Massage News Alert - May 2007
Dear Therapists,
Massage therapy is getting more popular, not only does it give therapeutic value to muscular problems but also can solve school bully problems. Yes, massage can be a solution to school bully and has been practiced in the UK, someone should suggest this to Johnny Howard . Read more on this good stuff. Bodywork definitely offers more then just a massage, be creative and we can solve lots of problems.
Massage becomes ever more popular, as a proof, massage chairs and tables can now be purchased in K-mart and Aldi. We used to have to go through Trading Post to look for an affordable table. We also want to compile some tips to increase your clients, so if you have more tips share it around. So there's a definitely a lot of demand out there, and in this issues we give you some tips..
Our list of "6 Questions to Bodyworkers" has grown. Please go though this page http://www.terrarosa.com.au/articles/questions.htm
You will find valuable advise from respected instructors who has been in this field for a long time.
This month we have added more collections to our books and DVDs, from Trail Guide to the body, Myofascial stretching, Acupressure, and Chinese pulse and tongue analysis. Please browse through our new collections.
This newsletter is our attempt to bring you what's happening in the latest research and news on massage related issues. Archive of our past letter is at: http://www.terrarosa.com.au/news.htm
If you do not wish to receive email from us, please reply to this email with subject “Unsubscribe”.
Happy reading and stay healthy… from us at www.terrarosa.com.au
Inside this issue:
Children calmed by school massage
Will climate change change human body shape?
OH&S out of hand: Uni may ban exercise ball
Back Pain? Don't Sit Up Straight
Chondroitin does not ease Arthritic Joint Pain
Strength training may reverse muscle aging
These are some tips I have been given and experienced, if you have some more tips to share let me know (Email: terrarosa@gmail.com) and we can share them around.
- Once your client finished his/her treatment, book your client 2 weeks ahead. Some people may find one week financially is not too feasible, but two weeks seem to work out fine, and people usually get paid every two weeks.
- Mail a discount massage coupon to clients that have not been in for a while.
- Give a free massage to local GP, and ask him/her to reference you as a massage therapist
- Work with local art gallery; give them a commission allowing you to work there. Watching a painting and also getting a massage, what a pleasure.
- Mail out regular newsletter, this needs a bit of work.
- Don’t pretend you are a doctor. I once went to a therapist with a set-up similar to a GP, diplomas hanging on the wall, and a desk between the therapist and client. This makes people uncomfortable. Even doctors are now removing desk between them and their patients.
- People are reading emails more often now, get your clients email and with their permission send them "special"
Children calmed by school massage
The "peer massage" scheme at Newbold Primary School in Newbold Coleorton is calming pupils down and helping them to concentrate, staff say. Children are only massaged by fellow pupils on the back and arms and can stop if they feel uncomfortable.
The sessions form part of the school's anti-bullying week which also includes playground peacemakers. "We wanted to help the children become calmer and improve their concentration," said Leicestershire's healthy schools head teacher Lesley Brewer.
"We hoped through positive touching we could increase self esteem and respect for others. Some children are quite lively and we were looking to focus their energy positively and reduce aggressive play activities," she said.
The school called in an educational psychologist Paula Hopkins-Dunn to introduce the idea to the children and demonstrate the movements. The children are only massaged by other pupils in their class and are taken through the moves each morning by members of staff. One pupil said: "It's really good and it makes me feel more relaxed. I even do it at home sometimes."
The scheme forms part of the government's Healthy Schools Programme which aims to support children in developing healthy behaviours, to help raise pupil achievement, to reduce healthy inequalities and to help promote social inclusion.
To read more about the peer school massage: http://www.beyondbullying.com/teachers/11664.html
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/6606923.stm
Will climate change change human body shape?
Climate change is getting hot, this issue is debated by politicians, scientists, and now bodyworkers. The question “Will climate change alter human body shape?” is raised by Leon Chaitow in a recent issue of Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapy. One way of knowing it is by looking at human evolution, the change in body shape of our ancestors as they go through millennia of climate change.
Several studies revealed that, as temperatures increased in recent decades, certain animal species began breeding and migrating earlier than expected. As ocean temperatures warmed by about 1.5 degrees celsius, the tiny animals at the base of the ocean declined by 70 percent.
Research over the past few decades showed that human body characteristics have been strongly affected by past climatic influences.
Christopher Ruff, an anthropologist from John Hopkins Medical University in the US, described how the colder the climate, the wider the body structure appeared to be. This increase in relative linearity of the body, with an increase in body size, is consistent with basic thermoregulatory principles. This is the adjustment of surface area/body mass ratio to dissipate or conserve body heat in different environments. To maintain a constant surface area/body mass ratio, absolute body breadth should remain constant despite differences in body height. This explains why populations living in the tropics vary greatly in stature, but show little variation in body breadth. In contrast, populations living in colder climates have absolutely wider bodies, and thus lower surface area/body mass, regardless of stature.
Study by Jay Stock showed that proximal limbs, such as the femur, has a stronger correlation with climate, while distal limb bones, such as the tibia, show a stronger correlation with habitual activity patterns. Structure of proximal limb bones is influenced by body shape, which itself is in part climatically determined. In contrast it seems that the structure of distal limb bones is probably more influenced by activity, rather than climate (or general body type).
While it is certain that in the short term climate change will not modify the physical shape of humans, it seems likely, based on the evidence that Ruff and others have presented, that over time (many thousands of years), marked climatic changes are likely to present evolutionary demands that may well do so, assuming the human race survives that is. In a very simple term, with increasing temperature over long period of time, the width of human body will be narrower and the strength of femur will decrease.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2007.01.001
OH&S out of hand: Uni may ban exercise ball
Physiotherapists at the University of Bath say sitting on the balls while working at a desk encourages good posture and tones core muscles. Their professional body agrees that they are beneficial and carry no risk.
But health and safety officials are concerned that the giant inflatables may be dangerous. This is equivalent to our Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) in Australia. A spokesman for the university said: "The university's health and safety team are looking into whether the balls meet the university's guidelines on conventional chairs to see if the trial can be allowed to become a permanent situation. We expect the result of this shortly."
The balls are often used in gyms and are also known as Swiss balls because they were first used in Switzerland in the 1960s by therapists working with children with cerebral palsy. Physiotherapist Sonya Crowe from the university's Department for Health started a trend when she began using an exercise ball instead of a chair. Ms Crowe, who is the sports physiotherapist for the British beach volleyball team, said: "The balls are firm with a bit of give, so it is not difficult to balance on top of them, but the constant small movements you make whilst sitting at a desk are perfect for strengthening your core muscles.
"You also have to sit upright, so they are perfect for improving posture. "In particular, people who suffer from back ache and shoulder pain can really benefit from sitting on an exercise ball instead of a regular office chair. I have never heard of anyone falling off one of the balls - and the health and safety benefits far outweigh any risks there may be. A few of us tried it out and could see the benefit immediately. We put in a bulk order and now at least a dozen people around the university have got them. It seems to have started a real craze, and my husband has now got one at his work to help his bad back."
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy said there was no risk if the balls were used properly. One sports website warns that jewellery and belt buckles could burst the ball but says that most are made to deflate slowly rather than explode.
The Health and Safety Executive said it was up to individual employers to decide how to meet their legal obligation to protect their staff.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6646503.stm
It seems that "Sit up straight" is a parental command that just lost its thunder. It turns out sitting up stick-straight is bad for the back, researchers say. Your back is best off in a reclining position, which takes pressure off the spinal disks in the lower back, compared to the upright posture that most people consider normal, according to a new research. The study, conducted at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland, was presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
"Sitting in a sound, anatomic position is essential, since the strain put on the spine and its associated ligaments over time can lead to pain, deformity and chronic illness," said Waseem Bashir, the study's author, in a news release. Though reclining might relieve strain, it won't necessarily alleviate back pain.
Researchers used a positional MRI scanner to collect images from 22 volunteers with no history of back pain. A positional MRI, as opposed to the better-known tunnel MRI, allows patients to move around during imaging and allows scientists to see how different body positions affect the back and spine.
The patients assumed three different sitting positions: a slouching position, in which the body is hunched forward (e.g., hunched over a desk or slouched over in front of a video game console); an upright 90-degree sitting position; and a "relaxed" position where the patient reclines backward 135 degrees while the feet remain on the floor. Measurements were taken of spinal angles and spinal disk height and movement across the different positions.
Spinal disk movement occurs when weight-bearing strain is placed on the spine, causing the internal disk material to misalign. Disk movement was most pronounced with a 90-degree upright sitting posture. It was least pronounced with the 135-degree posture, indicating that less strain is placed on the spinal disks and associated muscles and tendons in a more relaxed sitting position.
The "slouch" position revealed a reduction in spinal disk height, signifying a high rate of wear and tear on the lowest two spinal levels. Across all measurements, the researchers concluded that the 135-degree position fared the best. As a result, Dr. Bashir and colleagues advise patients to stave off future back problems by correcting their sitting posture and finding a chair that allows them to sit in an optimal position of 135 degrees.
However critics say it did not make a lot of sense to find a solution to back-pain problems based on a small study of patients who do not experience persistent pain. That conclusion is a "leap of faith," doctors say. The study did not look at back-pain sufferers -- all study volunteers were entirely back-pain free -- and doctors can't say for sure whether or not the strain that Bashir and his colleagues observed relates to pain per se. Most doctors aren't ready to say that a reclining chair can cure or prevent your back pain. Doctors agree, though, that reclining can help soothe or alleviate pain. This new research might impact the furniture industry, but not medical practice.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2677877&page=1
http://www.rsna.org/rsna/media/pr2006-2/aching_back-2.cfm
http://rsna2006.rsna.org/rsna2006/V2006/conference/event_display.cfm?em_id=4435870
Chondroitin does not ease Arthritic Joint Pain
A new research reports that the popular dietary supplement chondroitin does not
relieve hip or knee pain from osteoarthritis any more effectively than a
placebo.
Chondroitin, a cartilage extract, is sold in health food stores, often combined with glucosamine, an amino sugar. Chondroitin sulfate, a glycosaminoglycan, is a constituent of a large macromolecule in cartilage called aggrecan. Glycosaminoglycans like chondroitin have a high negative charge. During cartilage compression, the negatively charged glycosaminoglycan molecules are forced into proximity, increasing the electrostatic repulsive force among them. As compression ends, the electrostatic force predominates and they move away from each other, allowing cartilage to reassume its usual thickness. Thus, aggrecan and its constituents—including chondroitin—provide compressive stiffness to cartilage. The concept of ingesting a molecule found in cartilage so that it might be incorporated into cartilage is appealing, but the logic is misleading: Glycosaminoglycans are not synthesized from intact chondroitin molecules; therefore, it is unlikely that ingested chondroitin would be incorporated intact into cartilage.
There are 2 other practical concerns about the potential efficacy of chondroitin sulfate. First, because chondroitin is a large macromolecule, only about 12% to 13% of ingested chondroitin is absorbed intact into the bloodstream. Second, while chondroitin therapy supposedly targets cartilage, osteoarthritis affects the whole joint, not just cartilage. Pathologies include bone sclerosis, remodeling and deformity, ligamentous stretching and loss of integrity, muscle atrophy, joint capsular stretching, and even synovial inflammation. A molecule targeted only at constituents of cartilage is unlikely to affect all manifestations of osteoarthritis. Also, any treatment targeting cartilage alone would be unlikely to alleviate pain, the predominant symptom of osteoarthritis, because cartilage is aneural.
Animal studies suggest that chondroitin functions as an anti-inflammatory agent rather than being directly integrated into cartilage. If chondroitin does indeed have a modest anti-inflammatory effect, then it could alleviate pain.
A series of randomized trials has compared chondroitin with placebo for treating pain in (usually knee) osteoarthritis. Until the past 2 or 3 years, such trials suggested that chondroitin was more efficacious than placebo, although actual estimates of efficacy varied widely from study to study. At least 1 trial reported that chondroitin was more effective than total knee replacement, a finding that lacks credibility. In a meta-analysis of these trials, McAlindon and colleagues reported that chondroitin was more efficacious than placebo but also noted evidence for publication bias because small, null studies were unpublished. They also raised concerns about the quality of the chondroitin trials, noting that only 1 had an intention-to-treat analysis and most inadequately concealed the sequence of random allocation of patients from the investigators. To resolve uncertainty about the efficacy of both chondroitin and glucosamine, the National Institutes of Health carried out the Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial, a large multicenter study evaluating glucosamine, chondroitin, glucosamine and chondroitin combined, celecoxib, and placebo for treating knee osteoarthritis. The results, published in 2006, showed that glucosamine, chondroitin, and the combination did not have statistically significantly greater efficacy than that of placebo, although celecoxib showed statistically significant efficacy.
What should clinicians take away from this study? The best current evidence is that chondroitin sulfate does not reduce joint pain in osteoarthritis. However, some patients are convinced that it helps, which could be because of a placebo response or even a therapeutic response resulting from enhanced absorption or limited metabolism of chondroitin. Because no frequent or severe adverse effects have been reported, chondroitin sulfate should not be considered dangerous. If patients say that they benefit from chondroitin, no harm in encouraging them to continue taking it as long as they perceive a benefit.
Source: http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/146/8/611http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/146/8/580
Strength training may reverse muscle aging
Strength training may not only make older adults' muscles stronger, but younger as well, a small study suggests.
It's well known that resistance exercises improve muscle strength and function in young and old alike, but the new research suggests that strength training also affects older muscles on the level of gene expression -- essentially turning back the clock on muscle aging.
The study, published in the journal PLoS One, looked at whether strength training affects the "gene expression profile" in older adults' muscle. Genes hold the instructions from which the body manufactures proteins; gene expression refers to the processes that translate these instructions into proteins.
Skeletal muscle biopsies from healthy older (25 person) and younger (26 person) adult men and women were compared using gene expression profiling, and a subset of these were related to measurements of muscle strength. Before exercise training, older adults were 59% weaker than younger, but after six months of training in older adults, strength improved significantly such that they were only 38% lower than young adults. Prior to the exercise training, the transcriptome profile showed a dramatic enrichment of genes associated with mitochondrial function with age. However, following exercise training the transcriptional signature of aging was markedly reversed back to that of younger levels for most genes that were affected by both age and exercise. They conclude that healthy older adults show evidence of mitochondrial impairment and muscle weakness, but that this can be partially reversed at the phenotypic level, and substantially reversed at the genetic level, following six months of resistance exercise training.
"In a very real sense, the muscle was younger," said lead study author Dr. Simon Melov of the Buck Institute for Age Research in Novato, California.
Experts have long known that exercise is good for younger and older adults alike, but the new findings suggest that it can "actually rejuvenate muscle" in older individuals. The study included 25 healthy men and women older than 65, and 26 healthy adults ages 20 to 35 who had diet and exercise habits similar to the older group. By analyzing muscle tissue from each volunteer, Melov's team found age-related differences in the expression of hundreds of genes -- such that mitochondrial function in older adults appeared "dramatically impaired." Fourteen of the older adults then went through a strength training program, working out two days a week for 6 months.
As expected, the researchers found that these volunteers boosted their muscle strength, coming closer to their younger counterparts' performance. But their muscle also showed a turnaround in gene expression that Melov described as surprisingly stark. He said more studies are needed to see whether aerobic exercise, like walking or cycling, has similar effects on muscle -- and whether exercise might reverse molecular aging in other types of body tissue. For now, the researchers say, their findings show that it's never too late to start exercising.
Article:http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0000465
Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/news-39489-66.html
Myofascial Stretching: A Guide to Self-Treatment by Jill Morton and Brenda Pardy
This book is a unique collection of myofascial stretching that cannot be found anywhere else. Written for therapists to use to recommend home exercise programs for their patient and also lay person who has chronic pain, muscular tightness and/or postural dysfunction. It follows the principles of Myofascial Release as developed by John F. Barnes, PT. The techniques utilize sustained pressure and elongation into restrictions in the fascia (connective tissue system) of the body. Read more: http://www.terrarosa.com.au/dvd/dtm3.htm#stretch
Trail Guide to the Body 3rd Edition
Before you can assess or treat a muscle, you first must be able to locate it on the body. This acclaimed book, used in more than 1,700 manual therapy schools, is designed as a hands-on tour that will teach you to palpate the body's structure with ease and precision. With 420 pages and 1,100 illustrations covering more than 144 muscles, 206 bones, 30 ligaments and 110 bony landmarks, this text provides an invaluable map of the body. Whether you are a massage therapist, physical therapist, sports trainer or student in any bodywork modality, Trail Guide to the Body is for you! http://www.terrarosa.com.au/book/trail.htm
Anatomy and Asana: Preventing Yoga Injuries by Susi Hately Aldous
Anatomy and Asana offers an easy and successful method to learn anatomy and its relationship to yoga in a way that helps prevent injuries. It is written by a certified yoga teacher with a diverse background in kinesiology, ergonomics, and physical rehabilitation. Anatomy and Asana answers many practical questions that are often asked by yoga students – about back pain, knee pain, and shoulder pain; about clenching the butt in back bends, and how to release the hamstrings or prevent hamstring tearing in forward bends. The book combines hands-on information with illuminating drawings, stories, and helpful tips to show you how to practice yoga with less pain. It informs without overwhelming the reader with too much information. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/real/anatomy.htm#asana
Atlas of Chinese Tongue Diagnosis by Barbara Kirschbaum
Tongue diagnosis is a vital instrument used in Chinese medicine both for assessing the current health of a patient and providing a basis for prognosis. It also informs the practitioner about the underlying strength or weakness of the patient’s constitution. This atlas contains over 320 color photographs of tongues seen in a Western clinic. The photographs provide a graphic representation of a wide variety of common disorders. Each photograph is accompanied by a description of the significant features of the tongue, the corresponding Chinese diagnosis for each such feature, accompanying symptoms, Western diagnosis, and pertinent background information. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/dvd/oriental.htm
Chinese Pulse Diagnosis: A Contemporary Approach (Revised Edition) by Leon I. Hammer
Pulse diagnosis, one of the jewels of traditional Chinese medicine, is a profoundly subtle instrument for the early diagnosis and prevention of disease. Yet far too often, in the haste of modern education and practice, it has become a neglected art. Chinese Pulse Diagnosis: A Contemporary Approach offers a clear and practical path toward a much deeper understanding of this traditional diagnostic method, while recasting its interpretation in the context of our own times. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/dvd/oriental.htm
Chi Nei Tsang. Chi Massage for the Vital Organs By Mantak Chia
The techniques of Chi Nei Tsang evolved in Asia during an era when few physicians were available and people had to know how to heal themselves. Many people today have symptoms that modern medicine is not able to cure because a physical source for the problem is not easily found. The energies of negative emotions, stress, and tension--all common in modern life--and the weight of past illness accumulate in the abdominal center, causing energy blockages and congestion. When this occurs, all vital functions stagnate and myriad problems arise. By practicing the techniques of Chi Nei Tsang, this stagnation is removed and the vital organs surrounding the navel center are detoxified and rejuvenated.
Master Chia teaches readers how to avoid absorbing negative energies from others and take full charge of their health through the self-healing techniques of Chi Nei Tsang. He offers fully illustrated exercises that show how to detoxify the internal organs and clear the energy (chi) channels throughout the body. He also presents methods for balancing emotions, managing stress, and observing the body in order to recognize, ameliorate, and prevent maladies before they become a problem.
Trail Guide to the Body DVD
The new 3-disc Trail Guide to the Body DVD set, is an outstanding resource for students, instructors and practicing massage therapists. Students and instructors will accelerate the learning process by using this tool for previewing and reviewing lessons. Using the DVDs, manual therapists can refine their palpation skills, resulting in improved accuracy of technique application and better treatment outcomes. This 4-hour series closely parallels the presentation of muscles and related structures in the 3rd Edition of Trail Guide to the Body. Clint Chandler, 2002 American Massage Therapy Association National Teacher of Year leads the learner in specific palpation techniques to locate, identify and palpate more than 80 muscles. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/book/trail.htm
Chinese Acupressure Massage
Acupressure is the 'manual therapy' aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine that has a five thousand-year history proving its effectiveness. This ancient healing touch is based on Taoist philosophy of working with the the concept of 'Chi' (vital energy) and 'Yin-Yang' (dynamic balance). This DVD shows the complete set of Traditional Chinese Acupressure Massage by Master Zhang Hao to revitalize the entire body's 'Chi' energy and restore a state of total balance and well-being. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/dvd/oriental.htm
Tai Chi - Yang Style
Tai Chi is practised to foster the circulation of this 'Qi' within the body, the belief being that by doing so the health and vitality of the person are enhanced. Another aim is to foster a calm and tranquil mind, focused on the precise execution of these exercises. Learning Tai Chi can be a practical avenue for learning about balance, alignment, fine-scale motor control, rhythm of movement, the genesis of movement from the body's vital center. The benefits also can be correcting poor postural, alignment or movement patterns, research also shows that it can boost immune system. Master Zhang Hao brings you the complete International Standardized Yang Style Tai Chi. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/dvd/oriental.htm
Qi Gong - Healing Exercises - Yi Jin Jing and Shi Ba Shi
Master Zhang Hao presents Yi Jin Jing and Shi Ba Shi with a unique grace in movement and skills acquired in disciplined training days of his early childhood in the Taoist and renowned Qi Gong Schools in China. Yi Jin Jing (Sinew Metamorphosis) is a 12 Body Energy Strengthening Postures that effectively generate strength, invigorate body's fitness and energy. Shi Ba Shi (18 movements) is the 18 Tai Chi and Qi Gong Healing Movements that harmonise the body and mind, promote the letting go freeing spirit and restore one's vitality. The graceful movements stimulate the flow of vital energy and strengthen the immune system against fatigue and disease. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/dvd/oriental.htm
The Ultimate Face, Scalp, Neck & Shoulder Massage
Expert massage therapist, Meade Steadman, demonstrates simple and easy-to-follow massage strokes that will relieve tension, improve posture and restore natural beauty in the face. This jam-packed, vibrantly illustrated program explores the physiological principles behind massage and features a comprehensive demonstration on the face, scalp, neck and shoulders. This must-have video for massage therapists shows how to work the muscles of the face to provide a youthful glow from the inside out. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/dvd/face_scalp.htm
Essentials of Swedish Massage
In this award-winning video, Meade Steadman teaches and demonstrates everything from body mechanics, preparing your workspace, and the essentials of a full body Swedish massage from the head and face all the way down to the ankles and feet. You will learn the five strokes of massage, Effleurage, Petrissage, Friction, Tapotement, Vibration, and how to perform these strokes on both men and women. This 135-minute video is the most comprehensive Swedish massage video ever produced. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/real/spa.htm
Comprehensive Reflexology & Massage: The Hand & Feet
Learn the healing art of hand and feet reflexology and massage from expert massage therapist, Meade Steadman, in this award-winning video. Meade provides hands-on instruction, demonstrating the strokes and techniques on both the right and left hands and on different models: young and old, male and female. For the reflexology section, Meade discusses the body’s physiology, contraindications (particularly geriatric concerns), history, and how the anatomy of the hand & feet map to each part of the body. Meade’s demonstrations show how to warm up the hands, feet work the “whole body” for balance, and focus on specific areas of concern. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/reflexology/reflex.htm
Beauty Treatment DVDs
Terra Rosa is going aesthetic...We have Professional Instructional DVDs for Facials, Spa Massage, Peels, Manicure, Pedicure, Waxing, Brazilian, Paraffin, Makeup, Eyebrows & Eyelashes... and more.. http://www.terrarosa.com.au/beauty/beauty.htm