THRIVE~
The Teal Center Stays in Touch
| Issue 17
August 2011
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***Helping You Heal Since 1990***
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We've Got Your Back: Study Shows Massage Better than Drugs
Dear Friends,
I hope your summer has been healthy and full of fun. With all of the political wrangling and economic upheaval we have some good news to add to the mix. If you have experienced the healing benefits of massage therapy this won't surprise you, but scientific verification is always good.
An increasing number of researchers and the lucky massage recipients participating in their studies are learning what regular massage clients already know: A weekly massage reduced back pain better than using only medications and exercises, and the effects of the 10-week treatment lasted for six months, according to a new study published July 5 in the the Annals of Internal Medicine. A free PDF of the study is available at the link above.
Yes, you read that right. This wasn't a study from the alternative, complementary side of the research community. This is coming straight from the publication read by white-coated doctors worldwide -- a fact that goes a long way in adding credibility in the health care community. The study, widely published in major newspapers and getting lots of link love on the social media front, adds to, and will likely fuel, the momentum of more Americans seeking complementary therapies. Earlier this year, a study from the National Institutes of Health showed that an increasing number of Americans are using alternative medicine. Between 2002 and 2007, use of complementary and alternative medicine therapies increased by 18 percent among whites, 17 percent among Asians, 6.6 percent among blacks and 1 percent among Hispanics.
Thanks to all of our loyal clients who have long recognized the value of receiving regular massage therapy!
Enjoy the rest of your summer everyone. Hope to see you soon.
Brenda and the Teal Center Team
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Sticky Subject:
KinesioTaping Measures Up
For years, cyclists and beach volleyball players have owned the road (and sand) when it came to athletes with the oddest tan lines. But now thanks to increasing popularity of kinesiotaping, athletes of all kinds are displaying the telltale strips of white flesh -- and even better, the looks of satisfaction that come from improved performance and decreased pain.
Although it's been around since 1970 (!), kineosotaping really made its, well, mark during the 2008 Beijing Olympics when U.S. beach volleyball gold-medalist Kerri Walsh used it profusely to fight pain after a rotator cuff surgery. And while the NBA's Kevin Garnett, soccer hotshot David Beckham and Lance Armstrong can all tell the tale of their tape, you don't have to tune into ESPN to see the effects of this new therapy. Therapists Adam Garcia and Debbie Wickenheiser are applying their knowledge and brightly colored strips of tape to clients at The Teal Center, including themselves.
Adam, who's been increasing his running mileage, has used the tape on his lower leg and feet. Along with massage and an adjustment by a chiropractor to his tarsals, the tape has helped Adam in his recovery and maintenance. "The feedback I'm getting is generally positive, they are often surprised at how well the applications help them," Adam says. "So that's a good thing!
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No Appointment Necessary
Get in touch with Teal Center therapists at the following events.
New Student Night at George Mason University, Arlington campus. Massage therapists Lucille Eddy and Amanda Long will school these new law students on how massage and acupuncture can help them get through the school year with less stress and more vitality. Aug. 31, 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Ballston Farmers Market
Arlington. Massage therapists Patti Rodriquez and Amanda long will treat folks to some home-grown food for the soul with pay-what-you-can chair massage at this popular outdoor, afternoon event. Given our recent extreme heat, we'll be returning later this fall. TBD
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Reflection
I found this recently on a friend's facebook page: When the Dalai Lama was asked what surprises him most he said, "Man, because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived at all."
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Get Up, Stand Up
It Can Save Your Life
Computers and commuters -- massage therapists often joke that those are job security for our profession. And the one thing they have in common is the requirement that you be sitting. Humans were not built to sit for the amount of time we're on our duff these days -- and the danger of doing so isn't just a bigger waistline.
A study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise of more than 17,000 men and women over 13 years found those who sit for most of the day were 54 percent more likely to die of heart attacks. Another report in a recent New York Times Magazine story found the death rate for those who spent six or more hours a day sitting was 20 percent higher than for men who sat for three hours or less. For women, the difference was 40 percent.
So, don't just sit there.
Do something, or all of these things:
- Put a timer next to your desk or set your phone or e-mail to remind you to stand up.
- Walk around. Doing so burns three to five times more calories than sitting does. Instead of sending an email, walk over and talk to your co-worker in person.
- Be a stand-up guy or gal. Hold your next meeting standing up or walking.
- Skip the elevator. Take the stairs.
- Think on your feet. This sitting is death research has launched a new industry of stand-up desks.
For more tips, follow us on Facebook
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The THRIVE Five
In each issue of THRIVE a Teal Center therapist finishes five sentences that will help you get to know them better.
Nishanka Lahr, CMT
The best thing about being a massage therapist is the trust others bestow on me, and being a witness to people coming into balance, connection and awareness as improved health makes them more empowered. I also work with awesome colleagues. Before I was a massage therapist I was a recreation therapist and assistant group therapist in an in-patient rehab center for teen and adult addiction units, and also worked on a crisis intervention hotline.
If you want to make me laugh uncontrollably you must be my best friend or my husband. I knew this was the job for me when I studied Kripalu Massage, yoga and meditation for a live-in month long training prior to starting massage school. I adored the attention to care, stillness and self trust that it required of me in order to tune into another person's needs. I loved how the work made me more aware and compassionate. I liked that these were generally ingredients other seasoned professionals seemed to hold in esteem, effectively connecting me to my colleagues on an intimate level as we all strive towards awareness and health. I knew I wanted to work with children when I saw the profound effects it has on the family unit when a child came into balance.
If I could convince all my clients to do one thing it would be trust yourself, listen to your body, be a friend to what is happening.
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| We're committed to support your health and wellness & always to deliver on the TEAL promise:
Team oriented, highly trained and experienced practitioners
Effective treatment, including thorough evaluation and education about self care
Attention to the whole person: body, mind and spirit
Listening carefully to understand and address your concerns
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