
• Improve range of motion
• Ease medication dependence
• Exercise weak and/or atrophied muscles
• Promote tissue regeneration (reducing scar tissue)
• Reduce spasms and cramping
• Assist labor for expectant mothers (and reduce maternity hospital stays)
• Help athletes prepare for and recover from strenuous work-outs

These incredible benefits of massage are doubly powerful when taken in regular "doses."

As the researchers of the Touch Institute from the University of Miami say, "The more massage you get, the more benefits you reap." And we hope to see you reaping these benefits soon. Give us call or visit our website for more information.

Golf Stretches

 

 

 

It’s safe to say that there are a ton of injuries that occur in golf. Whether an individual ends up with back problems, pulls a muscle during the golf swing or anything else, it’s usually because they didn’t do any golf stretches before playing. Oh, and if you think simply placing a club between your arms and behind your back is enough, think again.

Just like any other sport, the better you warm up your muscles with golf stretches, the easier it will be to make each hit. In fact, the next time you go out and don’t stretch, keep track of any discomforts you feel throughout your round. When you go out again, stretch before you play and you will definitely notice the difference. In the meantime, we’re going to give you a few options to help you get started.

Bend-overs

Since the back is one of the most common injury areas amongst golfers, it’s wise to do some bend-overs. It’s as easy as spreading your legs a bit and trying to touch the ground. Granted, most of us can’t even come close to touching it, but you will still be able to stretch those muscles.

 

Push-Lifts

 

Another way to work on the back is by lying on your stomach and just pushing up the front half of your body. You will notice pressure on the lower back area. If you can utilize both of these golf stretches you can loosen up your back for those twists and turns throughout the round. Plus, afterwards the area won’t be as sore.

Knee Tucks

Your hamstrings are going to be utilized a lot throughout a round, so it’s important to stretch those out. While walking the course will help, doing a few knee tucks will allow them to stretch a bit more. While you’re standing, just try to bring your knee as high up as you can, then hold the position.

When you bring it back down, don’t forget to do the other one. Taking the time to do this will allow you more balance throughout your swings, and allow you to shift your weight accordingly. These golf stretches will be a major piece to your overall score.

Neck Pulls

Most people forget about how important it is to stretch the neck. So we thought we would add it in here today. Just stand tall and take your right hand and pull your head as far to the right as you can. Hold the position for anywhere from 10-15 seconds, then release. You should do this in all directions (North, South, East, and West).

You will find that your golf swing doesn’t feel nearly as uncomfortable, especially in your backswing. Plus, if you provide golf stretches in each direction, this will protrude down into your backbone and shoulder area. It’s one of the most overlooked golf stretches out there, but it makes a huge difference.

There are many other golf stretches to choose from, but these are a big part to different aspects of the game. Our recommendation is to do them before you even drive to the course. Loosening up before getting into the car will make you feel a lot better getting out. Plus, while you’re at the course you can use some of the normal golf stretches everyone else does…without the embarrassment.

What Are The Effects of Massage on Parkinsons Disease?

             

Parkinson's disease is a condition in which the central nervous system begins to deteriorate. The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that when nerve cells die, a person's movement is affected. In the case of Parkinson's disease, movement can become uncoordinated, unusually slow and shaky, with the presence of tremors. Medications can be used to control the abnormal movements of Parkinson's disease. Alternative therapies such as massage may also have a beneficial effect on Parkinson's patients.

Reduction of Muscle Spasm

Muscle spasms and rigidity are symptoms common to people with Parkinson's disease, and they may be alleviated to some extent through massage. According to the Institute for Integrative Healthcare Studies, massage therapy, or body work as it is sometimes called, is not enough to completely relieve abnormal muscle activity, but it can be a natural way to improve function. Studies performed jointly by the University of Miami and Duke University showed that participants who underwent a 15 minute massage while lying on their stomachs, followed by another 15 minutes of bodywork while lying on their backs, showed a reduction of muscle spasm and less tremor activity.

Increased Circulation

The Edgar Cayce Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) studies the effect of holistic health care on particular illness, including Parkinson's disease. The association explains that massage can effectively increase blood circulation throughout the body, which can in turn have a positive effect on the nervous system.

More Restful Sleep

Improved sleep is a beneficial effect of massage on Parkinson's disease patients, reports the Massage Therapy Foundation. The decrease of tremors and less tension in the muscles from massage therapy sessions were observed in a 2002 Miami-Duke study. The same research also showed a decrease in stress hormones when measured through urine tests. Study participants also reported less wakefulness or restlessness during sleep and a more restful sleep for longer periods of time, up to 10 hours in some cases.

Sports Massage - Stretching Before Competition

Over the past few years, a great deal of strength & conditioning research has been focused on whether or not static stretching is detrimental to an athlete’s performance when applied immediately before competition. Quite a few (but interestingly not all) studies that have shown a decrease in muscular power, strength, and agility immediately following prolonged static stretching.
This is believed to be from an inhibition of the muscle proprioceptors that leads to a reduced neural activation of the stretched muscle. That is, holding a stretch for a long period causes a reduction in the nervous system’s signals telling a muscle to contract forcefully.
So, what should we do to prepare our athlete without harming their performance? The current recommendations are to utilize dynamic-type stretching before strenuous activity, such as Muscle Energy Techniques (MET) also known as “contract-relax” stretching, or Active Isolated Stretching, because these forms utilize muscle contractions and are thought to therefore reduce the inhibition to the nervous system’s control of the muscle activity.
Most importantly, we should not try to create a large increase in an athlete’s flexibility right before competition. They made it there with the flexibility they have, they should compete that way. Their neuromuscular system may not be trained to control their bodies in a larger ROM, potentially increasing their risk of injury. Our goal should be to make their current range of motion as restriction-free as possible, with only slight increases in overall flexibility.
For post-event sports massage and maintenance massage, static stretching is still recommended to reset the muscle’s resting length and assist long-term range of motion increases.

Should you use heat or ice for your backache, sprain, or other injury?

Both heat and ice have been used for thousands of years to treat injury and pain, but how do you know which one to use? Read this brief article to gain a general understanding of the injury process in your body, and then follow a few simple rules and you can make the right decision each time.

TWO TYPES OF INJURIES

There are two basic types of injuries; acute and chronic. An acute injury is a sudden injury that has just occurred such as a sprained ankle. You will usually know when have sustained an acute injury. A chronic injury is a more “long term” injury. It can be a former acute injury that is healing, or a long term aching back. These two types of injuries are treated differently.

Acute Injury – Use Ice!

If you injured yourself during the last 48 hours, or if your injury shows any signs of redness or swelling (inflammation) use ice on your injury. Ice reduces swelling by constricting your blood vessels and slowing the leakage of fluids into your tissues from the injury. Reducing swelling helps the injury heal quicker and reduces the amount of pain you experience. Ice should also be used on chronic injuries that have been inflamed or “reinjured”. For example, let’s say you are recovering from a sprained ankle that occurred several weeks ago (therefore, it is now in the chronic stage). Then today you decide to hike to Humphreys Peak (highest point in Arizona) and your ankle is killing you when you finish. Well, the chances are that you reinjured your ankle to some degree and now require ice. Anytime your chronic pain flares up after exercise, ice is the appropriate treatment. As a rule, it never hurts to put ice on an injury or area of pain, as long as you follow the correct procedures (shown later in this article).
When to use Ice

• Immediately after an injury (sooner the better)
• The first 48 hours after an injury
• Anytime there is swelling or other signs of inflammation
• After exercise or exertion when you experience a flare up of a chronic pain

When Not to Use Ice

• Never use on a sore muscle before exercise. This will increase the risk of injury.
• Never use ice while sleeping.

Does and Don’ts of Applying Ice

• Don’t put ice directly against your skin unless you are performing an ice massage. An ice massage requires you to move the ice around on the affected area continuously (Ice Massage works great…Just use something to hold the ice so your hand does not freeze). Never leave an ice pack, etc. directly on your skin. Always place a towel or other material between the ice and your skin.
• Don’t use ice for more than 20 minutes at one time (less time on a smaller muscle or on small children). Longer usage can cause frostbite resulting in severe damage to your tissues.
• Do allow your body to warm up to room temperature naturally after applying ice (warm up takes 45 minutes to an hour).
• Do apply ice several times during the day as long as you let the area warm up in between uses.
• Don’t apply ice before exercise! This will increase your risk of injury.
• Do use a container (like a zip lock bag) that will contour to your body. A small amount of water can be placed in a zip lock bag with the ice to help this.

When using ice you may experience the following sensations, which are very natural (C.B.A.N.):
C – Cold!
B – Burning
A – Aching
N – Numbness – When you are numb you are done and can take the ice off! (Don’t exceed 20 minutes even if you don’t feel numb).

Chronic Injury – Use Heat (usually!)
Chronic pain or long term injuries usually respond best to heat. Stiff, sore muscles or joint pain is the ideal case to use heat. Heat dilates your blood vessels and increases circulation bringing blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the affected area. Basic massage therapy works the same way. One of the main goals when massaging sore muscles is to increase circulation to the muscle. Heat helps relax your muscles, increases flexibility, and reduces pain and soreness.
Once your formerly acute injury begins to heal and the inflammation goes down, you should start using heat (about 48 – 72 hours after the injury). For that sore back with no apparent acute injury that caused it, heat is also great.
Unlike ice, which can be used almost anytime safely, using heat at the wrong time will make your situation worse. Never use heat when swelling, redness, or other signs of inflammation are present. Heat will increase your inflammation, irritating your injury.
When to use Heat

• On sore muscles and joints that have not be recently injured
• On stiff and inflexible muscles (some causes of pain and inflexibility are related to chronic contractions or trigger points that can only be relieved by Medical Massage Therapy.
• Before exercise on muscles that chronically cause you problems (this is another way to warm up first).

When Not to Use Heat

• Never use when an injury has just occurred
• Never use when there are signs of inflammation (swelling, redness, heat).
• Never use on someone with sensory problems (they could be burned inadvertently)
• Never use heat while sleeping

Does and Don’ts of Applying Heat

• Do put the heat directly against your skin. Hot towels and heating pads work great.
• Do use heat for as long as you wish, as many times as you wish.
• Don’t burn yourself! The temperature of the heat can be as hot as you can take it without burning yourself. Be careful, especially with children and the elderly or those with reduced sensitivity to pain.
• Don’t apply heat after exercise. Use ice after and heat before exercise.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION – The above information is general advice only. If you are injured you should seek specific advice from a doctor or other medical professional.

beMobile Massage travels to you!

Imagine the relaxation you will feel when the ultimate spa experience is created inside the comfort of your own home or hotel room… There is no need to change out of your robe, drive, or as much as step foot outside the door. Your beMobile Therapist arrives completely prepared to ease your mind and create an uplifting and relaxing environment.

When you call beMobile Massage, a Sarasota mobile massage company, expect to be deeply relaxed with aromatherapy, calming music, and a heavenly and healing massage. With any of our exquisite services, we encourage you to communicate your special requests or preferences because this session is created specifically for YOU.

beMobile Massage Therapy in Sarasota, Florida - Call or Text 941.404.2307 to schedule your appointment!

More Benefits Of Massage - Changes Gene Expression and Reduces Inflammation

What’s the News: If you’ve ever been told been that a massage is good for “releasing toxins”—or to sound more scientific, “lactic acid”—from your muscles, then you’ve been told wrong. Turns out muscle cells do like a good massage, but it has nothing to do with lactic acid.
In the first study on the cellular effects of massage post-exercise, researchers found that massage bolsters chemical signals reducing inflammation and promoting repair of muscle cells.
How the Heck:

• Strenuous exercise actually tears your muscle fibers; that’s why an intense workout can leave you sore for days. (Don’t worry—it’s normal and it generally heals fine.) The researchers wanted to study how massage affects this muscle damage, so they made 11 healthy young men cycle to the point of exhaustion.
• Then, finally, relief! Sort of. One leg on each man was randomly chosen for a 10-minute massage. Unfortunately more pain was then in store for these volunteers. A tissue sample was taken from the quadriceps muscle (often known simply as “quad”) of each leg 10 minutes and 2.5 hours after the massage.
• Researchers looked at the level of different mRNA, or messenger RNA, transcripts in these tissue samples. mRNA carries the information for building proteins in the cell, so the level of a particular mRNA molecule can tell you how much of its corresponding protein is being made.
• Compared to unmassaged muscle cells, the tissue from massaged legs had different levels of two key proteins: less NFkB and more PGC-1alpha. Lowering NFkB levels reduces inflammation and increasing PGC-1alpha levels leads to the creation of more mitochondria that generate energy for cell growth, so both these massage-induced changes are good news for healing muscle cells.

What’s the Context:

• Massage is one of the most common forms of “alternative” medicine, and it’s been proven to reduce pain. Before this paper though, there was surprisingly little science on how massage actually works. And this study might finally kill the lactic acid myth that has persisted for so long.

Reference: Justin D. Crane et al. “Massage Therapy Attenuates Inflammatory Signaling After Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage.” Science Translational Medicine, published 1 February 2012. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3002882

Research Supports Healing Benefits of Massage

Finally, there is evidence that the massage industry can sink its teeth into regarding the efficacy of massage reported in the Feb 1, 2012 journal Science Translational Medicine. Antecdotally, massage has been said to help reduce muscle soreness, improve blood flow, and speed recovery of muscles following exercise. And now there is finally proof about what everybody has been saying all along.
The key is cytokines, a cellular substance present in the inflammatory process. Massage therapy has been found to inhibit cytokine production and increase the production of mitochondria in muscle cells. This is a huge finding involving the link between massage and pain reduction.