More research notes: we all know massage feels good and helps heal sore muscles, but how? In one clinical trial, research subjects performed difficult exercises, and then received Swedish massage on only one leg. Biopsies on each leg found that massage activated genes that decrease inflammation and promote energy generation within cells, resulting in muscles that hurt less and grow quicker. If you want the source go to today's blog entry. So, do what horse trainers know-get a good rub down after exercise!
The study was published in February 2012 in Science Translational Medicine. I read the story in Body Sense Magazine, Spring Issue, 2012, which you can link to from my website. This issue also contains one of my favorite articles "I'm a Massage Convert" which tells one man's story about why he spends his very few discretionary dollars on regular massage.
Are you a convert?
Peace
Friday, August 30, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
What Is and What Is No More, Progress?
Two poems of change,
Buffalo Dusk
The buffalo are gone.
And those who saw the buffaloes are gone.
Those who saw the buffaloes by the thousands and how they
pawed the prairie sod into dust with their hoofs,
their great heads down pawing on in a great pageant
of dusk,
those who saw the buffaloes are gone,
And the buffaloes are gone.
-----Carl Sandburg
The Flower-Fed Buffaloes
The flower-fed buffaloes of the spring
In the days of long ago
Ranged where the locomotives sing
And the prairie flowers lie low:
The tossing, blooming, perfumed grass
Is swept away by wheat,
Wheels and wheels and wheels spin by
In the spring that still is sweet.
But the flower-fed buffaloes of the spring
Left us long ago,
They gore no more, they bellow no more:--
With the Blackfeet lying low,
With the Pawnee lying low.
--------Vachel Lindsay
These two poets, born a year apart, were both members of the Chicago School of Poets.
Buffalo Dusk
The buffalo are gone.
And those who saw the buffaloes are gone.
Those who saw the buffaloes by the thousands and how they
pawed the prairie sod into dust with their hoofs,
their great heads down pawing on in a great pageant
of dusk,
those who saw the buffaloes are gone,
And the buffaloes are gone.
-----Carl Sandburg
The Flower-Fed Buffaloes
The flower-fed buffaloes of the spring
In the days of long ago
Ranged where the locomotives sing
And the prairie flowers lie low:
The tossing, blooming, perfumed grass
Is swept away by wheat,
Wheels and wheels and wheels spin by
In the spring that still is sweet.
But the flower-fed buffaloes of the spring
Left us long ago,
They gore no more, they bellow no more:--
With the Blackfeet lying low,
With the Pawnee lying low.
--------Vachel Lindsay
These two poets, born a year apart, were both members of the Chicago School of Poets.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Safely Stretching Necks and Easing Computer Eyes
(this is a continuation of a conversation from my Face Book page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rising-Sun-Massage/1662628780544032)
OK, back to stretching the neck, it's pretty straight forward ( or sideways) but you should not bend the neck straight back. This compresses all the vertebra and can cause more strain and pain. To stretch the front of the neck, tilt the head back and left, and then back and right. When doing any stretching, go to where you first feel a gentle stretch and hold it there until you feel the tissues release, then if you want to go further, gently do so.
There are organelles in the tissues that tell your brain how much stretch is being put on the muscles,(this is also where several parts of your balance system are located) and since the muscle's job is to protect your joints any sudden over stimulation of the length sensors causes the muscles to contract. So, slow and easy is the way to make progress, and of course, consistency. Easy, right? Pick a body part every day to focus on, and every thing will get at least some attention on a regular basis.
You can do stretches statically, moving into one position and holding it, or you can do a moving stretch. This has be particularly mindful. There are fluids that are produced in joints only when they are moving that help with motion and comfort. So if you are rehabbing an injury, movement is your friend. Just go slow and easy. You can do circles with your head, slowly.Feeling every part at each moment will protect your neck and muscles. There are nerves in the neck that can cause some vertigo if stretched overly much, so take caution when stretching the neck. The best prevention for neck strain is the proverbial warning: HEADS UP!
At my website you can find a link to this season's edition of Body Sense Magazine and an article about how using computers is causing eye and neck muscle strain. go here: http://www.risingsunmassage.massagetherapy.com/body-sense-magazine to read the article.
Peace
OK, back to stretching the neck, it's pretty straight forward ( or sideways) but you should not bend the neck straight back. This compresses all the vertebra and can cause more strain and pain. To stretch the front of the neck, tilt the head back and left, and then back and right. When doing any stretching, go to where you first feel a gentle stretch and hold it there until you feel the tissues release, then if you want to go further, gently do so.
There are organelles in the tissues that tell your brain how much stretch is being put on the muscles,(this is also where several parts of your balance system are located) and since the muscle's job is to protect your joints any sudden over stimulation of the length sensors causes the muscles to contract. So, slow and easy is the way to make progress, and of course, consistency. Easy, right? Pick a body part every day to focus on, and every thing will get at least some attention on a regular basis.
You can do stretches statically, moving into one position and holding it, or you can do a moving stretch. This has be particularly mindful. There are fluids that are produced in joints only when they are moving that help with motion and comfort. So if you are rehabbing an injury, movement is your friend. Just go slow and easy. You can do circles with your head, slowly.Feeling every part at each moment will protect your neck and muscles. There are nerves in the neck that can cause some vertigo if stretched overly much, so take caution when stretching the neck. The best prevention for neck strain is the proverbial warning: HEADS UP!
At my website you can find a link to this season's edition of Body Sense Magazine and an article about how using computers is causing eye and neck muscle strain. go here: http://www.risingsunmassage.massagetherapy.com/body-sense-magazine to read the article.
Peace
Friday, July 12, 2013
Weeds and Flowers and Massage
I had a new client last week. She came in and looked around and said something a bit surprising and pleasing. She said she likes how I had arranged my studio and home, how everything seemed to be placed with great intention, in just the right spot. This is indeed my goal, to create an environment that will help people to relax the moment they walk in. I had forgotten to observe for myself that I had achieved my goal. This came up again a few days later when I looked out at my garden and saw all the work undone, the weeds un-pulled. Then remembering what my client had said, my vision sort of shifted and I saw the beauty of the flowers, and the care that had gone into creating the timing of the flowering, the height of the plantings, and I saw it as someone else might see it. Just a beautiful, peaceful place.
As a gardener most of my time is not, as one might think, spent nurturing the flowers, but pulling the weeds. By removing what is not desired, space and resources are freed up.The desirable plants know how to grow on their own, they don't need me for that.
So too does your body know how to heal itself. In a way, when you come in with sore shoulders, achy hands, or a sore elbow, I'm still pulling weeds. By the careful unraveling and elimination of the tension and pain that has accumulated, stores of energy and resources are available for physical healing and emotional balance.
Pull the weeds, and flowers grow. Get a massage, and health flows!
Peace
As a gardener most of my time is not, as one might think, spent nurturing the flowers, but pulling the weeds. By removing what is not desired, space and resources are freed up.The desirable plants know how to grow on their own, they don't need me for that.
So too does your body know how to heal itself. In a way, when you come in with sore shoulders, achy hands, or a sore elbow, I'm still pulling weeds. By the careful unraveling and elimination of the tension and pain that has accumulated, stores of energy and resources are available for physical healing and emotional balance.
Pull the weeds, and flowers grow. Get a massage, and health flows!
Peace
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Independence Day poem, July 4, 2013
On the (physical) poetry post in the garden, for the last three years, I have posted a special 4th of July poem. This year I will post it here as well. It's an oldie, but still a goodie.
I Hear America Singing
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear;
Those of mechanics—each one singing his, as it should be, blithe and strong;
The carpenter singing his, as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his, as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work;
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat—the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck;
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench—the hatter singing as he stands;
The wood-cutter’s song—the ploughboy’s, on his way in the morning, or at the noon intermission, or at sundown;
The delicious singing of the mother—or of the young wife at work—or of the girl sewing or washing—
Each singing what belongs to her, and to none else;
The day what belongs to the day—
At night, the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing, with open mouths, their strong melodious songs.
---- Walt Whitman (from Leaves of Grass,
first published in the 1867 edition)
Remember what it took to build this nation, and all the nations that were here that were subsumed. Let's continue to build
PEACE
for the tree and stone
for the grass and the leaves,
the children and brook
the people and the river
the earth and all her children
all the people of the rainbow
praying for
peace.
I Hear America Singing
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear;
Those of mechanics—each one singing his, as it should be, blithe and strong;
The carpenter singing his, as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his, as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work;
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat—the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck;
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench—the hatter singing as he stands;
The wood-cutter’s song—the ploughboy’s, on his way in the morning, or at the noon intermission, or at sundown;
The delicious singing of the mother—or of the young wife at work—or of the girl sewing or washing—
Each singing what belongs to her, and to none else;
The day what belongs to the day—
At night, the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing, with open mouths, their strong melodious songs.
---- Walt Whitman (from Leaves of Grass,
first published in the 1867 edition)
Remember what it took to build this nation, and all the nations that were here that were subsumed. Let's continue to build
PEACE
for the tree and stone
for the grass and the leaves,
the children and brook
the people and the river
the earth and all her children
all the people of the rainbow
praying for
peace.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Chest Relaxed, Shoulders Back
To continue on with healing sore necks and shoulders... ( I know it's been a bit of a break here, didn't mean to be gone so long) There has been a surge of painful shoulders in my practice and among my friends, so this has been on my mind and lips a lot. One of the most important things to do is get those shoulders down and BACK. When directed to stand up straight and get your shoulders back, most people push their shoulders back using their pectorals.(chest muscles) What you want to do is PULL them back using the muscles between your shoulder blades. The pecs are already strong muscles, and building strength in the back muscles is key to a variety of postural changes that will help your shoulders feel better. I'll describe how to do that most effectively on the blog, so I'll see you there...
So, part of having healthy happy shoulders starts with foot placement. Toes forward shifts our weight forward, relaxes the butt muscles, allows the spine to lengthen, and drops the shoulders. This was covered in the last post. So now we have to get those shoulders back. Most of our everyday activities involve postures that drop our head forward, and curl our upper spine. This rotates the shoulders forward, and shortens the pec muscles. While this is going on the muscles between the shoulder blades are contracting to provide stability for shoulder movement, but are simultaneously being stretched, and are static for long periods of time. This makes them weak and cranky. Really cranky. So, the cure for this is, as in almost all cases, increased blood flow by way of muscle contraction. The trick here is to get the back muscles to contract, and keep the pecs from being involved. The solution is to get your arms behind your ears. Let me explain. Lift your arms as if you were holding a bar above your head., so your arms are straight out to your sides, and elbows bent in a 90 degree angle. Now, move your elbows so that they are behind your ears, put another way, move your elbows towards the back of you, upper arms still parallel to the floor. Got it? Good. Now from here, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Your chest muscles should be out of the equation and the back muscles should be going, "ahhhh." Do a few repetitions in sets of 8-10. Do throughout the day to nourish and clean out the tissues. Even simpler... with your arms at your side, again bend the elbows to 90 degrees, and rotate the hands so they are palms up and thumbs are pointing behind you. Now squeeze the shoulder blades together. So there you have it, go forth with your feet forward, and shoulders rolled back. You'll look proud, and your back and shoulders will be happier.
Peace
So, part of having healthy happy shoulders starts with foot placement. Toes forward shifts our weight forward, relaxes the butt muscles, allows the spine to lengthen, and drops the shoulders. This was covered in the last post. So now we have to get those shoulders back. Most of our everyday activities involve postures that drop our head forward, and curl our upper spine. This rotates the shoulders forward, and shortens the pec muscles. While this is going on the muscles between the shoulder blades are contracting to provide stability for shoulder movement, but are simultaneously being stretched, and are static for long periods of time. This makes them weak and cranky. Really cranky. So, the cure for this is, as in almost all cases, increased blood flow by way of muscle contraction. The trick here is to get the back muscles to contract, and keep the pecs from being involved. The solution is to get your arms behind your ears. Let me explain. Lift your arms as if you were holding a bar above your head., so your arms are straight out to your sides, and elbows bent in a 90 degree angle. Now, move your elbows so that they are behind your ears, put another way, move your elbows towards the back of you, upper arms still parallel to the floor. Got it? Good. Now from here, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Your chest muscles should be out of the equation and the back muscles should be going, "ahhhh." Do a few repetitions in sets of 8-10. Do throughout the day to nourish and clean out the tissues. Even simpler... with your arms at your side, again bend the elbows to 90 degrees, and rotate the hands so they are palms up and thumbs are pointing behind you. Now squeeze the shoulder blades together. So there you have it, go forth with your feet forward, and shoulders rolled back. You'll look proud, and your back and shoulders will be happier.
Peace
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Feet Forward, Shoulders Down
Sore neck/shoulders? Of course, we all have them. Believe it or not, the beginning of having less pain there begins with your feet. This will take a bit of explaining, so I'll start here, and finish on the blog. The first part is this: stand up, or do this sometime you're doing something like washing dishes. First assess how you feel in your various parts: legs, hips, shoulders. Now, look down at your feet. Chances are one or both of your feet are rotated away from the mid-line of your body, the opposite of pigeon toed. Now bring both feet so they are pointing straight forward, (you'll have to look at them to make sure.) Take a deep breath, relax, and let your body regions readjust. What happened? For most folks there is a predictable sequence of events. I'll go through it on the blog if you want to follow the discussion there.
Continuing on with the exercise from today's Facebook posting, the first thing people say is that they now feel pigeon toed! Our muscles have proprioceptors in them that tell us where we are in space, but chronic muscle shortening can distort what they perceive to be the right place for us to be!
Next, your body weight should have shifted to your quadriceps, the muscle on the front of the thigh. And your shoulders should have descended, relaxing from where they usually reside up around your ears. Some of you may have felt your spine lengthen, as your tail bone tucked under.
The kids song about the "hip bone is connected to the thigh bone" is very literally true, and applies just as surely to the soft tissue. We are a collection of parts, but we are one; each member influencing the position and function of even its most distant neighbors.
Try to develop the habit of feet straight forward. This will involve some hip stretching to counterbalance the outward rotation of the hips, which is caused by contracted gluts. This will require some mindfulness, but will pay off in a happier body.
Peace
Continuing on with the exercise from today's Facebook posting, the first thing people say is that they now feel pigeon toed! Our muscles have proprioceptors in them that tell us where we are in space, but chronic muscle shortening can distort what they perceive to be the right place for us to be!
Next, your body weight should have shifted to your quadriceps, the muscle on the front of the thigh. And your shoulders should have descended, relaxing from where they usually reside up around your ears. Some of you may have felt your spine lengthen, as your tail bone tucked under.
The kids song about the "hip bone is connected to the thigh bone" is very literally true, and applies just as surely to the soft tissue. We are a collection of parts, but we are one; each member influencing the position and function of even its most distant neighbors.
Try to develop the habit of feet straight forward. This will involve some hip stretching to counterbalance the outward rotation of the hips, which is caused by contracted gluts. This will require some mindfulness, but will pay off in a happier body.
Peace
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