Call me busy and multi-tasker. Or call me lazy. Either way, I admit that I have rarely included an exercise regimen in my life. I will go through spurts of time when I walk, bike, do yoga or pilates, but I rarely last beyond a week or two. It's easy to find excuses not to fit in the half hour to exercise every day.

To counter-balance my excuses I justify my lack of exercise by telling myself that I include exercise in my everyday life. I use my bike as transportation. I run up and down the stairs to get supplies from the storage room. I don't look for the closest parking stall. I garden. I clean my  house. And I add extra movement into my every day life.

Silly but simple - when I brush my teeth, I do a yoga pose. Usually tree pose. I read somewhere that balancing on one foot is good for your brain. Who knows if it's true, but I figure that while I brush my teeth I may as well ward off Alzheimer's at the same time.

To help our bodies absorb and use water more effectively, it is good to add something to your water - a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon juice, or our favorite, some herbs. I can't remember, let alone repeat, all the chemical and physical reasons why this is a better way to drink water. You can research it.

​​We grow and dry a lot of herbs in our garden, but our favorite in drinks is peppermint and lemongrass. Sometimes we boil the water and add the herbs, then drink it hot (hot herbal teas in the cold winter months are our favorite), or pour it into pitcher  and put in the fridge for a cold refreshing drink. Often, however, I skip the boiling step and just infuse the herbs in the water, leaving them in there for days - hence why my husband calls it "weed water." 

I've been doing this for years, but recently my husband has become a "convert" to drinking "dirty water." Try it - you might like it also!

​I am often asked how soon after an injury can one receive a massage. If the injury is soft-tissue related, with a skilled massage therapist, you can receive treatment immediately. Depending on the injury, the massage may be brief and light touch. Often return visits will be beneficial and the massage may change in length and depth.

From personal experience and from observing my clients, the sooner you receive a massage, the quicker and better the healing. Often just a few minutes of treatment can yield relief. 

Never received a massage before? Visiting a new therapist and not sure what to expect? Ask questions beforehand to lesson your anxiety! 

I'm a nerd. Last winter when we vacationed on a beach, I read a book on pain management. I had recently attended a lecture on it and wanted to better understand how I could help my patients manage their pain through massage.

He issued a call to massage therapists to enter the healthcare world as part of the solution to pain management. With the looming opiod epidemic, the medical world is looking for alternatives.

He said that we need to evaluate how we think about pain. Maybe we can not eliminate pain, but we need to manage it. Rather than measuring pain on a numerical scale, we need to measure how pain affects four areas of life: activity, sleep, mood, and stress. The pain may remain the same, however if the patient can function in these four areas, there is success and pain is managed.

He explained that as an anesthesiologist he could drop someone to zero pain, however they would be on the floor drooling and unable to do anything. That is unacceptable for daily life. There is a difference between someone who has a pain level 7 and is unable to function and someone with a pain level 7 who can sleep and function within their pain. They are managing their pain. 

Massage therapy can be part of managing the pain. We can complement what their doctor is prescribing. Massage can easily be combined with other pain management methods, including drugs. Drugs have their place, but we need to find ways to minimize them.

​Pain is a major public health concern, significantly affecting the quality of life of approximately 100 million Americans.

The Samueli Institute, commissioned by the Massage Therapy Foundation with support from AMTA, conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of published science on massage and pain. This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to rigorously assess the quality of massage therapy research and evidence for its efficacy and effectiveness in treating pain, function-related and health-related quality of life outcomes for people with various types of surgical pain and anxiety. 

Here is a link to the review:
Massage Therapy and Pain Management

I learned a lot at the 2017 AMTA National Convention in Pasadena! I attended a research class on massage and pain management. There is more research showing that massage helps lessen pain, and with the opiod epidemic many physicians are searching for additional ways to manage pain.

I have had amazing experiences with some of my clients needing much less pain medication after surgery. Stay tuned for one of those stories. 

My back was killing me the day before I attended the AMTA National Convention. If I had to be at convention with a hurt back, this was certainly the right one! I experienced pain relief during my hands-on classes and when a great travel companion/roommate - another massage therapist - gave me a two-hour massage one night. My back pain was manageable, and at times disappeared! 

I learned some new techniques in managing lower back pain and neck issues. It was been a great convention! 

I love learning. I love being a massage therapist. I love helping to lessen the pain and discomfort of my clients. Call me for an appointment!

Clients often ask how they can maximize the results of their massage. They don't have the time or the money to return for a massage as frequently as they would like.

I think the best is to keep moving. I've also found that stretching and self-massage prolong the benefits of a massage. A few years ago a friend shared a self-massage method with me which I regularly use. It is the "Melt Method." It confirms a lot of what I have learned about the latest research on fascia.

Say What?!

Lately I've come across several advertisements and articles advocating "dry brushing." You use a special stiff brush on your body, starting at the extremities and brushing towards the heart. Among other benefits, it is supposed to stimulate the lymph system. Google it if you're curious for more information.

The lymphatic system is a major part of the body’s immune system. It is made up of organs and lymph nodes, ducts and capillaries that transport lymph throughout the body. Many of these lymph capillaries run just below the skin and proponents of dry brushing claim that brushing the skin regularly helps stimulate the normal lymph flow within the body and help the body detoxify itself naturally.

From what I've learned in my Manual Lymph Drainage classes, I can not disagree with the benefits of dry brushing. But I do not have time to add yet another thing I'm supposed to do daily - I struggle with fitting in exercising and sometimes eating lunch. Then I realized that I was already dry brushing every time I showered.

You remember, we do not dry our laundry. People always tell me that is great because it is environmentally conscious, but they would never do it because they don't like stiff towels. I never noticed a problem with my towels - I like the invigorating rub over my body as I dry myself off. Besides, after the first use with a clean towel, it softens up significantly.

So now that I know about dry brushing, I conscientiously dry my body with my stiff air-dried towel in the direction of the lymph flow. I also do this when I sauna and rub myself down (but the benefits of sauna is a whole other post by itself. . .). 

But if you are not convinced to give up your dryer and still need your soft towel, well then, may I recommend booking a manual lymph drainage (MLD)! MLD is a gentle massage which encourages the natural drainage of lymph and in the process helps to build the immune system. As the winter season approaches, MLD is one more way to help your body fight off the viruses and bugs that are around.

Continue reading to learn the benefits of air-drying your clothes.

One of my daughters and her roommate have friends over to their apartment for a weekly "Appreciation Night." They celebrate different aspects of life: leaves, hammocks, color, light, music, cereal . . . you get the idea. They will do an activity based on their topic. The people who attend vary each week, depending on who is available and who is interested in the activity. And someone always brings a new person or two. I love to hear about their activities and the friends they make. I have longed to join them.

I finally got the chance last week! My youngest daughter was on spring break, so we decided to spend one night with her older sister at college. We conveniently picked "Appreciation Night." Well, my daughter took advantage of me - more than the usual free dinner - and asked if I would help them to appreciate touch.