Jaw Pain

This past week I began seeing new client seeking relief from her jaw pain. When her husband past away a year and a half ago, her new life became overwhelmed with stress and anxiety. It led her to begin grinding her teeth in the night. It has gotten to the point where on a bad day, she can barely open her mouth a half an inch. It limited her diet to consist of only soup and smoothies. She is now dangerously underweight.

This is an extreme case, but an excellent example of how emotional stress manifests into physical dysfunction. Her doctor diagnosed her with Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Syndrome. Because the crux of the pain occurs as a result of chronically contracted chewing muscles, he recommended massage therapy in addition to her spinal and cranial chiropractic adjustments.

The massage I do with her is, as always, a mix between a relaxation treatment and functionally restorative. I begin with a completely unrelated area to the pain: usually her feet or legs. This is sedating to the mind and allows me to feel more deeply using less effort once I get to a more sensitive area, like the head and face. Massage to a painful area can be deep or light, but most importantly, the therapist should move slowly and carefully. This is truly therapeutic.

Colds & Flus

Tis the season for sniffling! It happens to the best of us. What happens if you become ill and you have a massage appointment?

Colds and flus are invasions to the body. Your immune system is like the military strategizing and implementing an attack. Lymph and blood carry white blood cells around the body sweeping up the infection. Lymph glands become centers for harboring the foreign substances.

One of the primary effects of massage is an increase in fluid circulation. The therapists hands, forearms, elbows, knees and/or feet are mechanically pushing blood and lymph around in your body. The problem with this is that your immune system has already made a very specific and careful plan of attack. Getting a massage while fighting the infection can have one of two possible reactions:

A) The body expels the infection faster than it would have otherwise and you are healed.
B) The body is overwhelmed by the new and unexpected activity, causing a set-back in the recovery process. You become even sicker than you were before.

It is because of this second possible reaction that we recommend calling to reschedule your appointment. As always, "cause no harm" is most important to us. Stay home and get some sleep!!

How to Help a New York City Marathon Runner

This past Friday, I gave a massage to my client who would be running in the New York City marathon. It was only 36 hours before the race's start time so I had very specific objectives.

Although he had eased his training regime during this last week before the event, his muscles still contained a great deal of tension and chemical waste from burning so much energy. I first massaged his abdomen to stimulate their processes. Then I systematically began to move his joints, testing to make sure certain muscles were not pulling them out of alignment - which is an injury waiting to happen. Then on to flushing the fluids and waste from all of the major muscles in his body. This encourages incredible blood flow (containing new oxygen and nutrients) and relaxation: the perfect combination for cellular healing.

I was thrilled to get his phone call late on Sunday; He enjoyed the race and was proud of his performance: just over 4 hours! He asked for my services Tuesday evening.

Now 2 1/2 days after the event, his muscles are so sore they are tender to touch. I would have to use far less pressure, and be clever about how to address the deeper muscles of the body. This massage was more rhythmic - this is a sedating effect on the mind, which was important because an over-active mind can make sensations feel more intense than they might be otherwise.

He reports excellent recovery and 2 phenomenal nights of sleep. Congratulations to all the runners!

Shingles: Rest is Best

There are so many conditions which can benefit from massage therapy. But I would be lying if I didn't mention there are some health conditions that indicate someone might not be an excellent candidate for massage.

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with Shingles. Shingles is a re-activation of the chickenpox virus, usually occurring later in life. Doctors identify it by the painful blisters it causes in certain areas of the body - often the low back, buttock, and thighs.

Although stress is a major factor in that viral re-activation, Shingles is a particularly painful illness because of the blisters. Touch is not usually the best solution right away - regular old rest is better.

Thankfully, Shingles typically only occurs once in a person's lifetime. So strengthen your immune system, recover from the infection, and then receive light, relaxation massage as part of your regular healthcare routine.

Reader Challenge: What is a Dermatome? And how does it relate to Shingles?