If you happen to live in a major metropolitan area, chances are you have a few massage establishments sprinkled throughout your city. Perhaps you’ve even noticed them advertising ‘Shiatsu Massage’ on their store front window. Just what exactly is shiatsu massage and are there any real benefits from it?

Shiatsu massage was really introduced as early as 1912 and comes from Japan, where many other therapeutic practices and healing methods also found their origins.

The basic technique used in shiatsu massage is centered around applying pressure to various points on the body using only your fingertips, palms, and especially the thumbs. This type of massage is a bit more firmer than the most commonly thought of technique called ‘Swedish Massage’, which uses more smooth, gliding and flowing type strokes.

It is common to have your massage therapist conduct a series of diagnostic touches to gain an understanding of how they can best correct any imbalances in the body. With this in mind, the direct goal of shiatsu massage should be to treat the body as a whole rather than just one specific area.

Shiatsu massage is highly beneficial to the mind and body offering benefits in the form of:

• Improved blood flow and circulation
• Increased flexibility
• Reduced blood pressure
• Toxin release from the body
• Reduction in pain from arthritis
• Deep muscle relaxation
• Mental relaxation and reduced anxieties
• Relief from migraine headaches
• Promote healing
• Prevent illness by increasing your body’s immune system

Many massage studios offer combination therapy which includes a portion of your session to include a variety of techniques such as shiatsu and Swedish massage. This is a highly suggested route for those who have never experienced shiatsu as they can do a ‘side by side’ comparison.

As always, it is encouraged to directly communicate with your massage therapist your preferences and sensitivities and tolerance to specific levels of firm pressure. Let them know how you’re feeling so they can adjust accordingly.

If you live in the Torrance CA area, or will be visiting Los Angeles, we recommend you stop by U & I Massage to experience a professionally shiatsu massage to help increase your overall well being. Please visit our website at http://uimassage.com/torrance-massage/shiatsu-massage to find out about our shiatsu massages and services overall. We look forward to serving you in the near future!

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New clients who have a history of spa massages always extol the benefits of a therapeutic massage. Though similar in origin, both formats seek vastly different results.

Spa massages are a wonderful, relaxing treat, especially when you have done something special or want to celebrate. These occasional self-indulgences usually offer other gratifying services such as makeovers, hairstyling, and manicures. The massage is light, fluffy and relaxing. By design it avoids addressing any major health concerns. Sometimes you may even want a body scrub to enhance your perceived radiance.

Though a therapeutic massage practitioner may approach the body in a manner similar to the spa-masseuse, the therapist’s goal is health and stress-reduction, not simple relaxation. The therapist wants to know about the client’s lifestyle and health maintenance in order to provide information and services helpful to the client. The therapist addresses the shoulders, neck, back or foot problems more clinically than a spa masseuse, and tries to determine the root causes of discomfort while considering all available treatment options. Since these providers are more focused on your overall health (not just helping you relax), they can help you form healthy habits to prevent any future discomfort. Because therapeutic massages are often less expensive than those at spas, there is an added value to the treatment. Finally the therapeutic massage therapist seeks to help you live more healthily, which means that you should visit regularly instead of just for special occasions.

Both types of massage have their purposes, but it is important to understand the differences when you seek health and relaxation

Nikki Roach is a health and wellness coach and massage therapist for nearly 11 years. Since arriving in this country she has taken the knowledge that was handed down from her grandmother and offers people guidance of the proper use of natural healing methods. http://nrteam.com/

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Since the industrial revolution, massage has evolved from a simple means of relaxation to a science. There are literally hundreds of different massage beds available in the global market, each one catering to a specific therapy. Massage therapists too have become one of the most in-demand professionals today and earn quite a buck from their simple but invaluable practice. All the types of beds cannot be covered in the span of this article, but a few popular types have been elaborated upon.

Hydro beds

Water beds have the amazing ability to change shape according to your position, thus dissipate pressure and cause a comforting feeling. An electronic massage chair aims at providing muscle relaxation through vibrations. Combine both these and you get a Hydro massage bed. These are really sophisticated machines that allow you to adjust position, angle, flow of water under the contact surface and innumerable massage settings. If you can afford one, the Hydro bed can well become your most awaited experience of the day. They help relax the entire body both mentally and physically, thus allowing you to lead a more active and stress free life.

Aqua beds

Aqua or water massage beds use the physics of water to massage and ease a body. The help alleviate muscular pain and improve the functionality or joints especially the spinal cord. Aqua beds are incorporated with state of the art electronic equipment which allow the user to adjust settings like the temperature of water, depth of muscle massage and the direction of flow of water. You can even time your massage to derive maximum benefit.

Nuga Bed

Nuga massage beds are one of the most sophisticated massage equipment available. They combine the benefits of acupressure, hand massage and infrared rays to determine relevant pressure for each muscle, ligament and the spinal cord then intelligently adjust the settings to provide the most satisfying and relaxing massage experience you can get anywhere in the world.

Portable massage beds

The simplest, yet the most loved massage bed of the world. The portable bed is basic, a folding bed frame, with a comfortable cushion and a head rest is what makes this bed. But it allows professional massage therapists so exercise their profession and prove that no matter how far the technology may go, there is no alternative to human expertise and touch.

Detailed above were to most popular massage beds in the world. Your requirement may however be different and can be gauged properly by a therapist. So visit a massage therapist before you empty your wallet at a spa or a showroom.

Visit massaging bed or neck support for more information.

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Ok so 3 more posts today that I’ve dug up – I’m an information JUNKIE on this stuff lately. Give em a browse and let me know what ya reckon. They’re just from a few different sites I’ve been surfing lately that are generally good for information like this…

Sound Massage | Health Care Bill Facts

If your new to massage therapy, or a veteran, and have never had the privledge of listening to Dean Evenson, then you are truly in store of a magical journey of self discovery. If you go to soundings of the planet. com you can …

Massage Therapy: More than Just Relaxation

More than just being a stress and pain reliever, massage therapy has a lot more benefits to offer that actually contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Though not known to many, massage therapy lowers blood pressure, strengthens the immune …

Swedish Back Massage – Tapotement by Health-Choices School Review

www.Health-Choices.com A Massage School Completely Like No Other! From the Premier Holistic Massage Therapy School in the North East. An excellent yet.

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One of the main features of the field of massage therapy that causes people to start a career in this profession is a desire to help others by helping them live healthy lives. The work involves healing people from physical and emotional ailments. This is a profession that attracts people who want to make a positive difference and who have a passion to heal.

In the past, a person who wanted to start a career in this profession had to start out working as an apprentice or gain knowledge by attending a series of workshops. A lot has changed since the early 1990′s.

Currently there are a variety of educational programs available that offer information on the needed skills for a person interested in becoming a massage therapist. Before a person can work as a professional in this field, she must pass an exam administered by the Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. This exam is taken after a student graduates from a legitimate program. Depending on what state a person lives in, it may be necessary to get a license to practice.

Salaries range from $60 to $100 an hour in most cities. In rural areas the pay typically ranges from $50-$75. The vast majority of people in this field work about 27 hours each week. This is considered a full-time schedule for these practitioners.

Before starting out, it is necessary to evaluate if this is really a profession for you. Keep in mind that this is literally a hands on job. You may have sore hands and fingers at the end of the day from the constant repetitive motion. Plus, you will spend most of your working hours standing. This is very physical work and you may be exhausted at the end of the day. This is why it is necessary to have quite a bit of energy.

There are numerous opportunities to have a lucrative career in this field due to the various types of businesses that involve the use of these practitioners. It is not necessary to go to school to prepare for a job in this field but it is necessary to acquire specific skills in order to be successful and gain the trust of potential clients.

There is a huge demand for people working in this field as more people become interested in alternative healing. For this reason, a qualified massage therapist can earn a six figure income.

Passion is what drives most people to this profession. It is very important to be a people person in order to be successful. A person in this field will have to know what to say. It will be important to be a good listener since helping people through their stresses is part of the job. All of these are factors to take into consideration when deciding if this career is right for you.

Jenna Gray is a writer who does extensive research on health related topics. Click on the link to find out more about massage therapist training and the educational requirements for this field.

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Are you looking for holistic massage therapy? This form of massage combines a balance of natural healing methods with massage therapy to give the client the best experience possible. A holistic healer is important to the process. They receive special training in various natural remedies. They combine this with various forms of massage such as Swedish and deep tissue. All of this provides their client with the right balance to promote relaxation and to increase health and wellbeing. This integrates nicely into the whole person approach of holistic healing.

Massage therapy is a holistic practice by its very nature. It involves bringing oxygen and blood flow to all parts of the body. It helps reduce stress and promote wellbeing throughout the body. Holistic massage therapy takes it to another level. It involves adding other therapies to give healing a boost. With natural remedies and other non-invasive methods, a holistic healer provides their client with the tools necessary for good health. It brings together the mental, emotional, spiritual, and social parts of the being. That combination brings the entire person together instead of viewing things as separate.

Holistic massage therapy is an option many enjoy. It is often part of a full set of practices. A holistic healer brings these practices to their clients’ disposal. Holistic medicine often doesn’t focus on physical healing alone. It focuses on bring the entire person into a state of balance. Traditional Western medicine focuses on treating the physical symptoms. It often ignores the other states of a person’s being. Alternative medicine tries to integrate the physical with other states, but doesn’t go as far as holistic medicine. Both forms of medicine are valid and useful. However, a holistic practitioner would use them to bring those aspects into alignment while working on others.

Holistic massage therapy is one way to bring these changes together. The holistic healer uses it to bring the body back into balance. By treating the entire being, the person gains not only the healing they seek, but also gain things they never dreamt of before. By treating the entire person, the healer addresses mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional imbalances. Amongst various treatments, there are changes to diet, homeopathy, exercise, bodywork, acupuncture, and Indian and Chinese medicine. The healer will take the time to find the root causes before healing. In the end, the client finds a better state of mind, body, and spirit.

Nancy Smith is a licensed, certified Massage Therapist, Hypnotherapist, and MA Nurse in Austin, Texas. Nancy is dedicated to to improving the quality of health and well being of people through her holistic healing practices. For more information about Nancy, her practice, services, location and how she can dramatically improve the quality of your life, come visit her web site at http://www.BestAustinMassageTherapy.com.

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Careers in Massage Today « YUG.com

For starters, the ancient healing art of massage therapy is broadly used as a complementary medicine throughout the world. Besides its healing attributes, massage therapy is proven to relax and revitalize tired muscles and enhance …

Product Review Of Montage Elite Massage Chair Recliner | Buy Coach …

You get an array of extra therapies including stretching, heat therapy and music therapy. All these combine to give you a wonderful massage therapy experience again and again. If you are in the market for a high end massage chair, …

The Beauty Shop » Blog Archive » The Massage Top 10

Swedish massage therapy: This is the most common type to be offered by masseurs because it is very gentle and relaxing. The masseuse will use long strokes, kneading and circular movements on superficial layers of muscle using massage …

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Technorati Tags: massage therapy

Hey Readers! I’ve been comin across some crazy stuff the past few days from a few different blogs around the web which I just had to share with you. Check em out below…

Cool Great Stuff | Health » Medical Massage For Hypertension

First, let’s quickly review how medical massage therapy affects the arterial blood pressure in patients with EH. There are three major mechanisms which massage practitioners should use to help patients with hypertension: Balance the …

Swedish Massage Therapy For Neck Pain Relief

In a recent survey of people suffering with neck and lower back pain, participants strongly recommend massage therapy for back pain relief, but that you do some comparison shopping among massage therapists. Prices vary widely.

Uncover Five Qualities Of A First-Class Massage Therapy Clinic …

In our time, massage therapy is recognized through the medical society and is taken into account by the public as a result of its health and relaxation purposes. In current times, lots of new methods and techniques of massage have …

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1. Overcoming the Language Barrier – Learning to Explain Zero Balancing

   by
   
   Kate Chase Ryan

   Waiting in line to check out at the grocery store, the person next to you notices your handy shopping bag and asks about the logo on the front. “Oh,” you reply, “I’m a Zero Balancer and that’s the logo.” Naturally, they ask you, “What is Zero Balancing?” You give it a shot with, “Zero Balancing is a hands-on, full-body treatment.” But now what?

2. Pressure Points Review

   by
   
   Blaine Moore

   Massage is a great way to feel better after a tough run, but sometimes there’s nobody available to give you one. That’s where the Ball Dynamics Pressure Points claim to come in, which are a couple of hard rubber balls that are used to put pressure on various parts of your body for self-massage.

3. Swedish Massage Techniques

   by
   
   Christina D Brooke

   Swedish Massage is said to be massage of the most basic methods. The purpose of Swedish Massage is to allow the body to absorb more oxygen and speed the cells’ elimination of waste products, thus promoting detoxification.

4. Orthopedic Massage – Rectifying False Impressions About Pain and Injury

   by
   
   Devin Statham

   Most of us would expect chiropractors to concentrate on spinal misalignment in cases of pain and injury, acupuncturists to give emphasis to the flow of energy (Qi), and surgeons to think about more surgical options. The spotlight has characteristically been on muscles and in recent times on fascia within the field of massage therapy (and associated forms of bodywork).

5. Reclaiming the Body – The Foundation of Health Touch Through Massage Therapy

   by
   
   Andrew Wolfe

   In the state of trauma, the body, in order to survive, will protect itself. This survival instinct is apart of the evolution and adaptation of humans, regardless if the response is due to a physical threat or not. With nerve fibers to respond with sensations and the brain to release chemicals, to ready our bodies to the physical challenges, we have, within normal perimeters, the tactics to react to stress, trauma or any other perceived threat.

6. Benefits of Massage Therapy

   by
   
   Roma Burke

   The benefits of massage therapy can be applied from infants to the elderly. So, what is massage, and what are the benefits?

7. Massage Pillow For the Neck

   by
   
   Nazima Golamaully

   Every part of our body gets tired. Our brain, eyes, mouth, feet and hands get tired every day. Therefore, there is a need to have a rest. Our neck also gets tired and it can be relaxed through the use of a massage pillow.

8. Spa – Know a Few of the Typical Services

   by
   
   A Aaronson

   You might not think of yourself as a person who goes to spas, but in reality, everyone can benefit from the services offered at most. Give your local spa a chance to impress you, no matter your gender or age.

9. Can Your Weight Be Massaged Away?

   by
   
   Dave Wilkes

   Weight loss and dieting are not supposed to be that easy. Are they? At least for most of us. But one of the difficulties of regular weight loss dieting is that, sooner or later when the diet stops the weight just seems to come back on. But, I believe, if we can stack as many things in favour of our weight loss goal as we can, then there is absolutely no reason why we can’t attain our weight loss, and with less hassle.

10. The Top 5 Considerations When Choosing a Portable Reiki Table

    by
    
    Sheri Novak

    With so many features and options available, choosing your first Reiki table can seem like a daunting task. This article discusses the top five things to consider in choosing a portable Reiki table, in order to make your decision a little easier.

11. A Way to Combat Stress Through a Back Massager

    by
    
    Redan Verula

    In this world we live in today, with its demanding fast pace setting has amplified the demand for massage therapy. Almost all of us would want an avenue wherein we could relax and unwind. For some, massage with the use of a back massager is their means of relieving stress and it is a way to get them back up and running.

12. Overview of Zero Gravity Recliner Chairs

    by
    
    Devang Kakkad

    This is an introduction to Zero Gravity Recliner Chairs. It is about how the came into existence, what are the special features, how they can benefit our body.

13. The Value of Massage Therapy

    by
    
    Andrew Wolfe

    Massage therapy addresses the “whole person” by direct contact which creates a form of validation of the individual unlike any other health care modality. It is a natural,effective and drugless treatment to improve, restore and maintain a healthy state in the body, with minimal adverse effects. No other modality or professional has an extensive ” hands on” approach that can be seen more apparent, than massage therapy.

14. All About Massage

    by
    
    Susan Clingman

    Massage may be the oldest and simplest form of medical care. Egyptian tomb paintings show people being massaged. Massage has been practiced continually since ancient times in Eastern cultures. It was one of the principal methods of relieving pain for Greek and Roman physicians.

15. Massage Therapy Counters Stress

    by
    
    Ralph Caruso

    Massage is an ancient method of healing patronized by several races. Today, it continues to serve is purpose, growing in influence and gaining more value.

16. Relax and Go to a Spa

    by
    
    Sallie Pinkerton

    If you are having a stressful day or a stressful life, then you need to go to a spa. You can go to a day spa or you can go to one for an entire week. It is up to you and how much money you want to spend.

17. Build Your Massage Practice Faster With Great Client Communication Skills

    by
    
    Helen Hunter

    Great client communication skills are just as important as great hand-on massage skills when it comes to building a successful massage practice. We need to practice our communication skills – just like we practice our massage strokes and techniques. Communications skills can make – or break – client relations; make sure your communication skills are up to scratch!

18. Marketing Your Massage Business Using Your Clinical Knowledge

    by
    
    Helen Hunter

    Do you think of your clinical knowledge and hands-on skills as being in a different “compartment” to the business and marketing aspects of your massage practice? This seems to be quite common amongst therapists: there’s the client-facing hands-on aspect of our work (the bit we all love and want to do); then there’s the professional development aspect – all those exciting and stimulating new skills and techniques to discover and master; and then there’s the admin, bookkeeping and dreaded marketing side of things – essential, but a bit of a chore, and not at all what we want to spend our time doing.

19. Build Your Massage Practice Faster With Essential Rebooking and Referral Skills – Skill No 1

    by
    
    Helen Hunter

    A key rebooking skill is managing client expectations. If we can successfully do this we are much more likely to end up with a highly satisfied client who will want to rebook with us, and send us referrals too.

20. How Pass the MBLEx Massage Certification Exam

    by
    
    Bob Dean

    Finally out of massage therapy school, now you need to take your MBLEx or state exam. Most states now days will let you take the MBLEx that will suffice and meet all requirements necessary to get your massage therapy license. The MBLEx exam is also the better test to take and the most popular test that students prefer to take.

21. What’s the Best Massage For Stress Reduction?

    by
    
    Stacey Kirkland

    Research has shown that the state of rest achieved while meditating can be twice the level of deepest sleep while complete mental awareness is maintained during the entire process. From the perspective of rest we can see that meditation provides a profound level of rest which gives an opportunity to cleanse, to repair, and to rejuvenate the entire mind-body system.

22. What to Do During a Massage?

    by
    
    Dave Wilkes

    Many people worry needlessly about what to do during a massage. Questions such as what if I fall to sleep… and snore! What if my stomach makes a noise, or if I pass wind? How embarrassed they feel they would be if any of these scenarios came to pass. However, here are my top 5 suggestions for what to do to get the maximum benefits from the most popular massage threatment, a de-stress and relax treatment.

23. 3 Reasons You Should Consider Massage Therapy

    by
    
    Marilyn Van Kley

    Tense muscles, chronic pain, stressed out? See how massage therapy can make a difference in the quality of your life.

24. Foot Massager With Infrared Heat

    by
    
    Saso Pogorelc

    For centuries, the enjoyment of a soothing foot massage has been widely acknowledged in many parts of the world. In recent years, health professionals have also publicized the benefit of foot massage for managing pain and reducing stress throughout the body.

25. Massage Cushions For Everyone

    by
    
    Saso Pogorelc

    With the convenient new massage products available for home use everyone has the ability to enjoy this effective health treatment. The massage cushion offered incorporates the intense vibrating action that provides a thorough and effective treatment. This product is available in a lightweight, portable style that can be easily transported for either home or travel applications. Adjustable controls make it easy to change the level of massage to suit individual preferences. Every member of the family will have the opportunity to receive a full body massage during their leisure time.

26. The Heat Behind Massage Candles

    by
    
    Charlie Heck

    While massage/lotion candles have been around for years now, their popularity is rising as more consumers look for either unique treatments in spas or at-home, budget-friendly beauty treatments. With the rise of a new product comes the concerns with their safety and the myths around their benefits. Here are the facts and heat behind lotion candles.

27. Tips For Giving Aromatherapy Massages

    by
    
    Lance Compton

    Giving aromatherapy massages can be a great gift to give a friend or lover. The best part is that they are not that difficult or expensive to give. In order to give a great aromatherapy massage all you need are scented oils or scented candles.

28. 5 Tips For Choosing a Great Day Spa

    by
    
    Lance Compton

    A great day spa can make you feel rejuvenated and on top of the world. But a bad day spa can leave you feeling horrible and ripped off. So how can you find a great day spa?

    1447

29. 3 Tips For Giving Great Foot Massages

    by
    
    Lance Compton

    Nothing makes you feel relaxed faster then a nice, stress-reducing foot massage. Learning the correct methods to give one can certainly be a great gift for a friend or dearly loved one. The best news is that it is really quite simple to give a great one because foot massage techniques are not that difficult to learn.

30. Using Massage to Relieve Stress

    by
    
    Lance Compton

    Stress is now more predominant then ever these days despite the fact that there is a lot of information out there on how to deal with it. But unfortunately many people are ignoring the problem. Fortunately there are many natural ways to deal with stress, and one of those is massage.

Technorati Tags: massage therapy

Feel Better Fast: Self-Massage for Runners

It teaches the same basic massage strokes professionals use. While not everyone can attend the Boulder College of Massage Therapy, everyone can learn a few simple massage techniques to help themselves feel better fast. Let’s Try It …

Swedish Massage and the Benefits

Massage therapy has a detoxifying effect on your body. The stroking and pressure moves toxins from the organs and body tissues into the bloodstream where they can then be eliminated from the body. The removal of toxins can lower stress …

FAQs: Do I Have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? | Massage Williamsburg

The good news, is that massage therapy can be an effective tool in both treating and preventing carpal tunnel syndrome. Your therapist can use stretches and other techniques during your session to relieve pain and tension in your hands, …

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Technorati Tags: massage therapy

Ok so you might find the next few links interesting. These are from around the web, just random snippets that I’ve picked up in my reading, but I found some very cool information in them. You might too. Here goes…

Review Of Sanyo SR1000 Massage Chair | HeartsForU

Massage Therapy: The Sanyo SR 1000 massage chair has the capability to massage your back, neck, shoulders, calves and feet. We consider a full body massage chair one that also has a seat massage which the SR1000 lacks. …

Be Your Own Massage Therapist? Part 1 « Reality-Based Fitness

Although the scientific research on massage therapy is in its infancy, there is too much evidence to ignore the benefits that carefully applied pressure to the body can have on this amazing machine we call the human body. …

Foot Massage Lesson by Health-Choices Holistic MassageSchool …

www.Health-Choices.com From the Premier International Holistic Massage Therapy School in the North East. An excellent yet simple demonstration of a foot m…

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Technorati Tags: massage therapy

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog posts lately you’ll know I’ve come to adding a few news posts from around the web on this subject. I’ve got a couple more today that are new and updated, so let me know what you think of em…

School Focus: Rasmussen College | Medical and nursing blog

More and more clients are looking for certified Massage Therapists. Rasmussen College’s program will provide you with the core skills and knowledge required of a certified practitioner and help prepare you for the National Certification …

Stress Management For Largo Residents Through Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is a well-known and popular antidote for stress so consider booking an appointment with your favorite massage spa in Largo, Belleair, and Indian Rocks Beach if you are looking for stress relief.

Review About The Omega Massage Chair Recliner | Law of Fitness

We have consistently seen one company continue to raise the bar. Omega massage has brought effective massage chairs with great features. They have been known for their effective and invigorating massage therapy.

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Nontraditional Therapies To Help Someone With Alzheimer’s

Conventional treatment for Alzheimer’s disease focuses on medication, emotional support, and forms of behavior modification to help a person remember better and cope with everyday activities. Here are some additional forms of therapy that have also been found useful for people with the disease. You can find therapists who provide such services or adapt them for use at home.

Note that no therapy of any kind has been found to reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s. But it’s possible to slow its course or simply improve the quality of life for someone battling the disease.

As many pet owners will attest, just being around an animal can have a soothing effect. This is the idea behind pet therapy for people with Alzheimer’s disease, who are at particular risk for anxiety and depression. In this kind of therapy, the pet’s human companion introduces the animal — whether it’s a dog, cat, guinea pig, or other domestic pet — to the person with Alzheimer’s and helps the interaction go smoothly and safely. These visits generally occur in nursing homes, adult day centers, and hospitals, but of course the idea can be used in the home as well.

The benefits of pet therapy include lowering anxiety and stress, encouraging communication, improving mood, and lowering blood pressure. People with Alzheimer’s may feel especially comfortable with a pet because it lets them interact nonverbally.

* What you can do: The person you’re caring for probably isn’t capable of looking after a pet, so it’s not a good idea to run out and buy her a kitten unless someone is available around the clock to provide its care. But even pet therapy that doesn’t involve direct contact with pets — bird-watching and looking at an aquarium — seems to have positive effects. Research funded by the Pet Care Trust, a nonprofit foundation, and conducted by Purdue University, found that Alzheimer’s patients provided with aquariums gained weight (indicating better nutritional intake — people with Alzheimer’s often have trouble eating adequately) and showed less aggression. Try setting up an aquarium or bird feeders outside a favorite window view.

Whether spiritual activities include prayer, religious services, or visits with someone who offers faith-based counsel, they have a therapeutic effect on many people with Alzheimer’s disease. Spirituality
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and faith offer stress relief, hope, and reassurance. Some studies have found that people with probable Alzheimer’s who have higher levels of religiosity show slower rates of mental decline.

What’s more, religious participation usually involves regular events, rituals, or traditions. Repeated over the years, these memories tend to be wired more fixedly in the brain of someone with Alzheimer’s. That’s why someone with Alzheimer’s may find religious or spiritual activities comforting and easy to follow. These activities also offer an opportunity to socialize and bond with family, friends, and members of the community.

* What you can do: Make provisions for the person in your care to continue attending her routine religious services as long as possible. If her behavior is erratic and sometimes disruptive, see if a “quiet room” is available. (Usually used by mothers of young children, this spot is helpful for people with Alzheimer’s, too.) Try going to early or midweek services where attendance is lightest.

Consider other things that may nourish her spirituality, too. For some people, that’s a walk in the woods, looking up at the night sky, listening to classical music, or meditation.

If you’ve ever found yourself singing a pop song you haven’t heard since high school — and knowing the lyrics — you have some idea of the power of musical memory. Someone with Alzheimer’s might not remember breakfast, yet the lyrics of old favorites from 50 or 60 years ago may be at the tip of her tongue.

Listening to familiar music is both enjoyable and comforting. It can relieve stress and anxiety and improve mood. People with Alzheimer’s often “open up” and start to clap and sing along. In group settings, music may prompt listeners to reminisce about their past and interact with one another. At music therapy programs in adult daycare or assisted living facilities, caregivers may arrange live performances or music with dancing, which has the added benefit of encouraging exercise.

* What you can do: Select music carefully, and stick to what you know your loved one likes and enjoys. (If you’re not sure, look for CDs or old LPs of tunes from her 20s and 30s, when almost everyone is most attuned to popular music. You may even be able to borrow some from the library to try them out.) Playing music during meals may improve appetite, and calmer music played before bedtime may help her get to sleep more easily and agreeably.

Some people with Alzheimer’s enjoy making music. Many children’s musical toys are appropriate without seeming juvenile, so look for maracas, tambourines, xylophones, or toy lap harps (zither) that offer easy-to-follow music sheets or can simply be plucked when she can no longer follow the written notes.

Both viewing and creating works of art can be therapeutic. Walking through a museum or gallery is a great way to relax a person with Alzheimer’s disease while providing some exercise. Talking about certain pieces with a companion or a group on a special tour gives her a chance to converse about something in the moment without worrying about failing to remember names or facts. (And art interpretation, after all, is up to the individual, so there’s also a freedom of expression.) This, in turn, can be a huge mood booster and way to increase self-esteem.

Working on an art project can help release emotions in a safe, healthy way. If done in a group setting, art also generates conversation and encourages bonding among participants. Using different tools, a person with Alzheimer’s practices hand-eye coordination: If fine motor skills are declining and painting or drawing is difficult, she may enjoy the tactile work of sculpting or simply painting with a larger brush.

* What you can do: Don’t worry if the person you’re caring for was never very “artsy.” Provide safe, nontoxic, easy-to-use materials and encourage her to spend time with them. (Even crayons and pages torn from coloring books work. Offer adult c
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oloring books or nonjuvenile images if she’s sensitive to this.) If you’re unsure how to proceed on your own, look into adult daycare programs, where art therapy is often used and attendees enjoy feeling like they’re learning a skill or creating something.

Visit your local museum together often. Weekday mornings are least likely to be crowded. Between the large collections and her short-term memory, this is one outing that can seem new every time for quite a long while.

Storytelling. Storytelling is another therapy that taps into creativity. A caregiver or other companion presents the patient with a picture or series of pictures and invites her to construct a corresponding storyline. As in art therapy, communicating about an image doesn’t require remembering anything, which can be an intimidating and uncomfortable aspect of other conversations. Storytelling exercises creativity, gives emotional release, and provides caregivers with interesting insights into the life and mind of the person with Alzheimer’s.

In storytelling therapy, as in art therapy, the key is letting the person with Alzheimer’s take the lead once the activity is introduced. The companion simply helps the story along by asking basic open-ended questions. Sometimes the story is written down.

* What you can do: Find a coffee-table book with large images. At a relaxing, quiet time, when there are no distractions to interrupt or confuse your family member, sit down with her and look at the book together. You can also use postcards, calendar images, or a magazine. (Avoid celebrity or historic photos, which cause the person to get stuck trying to remember the “right” details.) Say, “Let’s make up a story about this funny picture,” or “I wonder what she’s thinking about. What do you think?” Avoid asking questions that might feel like tests. (“What’s that?”) Stress the fact that there are no right or wrong answers. Offer open-ended prompts to help move the story along.

Look into TimeSlips, a facilitator-led storytelling-therapy method designed for groups, developed by Ann Basting, director of the Center on Age and Community at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.

Reminiscence therapy. Different from storytelling, which doesn’t specifically involve memories, reminiscence therapy invites a person with Alzheimer’s to exercise her long-term memory by encouraging her to share positive recollections from younger days. Especially in the earlier stages of the disease, she may still remember with astonishing clarity events and people from childhood and young adulthood. Old photo albums, mementos, and music are common tools used to generate this type of conversation.

Focusing conversations on these more solid memories can improve her mood, encourage verbalization, and raise self-esteem.

* What you can do: Keep the atmosphere relaxed so she doesn’t feel like she’s being given a memory quiz. When children and grandchildren are involved as listeners, a person with Alzheimer’s may feel especially proud to be able to share pieces of family history. As a bonus, you may learn things about her you didn’t know or may be moved to record new and familiar tales on tape or paper to preserve them.

Massage therapy. Perhaps one of the most unexpected therapies for someone with Alzheimer’s disease is massage therapy. In all people, the healing power of touch is well documented. It can trigger the relaxation response, lower blood pressure, and reduce the pain of chronic diseases. Few studies have been done on massage for Alzheimer’s patients, but so far it’s been found to reduce episodes of wandering and other agitated behaviors associated with anxiety. Massage can also help people with the disease sleep better, ease muscle pain and tightness, and ward off depression. Massage therapy is sometimes combined with aromatherapy (see below).

* What you can do: Ask the person you’re caring for if she’d like to try it. Someone who’s apprehensive or has never had massa
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ge may want to start with hand, foot, or back rubs. Massage therapy only works when the person feels at ease with it. She may be very sensitive to touch or may feel uncomfortable with a stranger or even a family member touching her in this way. Be sure that if you hire a professional massage therapist, she knows that her client has dementia. Realize that you don’t have to sign her up for a full body massage in order to harness the benefits of the power of touch: Hug her, hold hands, touch her gently when you talk to her.

Aromatherapy. The use of essential oils from flowers and other plants to treat physical and mental disorders has a long history dating back thousands of years. Certain scents appear to work directly on connections in the brain to create associated responses. Scented oils can be applied directly to the skin (in diluted form) during massage, burned to release their scent into the air, or placed in bathwater. Some nursing facilities use aromatherapy to calm residents. This therapy hasn’t been well studied with Alzheimer’s, and as the disease progresses the sense of smell is often impaired, so it’s unclear whether people with advanced Alzheimer’s can benefit from it.

* What you can do: The relaxing and stimulating powers of scents may be worth trying at home if you find the idea appealing. Even familiar scents like chocolate chip cookies or pine needles can trigger happy memories.

About The Author

Paula Spencer, Senior Editor of the Alzheimer’s/Dementia channel, has specialized in writing about family care and health from her very first post-college job as an editor of 50 Plus magazine through her most recent post as a columnist for Woman’s Day . She’s the author or collaborating author of a dozen books, including Momfidence, and her articles have appeared in Newsweek , Health , Parenting , USA Weekend , and other magazines and websites. She has received writing awards from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Arthritis Foundation.

By: Caring.com Editorial Team

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Foot Massage, Preventive Medicine At Best

Your feet cannot be ignored by saying “my foot” anymore. The vital physical body support part can be a health improvement tool. It can be of use to relieve health ailments of every vital body part. Foot along with being a body rest is also resting place for body health and well being.

The principle of foot reflexology has been in practice by eastern medicine through massage therapies. Foot massage with body massage has been integral part of Thai massage therapy. There is gradual increase in acceptance of these massage therapies as part of well-being worldwide. It is emerging as preferred alternative medicine of choice for those who are looking for relief from protracted treatments and recovery from chronic illnesses.

Body massage or massage therapy has many traditions. Mainly, they are the eastern and western tradition. The most popular form of the eastern tradition is the Thai massage available across the globe now. Mostly used for rejuvenation and well-being in the earlier stages by tourists to the east, the massage tradition has gradually gained popularity and is now a succor for those seeking alternative therapy for relief from incurable illnesses and protracted treatments.

Sedentary lifestyle and high professional demands has made life stressful. Regular relaxation and rejuvenation sessions help maintain body energy levels. While most alternative medicine cure are prescription for the incurable illnesses, a few periodic massage sessions even for a normal people can help in regain body health. These sessions can help maintaining work-life balance.
Today massage therapy is widely available beyond their traditional confines across the world. Most of these massage clinics offer sessions suitable to your body needs. They combine modern techniques with traditional medicine to give you the best results from the sessions. A few hourly sessions can restore your health and even enhance you efficiency.

Alternative medicine like massage therapies if attended to regularly could prove a preventive medicine. Especially, for people who have busy professional and personal schedule body and foot massage could help them to develop resistance in case of any untoward incidents which they may face frequently. They help maintain your performance levels and live you active to a
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ttend to your personal life.

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Regular sessions of foot or body massage therapy or Relaxation massage can be preventive medicine. A few sessions restore your vital body energy and develop resistance. Regular visit to massage could relive you of unnecessary stress.

Children require tactile stimulation through a variety of sources in order to fully develop their body, mind and spirit. Those children who receive massage therapy may experience many benefits including improved muscle tone, enhanced pulmonary and immune function, decreased anxiety,enhanced body image, increased bonding and attachment, healthy sense of boundaries, stress reduction and an overall sense of well being.

For massage therapists and bodywork practitioners wishing to incorporate touch therapy within their practice with child clients specialized training is required to achieve full benefit. Yes, you receive appropriate massage education during your time in school, however is their ever a focus on appropriate massage therapy for pediatric clients. Whether healthy and well, or otherwise, it is imperative that you take the time to fine tune and develop child friendly skills as a professional bodyworker.

“Kids are different than adults.”

Children have different physical, emotional and developmental needs than adults, and so they should be approached with early childhood development considerations in mind.

It is important to use massage and touch therapy along with methods of Interacting with children using age appropriate activities that stimulate a child’s development. With young children’s language level in mind, storytelling and songs should be used to connect with and engage children.

“Prior to the age of twelve, children learn about their world kinesthetically – meaning they learn through touching, feeling and experiencing the material at hand.”

Using skills and education it is helpful to find ways of increasing tactile stimulation and exploration experiences for children. In addition to physical experiential activities, calming and relaxing touch should be introduced through hands on massage therapy and massage stories.

Touch therapy for children uses adaptations of massage therapy as appropriate for children. Massage is adapted for each individual child client on a specific case by case basis. With each child, it is important to build trust and rapport in your professional relationship. Learn to ask permission effectively and understand both verbal and non verbal cues.

Each child needs to know they can trust you, and that you will listen to their requests. Learn how to explain massage to children in age appropriate language. By learning to appropriately ask permission prior to massage, you’ll encourage children to develop healthy boundaries and become more secure as they grow older. It is very empowering for a child to have the ability to direct their therapeutic session, and at times even refuse it. Once they trust you, they can relax and just feel the many benefits of the massage.

Copyright (c) 2010 Liddle Kidz Foundation Infant and Children’s Pediatric Massage

Looking for expert advice and tips to help improve your child’s health? Find research proven answers to all your questions about infant massage and pediatric massage therapy for Autism at http://www.liddlekidz.com. Pediatric Massage Master Teacher, Tina Allen, founder of leading children’s health and nurturing touch organization Liddle Kidz Foundation, shares over ten years of expertise working with children and families.

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What is Strain – Counter Strain

Strain – Counter Strain is a manual massage technique for relieving musculoskeletal spasms and pain. It is also known as Positional Release. This technique was developed by Dr. Lawrence Jones, an osteopathic doctor in 1981. It is a gentle and safe technique that relieves spinal or other joint pain by passively shortening the affected muscle areas.

How does Strain – Counter Strain work

Our bodies are not designed to function optimally in the concrete jungles that we live in these days. Years of living in these conditions puts a lot of strain on our body parts due to unnatural movements and incorrect postures. This strain on our joints leads to the development of painful tender spots. Strain / Counter Strain identifies these tender points and helps to alleviate the pain that they cause.

During a session of therapy, the practitioner uses palpation to identify the tender points on the patient’s body. Once the practitioner has identified these tender points he or she corrects the dysfunction by using the appropriate strain/counter strain technique. The practitioner achieves this by gently holding the affected muscle in a passively shortened position for about ninety seconds. When the muscle is held in this position, it is gradually returned to its original resting position and length. In this condition, the muscle is stronger and less tender. The proprioceptor nerves register this change in the position of the muscle and enable it to remain at this neutral position even when the force applied by the practitioner has been removed. This system of strain / counter strain is continued until the affected area is in harmony with the rest of the body and the pain associated with this imbalance is gone.

Benefits of Strain – Counter Strain

Strain / Counter Strain techniques help to alleviate pain and discomfort in muscles and joints and help to restore full range of movement to these affected areas. They have been effectively used to treat post-injury pain and speed up the recovery process for professional sportspersons. Strain / Counter strain is also very useful for treating people with whiplash injuries. Due to its gentle and safe nature strain / counter strain has also been used to treat children and the elderly. It has proved to be very successful when used in conjunction with more traditional forms of medicine to speed up the long-drawn process of post-physical trauma rehabilitation and recovery. It is also widely used to treat conditions such as chronic back pain, neck pain, musculoskeletal pain, and fibromyalgia.

About The Author

Sharon Hopkins features articles in http://www.massagehealththerapy.com, your online massage guide to rejuvenate and revitalize your mind and body. She also writes for other sites on Yoga, Hair-n-Skin-Care, Massage Therapy among others.

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