Massage and Osteoporosis

May is national Osteoporosis month. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, by age 50 about half of all women and 25% of men will break a bone due to osteoporosis.  This is a disease in which bones become weaker and thinner, putting you at an increased risk for fractures.  While there are genetic predispositions, lifestyle choices such as proper exercise and nutrition also factor into the development of the disease.

The good news is, osteoporosis can not only be prevented (to a degree), but also managed.  One way to manage the pain of Osteoporosis is through…massage!  Massage therapy can help osteoporosis by promoting relaxation, increasing movement, improving posture, providing pain relief, and increasing joint health.

An educated massage therapist will make sure to first focus on relaxation and assess the health of your joints and tissues.  They should use gentle movements and avoid deep tissue work to emphasize a healthy range of motion.  To relieve the pain and stiffness that comes with chronic pain, some Swedish massage techniques can also be used to enhance blood circulation to the affected structures.

There are also several other considerations for osteoporosis massage, such as positioning clients for comfort, placing pillows under their trunk or back, and avoiding mobilization techniques or flexion exercises that stress the bones.

In short, while massage therapy can be very beneficial to someone suffering from osteoporosis, it is important to have a skilled massage therapist who will carefully examine your intake form and joint health before beginning.  Luckily, at Healing Hands we have massage therapists skilled in providing pain relief.  Schedule your appointment today!

#healingshandsmiami, #therapeuticmassage, #corporatewellness, #massage, #wellness, #painrelief, #healthyaging, #agingwell, #osteoporosis, #healthylifestyle, #energy

Celebrity Practitioners at Healing Hands

Did you know that here at Healing Hands we have not one…not two…but THREE celebrity practitioners?  That’s right!  Get to know our local celebrities in this week’s blog:

Vanessa Williams (Pilates)

Vanessa is a certified STOTT Pilates Instructor and enjoys teaching clients on the Mat or the Reformer.  She is also graduate of the C.H.E.K. Institute and a Holistic Lifestyle Coach.  As a young child, she was plagued with horrible allergies.  As she reached her 20’s, she discovered Pilates and Holistic nutrition and was able to use both to heal herself from within through lifestyle changes.  Through this, she not only became allergy-free, but also discovered her life calling: to educate people on managing weight, dealing with stress, and helping them with any nutritional and/or physical challenges they may be facing.

Vanessa says: “In my Pilates practice, I use a holistic approach and I am very conscious of treating the body as a whole and assessing lifestyle habits accordingly.  Working with clients one-on-one or in a group setting allows me to share my passion and that is what truly fulfills my heart.”

Janet Jackson (mindfulness)

Janet is an award-winning author, public speaker, wife, and proud mother of three kids.  She is also a licensed Heartmath coach and Reiki Master, and is certified in the Law of Attraction and Mindfulness.  She learned to find inner peace by practicing mindfulness during her 20 years working with ABC and CBS television networks in Los Angeles, and developed a passion for sharing her knowledge of meditation and mindfulness techniques with other organizations, including audiences worldwide as an online practitioner with Emindful.com.

Janet says: “I firmly believe that you can achieve inner peace, even in the middle of chaos.  This is the unwavering belief I teach in my trainings, speeches, and coaching.”

Pamela Anderson (massage)

Pamela studied massage therapy at Florida College of Natural Health and graduated in May 1997.  After massage school, Pam took a different path and started working in the post-production industry, but she always longed to start her own massage business.  In 2002, she took the leap and started working in the industry that she loves.  Pamela has always had a passion for helping others, and she loves working with people who are stressed out or injured, as well as athletes, children, elderly clients, and people dealing with serious health concerns such Multiple Sclerosis and Cancer.  She has worked in various chiropractor offices and spas throughout Miami.  She is skilled in various massage modalities including Swedish, deep tissue, and lymphatic drainage, and specializes in prenatal & infant massage, and oncology massage. 

Pam says: “I want to help you feel better and increase your quality of life!”

#healingshandsmiami, #therapeuticmassage, #corporatewellness, #massage, #wellness, #pilates, #healthylifestyle, #energy

The Lowdown on Stress

The word “stress” often carries a negative connotation with it due to its association with unpleasant side effects.

But here’s the thing: stress is simply how the brain and body responds to any given stimulus that requires a change or adaptation.  Therefore, stress is actually a good thing because it allows you to adapt to new situations, and to keep on keepin’ on.

In fact, there is a correlation between stress levels and performance.  The Yerkes-Dodson law states that the correlation between performance and physiological or mental arousal (stress) takes the shape of an inverted U-curve.  That is, your performance in life is positively impacted by stress, up to a point.  Once stress levels pass a certain threshold, performance decreases due to increased anxiety.  

Essentially, stress is not inherently bad, but as with most things in life, there can be too much of a good thing.  The key to harnessing stress in a positive way is multifaceted: recognize your stress levels, and change your reactions to necessary stressors by managing them.

The first step to managing stress is to recognize that it is there and to acknowledge the degree to which it is present.  Physical signs of excessive stress can include decreased energy, headaches, trouble sleeping, muscle tension, accelerated heart rate, and more.

However, there are less obvious but equally important mental clues: mental exhaustion, feelings of depression or anxiety, or frequent and intense mood swings.  By being cued into what you are experiencing and recognizing your stress levels, you’ll be able to manage them before they get worse, and ensure you stay on the positive side of the Yerkes-Dodson U-curve.

Once you have recognized your stress levels, it’s time to manage them!  To do so, you need to create a balance between activities/habits aimed at maintaining your physical health AND your mental health.  This combination will decrease the perceived threat to your body and aid your brain in returning to healthy stress levels.

To take care of your physical health, it’s important to prioritize whole nutrient-rich foods, exercise often, and adhere to a consistent and healthy sleep schedule.  To care for the mental aspect, try to prioritize hobbies, spend time alone (or time with loved ones, whatever rejuvenates you most), and establish morning and bedtime routines to relax and unwind.

Of course, there’s really nothing quite like a relaxing massage to get your mind off of things and help you HARNESS your stress!

#healingshandsmiami, #therapeuticmassage, #corporatewellness, #massage, #wellness, #stress, #healthylifestyle, #energy, #stressmanagement

You DON’T Snooze, You Lose

You DON’T Snooze, You Lose

Sleeping enough is just one of those things we know we should do but don’t really know why.  The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours a night for people ages 18-64, but chances are most of us are not getting anywhere near the recommended amount.  With today’s busy work schedules, long commute times, and increasing commitments, it can be difficult for the average person to get the recommended amount of sleep.  Read: difficult, but not impossible.  Read on to find out why you should prioritize getting enough zzz’s…

1.    It keeps your heart healthy.  In honor of February being American Heart Month, we first have to mention the importance of enough sleep in regards to a healthy heart; lack of sleep has been associated with worsening of blood pressure and cholesterol, which are risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

2.    It improves your memory.  Learning and memory are described in three different functions: acquisition (taking in new information into the brain), consolidation (the processing of the information and formation of memories), and recall (the ability to access the information after it is stored).  Researchers think that various sleep stages are responsible – or at least involved – in the consolidation of memories.  Sleep deprivation may also have implications for learning impairment.

3.    It may help you lose weight.  Recent research shows that people who sleep less than 7 hours a night are more likely to be overweight or obese.  It’s been shown that a lack of sleep may cause a hormonal imbalance in the body that impacts appetite regulating hormones (ghrelin and leptin).  This causes increased appetite.  Pair that with decreased movement from lack of energy and you’ve got a recipe for weight gain!

4.    It reduces stress.  Much like a good massage, getting enough sleep reduces stress.  Conversely, a lack of sleep will place your body into a state of stress.  This increases the production of stress hormones such as cortisol (which has other unpleasant side effects), and may even elevate blood pressure.

Convinced?  We sure are!  While getting enough sleep can be a tough thing to plan around, it’s crucial that you do so for your long-term health.  There are strategies you can implement in order to balance all your responsibilities and still get enough sleep.  Where there’s a will there’s a way!  So, go on and hit that snooze button (just kidding, probably don’t do that).  😊

#healingshandsmiami, #therapeuticmassage, #corporatewellness, #massage, #wellness, #sleep, #healthylifestyle, #energy, #stress

The Strangest Massages in the World

It’s no secret that a conventional massage can be one of the best ways to relax.  However, there are tons of different types of massages out there!  Some are meant for more than just relaxation, such as our deep tissue and stretching massage options.

The variety that exists in the massage world is…impressive, to say the least.  Check out a few of the STRANGEST massage options that exist around the world:

1.     Knife massage - Yup. You read that right.  This Taiwanese form of massage, otherwise known as dao lio, uses butcher knives (dulled, but still...) to gently pound on the backs of clients for the purpose of releasing the body’s energy and stimulating blood flow.  This procedure is said to be recommended to treat conditions like insomnia and arthritis.

2.     Snail massage - This is technically not a massage (it’s a facial), but it’s still worth mentioning.  In a nutshell, snails are left to crawl around on your face and secrete mucus.  The mucus is reported to have beauty-boosting ingredients; proteins, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants that help exfoliate and moisturize your skin.

3.     Snake massage - We mentioned earlier that a massage can be one of the best ways to relax.  Well, some Bali spas are operating under an entirely different assumption; inducing fear by placing pythons onto a customer’s back in order to induce an adrenaline rush which is thought to positively affect your metabolism.  To each his own...!

4.     Elephant massage - While this can sound like an exciting and memorable tourist activity, unlike the others on this list it’s got some ethical issues attached to it.  The elephants obviously didn’t learn to massage tourists on their own, they were taught to.  The problem is in the teaching methods; the elephants had to be broken into submission to learn these “tricks”.  Equally troubling is the fact that tourists are in direct danger when paying for this service.  Elephants have been known to act out aggressively in captivity (understandably so).  By paying for this service you are not only encouraging further animal abuse but also endangering yourself!  Do yourselves a favor, stay away from this one.

Don’t panic! Not all massages have to be this eccentric. If you’re looking for a slightly less nerve-inducing experience, our relaxing massages might be right up your alley!

BONUS: Check out our blog post from 1/24/18 entitled “How to get a massage without being touched by people” to learn about cat massages, fish pedicures, llama therapy, robotic massage, and more…

#healingshandsmiami, #therapeuticmassage, #corporatewellness, #massage, #wellness, #relaxing, #healthylifestyle, #energy

Service Spotlight: Pilates

You may have heard the word “Pilates” thrown around at your local gym. You might even know that it’s one of our many corporate wellness service offerings. But how much do you really know about what Pilates is and why you should give it a go? Let’s dive in!

Essentially, Pilates is a form of low-impact exercise that aims to strengthen muscles while emphasizing proper postural alignment, flexibility, and targeting the core. Movements are all slow and controlled, and the focus is on quality of movement, not quantity. The result is a unique mix of gentle but challenging movements.

Fun fact: the creator of Pilates (Joseph Pilates) actually dubbed his exercise regimen “Contrology” (it was only later named after him) and was inspired to create the concept by the classical Greek ideal of a man balanced in mind, body, and spirit.

There are two basic forms of Pilates; mat-based and reformer-based. The Reformer is a specialized machine used for Pilates. The classes we offer through our corporate wellness services are of the mat-based kind and aim to condition deep stabilizer muscles while strengthening and elongating bigger muscle groups resulting in improved posture, balance, and coordination.

Okay so that all sounds great…but why is this service part of corporate wellness?

Well, just think about what sitting at your desk for hours on end does to your body. Most of us have less than ideal posture and are slumped at our desk for most of the day, which can lead to pain over time. Luckily, Pilates emphasizes strengthening your core, which includes all the muscles responsible for your ability to sit up straight. By learning to not only engage but also to strengthen the muscles responsible for stability in a sitting position (abdominals, back, shoulders), you will not only adopt better posture, but you will be able to sustain it for a longer period of time. This translates into your muscles being strong enough to withstand a traditional workday without fatiguing and allowing you to hunch over, therefore avoiding pain.

Need a way to sell your employer on the idea? This study found that when employees exercised at work they reported managing their time better, having more pleasant interactions with colleagues, and increasing their productivity. They even reported going home more satisfied at the end of the day. That sounds like a win-win to me!

Talk to your employer today about our incorporating our Pilates service into your work day to boost productivity and satisfaction at your organization.

#healingshandsmiami, #therapeuticmassage, #corporatewellness, #massage, #wellness, #pilates, #healthylifestyle, #energy, #productivity

4 Reasons to Adopt a Pet After the Holidays

The holidays are over, which may leave some of us in a bit of a slump as we return to work and day to day activities, but here’s an idea to beat the post-holiday blues: adopt a new furry friend.  Of course this should never be a spur-of-the-moment decision (pets are a lot of work and need lots of love), but if it’s something you’ve been considering for a while and you’re ready to make a 10 to 20 year commitment, now is the perfect time for a couple of reasons:

1.    Shelters are often at their max capacity around this time – it’s the heartbreaking truth; between owners who surrendered their pets so they could take long vacations and pets that were given as gifts (please don’t ever do this), there’s an influx of pets given up or returned to shelters around this time of year.  By adopting now, you’ll have more options and you’ll save a life.

2.    You’ll be more realistic – now that you’re back to your normal routine, you can more accurately gauge your ability to make the financial and emotional commitment a pet requires.  Are you able to make the time to walk a dog every single day?  Are you home enough to give that kitten the attention it deserves?  Once you reassess your daily routine, you can make a more informed decision about your ability to properly care for a pet.

3.   It saves a life – by adopting, you give an animal a second chance.  It’s one of the most rewarding things you can do!  You get to watch them thrive in their new home and give them much-needed love.  Pets that are rescued from shelters often go through amazing transformations and flourish once they’ve found their forever family.

4.   It might keep you healthier – Harvard scientists say the emotional attachment you develop with your pet causes biological brain effects that reduce the stress response – much like massage does – and can end up lowering your blood pressure, oxygen consumption, and anxiety level.

If you’re ready to adopt a furry friend, don’t forget to do your research and make sure you’re 100% prepared!  As a proud pet parent myself, I can tell you that it will be one of the best decisions of your life. ❤️

#healingshandsmiami, #therapeuticmassage, #corporatewellness, #massage, #wellness, #pets, #healthylifestyle, #energy

Stand Up For Your Health

Literally!  Well, figuratively too of course.  But today we’re talking about literally standing, and why you should make that a priority to counteract the effects of sitting too long.

Long periods of sitting are associated with increased risk for diabetes, cancer, and can double your risk for cardiovascular disease.  As it turns out, people who sit for prolonged periods of time (more than 10 hours a day) have elevated levels of troponins (a protein that indicates heart damage).  While these elevated levels are not enough to qualify as cardiac disease, prolonged elevated levels could help explain why those who sit for long periods of time are at a higher risk of premature death than people who sit for less time.

Additionally, another recent study found that healthy middle aged adults who spent more time sitting had signs of cognitive decline in areas of the brain connected to memory formation. 

And now for more bad news…

According to a new analysis of studies of this subject published in the Lancet, you may be able to counteract the effects of sitting for too long with enough exercise.  The catch?  “Enough exercise” in these conditions is more than double the recommended amount of exercise for a healthy adult.  This means a MINIMUM of 60-75 minutes of exercise every day.  

The good news?

All hope is not lost! Combined with a healthy diet and exercise regimen, simply increasing your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) can be enough to counteract the dangers of sitting.  This is the energy you expend apart from the thermic effect of food, your basal metabolic rate, and your daily exercise.  Essentially, all the calories you burn from things like fidgeting, standing, and walking.  So, no need to work out for crazy amounts of time!

Ways to increase your NEAT and reduce sitting time could include asking your employer (or doing it yourself) to invest in a standing desk, taking short 10-minute walks every hour or so, and walking or biking to work.

Last but not least, here at Healing Hands we are big believers in prioritizing wellness both at work and at home.  We offer various services through our corporate wellness programs that can help get you up and moving.

So make sure to talk to your employer about any number of ways to encourage movement in the office, and don’t forget…stand up for your health!

#healingshandsmiami, #therapeuticmassage, #corporatewellness, #massage, #wellness, #sitting, #healthylifestyle #office, #energy

Caffeine-Free Energy

Americans love their cup of Joe. 54% of Americans over 18 drink coffee every day.  The average level of consumption is just over three 9 oz cups a day, which is roughly equivalent to 331mg of caffeine.  This puts the average consumption (meaning that many people would have to consume over this amount to balance out the mean) dangerously close to the upper limit of what appears to be safe (400mg a day).

For many people, coffee is a part of their daily routine.  It keeps them awake, alert, and chases away the fatigue.  But is there a safer way to accomplish this?

Absolutely!  There are tons of safer, natural ways to improve energy levels.  However, the underlying theme is this: take care of your body, and it will reward you for it.

By making sleep a priority, adopting a healthy balanced diet, making sure to get in daily movement and adequate levels of exercise weekly, you should see a change in energy levels almost immediately.

There is one additional component that can’t be forgotten: mental health.  The mind is a powerful thing, and feelings of depression or overwhelming stress can easily cause you to feel fatigued and foggy and have you reaching for that fourth cup of coffee in no time, so managing stress and depression is critical in managing your energy levels. 

Basically, coffee can still be an enjoyable part of our day, but we should be careful not to overdo it as it can come with some pretty unpleasant side effects.  Instead, emphasize the components of a healthy lifestyle and reap the benefits that come with it – including increased energy and focus!

Need help kickstarting your energy?  Massage can give you the best of both worlds.  Not only can it increase energy by reducing the symptoms that cause fatigue (including stress and depression), but it also improves sleep and decreases pain and muscle recovery – all things that leave your body and mind feeling refreshed.

#healingshandsmiami, #therapeuticmassage, #corporatewellness, #massage, #wellness, #coffee, #healthylifestyle, #energy