Summer Massage

By Katie White, Courtenay Massage Therapy

During the summer months, we are all eager to head outside and be active and enjoy the warm weather. However sometimes unforeseen injuries can occur leaving you feeling limited or unable to enjoy all that summer has to offer. Massage Therapy can help you to deal with the physical symptoms that are holding you back. Whether you suffer from inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and tendinitis, to headaches and migraines, massage can help. If you suffer from muscle pain, such as spasms, strains and sprains, back pain, circulatory and respiratory problems, even pregnancy and labour discomfort, massage therapy can help with those issues too. The services of a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) can benefit people of all ages to achieve and maintain health and wellness in many ways, and help you get back to feeling your most able and healthy self.

Katie White, Courtenay Massage Therapy
www.courtenaymassagetherapy.com

What is Sciatica?

By Courtney Massage Therapy

The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that begins at the base of the spine and that passes through the buttocks, and continues down the back of the thigh and into the lower leg. This nerve can become compressed or inflamed. If this occurs, pain begins to travel down the back of your leg. This pain is referred to as sciatica. Sciatica can be caused by a bulging disc, arthritis of the spine, a tight piriformis muscle in your buttocks and even trigger points in your muscles. Depending on the cause and the severity, you could also experience numbness, tingling or weakness in the leg. If you experience any of these symptoms, see your massage therapist as soon as possible for assessment and treatment. Massage can help reduce and reverse the pain and discomfort associated with sciatica.

www.courtenaymassagetherapy.com

Touch

By Katie White, Courtenay Massage Therapy

Studies from the Touch Research Institute have looked at people of all ages with a variety of health conditions and complaints. The range of benefits is remarkable. Here are some highlights from a few of the many published studies. Migraine headaches: Massage therapy decreased the occurrence of headaches along with sleep disturbances and distress symptoms. Asthma: Children with mild to severe asthma who received regular massage were better able to exhale (a problem with asthma because the air passages constrict). In addition, the children suffered less stress and anxiety. Premenstrual symptoms: After massage therapy there was improved mood and a decrease in anxiety. Pain and symptoms of water retention were also reduced. Pregnancy: Women who had massage through pregnancy showed decreased levels of stress hormones and experienced less anxiety. There were fewer complications before and after birth including fewer premature births.

Katie White
www.courtenaymassagetherapy.com

Heading off Headaches

By Katie White

According to Dr Janet Travell, specialist in musculoskeletal pain, “It is now becoming clear that tension headaches are usually due to trigger points.” Trigger points are small knots that develop in muscles. These knots allow pain to travel to different areas of the body, often nowhere near the knot itself. For example, trigger points at the top of your neck can send pain directly to your eye. Although you may get some relief with a relaxation massage, long-term relief depends on correctly identifying and treating specific trigger points which are responsible for your pain. Trigger points can often be eliminated quickly and easily, sometimes within one or two treatments. Research shows that not only is massage effective at eliminating headaches, but the relief can last for months. As well, regular massage can actually retrain your nervous system to decrease the tension in your muscles on a more permanent basis.

Katie Whitewww.courtenaymassagetherapy.com

The Power of Touch

By Sydney Reaburn, RMT

Physical touch is a basic human need. Scientists have identified several benefits of positive touch, especially in social and mental development. Premature babies who are massaged regularly gain weight more quickly and have stronger immune systems. Babies that are deprived of touch are more susceptible to disease and are more likely to have behavioural problems as they mature. Not being nurtured can be very stressful and therefore increases stress hormones which can also lead to a poor immune system. In adults, the Touch Research Institute found that touch therapy reduces blood pressure, alleviates depressive symptoms, improves immune function, and reduces pain. The University of North Carolina did a study which showed that women who were hugged by their partners regularly had an increase in oxytocin levels- the hormone responsible for building trust, bonding, empathy, and lowering stress hormones.

Sydney Reaburn, RMT, www.courtenaymassagetherapy.com

PTSD and Massage

By Courtenay Massage Therapy

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is attributed to the body’s coping with experiencing or witnessing traumatic stress. It can be ignited by a variety of events; either emotional, physical, sexual violence, war, a car accident or through natural disasters or the daily stress of being a care giver or professional health care provider. Symptoms may include: flash backs and or nightmares, avoidance/numbing, estrangement from others, states of hypervigilance, fear of constant danger, poor sleep, body pain, low mood, depression, suicidal thoughts or action and a loss of a sense of ones-self. Massage Therapy works well in conjunction with other cognitive therapies for treatment of PTSD. Massage assists people to be more comfortable in their own skin, to learn to relax and be in the present moment.  Studies show that massage may improve associated symptoms such as chronic pain, immune system deficiencies, stress, depression and anxiety.

Breaking the Pain Cycle

By Courtenay Massage Therapy

Stress in the body can come from a variety of causes- including mechanical (poor posture), emotional (conflicts, loss), or trauma (MVA, fall). All of these stressors can cause the same reaction in our bodies- pain. Pain can often result in a cycle which looks like this: pain initiates reflex muscle contraction in nearby muscles- the contracting muscles become ischemic (reduced blood supply) leading to spasm and more pain. The pain cycle will continue unless something intervenes to stop it. Enter massage. According to Melzack and Wall’s Gate Control Theory, non-painful sensory input closes “gates” to the spinal cord so the painful stimulus cannot travel to the central nervous system, thereby interrupting the pain cycle. Simply put, when you bump your elbow and immediately begin to rub the area, you are activating sensory nerve fibers that are faster at sending messages to your brain than the fibers that transmit pain.

www.courtenaymassagetherapy.com

4 Popular Types of Massage

By Courtenay Massage Therapy

All massages are a treat, but there are four common types of massage.

1. Swedish/Relaxation- Is very gentle and soothing to the entire body. It has been found through clinical trials to improve white blood cell counts (improve immunity) and decrease the stress hormone cortisol.
2. Hot Stone Massage – In addition to being deeply relaxing, hot stone massage increases blood flow to muscles helping to reduce muscle pain, tension and spasm.
3. Trigger Point Massage – A trigger point is a tight painful spot in a muscle that can refer pain. This type of therapy can be uncomfortable but the results are worth it. Chronic and acute pain can be reduced or eliminated using this deep pressure.
4. Pregnancy Massage – Helps to reduce anxiety and muscle tension. Will also increase blood and lymph circulation and swelling. Can help improve sleep and reduce stress.

Courtenay Massage Therapy
www.courtenaymassagetherapy.com

Stay Healthy with Massage

By Katie White RMT, HTP, CYT

The summer months are a great time to be active outdoors. But is massage therapy in your plans? Here are 3 ways massage therapy can help you stay balanced—both mentally and physically—this season. 1. Stay Active- Whether you’re training for a hike up the mountains or participating in group sports, massage therapy can reduce muscle tension, improve exercise performance and prevent injuries. Massage will also help you reduce recovery time after a big training session or a weekend warrior event. 2. Relax Your Mind. Summer is often busy, so take care of your mental health and wellness. Studies show that massage therapy can reduce stress significantly on physical and psychological levels. 3. Keep Pain-Free. Is physical work bringing you down? Massage therapy can reduce low-back pain, ease the symptoms of repetitive stress and help chronic conditions such as arthritis. You only get 1 body… so take care of it!

Katie White RMT, HTP, CYT, www.courtenaymassagetherapy.com

5 Ways to Improve Lymphatic Health

By Katie White RMT, HTP, CYT. Courtenay Massage Therapy

Your lymphatic system works like a “drain” to keep toxins moving out of your body. A clogged system can result in poor health and disease. Here are five ways you can keep your lymph system working in top order and experience better health: 1. Massage- Lymphatic massage is gentle using very little pressure to move and stretch the skin to stimulate flow through the lymphatic capillaries that are located just under the skin. 2. Dry Brushing-This technique boosts lymph flow by stimulating sweat glands and supporting circulation below the skin. 3. Exercise & Yoga- Unlike the circulatory system, lymph does not have a pump to keep it moving. Movement and muscle contraction will assist lymphatic circulation. 4. Anti-Inflammatory Diet- Consuming a healthy diet rich in antioxidants and full of healthy fats is critical to support a healthy immune system. 5. Hydrate- The lymphatic system is primarily composed of water and must be hydrated to function at the highest level.

4 Causes of Headaches

By Randi Noyes RMT

Almost everybody experiences headache pain at some point. For some people, headaches are a regular occurrence and for others headaches are rare. 1. Stress can cause tight muscles which lead to tension headaches. Learn to manage your stress with exercise, meditation and massage. 2. Trigger Points are hard knots found in the muscles that can refer pain into the head and mimic headaches. Massage therapy can help dramatically reduce trigger points. 3. Dehydration- At the first sign of a headache drink a glass of water and continue taking small sips throughout the day 4. Improper pillows- try changing your pillow and see if this helps reduce your headaches.

DIY–Knot Massage

By Sydney Reaburn RMT

A trigger point (TrP), AKA a “knot” is a hyper-irritable spot in a taut band of skeletal muscle. TrP’s can produce local and referred pain, and sometimes reduce the range of motion of the affected muscle. Your RMT uses a variety of techniques during a massage therapy treatment to reduce TrP’s. How can you treat TrP’s at home? Before treating yourself, it’s a good idea to warm up the tissue before following these steps. 1.Find the tender point in the muscle   2. Using a ball (tennis balls work great) compress the tender point until its between a 5-7 on the pain scale (1= no pain, 10= intolerable).   3.Hold the pressure here until the pain begins to decrease.   4.Repeat steps 2 & 3.   This “pain” should feel good- not intolerable. Begin on the lighter side and follow this treatment with a gentle stretch or flushing of the tissue with self -massage.

Sydney Reaburn RMT, www.courtenaymassagetherapy.com

What is Somatic Yoga?

By Katie White RMT

Soma Yoga is a combination of somatic movements & yoga relaxation techniques. These movements and techniques are designed to bring mind body awareness resulting in decreased stress response and pain, increased movement, and enjoyment of life. These gentle, mindful movements are tools you can learn to practice daily to enhance the quality of your life. How you feel physically, determines how you feel mentally and vice versa. It’s a never-ending circle of influence! Throughout our lives, our body/mind responds to stressors and traumatic experiences by producing reflex muscle contractions. When these muscular reflexes are triggered repeatedly, habitual and involuntary muscle contractions develop. Eventually, Sensory Motor Amnesia develops, a memory loss of how certain muscle groups feel and how to control or relax them. The result is stiffness and pain, decreased movement, and postural changes. The gentle movements of Soma Yoga bring back voluntary control of muscles resulting in overall improved health.

Katie White RMT, courtenaymassagetherapy.com

Essential Steps For a Joyful Holiday Season

By Katie White RMT, HTP, CYT

The winter months can be a difficult time. Shorter days and the demands of the holiday season can leave many of us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. One way you can approach this is by creating a plan to commit to a healthy lifestyle: 1. Exercise Daily. Do whatever movement that makes you happy, its even better with a friend. 2. Eat Light, Eat Fresh. incorporating high-quality foods into your meals such as vegetables, fruits, and other foods that are unprocessed and grow naturally. 3. Cultivate Your Brain’s Gratitude. When you wake up each morning, try starting the day off by listing three things you’re grateful for and follow this by picturing what you want to see happen next in your life. 4. Practice Stress Management. Try a yoga or meditation class. Schedule a massage or spa day.

Katie White RMT, HTP, CYT, courtenaymassagetherapy.com

Sleep Your Way to Improved Health

By Katie White RMT, HTP, CYT, Courtenay Massage Therapy

Insufficient sleep has been linked to obesity, diabetes, depression and cardiovascular disease. Most experts have concluded that getting enough high-quality sleep may be as important to health and well- being as nutrition and exercise. Massage Therapy has been proven to calm the nervous system, and therefore, lessen anxiety, depression, stress, and aches or pains. Many people say they have a more restful and deeper sleep after having a massage. Insomnia is often associated with a lack of serotonin. Studies have shown that massage increases serotonin, which increases the melatonin and helps circadian rhythms to reset. Circadian cycles are the internal periodic rhythms that profoundly affect sleep and wakefulness. This rhythm is what keeps us healed and whole. Regular sessions of massage, either weekly, every 2-weeks or monthly, can greatly improve not only sleep problems but allow a deeper rest time, providing a more positive outlook on life.

Katie White RMT, HTP, CYT, Courtenay Massage Therapy, courtenaymassagetherapy.com

What is Diaphragmatic Breathing?

By Tim Rhodes, RMT

Diaphragmatic Breathing is all about breathing more with the diaphragm and less with upper chest or accessory muscles. This can be achieved through simple breathing exercises focusing on inhaling through the lower torso and abdomen to break the habit of overusing the upper chest and neck. Overuse of these accessory muscles often leads to long-term discomfort, neck pain and frequent headaches making it even harder to break the pain tension cycle. Breathing patterns are habitual. It is very apparent when clients practice meditation or yoga by the way they take their first breath on the table. Those who know how to breath effectively are often more ready to release muscle tension in their body making the work of a therapist more effective. Changing habits involve a degree of discipline and guidance. Guidance could be through Soma Yoga, Meditation or frequent visits with a health care practitioner that works well for your individual needs.

Tim Rhodes, RMT, www.courtenaymassagetherapy.com

Massage for Pain Relief

By Sydney Reaburn

The traditional approach to understanding chronic pain has always separated the mind and body – viewing them as functioning independently of one another. New research on pain is helping us understand that this is not true. It is becoming more and more apparent that all individuals respond differently to pain depending on biological, psychological and social factors. Some examples of psychological and social factors include cognitive function, activities of daily living, environmental stressors, interpersonal relationships, and even previous treatment experiences. This is very exciting research as it tells us that an interdisciplinary approach to treating chronic pain is most effective. Massage therapy plays an important role in the management and treatment of chronic pain as it has been proven to decrease the stress hormone cortisol, reducing anxiety and stress. Massage also helps release endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers) which help mask pain and provide a sense of well-being.

Sydney Reaburn, RMT, www.courtenaymassagetherapy.com

Massage Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

By Randi Noyes RMT

CTS is described as compression to the median nerve within the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel being the space between the carpal (wrist) bones and the transverse carpal ligament which lies beneath the skin on the inside of your wrist. The medial nerve shares this space with the tendons of the muscles that flex your wrist and fingers. Symptoms include numbness and tingling and/or a burning sensation in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of the palm on the thumb side, and a loss of dexterity in that hand. Causes of CTS include injury with swelling of the wrist, overuse of the forearm muscles, and position of the wrist while sleeping. Massage therapy can be a great non-invasive way to treat CTS. Your massage therapist will help you to discover the reason for your CTS, provide appropriate hands-on treatment, provide you with instructions for self-care, and refer you to another practitioner if necessary.

Randi Noyes RMT, CourtenayMassageTherapy.com

Kundalini Yoga for Vitality

By Wendy Anderson RYT, Yoga-10 Studio

Through kundalini yoga, energy increases! With increased awareness, we make the right choices for ourselves on a consistent basis and less energy is used for worry and fear. This alone gives us much-needed vitality. You begin to feel revitalized, as the poses, breath work, and mantras bring prana (life energy) to your body, activating and balancing the glandular system. This impacts our brain chemistry, improving our moods, hormones, and reaction to stress. Through consistent practice, your body/mind retains a memory of what you have learned and you are able to access this neutral energy when needed. Your mind becomes calm and you feel focused and clear. Vitality and focus bring self-confidence, and the ability to see things in perspective and not get easily stressed. We may face the daily challenges in life and be joyful about whatever comes our way.

Wendy Anderson RYT, Yoga-10 Studio
CourtenayMassageTherapy.com

Massage for Athletic Performance

By Willie Muller, RMT

How does Massage Therapy help with athletic performance?

The benefits of Massage Therapy have long been recognized by top-level athletes as well as “weekend warriors “. So what are the physiological effects?

• Massage greatly affects the cardiovascular system. It helps with dilation (increase in diameter) of blood vessels which in turn work to move blood more efficiently and therefore promotes circulation
• Massage encourages venous blood flow back to the heart which enhances blood flow to deliver fresh oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and help with removal of waste and toxins
• Because of the relaxed state you are in after a massage treatment you will experience a drop in heart rate
• Massage especially affects the muscular system. The increased and enhanced blood circulation relieves muscle tension, decreases soreness (DOMS), speeds up recovery time and helps to increase range of motion and flexibility
• Massage aids to decrease inflammation after a strenuous workout and promotes growth of mitochondria (the energy center of our cells).

What about the psychological effects?

• Massage helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system by increasing dopamine and serotonin levels and decreasing the stress hormone cortisol to help with stress and tension relief as well as managing pre-event anxiety

Sports Massage can be categorized into various types:

1. a) a short, stimulating, fast paced treatment as a pre-work out or pre-race warm up to get you ready to function at your optimum
2. b) a more relaxing treatment post- work out or post- race to assist in recovery

Benefits of Massage Therapy to the aspiring athlete are manifold as it will improve your performance and speed up recovery. Regular, weekly massage treatments will (just like exercise) have a cumulative effect and should be part of any serious training program.

Willie Muller RMT
CourtenayMassageTherapy.com

Massage with Graston Technique

By Willie Muller, RMT, Courtenay Massage Therapy

Graston Technique® (GT) is an innovative, evidence-based form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (a variation of cross fibre friction massage) that enables clinicians to detect and effectively break down scar tissue and fascial restrictions, as well as maintain optimal range of motion. GT is clinically proven to achieve faster and better outcomes for acute and chronic conditions such as Achilles tendonitis, MCL/LCL sprains, AC sprains, edema reduction, thoracic outlet syndrome, scar tissue adhesions, carpal tunnel, adhesive capsulitis, IT band syndrome, lumbar strain, and plantar fasciitis. GT is designed to minimize discomfort; however, some post-treatment reactions, like reddening of the skin, superficial bruising, and some soreness, are normal. A typical treatment consists of:

1. Warm up of the treatment area,

2. Graston Technique instrument-assisted soft tissue manipulation,

3. Stretching,

4. Strengthening/rehabilitation exercise.

Willie Muller, RMT, Courtenay Massage Therapy, CourtenayMassageTherapy.com