Elements Therapeutic Massage - Spokane Valley

Available Appointments for week of 5/17-5/20

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:07:00 -0500

Friday 5/17

Brandi-1:00pm & 2:00pm

Ashley- 6:00pm

Melissa: 3:00pm 5:00pm & 9:00pm

Elaine: 6:00pm & 7:00pm

Saturday 5/18

Bernice-10:00am 11:00am & 1:00pm

Elaine- 10:00am 12:00pm & 1:00pm

Melissa- 3:00pm 4:00pm & 6:00pm

Deanna- 6:00pm

Sunday 5/19

Maile- 9:00am & 10:00am

Bernice- 9:00am 10:00am & 1:00pm

Melissa- 1:00pm 3:00pm & 4:00pm

Keith- 1:00pm & 6:00pm

Brandi- 2:00pm 4:00pm & 6:00pm

Monday 5/20

Brandi- 9:00am 11:00am & 1:00pm

Deanna- 10:00am

Melissa- 2:00pm & 3:00pm

Rachel- 5:00pm

Good Night, Sleep Tight, It’s Time for Restful Sleep Tonight!

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:57:00 -0500

One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, four, five sheep, six sheep, roll over and start
counting some more. If your normal sleep routine consists of counting fluffy white
animals over and over again until you finally fall asleep, it’s time to realign your sleep
routine into a more relaxed, restful experience. By incorporating the following four pre-
sleep bedtime tips, you will be able to better prepare your mind and body for a more
relaxing and enjoyable night’s sleep.

Schedule a Consistent Bed Time

Bed times aren’t just for children anymore. Adults can gain huge benefits from
consistently going to bed around the same time each night. Research indicates that adults
need an average of 6-8 hours of sleep per night in order for their minds and bodies to
function properly. Sleep not only rejuvenates and refreshes a tired brain, but a good
night’s rest also helps muscle recovery by repairing tired muscles, ligaments and body
systems.

To ensure you give your body enough downtime at night to recuperate, determine what
time you need to go to bed in order to log 6-8 hours of restful sleep. Set your alarm for
your determined bedtime to remind yourself to turn off the television, shut down your
house and head to bed at the appropriate time for a good night’s rest.

Lights Out Before Bed

At least 30 minutes before your determined bedtime, turn off all electronic devices
(television, mp3 player, computer, eReader, etc.) to unplug your mind and body from
technology and prepare for a restful night’s sleep. In today’s over wired, always
connected to an electronic device society, your brain can easily become over stimulated
throughout the day. Your brain needs at least 30 minutes of no technology and
distractions to decompress before bed so your mind and body are prepared for a relaxed
state of sleep as soon as your head rests on the pillow.

Breathe Easy, Relax Often

During your 30 minutes of pre-bed downtime, you can take your relaxation to new levels
by practicing some self-meditation techniques such as slow deep breathing. You can
choose to either rest on your bed or on a mat on your bedroom floor, dim the lights, close
your eyes and practice taking a slow, deep breath that originates from your stomach
versus a typical day-to-day short breath that starts in your neck region. After a few deep
breathing rounds, you also can work on relaxing the tight muscles in your body by doing
some light stretches to elongate your neck, back, legs and arms.

Enhance Sleep Quality with Regular Massage Therapy

To maintain healthy sleeping habits and to enhance the quality of your sleep each night,
it is important to incorporate consistent relaxation techniques into your lifestyle like
regularly scheduled massage therapy sessions. One of the main benefits of therapeutic
massage is relieving muscle and stress tension that builds up in your mind and body
throughout the day. By engaging in regular massage therapy, you can enhance your sleep
quality each night by establishing deep relaxation and relief for your mind and body that
can carry over throughout your day and into the sleeping hours of the night.

If you need help with incorporating healthy sleep habits to unwind and de-stress your
mind and body at the end of the day, give our Elements Therapeutic Massage studio a
call today. Our expert massage therapists are committed to promoting your overall health
and well-being, including restful and quality sleeping and relaxation techniques.

Improve Health and Well-Being by Beating Workplace Stress

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 11:08:00 -0500

Tight deadlines, never-ending multitasking, huge project piles and multi-source pressures
from bosses, customers and co-workers are all too common characteristics in today’s
workplace environment. Working every day in this type of environment can leave
employees feeling overwhelmed, stressed and exhausted.

Workplace stress is so prevalent that 69 percent of employees report that work is a
significant source of stress in their lives and 41 percent say they typically feel tense or
stressed out during the workday.1 While eliminating stress altogether is unrealistic,
there are some easy day-to-day techniques that you can incorporate into your daily work
schedule to help reduce workplace tension and stress. Try incorporating the following
stress busters before, during and after your workday to improve your health and well-
being at work and at home.

Stress Buster One: Start the Day Early Feeling Refreshed and Relaxed

As soon as the hustle and bustle of the workday begins, it is easy to lose track of time,
projects and deadlines. To help get a hold of your workday before it gets out of control,
push your start time 30 minutes earlier before the majority of your co-workers get
into the office. Setting aside 30 minutes at the beginning of the day can give you an
opportunity to reduce daily workplace stress by planning your day, getting a jumpstart on
lingering project deadlines and answering any left over e-mails/last minute to-do items
from the day before. By the time your company’s workday begins, you are refreshed and
ready to take on the day’s challenges in a more productive and effective manner.

Stress Buster Two: Break Up Workday Stress with Regular Relaxation Breaks

Stress can be a huge player in reducing company productivity, employee efficiency
and project accuracy. In fact, 51 percent of employees said they were less productive
at work as a result of stress.1 To help combat constant workplace stress, it is important
to take regular breaks throughout the day to give your mind and body the opportunity
to recharge, refresh and prepare for the next task on your list. Whether it’s a short five-
minute water/coffee break in the employee lounge or a longer lunch break, make it a
priority each day to get away from your workstation for regular short amounts of time,
interact with co-workers face-to-face and step outside for a quick breath of fresh air.

Stress Buster Three: Finish Off the Day On Time and Organized

To finish off your day stress-free, find a good stopping point on your project/task list
and shut down your work around the same time each day. Humans are creatures of habit
so the more consistent you are with ending your day, the less stress you will carry with
you as you return home from work. To create end-of-day closure, it also is important
to clean up your workspace by organizing your paperwork and leaving your work area
organized and ready for the start of the next day. Since chaos breeds stress, organize

your thoughts and priorities before heading out the door by making a task list for the next
day. By physically preparing your workspace and mentally preparing your mind at the
end of each day, you are setting yourself up for a more productive and stress-free work
environment.

Ongoing Stress Buster: Regular Monthly Massages Lead to Stress-Free Living

To keep your mind and body aligned and working in sync, monthly massage therapy
sessions are important to restoring and reinvigorating your overall health and well-being
at work and at home. Regular monthly massage provides relief and relaxation to people
of all ages, occupations and workplace environments. Massage therapy can address a
variety of health conditions, the most prevalent being stress-related tension. Some of the
most common massage therapy techniques include:

•

Deep Tissue Massage: Focuses on chronically tight or painful muscles, repetitive
strain, postural problems or recovery from injury.

•

Swedish Massage: Focuses on relaxation, stress relief and overall health and
wellness.

•

Hot Stone Massage: Specializes in easing muscle tension without deep pressure.

•

Trigger Point: Focuses on highly localized muscle knots where the body holds
tension and carries stress.

Today is as good of a day as any to start taking steps toward living a more stress-free life
at work and at home. By incorporating the above stress buster tips into your daily work
environment, combined with regularly scheduled therapeutic massages, you will be on
your way to increasing your productivity and efficiency at work, while improving your
overall health and well-being. The expert massage therapists at Elements Therapeutic
Massage can help you get started on establishing a stress-free lifestyle at work and at
home by offering a drug-free, non-invasive and humanistic approach to well-being
through a truly therapeutic massage experience. Whether it is to provide relief from pain,
release of tension, reduction of stress or simply to relax and feel your best, Elements
Therapeutic Massage is committed to promoting your mind and body’s health and
wellness.

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1American Psychological Association. Stress in America 2009.

Get Out. Get Active. Get Massage

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:48:00 -0500

The golf fairways are turning green, the summer race schedules are published, the bicycles are out of the garage, and your running shoes are ready to ditch the treadmill and start logging miles on outdoor trails and roadways.

The only thing that may be missing in this picture is a physically conditioned body that is prepared to endure all of the strenuous activities summer has in store. To get yourself to the start line without injury and prepare your body for optimal performance this year, it is important for both men and women to incorporate frequent massage into their summer training, performance and recovery plan.

Massage is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being, but especially if you live an active lifestyle. And, to be clear, an active lifestyle doesn’t necessarily mean being a competitive athlete or extreme sports enthusiast. An active lifestyle can mean coaching your child’s little league team, regular recreational gym use or playing flag football with family on a summer afternoon. Either way, massage can play an active role in improving athletic performance for anyone ranging from weekend warriors to competitors.

Top Ways Massage Can Increase Athletic Performance

Increased Psychological Readiness. Athletic performance is 50 percent physical and 50 percent mental. If you take care of the physical part by putting in the training, mileage, etc. needed to accomplish your goal, massage can help prepare you for the mental toll of competition. Studies have shown that massage increases your psychological readiness to prepare you for tackling a challenging physical activity. Whether it’s running your first marathon, hiking a fourteener or playing 18 holes of golf every weekend, massage can help you block out negative energy (self doubt, anxiety, nervousness) and tune your focus toward accomplishing the physical endeavor at hand. Massage also is also a great mood enhancer that can help with mental preparedness by stimulating our natural endorphins.

Enhanced Physical Performance. The physical benefits of massage have been realized for years by professional and novice athletes across sporting events. In order to realize peak physical performance, it is important to keep the body’s engine in tip-top shape. Deep tissue and sports massage techniques play an essential role in maintaining and advancing physical performance by increasing blood flow, reducing muscle tension, flushing out toxins, lengthening muscles, increasing overall range of joint motion, and decreasing muscle stiffness. Massage also has been known to enhance overall performance by decreasing exercise-induced fatigue in athletes. In a British Journal of Sports Medicine study, subjects performed a warm up cycle exercise, followed by 30-second high intensity exercises that were interspersed with 30 seconds of active recovery. The subjects’ heart rates, peak power, mean power and fatigue index then were recorded after either receiving 20 minutes of massage or passive rest. The study found that a significantly lower fatigue index was found in individuals who received the 20-minute massage versus rest alone.¹

Reduced Injury Risk. By incorporating massage into your active routine, you are taking a proactive approach to not only avoiding injury, but also increasing your chances of enhancing and maintaining peak performance in the short and long term. The key to reducing injury, though, isn’t massage alone. The combination of massage, stretching and movement creates a more fluid, strong muscle and body structure that can endure higher levels of wear and tear. Massage also is an integral component to balancing muscle groups and soft tissues in your body, minimizing the tendency for stronger muscle groups to overcompensate for weaker ones, which eventually can lead to injury or strain to the stronger muscle group.

Increased Recovery Time. Each year as you get older and try to maintain the same level of physical performance as before, recovery times seem to become longer and longer. Recovery time is an essential component to overall peak performance because the longer it takes to recover from strenuous exercise, the longer you spend watching the game on the sidelines. Studies have shown that massage after exercise fatigue significantly improved quadriceps performance when compared to rest alone,² and muscle soreness intensity was significantly lower when massage was used within 48 hours post-exercise.³ Get back into your active lifestyle more quickly between workouts by incorporating massage into your daily routine. ³

As you embark on your summer activity adventures this year, make sure to always include a regularly scheduled therapeutic massage in your arsenal of must-have supplies for peak performance success. Massage not only supports greater training intensity by shortening recovery time between workouts and feeding essential nutrients to the soft tissue of the body, but it also can be attributed to improving range of motion and muscle flexibility that results in improved efficiency, power and performance.

Get out, get active and start expecting more performance results from regularly scheduled therapeutic massages this summer. The skilled therapists at Elements Therapeutic Massage will evaluate your health history, goals, challenges and lifestyle to determine the best massage for enhancing your physical performance. Call your local Elements studio today to start preparing your body for optimal performance this summer.

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¹Robertson, A., Watt, J.M. & Galloway, S.D. (2004). Effects of leg massage on recovery from high intensity cycling exercise. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 4, 173-176.

² Rinder, A.N. & Sutherland, C.J. (1995). An investigation of the effects of massage on quadriceps performance after exercise fatigue. Complement Ther Nurs Midwifery, 1, 99-102.

³Hilbert, J.E., Sforzo, G.A. & Swensen, T. (2003). The effects of massage on delayed onset muscle soreness. Br J Sports Med, 37, 72-5.

Client Reviews updated Daily!

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:01:00 -0500

You can now see all of our client reviews! Click below to read real reviews from real Spokane Valley Elements clients. The reviews are updated daily, so feel free to come back often!

Shape Up Your Summer Body, While Rejuvenating Your Mommy Spirit

Wed, 02 May 2012 10:59:00 -0500

In celebration of Mother’s Day this month, it is time to start taking care of all the mothers out there who run their minds and bodies thin in an effort to care for everyone and everything that is important to them and their families. Caring for mothers starts with giving them the relaxation and rejuvenation they deserve with frequent massage therapy sessions tailored toward helping them reach their mind and body goals this summer.

To help moms get their bodies and minds ready for summertime activities, regular massage can be an excellent tool for repairing, reinvigorating and reshaping a women’s body. Whether you are striving to trim down winter’s last pounds or tone your body for fun summertime activities in the sun, massage can produce positive results for losing weight and firming up your body. It is time to bring in the massage troops to shape up your body and rejuvenate your mommy spirit.

Waist Reduction: Scientific studies have linked massage therapy with a reduction in cellulite, as the firm pressure of a typical massage may aide in breaking up fat capsules in the body’s tissues, enabling the body to absorb and shed cellulite. Massage also can have a positive effect on weight loss efforts by reducing the production of cortisol (high stress hormone) in your body. When you are stressed out, it can be difficult for your body to lose weight, even if you are eating healthy, as cortisol inhibits the body from releasing fat and toxins.

Positive Attitude: Incorporating massage into your health and wellness regimen can also transform a weight loss program from a dreaded experience to a more positive one. Instead of focusing on cutting out your favorite foods and depriving your body to meet your desired body shape, massage can turn the experience into a rewards-based environment that is focused on caring for your body and rebuilding the mental and physical pieces you may have lost over time.

Body Cleanse: Deep tissue massage techniques can help cleanse the body by helping eliminate toxins that can collect in your muscles after strenuous exercise. Massage also is an excellent agent for minimizing toxic attitudes that can weigh down your self consciousness and self esteem. The relaxing environment of a therapeutic massage not only motivates your mind and body to achieve wellness goals by energizing your attitude, but it also can establish a winning attitude that can set you up for accomplishing anything you focus your mind on.

Repair Muscles: Sports massage is a key element to soothing common muscle aches and pains caused from increased activity during the spring and summer months. As your activity levels increase, you may not always stretch, ice, heat or rest your tired muscles as often as you should. Regular monthly massages can provide the tune up that your body needs to stay up and running.

All mothers, and women in general, want to look good and feel good about their bodies. Massage is the solution the help you accomplish both – but the secret is receiving regular massage therapy sessions. Start taking care of your mom today by giving her the gift of massage this Mother’s Day. If you are a mother, you don’t have to wait until your kids or spouse are clued in on the benefits of massage. You can start adding yourself to the list of things and people you take care of by scheduling monthly therapeutic massages for yourself for the rest of the year.

So, come celebrate your motherhood this Mother’s Day with Elements Therapeutic Massage. The skilled therapists at Elements can tailor a monthly plan for helping you accomplish your body shape and health goals this summer. Call your local studio today to begin shaping up for summertime fun.

Melt Away Tax Time Stress with Three Simple Relaxation Strategies

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:35:00 -0500

In today’s plugged in, always on-the-go society, stress can be found in all aspects of your life. While some types of stress can be healthy for your mind and body, a January 2012 study from the American Psychological Association (APA) revealed deepening concerns about the connection between chronic disease and stress. Research continues to show that stress can negatively impact your health by:

Weakening your immune system, leading to common colds, sicknesses and even more critical medical problems.
Disrupting sleep problems, leading to fatigue and even insomnia.
Decreasing positive moods and feelings about yourself and others, leading to depression and an overall sense of unhappiness.
Causing headaches, upset stomach or digestion, and muscular tension.
Increasing irritability, anger, anxiety and nervousness.¹

Realistically, you may never be able to completely eliminate stress, anxiety and pressure from your life, but there are steps you can start taking today to stop the vicious cycle of being showered with stress. In honor of National Stress Awareness Month this April, you can start by incorporating the following three relaxation strategies into your daily life to promote a more stress-free lifestyle.

Release Mental and Physical Tension

Therapeutic massage is a medically proven method for supporting your health and wellness. Massage can help relieve physical tension such as back/neck pain, reduce stress, increase circulation, and improve your body’s full range of motion. And, by making massage a regular occurrence on your calendar, you will give yourself a designated time each month to release mental and physical tension, lowering the risk of stress piling up to levels that can lead to negative results.

Revive and Reinvigorate Tired, Sore Muscles

Whether you are sitting in front of the computer all day, chasing a toddler around the house or training for a sporting event (or trying to be successful at all three at the same time!), it is more than likely that your hips, back and neck may feel sore and fatigued at the end of the day. By loosening these common stress carrying muscle groups on a regular basis, you can instantly de-stress your mind and body. Deep tissue massage specifically can break up scar tissue and help muscles recover more quickly so you can bounce back faster from a hard gym workout or working on a computer screen for 12 hours a day. Not only will your body feel more revived and stronger after a massage, but your mind also will be sharper, helping you maintain a more consistent focus on all of your day-to-day activities.

Take Time to Get in Touch with Yourself

Massage can help you establish a balance in your life that is not only good for your mental and muscle health, but also your body’s internal system well-being. Studies show that leading factors of medical problems and common illnesses can occur from overworking yourself, carrying too much stress and not dedicating enough time to relaxing your mind and body on a regular basis. It’s important to carve out 15 minutes a day (daily meditation), one day a week (designated “Me” time) and once a month (monthly therapeutic massage) to devote time and energy into establishing a positive mind/body connection.

By implementing these three stress reducing habits, you are well on your way to avoiding a stress storm this spring and giving yourself the opportunity to stop and take time to smell the flowers. The skilled massage therapists at Elements Therapeutic Massage are available to listen to your individual needs and will use the proper techniques to deliver a truly therapeutic experience. Call your local Elements studio today to begin experiencing all of the stress management benefits of massage therapy.

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______________________________

¹Stress in America™, Our Health at Risk, American Psychological Association, January 2012.

Let Your Back Pain Loose

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:12:00 -0600

Let Your Back Pain Loose

It doesn’t matter whether you are a desk jockey, athlete, construction worker, stay-at-home mom or retiree, you will more than likely experience some level of back pain and discomfort throughout your life. Researchers and doctors agree that low back pain is one of the leading major health problems in today’s society. With cooler temperatures and less than favorable conditions, back pain can be even more present this time of year as snow shoveling duties, icy sidewalks and extreme winter sports can be the norm.

According to industry reports, 70 to 85 percent of people in the U.S. experience low back pain some time in their lives. Each year, 5 to 10 percent of the workforce misses work due to low back pain and almost 10 percent of all patients are at risk for developing chronic pain and disability.¹

Back Pain Triggers

One of the most frustrating characteristics of back pain is its ability to sneak up on you when you least expect it. You bend over to pick up your toddler from the bathtub and an unexpected pain shoots through your back and shoulders. You end the day feeling great after going on a weekend bike ride with buddies or playing a friendly flag football game with family, but wake up the next morning with your back muscles as stiff as an iron rod. Or, you may have spent the day in a long board meeting with few scheduled breaks and by the time you get your exhausted body to bed, all you can do is toss and turn because of a dull constant pain buzzing throughout your neck, back and shoulders. Sound familiar?

Industry statistics indicate that 97 percent of non-specific back pain problems are triggered by outside influences such as muscle strains, awkward movements, staying in a static position for too long, or when the combination of minor stresses occur together. The most common reported causes of low-back pain include:

Heavy Physical Work
Bending
Twisting
Lifting
Pulling and Pushing
Repetitive Work Patterns
Static Postures

Back pain usually is discovered when causes like the ones listed above are combined with an individual’s poor body stability, tone, flexibility and balance.²

Back Pain Remedies

So, what types of remedies should you use to combat back pain? Experts suggest taking a holistic approach to reducing back pain incidents by keeping your body fit with proper exercise and diet, using relaxation techniques such as massage and yoga, and enlisting proper posture practices such as ergonomically correct computer stations, strengthening core muscles and sleeping on your back or side with pillows supporting your knees and back.³

Massage

As an accepted part of many physical rehabilitation programs, massage therapy has proven beneficial for many chronic conditions, including low back pain. Massage offers a drug-free, non-invasive and humanistic approach to combating back pain based on the body's natural ability to heal itself. A 2011 study compared structural and relaxation (Swedish) massage techniques, and found that both types of massage worked well to remedy chronic low back pain with few side effects. The study also found that massage helps people with back pain function better even after six months, which can help support their ability to work, take care of themselves and be active.⁴

For those who use massage as a preventative measure to back pain or to manage daily back stress, one massage a month is common. Weekly massage sessions may be necessary for injury relief or to relieve chronic neck or back tightness that interferes with your daily life. If this is the case, weekly sessions are essential in order to build on each week's improvements in healing until the desired results have been achieved.

Yoga

The backbone of yoga practice and purpose is increasing an individual’s flexibility, while lengthening and strengthening a body’s muscles and mind’s focus. In relation to alleviating back pain specifically, recent studies have revealed that yoga classes have been linked to better back-related function and diminished symptoms from chronic low back pain. In one of the largest U.S. yoga studies to date, back-related functionality improved and symptoms were diminished with yoga at 12 weeks, while clinical benefits such as reduced use of pain medications lasted at least six months.⁵

Balance and Stability

Another common remedy to combat back pain is adding balance and stability moves to your daily activities. There are various poses and stability exercises that target your back muscles and core, but three simple balance movements that can get you started include: Bird Dog (extending your opposite hand and leg while on your hands and knees); Superman (extending both arms and legs while lying on your stomach); and Plank (holding your body off the floor by leaving your forearms and toes touching the floor). Start by holding each movement for 10 seconds and increase your time as you become stronger.

At some point in your life, you will more than likely experience some level of back pain. Whether it’s spending too much time hunched over your computer, shoveling heavy loads of wet, dense snow, or taking a wrong turn down a steep mountain ski run, back pain has a way of creeping up on you. The key to alleviating back pain is to take a holistic approach to treating and preventing your muscle aches and strains. By using a combination of the relaxation, flexibility and stability building techniques described above, low back pain can become a thing of the past, allowing you to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Call Elements Therapeutic Massage today to begin living a restored, vibrant and pain-free lifestyle.

XXX

Sources:

¹Buselli P, Bosoni R, Buse G, Fasoli P, La Scala E, Mazzolari R, Zanetti F, Messina S. Trial Abstract for Effectiveness evaluation of a SMATH System, October 2011.

²Chaitow, Leon. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, June/July 2006.

³ Buford, Darren. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, August/September 2001.

⁴ Group Health Research Institute. Annals of Internal Medicine, July 2011.

⁵ Karen J. Sherman; Daniel C. Cherkin; Robert D. Wellman; Andrea J. Cook; Rene J. Hawkes; Kristin Delaney; Richard A. Deyo. A Randomized Trial Comparing Yoga, Stretching, and a Self-care Book for Chronic Low Back Pain. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2011.

Move Over Tacky Holiday Gifts: Massage Therapy Tops the Charts this Holiday Season

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:11:00 -0600

Move Over Tacky Holiday Gifts: Massage Therapy Tops the Charts this Holiday Season

You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why – this year’s top holiday gift list is full of some surprises. We know you were expecting another Snuggie® or monogram towel set, but don’t you worry, we’ve got your back. This year we are offering some healthy alternatives to the annual holiday gift guide that will help eliminate gifts collecting dust in your closets after the holiday season passes, as well as reduce the common holiday chaos of materialistic overload.

Holiday Gifts for Her

Before committing a fashion felony this holiday season and sending in your two easy payments for As Seen on TV gems like PajamaJeans® or Snuggie® blankets, give the females in your life real style and comfort by giving the gift of therapeutic massage. With massage you don’t have to worry about picking out the perfect size, length or color. Instead, you can easily purchase a year’s worth of massage therapy sessions and let skilled therapists customize the style and comfort level needed to ease away muscle tension and soreness, help reduce stress and improve overall well-being.

Some styles and techniques that might be good for her to try this year include:

Swedish Massage: This type of massage is best for relaxation and stress relief, but also is a great choice for those on your list who will be experiencing their first therapeutic massage session.
Hot Stone Massage: This unique technique has been around for hundreds of years and is best for easing muscle tension without deep pressure, thereby maximizing massage time and overall wellness.
Prenatal Massage: For the women who are expecting to add a bundle of joy to their family, this massage style specifically aims to decrease swelling, relieve aches and pains, and ease the physical and emotional stresses of pregnancy.

We all know it’s important to keep the ladies in your life happy and relaxed. Give her the gift of therapeutic massage this season for rejuvenated health and wellness all year long. It’s a win-win for the entire family.

Holiday Gifts for Him

What do you get when you mix two popular gifts on the men’s holiday list this year – the beer holster and Bacon of the Month Club? High cholesterol, the constant aroma of fried bacon wafting through the house, and a man walking around the house all weekend wearing his beer holster and quoting lines from John Wayne movies. Before the man in your life turns into a Wild West cowboy right before your eyes, try stuffing his stocking this year with a gift that is geared more toward a healthy and active lifestyle.

Athletes from around the world use massage therapy as part of their overall training regimen, so it is a perfect gift for the men in your life who are weekend sports warriors or competitors in their local sports leagues. Whether men play hockey, baseball, basketball or compete in events like marathons, triathlons and golf tournaments, the last thing they need is more sports equipment, memorabilia or manly accessories. Plus, do you really want to add more clutter to the garage or the basement with more golf clubs, hockey sticks, baseball gloves or basketball hoops?

By giving the gift of massage therapy, you are not only promoting health and well-being for your family, but you are supporting the men in your life’s interests by helping him stay active and injury-free with massage. And, even if he prefers to be a desk or computer jockey instead of an athlete, therapeutic massage therapy sessions are key to releasing shoulder and neck knots, reducing lower back pain and minimizing carpal tunnel symptoms associated with sitting for long periods of time.

Some massage techniques that can be geared toward men include:

Sports Massage: This popular massage style is good for preventing and treating injuries, while enhancing athletic performance.
Deep Tissue Massage: This technique is best for chronically tight or painful muscles, repetitive strain, postural problems, or recovery from injury.
Trigger Point Massage: This specialized technique is best for localized knots where the body holds tension.

It’s easy to promote a healthy and active lifestyle for the men in your life by scheduling monthly therapeutic massage sessions for them. You can schedule three to six months worth of massages at a time and then set them up as appointments in their work or personal online calendars. This way they will receive automated reminders about the appointments and have no excuses for maintaining their health and well-being throughout the year.

Holiday Gifts for Kids

The twinkle in your children’s eyes as they write their yearly letters to good ol’ St. Nick and the excitement in their step as they barrel down the stairs on Christmas morning is priceless. But, let’s be honest. The top holiday gifts for children tend to be loud (drum sets), can cause major distractions from finishing homework and chores (video games, televisions and latest tech toys) and can leave parents exhausted after having to care for new pets or constantly cleaning up large messes that stem from gifts (moon sand, paint sets). That’s why the perfect gift for children this year is one that includes the gift of massage for the parents as well.

If you are giving gifts to someone else’s child, make sure to include a gift of relaxation and restoration for the parents as well by including a massage gift certificate, or two! If you are a parent who has generous relatives and friends who love to spoil your kids with the latest gifts and gadgets, make sure to sign yourself up for monthly massages for three to six months following the holiday season to give yourself relief from holiday gift headaches and stress, while rejuvenating the health and well-being of your mind and body.

Call Elements Therapeutic Massage today to schedule massage therapy sessions for everyone in your family this holiday season.

Keep Your Whole Body in Tip-Top Shape While Traveling this Winter Season

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:51:00 -0600

The winter traveling season is upon us, which can mean overbooked flights, sharing cramped spaces with a lot of different people, increased exposure to wintertime colds and viruses, sleeping in various beds and eating high caloric rich foods. With all of these variables stacked against you, it can be quite a challenge to keep you and your family healthy and pain free while traveling this winter season. To help keep your muscles and immune system in tip-top shape this winter season, it is important to incorporate stretching and massage techniques before, during and after your travels.

A recent study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine examined the effects of Swedish massage therapy on the body's hormonal response and immune function. Researchers found that participants who received Swedish massage had a significant decrease in the hormone arginine-vasopressin (which plays a role in regulating blood pressure and water retention) and concluded that Swedish massage produces measurable biological effects and may have a positive effect on the immune system. Rapaport MH, Schettler P, Bresee C. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2010;16(10):1–10.

Prepare Your Body Pre-Trip with a Regular Exercise Routine and Massage Therapy Sessions

Maintaining your normal activity level during vacation and especially during the holidays can create quite a challenge, so it’s important to maintain your exercise level before leaving on your trip to keep your muscles engaged and loose. Stick with your routine exercise and stretching regimen up until a day or two before you leave for your trip. Also, book a relaxation massage like Swedish massage to lengthen muscles, as well as prepare your body and mind for a relaxing and healthy trip. Massage is not only important to loosening your muscles, but it is equally important to boost your immune system, as massage stimulates the lymph system (the body’s natural defense) against toxic invaders.

Incorporate Massage and Stretching Techniques While Enjoying Your Holiday Travels

Hitting the Highway for Family Vacation Fun: If you are traveling by car this holiday season, you will inevitably make pit stops along the way, especially if you are traveling with children. Instead of sitting in your car during bathroom and gas stops, get out of the car to stretch your legs, back and neck. Simple stretches such as toe touches, neck rotations and lunges can do the trick or you can even run/walk laps around the rest stop to incorporate some cardio as you loosen your body.
Jet Setting Across the Country: If your holiday traveling plans find you boarding a plane, there are a few simple tips for keeping your body flexible and active at the airport and during your flight. Prior to boarding your flight, walk up and down the concourse to stay relaxed rather than sitting in front of the gate until the plane boards. While at the gate, grab your nearest wall to lean against for stretching your legs, calves and back. The National Academy of Sports Medicine suggests that you slowly move into a stretch with light force and hold for 30 seconds to lengthen muscles. They suggest these common stretches for increased flexibility: hip flexor stretch, wall chest, kneeling lat stretch and inner thigh stretches.

While in-flight, use a neck pillow to stabilize your neck muscles, especially if you plan on catching a nap while in the air. When the pilot turns off the seat belt sign, take a stroll to the back bathroom area and stretch your hamstrings, shoulder and back muscles. Just make sure to stay out of the way of the flight attendants and their beverage carts!

Maintaining Proper Nutrition and Hydration During Your Travels: Whether you drive or fly this holiday season, it is important to drink plenty of water and eat healthy during your trip. The recommended daily water consumption is typically 64 ounces per day so bring a water bottle with you to keep track of how much water you consume. It also is helpful to your body’s digestive and immune systems to pack healthy homemade snacks in the car, rather than eating high caloric and sodium rich foods that are typically found in gas stations and fast food establishments in airports and along the highways.

Enjoying Hotel Amenities: If your travels find you staying in a hotel, your body may be in luck if you choose to enjoy the hotel amenities. Water can be your friend when experiencing tight muscles, especially if your room has a massage shower head for loosening tight neck and back muscles. Don’t be afraid to hop into the pool and swim a few laps to work out muscle kinks throughout your body and hot tubs are key for providing relief to specific areas of pain. The hotel fitness center also can be a great place to visit to stay active during your trip. Most will at least have stretching posters you can follow for a total body workout.

Revive and Rejuvenate your Tired Body with Post-Trip Massage Therapy

Traveling can take quite a toll on your mind and body, especially when it’s coupled with holiday season family gatherings, an abundant amount of holiday dinners and treats, and the inevitable stress associated with extended family dynamics. All of these factors can leave you feeling physically exhausted and mentally spent upon returning from your holiday family vacation. Before leaving on your trip, you can combat the negative effects of traveling on your body by scheduling a therapeutic massage session for the week after your return so you can quickly restore your mind and body in preparation for resuming your normal everyday life.

Call Elements Therapeutic Massage today to begin preparing your muscles and immune system for a healthy and successful winter traveling season.

Prepare Your Body for Winter Activities with a Combination of Stretching and Massage Therapy

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:29:00 -0500

Staying fit during the winter holiday season comes with a long list of unique challenges and obstacles, but staying injury free can take even more of an effort when you introduce new, winter-specific activities like skiing, skating and sledding into your fitness routine. Before the winter activity season is in full swing, take steps today to warm up and loosen your muscles so you can hit the slopes or the rink pain free, as well as minimize after-activity soreness and fatigue.

Warm Up and Engage New Muscle Groups during the Pre-Season to Stay Injury Free

Before carving fresh tracks down the slopes this winter or lacing up your skates to hit the rink with your kids, it is important to incorporate a combination of regular stretching and therapeutic massage sessions for an active and injury free winter season. The key to keeping active during the winter months and staying off your family’s injured list is to focus on body flexibility and lengthening your muscles in the pre-season. Many of the popular wintertime activities (skiing, snowboarding and skating) physically impact your lower body, thereby creating a need for you to focus your stretching and strength efforts on hip, hamstring and trunk/lower back flexibility.

According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, there are two common types of stretching – static stretching and dynamic stretching – that are good for promoting overall flexibility. Research indicates that holding a static stretch for 20-30 seconds allows your muscles time to relax and elongate, thereby increasing joint range of motion. Dynamic stretching on the other hand includes low intensity exercises that mimic sport specific movements. These types of stretches are good for warming up your body prior to a sports activity, as they help increase circulation, reduce muscle tightness and help your nervous system’s ability to contract muscles forcefully.

To kick off your winter pre-season regimen, it’s a good idea to combine consistent stretching sessions with routinely scheduled monthly massages 8-12 weeks prior to the start of your favorite wintertime activity. Regular therapeutic massages prior to your desired activity allow your body to release the toxins found in tight muscles, while increasing overall flexibility and circulation. Additionally, your massage therapist can assess and monitor your body’s flexibility range, while suggesting specific stretches and other techniques that will focus on lengthening and strengthening your body’s problem areas.

Remedy Your Winter Aches and Pains with Regular Massage Body Work

As the snow begins to fall and the barometric pressure takes a dive south, your body faces some unique challenges, especially as you get older and recovery times for muscle injuries and overuse get longer. Even when you focus on preparing your body for winter wear and tear before the season starts, there still may be an unfortunate event where you will become injured or experience some sort of ache and pain associated with muscle overuse and fatigue.

Lower back pain, in particular, is a common injury culprit in the winter as you can overdo it shoveling snow, incorrectly bending over to push your children’s sleds or accidently slipping and falling on ice covered sidewalks. In fact, research indicates that 70-85% of the population will experience low back pain at some point and lower back pain is one of the most common and costly musculoskeletal problem in modern society. Luckily, research supports that massage therapy can minimize pain and disability, while increasing the speed of return to normal function. Massage specifically is beneficial for patients with subacute (lasting four to 12 weeks) and chronic (lasting longer than 12 weeks) non-specific low-back pain, especially when combined with exercises and education. Furlan AD, Imamura M, Dryden T, Irvin E. Massage for low-back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD001929. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001929.pub2

Additional research from Group Health Research Institute, the University of Washington in Seattle, the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, and the University of Vermont in Burlington revealed that massage therapy has helped reduce pain and improve function more rapidly than usual medical care in people with chronic low-back pain. Back pain is a health problem that affects millions of Americans and is the most common medical condition for which people use complementary and alternative medicine practices, such as massage therapy. Cherkin DC, Sherman KJ, Kahn J, et al. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2011;155(1):1–9

Therapeutic Sports Massage - for the Elite and Occasional Athlete

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:08:00 -0600

Therapeutic sports massage was originally developed to help athletes prepare their bodies for optimal performance and aid in quick recovery. Many elite athletes consider sports massage an essential part of their training and recovery routine. They rely on it to help them train more effectively, improve performance, prevent injury and speed their recovery after strenuous exertion.

All that being said, you don’t have to be a professional athlete to get a therapeutic sports massage! It’s ideal for anyone who’s physically active – as well as someone who’s just starting out with a new workout program at the gym, running their first 10K or marathon, or doing anything else that’s outside their normal activity routine. If you’re a novice athlete, a pre-event sports massage can make a better, less-painful event for you. Or, if you’re a “weekend warrior”, a regular therapeutic sports massage may be just what you need to concentrate on a specific problem (sports or otherwise), chronic pain or a restricted range of motion.

There are four types of sports massages:

Pre-event Sports Massage - A short, stimulating massage before an event. It is directed towards the parts of the body that will be the most heavily involved in exertion.
Post-event Sports Massage – Usually this takes place either an hour or two after an event. The objective is to normalize the body’s tissues and prevent stiffness or soreness.
Restorative Sports Massage – Takes place during training to allow the athlete to train longer, harder and with less possibility for injury.
Rehabilitative Sports Massage – Should take place on a regular basis and is designed to either alleviate pain, increase range of motion or to restore the body to health.

Because every sport and athletic event uses muscle groups in a different way, there are a variety of methods used to administer a therapeutic sports massage. Generally, this is a type of massage often combined with various forms of stretching. A sports massage will stimulate circulation of blood and lymph fluids and may include one or more of the following techniques:

Deep Swedish massage – Long, broad and flowing strokes which may be used before, during and after any of the techniques listed here. Designed to increase circulation and remove toxins. It also re-aligns the muscle fibers to get them back to their normal state.
Deep Tissue massage – Muscle-specific massage for chronically tight or painful areas.

Trigger Point massage – Designed to break down adhesions and increase range of motion. Left untreated these tender points often lead to restricted and painful movement of entire body regions.
Lymphatic massage – Stimulates lymphatic-drainage pathways, which improves the body’s removal of excess fluids in the tissues that cause swelling and pain.

Compression Massage - A rhythmic compression into muscles to create blood flow and to soften the tissues. This is usually a warm-up for deeper, more specific massage work.
Cross-Fiber massage - A friction technique used in a general manner to create a stretching and broadening effect in large muscle groups. This helps reduce adhesions (knots in the muscles) and creates strong and flexible repair during the healing process.

Whether you’re a serious or an occasional athlete, enjoying less muscle pain and stiffness as well as improving your sense of well-being is good reason to take advantage of a regular therapeutic sports massage.

To get the most benefit from a therapeutic sports massage, be sure and ask your therapist about their training and techniques to learn what is right for you. And, no matter what type of massage you choose, the therapist should always check in with you about your needs and expectations during the massage.

At Elements Therapeutic Massage, you can always find a skilled therapist to help with your sports-related aches and pains. Go to Touchofelements.com to find the Elements nearest you.

How Does Massage Help Your Body Detox?

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:21:00 -0600

Need to Detox? Massage Can Help

Not feeling your best and not sure why? Might be time to detox.

You don’t have to go on a detox diet or drink special smoothies to detox. Start with a massage to kick-start your body’s own natural cleansing processes, which can slow down for a variety of reasons — lack of regular exercise, too little fluids or fiber in the diet … If you haven’t been taking the best care of yourself, a detoxifying massage can help set things right again.

How does massage help the body detox, exactly?

The rhythmic strokes and pressure applied to muscles, tissues and organs during massage therapy help stimulate the circulatory system. It works sort of like a sponge: When pressure is applied to the tissue and fat, toxins are literally “squeezed” out from in between the muscle fibers and cells. They’re released into the circulatory system for easier elimination.

The lymph system is key

Your lymphatic fluid system works with your cardiovascular circulatory system to flush out toxins and carry immune cells throughout the body to help defend against infections. If your lymph fluid circulation gets sluggish, toxins can accumulate and immune cells may not get carried to the areas of the body where they’re needed.

Since the lymph system doesn’t have a big central pump like the heart to keep things moving, it has to rely on gravity, exercise, breathing … and massage. So if you haven’t been as good as you should about your exercise, diet and “me time” routine (it happens to the best of us!), that can affect how you feel, causing aches, pains and swelling (lymph edema). It can also cause deterioration in organs and glands like the thymus that are vital players in your immune system.

It’s easy to see why detoxification is important to avoiding illness and chronic health conditions. So if you’re not feeling your best or haven’t been as good about your diet and exercise routine lately, try a massage to get back on track. Remember to drink a glass or two of pure water after massage to help the body flush out toxins more rapidly.

At Elements Therapeutic Massage, we’ll work with you and your practitioner to create a plan for regular, ongoing massage therapy sessions that can keep you healthy while working with your schedule and lifestyle, your health concerns and your priorities. Call or come in today and let’s talk about how you can get more massage and well-being in your life.

Benefits of Massage

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:34:00 -0600

What You Already Know: The Benefits of Massage In an age of technical and, at times, impersonal medicine, massage offers a drug-free, non-invasive and humanistic approach based on the body's natural ability to heal itself. So what exactly are the benefits to receiving regular massage and/or bodywork treatments? - Increases circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs. - Stimulates the flow of lymph, the body's natural defense system, against toxic invaders. For example, in breast cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase the cells that fight cancer. - Increased circulation of blood and lymph systems improves the condition of the body's largest organ - the skin. - Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles - Reduces spasms and cramping - Increases joint flexibility. - Reduces recovery time, helps prepare for strenuous workouts and eliminates subsequent pains of the athlete at any level. - Releases endorphins - the body's natural painkiller - and is being used in chronic illness, injury and recovery from surgery to control and relieve pain. - Reduces post-surgery adhesions and edema and can be used to reduce and realign scar tissue after healing has occurred. - Improves range-of-motion and decreases discomfort for patients with low back pain. - Relieves pain for migraine sufferers and decreases the need for medication. - Provides exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles and reduces shortening of the muscles for those with restricted range of motion. - Assists with shorter labor for expectant mothers, as well as less need for medication, less depression and anxiety, and shorter hospital stays.

Massage and Weightloss

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:28:00 -0600

You’ve had a fabulous holiday season - you’ve enjoyed your family and friends, the presents were wonderful and as always, you had plenty to eat and drink! The only trouble is, now you’re faced with your annual weight gain and your annual New Year’s resolution to get it off and get back in shape! Of course, the first thing on your mind is to start dieting and to get into a regular exercise schedule. You know eating right and exercise are two sure-fired ways to recover from the holiday fun. Now, there’s a new addition to your annual “get back in shape” plan – this year add therapeutic massage to your New Year’s resolution. Scientists now confirm what massage therapists have always known: massage can be a powerful and effective weight-loss tool. Massage is known to lower stress, improve circulation, increase mobility and speed recovery from overdoing it at the gym. Here’s how massage therapy specifically applies to your weight loss plan. Massage improves circulation and the supply of nutrients to the muscles. After muscles are exercised, vital nutrients must be supplied to them so that they can recover and rebuild themselves. Massage maximizes the supply of these nutrients and oxygen through increased blood flow, which helps the muscles grow and burn more calories. Massage also helps break down scar tissue built up from damage to the muscles, which further helps circulation as well as mobility. Also, massage helps flush toxins from the body, meaning your body can focus on the healthy foods you are eating and not the environmental toxins that build up over time, and especially during the holidays. For those on an aggressive workout schedule, massage can greatly improve your flexibility and range of motion. This will make you less likely to hurt yourself, meaning more productive and pain-free hours in the gym which will result in greater calorie burn. Massage also helps reduce soreness by stretching, kneading and rubbing the muscles to keep them loose. With all this, there’s no taking off days from the gym, rather it’s easy to stay on a normal workout schedule. If you’re new to massage or one who’s gained more than a few pounds during the holiday festivities, it’s understandable if you feel a little self-conscious about disrobing for a massage. But don’t worry, massage therapists are sensitive to your feelings and realize that nudity is the number one concern for many people experiencing a massage. Massage therapists are used to seeing all shapes, sizes and conditions of the body and they have an entirely clinical perspective, no different than any other health-care giver. Additionally, all clients are discretely draped under a sheet with only one body part being uncovered at a time. Of course, you can always undress to your level of comfort, leaving on portions of your clothing or undergarments. Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution or a diet of any sort, always consider incorporating massage into your weight-loss routine with a bi-weekly or weekly treatment. Losing weight is never easy. But thankfully it’s simple to incorporate massage in the healthy lifestyle that you’re building and to make it a regular on-going part of your life. It’s also a good idea to talk to your massage therapist or a doctor up front to let them know your weight loss goals, fitness routine and to determine how often you are getting massage. Don’t be surprised if there are more massages recommended at the beginning of your plan – this is normal and helps your massage therapist know your body’s way of handling stress and exertion. Regular massage is just as important a component as a regular workouts and correct nutrition in any fitness and weight loss program. Elements Therapeutic Massage will work with you to create a plan for regular, ongoing massage therapy sessions that will fit with your budget and your schedule.

Lucky at Losing

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:07:00 -0600

I was asked to write a guest column and share the secrets of my business success, I immediately became excited about the opportunity to tell my story about being a great loser. I'm the founder ofElements Therapeutic Massage. It's one of the fastest-growing franchises in America, with 75 studios across the United States. I consider myself a winner because I have become one of the luckiest and most determined losers along the way.

I come from a long line of losers. My father's side of the family escaped a famine in Lebanon during World War I that wiped out almost a third of the country's population. My mother's side fled Germany after their home was bombed during World War II. My ancestors on both sides lost their homes and almost lost their lives. Yet they persevered. They had a determination not only to survive but thrive.

When I was growing up, both my parents owned businesses. But their entrepreneurial dreams were tested. My mother ruptured a disc in her back, wound up in the hospital and lost her business in the process, because it couldn't run without her. My father lost his business during the Oklahoma oil bust in the 1980s. I like to say that my ancestors and parents walked so I could run. The fact that my relatives were able to keep going in spite of adversity set an incredible example for me to follow. In fact, I followed along almost too well. The losing part, that is.

In the late 1990s I was a practicing occupational therapist and director of a rehabilitation department. I was in corporate America with a steady paycheck and predictable hours. HMOs and PPOs were changing the face of health care. But behind the scenes, I was changing, too. I decided to leave the health-care industry to pursue a certificate in massage therapy. I made this choice so I would have a more flexible schedule and more time with my teenage son and daughter. People thought I was crazy, and sometimes I thought they might be right, but I felt driven to become a massage therapist.

When I finished school, I went into business for myself. I rented a massage room at a local country club. I had officially arrived. I had my dream job. No more corporate pressure, red tape, unhappy employees and low morale. It was just me and a steady stream of clients.

Then, about a year into my bliss, my family's losing streak struck me when the country club was sold. The new owners did not want massage therapy, and I lost my first business location.

The cliché is true. Losing that location was one of the best things that ever happened to me. It did not feel like it at the time. In fact, I left kicking and screaming. I was comfortable, happy, and everything seemed to be clicking. But once I quit fighting my fate, I took a step forward. I secured a retail space and opened a retail massage studio. I was no longer a room renter. I was involved in the construction process, developing business systems and hiring employees. This was the first of many experiences that taught me a great life lesson: What may seem frustrating at the time is an opportunity to grow. Being pushed out of the country club opened a new door for me, and I ran through it.

My idea was to open a general wellness center. Therapeutic massage would be just one of many services. I could see it all so clearly in my mind. The clients, however, saw something different. Demand dictated supply, and therapeutic massage became my core business. Being a rookie business owner, I had to lose my vision of the business I thought it should be in order to grow the successful business it needed to be. I let go of some employees so I could hire more massage therapists. That's where the demand was, and I had to lose in order to win. And, boy, did I win.

Business grew. Demand grew. I opened a second location. And within a year, I signed a contract with Fitness Together Holdings Inc. to franchise the concept. Some might think I was giving it all away. But I knew I had to lose my tight hold on things in order for a good business to become a great national chain. I could only do so much by myself.

Our agreement was simple. As founder of the newly created Elements Therapeutic Massage franchise, I would share the business systems I had created with future franchisees. I would help with training and real-world knowledge.

I also remained an active franchise owner with two renamed Elements Therapeutic Massage studios during the network's growth. That earned me great credibility as the chain expanded. I got to share what I experienced at the store level -- the same experiences that franchisees experience in their markets. I might have a corporate title, but I've spent my time behind the front counter. And that has been invaluable to my peers in an ever-growing system.

In return for all that, Fitness Together has embraced a sister brand that has grown into a national chain. Despite the challenging economy, we continue to add studios, and studios continue to add clients. Not that it's been easy. In a tight economy, even I, the founder of a national chain, had to tighten my belt. These days, I have a great business partner and co-owner, and we now have three Elements Therapeutic Massage studios. We also oversee a great team of 45 employees. Our most important obligation as business owners is to make payroll for our businesses.

But when client bookings grew lean because of the depressed economy in 2008-09, I was faced with a tough decision. I could pay my studio managers, or I could pay myself. My partner and I agreed that we had to lose the studio managers and re-enter the daily operations of the business. I felt like I had lost again. Why did I have to go back and manage a studio again?

Once again, I learned that a loss can be a blessing in disguise. It had been a while since I actively managed a studio on a day-to-day basis. In the previous months and years, I had spent as much time traveling to association meetings for the massage industry and visiting with franchisees at their studios as I spent in my own studios in Colorado. Here was a chance to revisit the nitty-gritty. What I learned from this new challenge is that the systems work if we work them. I like to say that losing my studio managers was a way for me to gain back my confidence in the business and in our systems. They're as good today as they were when I created them. In fact, they're better due to the contributions of our amazing franchise owners.

We've weathered the economic storm nicely, and we're stronger today because of it. Now I'm back to planning my regular travel to franchise studios across the U.S. network for 2011. And I will share not only best practices from when I first created the business, but also best practices of today. We are all in this together, which is a lot better than trying to figure everything out on your own.

So for me, losing turned out to be a pretty great thing. Sure, I could have kept a successful business all to myself, stayed in my first location, kept a watchful eye on every aspect of my little domain, and never ventured outside that comfort zone. And I would have a small therapeutic massage studio with a limited number of people I could touch in positive ways. I would be owner and operator of an independent business. And everyone else would be my competitor.

But I decided to be a loser. I let go of some of that control in order to share the wealth with others. And today there are 75 other studios in my same business, with the same name, who are not my competitors. That makes me the luckiest loser in the world.

Michele Merhib is the founder ofElements Therapeutic Massage, based in Highlands Ranch, Colo. She owns three Colorado studios and has been franchising the concept since 2006. There are now 75 franchise locations in the U.S.

Sleeping with the Enemy? (Hint: It's Stress)

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 11:57:00 -0600

Lying awake at night? Can’t stop your mind from worrying about what happened yesterday and what will happen tomorrow? It’s not healthy — and that’s not just a saying.

Stress and the way you react to it may be affecting your health, even though it may not be apparent to you. You may think that persistent headache or inability to focus is caused by a physical illness, but the culprit may actually be excessive ongoing stress in your life. And it can lead to serious health problems.

According to the National Institutes of Health, stress is at the root of 80 percent or more of all illness and doctor visits in the U.S.. Here's how stress increasesyour risk of serious disease, your healthcare cost and your productivity.

Health effects of stress

The health effects of stress identified by The Mayo Clinic can range from relatively minor symptoms and conditions including …

Headache
Back pain
Upset stomach
Sleep problems
Irritability
Lack of focus
Forgetfulness
Overeating

… to more acute and critical health conditions including …

Chest pain
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Depression
Decreased immunity

What can you do to reduce stress?

First, recognize that you can’t prevent stress. It’s part of everyday life — and some level of stress is actually good for you. It’s how you react to stress, as well as a lifestyle that brings a frequently elevated levels of stress into your life, that can get you and your state of health into trouble.

Health experts agree that making lifestyle changes to help you identify your stress triggers and, most importantly, better manage your reactions to stress, can bring numerous health benefits.

Stress management techniques recommended by medical experts include massage as well as exercise, guided relaxation and breathing techniques, meditation, yoga and tai chi. (please spell check)

How massage can help you manage stress

The Mayo Clinic notes that studies have found massage helpful for stress relief and for managing anxiety and depression, as well as boosting immunity. Massage has been shown to help regulate hormones including norepinephrine, cortisol and serotonin — naturally occurring chemicals in the body that are associated with stress, relaxation and mood.

Beyond the physical effects of tactile manipulation of the muscles, tissues, joints and organs, the stress-relief and health benefits of massage also come from the caring and comfort of physical touch.

These benefits of regular massage can help you cope with stress when it’s occurring — and also develop a stronger everyday resilience to the stresses life will inevitably bring.

Stressed to the max? We can help. Our team of massage therapy professionals is trained to help you identify your stress “storage” points and release the tension physically — so you can let it go more easily and feel calm, cool and in control of whatever comes at you. Life brings it on. We get it out.

Be sure to check with your doctor if you’re experiencing chronic stress. Your symptoms could be associated with a serious health condition.

5 Ways a Prenatal Massage Should Be Different

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:46:00 -0600

5 Ways a Prenatal Massage Should Be Different

Pregnancy can be so uncomfortable! Time for a massage — but do you need a special kind of massage when you’re pregnant? What’s different about it besides the fact that you might not be able to lie on your stomach? Here’s why the experience, techniques and benefits of a prenatal massage are different from a standard massage.

When you’re expecting a baby you’re likely to feel all kinds of aches and pains. The added weight you’re carrying, along with the way it’s centered in the front of your body, can cause changes in your posture and gait as your body tries to compensate for your changing center of gravity. But as the uterus expands, the baby grows and your hormone levels shift, it’s more than just backache that can ensue. There are several ways in which a real prenatal massage is different than the average relaxation massage you receive at a typical day spa. These differences become more important and more pronounced as your pregnancy progresses — with more adjustments made in your second and third trimester vs. in your first trimester.

Prenatal massage techniques are designed to …

o Reduce swelling. Special manipulation techniques can be used to stimulate soft tissues to reduce edema (fluid retention). Edema is often caused by the fact that the heavy uterus can reduce circulation and increase pressure on major blood vessels, notes the American Pregnancy Association based on research published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

o Relieve sciatica. Sciatic nerve pain is a common complication during pregnancy because the uterus rests on the pelvic floor and lower back muscles. The pressure radiates pain through the sciatic nerve into leg muscles, in turn causing those muscles to swell and put pressure on nearby nerves. Massage therapy can reduce inflammation in the nerves by helping to release the tension on nearby muscles. Many pregnant women experience significant reduction in sciatic nerve pain through regular massage.

o Balance hormone levels. Recent studies have shown that massage during pregnancy significantly improved regulation of the hormones norepinephrine, cortisol and serotonin — hormones associated with stress, relaxation and mood. These improvements can help expectant mothers balance out mood swings and reduce the risk of low birth weight or complications with delivery, reports the APA . based on an article on massage therapy effects on pregnant women suffering with depression, in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

o Keep baby safe. The intensity of the pressure applied to the muscles and tissues, and the positioning of the mother’s body, should be adjusted to ensure that the baby is protected.

5 tips for getting the right prenatal massage for you:

1. Tell your massage therapist how far along you are and when your due date is.

2. Ask for a massage therapist experienced in prenatal massage techniques. These professionals specialize in prenatal and postnatal massages.

3. Advise the therapist of any particular troubles, concerns, aches … Point out where you’re feeling pain or discomfort, when it tends to be at its worst, and what activities seem to aggravate it or cause it to flare up.

4. Be specific. “Feels like” comparisons are helpful here — does it feel like a needle in your back every evening, or a dull ache in your hip when you try to bend?

5. Ask about Swedish massage. Swedish massage is a recommended prenatal massage method because it is effective at relieving many discomforts related to the changes in hormone levels, spinal and joint alignment, and circulation that are often experienced by pregnant women. Swedish massage aims to relax muscle tension and improve lymphatic and blood circulation. The therapist uses long, gliding strokes and kneading and tapping techniques on the top layer of muscles; and may also manipulate the joints gently to improve range of motion. Be sure to consult your doctor first about whether a massage is suitable for your condition. When you’re nearing delivery, schedule yourself for a postnatal massage. This type of therapy is differs from a prenatal massage in that it focuses on toning a new mother's body and reducing fluid retention. And of course, it can help ease the stresses of all the change you’re experiencing at home (like getting up with the baby in the middle of every night) — and that release and renewal can help you be a better mom.

Gift Cards 2 for $99

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:48:00 -0500

For a limited time we are offering Gift cards 2 for $99! Regular price is $138 Great gift idea for those who are hard to shop for on your list. Stop in to get yours today!

Hands on Health ... the Stress Reducer

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:16:00 -0600

What Is So Good About Massage Anyway?

Stress Reduction:
Massage is a great way to reduce the stress in your life. Not only are the physical effects very soothing, but there is often reduced anxiety and increased feelings of well-being. Massage has been proven to reduce levels of "stress hormones" that can be hazardous to your health. In addition to causing many types of health problems, some of these stress hormones are even thought to cause weight gain.
Pain Relief:
Muscular aches and pains, some joint pains, and some nerve impingements (pinched nerves) are often reduced or eliminated through massage therapy. Also, when combined with multiple styles of massage therapy like Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT), Myofascial Release,or even Jin Shin Do Acupressure those with chronic pain may get the benefit of long-lasting relief. Pain management and relief from conditions such as chronic low back pain, neck and shoulder pain, fibromyalgia, lupus, myofascial pain syndrome, migraines and other headaches, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, whiplash, and arthritis is common.
Less Soreness:
Muscle soreness from your fitness and sports activities, called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), can be decreased with massage.
Improved Circulation:
The circulation of the blood and lymph are generally improved, helping you to eliminate toxins, feel great, and promote healthy bodily function. This is true of all massage techniques but especially with Swedish Massage and Hot Stone Massage.
Improved Flexibility:
Massage can enhance tissue elasticity and flexibility and help increase the range of motion (mobility) of your joints. To improve flexibility massage therapy combined with Myofascial Release and Muscle Energy Technique, works very well. Even people with some forms of arthritis and Parkinson's Disease can receive this benefit - Ask your Doctor.
Better Sleep:
Many people sleep more restfully after receiving massage therapy. The benefit often continues several days after receiving massage therapy.
Better Athletic Performance:
Anyone who wants to be better in their sport should have massage therapy. In addition to the benefits above, Sports Massage can reduce recovery time from workouts, help prevent injury, and speed up healing of injuries that you get - letting you make greater gains.
Improved Posture:
Massage therapy can improve your posture by releasing muscles and connective tissues that lead to poor posture. Better posture helps to relieve stress on joints and muscles, reducing pain, reducing chronic tension, and increasing energy.
Reduced Anxiety and Depression:
Studies by the Touch Research Institute of the University of Miami report reduced anxiety and feelings of depression with regular massage therapy.
A More Comfortable Pregnancy:
Any mother who received massage therapy during her pregnancy can tell you that there's nothing better! Massage during pregnancy is safe and effective in relieving the aches and pains that often accompany the changes in the expectant mother's body. Guys, it's a great gift for the mom-to-be.

Best of All....It feels GREAT!!

Preventing Chronic Whiplash Symtoms with Massage

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:13:00 -0600

Time is of the essence in whiplash cases. The longer the patients go without proper treatment, the more they run the risk of chronic pain. The amount of damage to the vehicle does not equate to the level of injury that the body may sustain. Remember, the force of the accident has to be absorbed somewhere—if it does not go to the vehicle, then the force will go into the passengers.

What Is Whiplash?

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke defines whiplash as a soft tissue injury to the neck. It is characterized by a collection of symptoms that occur following damage to the neck. The symptoms can occur right after the injury, or may be delayed for several days. Symptoms can range from neck stiffness, headaches and dizziness to abnormal sensations such as burning, shoulder pain or back pain. Some people even experience memory loss, concentration impairment or sleep disturbances.

But some medical professionals feel that the root cause of CWS is psychological. The reasoning is that an acute whiplash patient restricts movement due to fear that the pain will be worse. As the theory goes, this restriction of movement causes a chronic pain situation.

I believe the primary reason for CWS is not in the patient’s head—it is in the soft tissue of the neck. The patient restricts movement because of the pain. Lessen the pain by increasing the function of the neck, and you will have the prescription to prevent CWS.

How Massage Can Help

Massage therapy can help prevent CWS. When the massage therapist works the appropriate muscles, neck pain decreases and range of motion increases.

First, the massage therapist will take a good history of the accident, emphasizing how the patient was hit. Was it a rear-end or a front-end collision? The head and neck should be evaluated for injury by range of motion and posture analysis. Then, the muscles mentioned below should be checked for spasm and other dysfunctions.

In classic whiplash, the neck goes through one of two mechanisms of injury—from a front-end collision or from a rear-end collision. Front-end collisions thrust the head forward and whip backward. The neck extensors (splenius capitius, semisplenius capitius) and upper trapezius are often injured in a front-end collision because they become overstretched.

In a rear-end collision, the head is thrust backward and then whipped forward. The sternocleidomastoid muscle, along with the scalenes, are the important muscles that are involved in this scenario.

The rear-end collision muscles and the front-end collision muscles are usually found to have sustained a micro-avulsion injury, where the muscle tears away from its attachment on the bone due to the trauma that is sustained from the whiplash motion of the neck. A muscle with a micro-avulsion injury will not function properly, which means the muscle will not be able to support the head and neck as it should. Massage therapy, by working generally on the muscles, will assist the muscle by increasing its blood supply. In addition, a technique that focuses on the specific muscle injured can be applied to the attachment sites of the muscle to facilitate the bonding of the muscle back to its attachment.

A pair of muscles often overlooked is the pectoralis minor muscles. Special attention should be given to these muscles, which lie deep in the front chest. Often these are the muscles strained when the body goes forward, and the restraint of the seat belt prevents the full movement forward. It is often found that the left pectoralis minor is affected more in drivers who were wearing their seat belt. Passengers who wore a seat belt in the front seat will show trauma to the right pectoralis minor. Note that our seat belts only go over one shoulder, which is the area of trauma intensity. Race car drivers, in contrast, are in a harness seat belt that holds both shoulders secure. This actually restricts soft tissue injury.

Massage therapy can make a major difference in acute whiplash by decreasing the patient’s suffering initially. With this relief, the massage therapist will help clients like Mary diminish the possibility of suffering from chronic whiplash syndrome.

Dr. Leo B. Stouder, D.C. (aka, Dr. Anatomy) teaches Applied Anatomy Seminars Send comments to: DrAnatomy@Bellsouth.net and visit www.AnatomySeminars.com.

Collisions and Consequence

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:12:00 -0600

Collisions and Consequences

By Hope Bentley

Getting rear-ended in traffic. Face-planting at the bottom of a ski slope. Tumbling over the handlebars on your bike. Whiplash comes in many forms and can become a long-term problem if not treated correctly. Fortunately, massage and bodywork can address the ache and discomfort that come with whiplash and prevent chronic pain down the road.

Understanding Whiplash
The term "whiplash" came into use in 1928. Doctors will sometimes use "hyperextension injury," to describe it, but "whiplash" is a more visceral account of what has happened to the victim's neck. The neck itself has made a whip-like motion bending first towards and then away from the point of impact. As the head moves rapidly in one direction, the muscles in the neck receive the message to contract. The momentum of the head can cause strain or sprain to the muscles and ligaments in the neck as the head reaches the end of its movement.

Car accidents are the most common causes of whiplash. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons reported that about 20 percent of people who have been in rear-end collisions later report whiplash symptoms. Whether front to back or side to side, whiplash can affect muscles all the way into the victim's back and arms. The most serious form of whiplash compresses nerves in the neck and cause multiple sprains of the ligaments.

The good news is, serious hyperextension injuries are in the minority, as whiplash usually comes in the less serious version of the injury. "Fortunately, about 95 percent of the time whiplash tends to be more superficial damage, like slight muscle strains and tears," says Ben Benjamin, Ph.D., a massage therapist who holds a doctorate in education and sports medicine. But whether the pain is minor soreness or serious discomfort, massage can provide relief and prevent chronic problems in the long run.

Whiplash Symptoms
The symptoms of whiplash include neck pain and stiffness, headaches, pain in the shoulder or between the shoulder blades (sometimes called "coat hanger pain"), low back pain, and pain or numbness in the arms or extremities.

Often people who suffer whiplash do not feel the effects until two or three days after the injury-causing incident. Benjamin explains that this delayed onset is because it takes time for scar tissue to manifest in the sprained or strained muscles and ligaments. And because scar tissue is more adhesive than regular tissue, people experience it as stiffness in the injured areas.

Whiplash affects primarily the neck, but victims shouldn't ignore the rest of the body. This injury can pull the long muscles on either side of the spine, which reach all the way to the tailbone and can cause discomfort along the way. Discomfort or stiffness in the chest and arms can also be due to whiplash. And headaches may be the result of slowed circulation to the head caused by the swelling in the injury.

Massage Can Help
Any massage that causes a general relaxation of the client's muscles can help relieve muscular pain in common types of whiplash injuries. In addition, massage increases the amount of oxygen that reaches the healing tissues and opens those tissues so they can receive oxygen and nutrients, thus speeding the healing process.

In addition to relaxation massage, specific bodywork methods ease acute whiplash discomfort and help prevent chronic fallout. For example, myofascial approaches restore fluidity to the fascia--normally a slippery tissue that surrounds all the moving parts inside the body--allowing freer movement of muscles and ligaments. Friction-based massage helps break up scar tissue and relieve stiffness. Trigger point therapy works by releasing tension held in tight knots of muscle. And any type of bodywork that stimulates circulation helps ease and prevent headaches.

Finally, the incident that caused the whiplash in the first place, (a car wreck, for instance) can be traumatic. Massage helps relax a client's psyche as well as their muscles, helping her or him work through the emotional issues induced by the accident.

Because the neck is such a delicate part of the body, it is important to proceed with caution. Benjamin advises waiting a few days after the accident to seek treatment. This allows the initial scar tissue to knit, which is an important part of the healing process. The initial treatment should be extremely gentle, and if there is a chance of a fracture, a concussion, any disc problem or other serious injury, the client should make sure to see a physician first.

Let the Healing Begin
It used to be that physicians would immobilize whiplash injuries with a cervical collar, but now health care professionals advise a more temperate course for their patients.

"I recommend gentle neck movement within your range of motion while lying on a pillow," says Benjamin. Movement may help prolong the benefits of the massage by continuing to circulate blood, oxygen, and nutrients through the healing tissue. "Heat or cold, whichever feels better, can also help," says Benjamin. "Soaking in a hot bath can also be beneficial." Limiting physical activity for a few days and getting plenty of rest in the wake of a whiplash injury is also a good idea.

Whiplash is traumatic and should be addressed soon after the injury to avoid any chronic problems. If you or someone you love is suffering from the repercussions of whiplash, consider a bodywork session to ease the discomfort. Massage can help lessen muscle pain, induce relaxation, and ease the trauma often associated with whiplash. You'll be back to your old self in no time.