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?

Massage During the Birthing Process

Once contractions begin, many women experience intense physical AND emotional reactions. This explains why more "holistic" treatments are becoming popular - women want to know that they and their baby are safe and being taken care of as complete human beings, not just bodies.

Tiffany Field and the Touch Research Institute published the results of these studies in the Sept/Oct issue of "Alternative Therapies" as well:

The partner of each birthing woman massaged her back and legs for the first 15 minutes of each hour of labor. The women reported lower levels of pain and anxiety, especially during the dilation phase. The need for pain medication was also reduced. In comparison to the control group, labor was an average of 3 HOURS shorter for the massage group.

Acupressure's effect during labor was also tested, using ice massage to the most powerful general wellness point on the hands. Another group received "simple touch", meaning touch to a part of the body not noted as a powerful acupoint. The Acupressure group reported significant pain reduction immediately, 30 minutes after treatment, and 60 minutes after treatment. Total labor time was also reduced.

Lastly, I'd like to highlight a technique researched in 3 studies (outlined in the Cochrane Database Review). It is called perineal massage, and it can be taught to a spouse or partner to be performed in the weeks leading up to delivery. It's purpose is to reduce the need for suturing and episiotomies, and the studies showed that it is close to 100% effective!

Have you or someone you love used massage before or during delivery? Tell us your success stories!

Research on Prenatal Massage

I'd like to highlight some of the most recent and encouraging research coming out of Tiffany Field's Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami in Florida. In the September/October issue of Alternative Therapies, a peer-reviewed journal, her article "Pregnancy and Labor Alternative Therapy Research" details many studies that used massage therapy, yoga, and many other modalities to help preterm and laboring women.

Here are the summaries of her findings with preterm women:

Study 1) After receiving weekly massage women reported lower levels of depression, anxiety, leg pain and back pain than before they began receiving massage. Researchers measured lower cortisol levels (a key predictor of premature delivery).

Study 2) Pregnant women diagnosed with depression received 60 minute massages from Licensed Massage Therapists twice a week. Again, the findings showed reduced depression, anxiety, and cortisol levels. Interestingly, they found a large drop in fetal movement, which has been found in excess in mothers with depression. However the most important measurement was premature delivery: the control group measured at 11% verses the massage therapy group at 0%!

I must also mention that Dr. Field tested yoga's effects during pregnancy. The participating women followed a daily yoga practice starting at 20 weeks (about 5 months) to labor. They found lower levels of pregnancy-induced hypertension and incidences of preterm labor, and with that more babies were born at a healthy weight.

The results of the mid-labor studies next week!

Twitching!

I have noticed that many of my clients are embarrassed when they are receiving massage and something completely natural occurs: their body twitches. It certainly can feel strange - I'm a "twitcher" myself. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it goes like this:

You're lying on the table, it's about halfway or 3/4 through the massage, and you feel completely relaxed. So much so that your mind has floated away, far from thinking about the present moment. And then, a tremble! Perhaps just your hand, leg, or maybe your whole body.

What's happening here is that your brain (part of the nervous system) sees an opportunity to expel some of that excess stress you've been holding. When you take in more sensory information (listening, reading, watching, remembering, feeling) than your body expresses as motor reflex (exercising, moving, active breathing) - it gets stored! Where else: in your muscles, increasing muscle tension.

This is a perfect example of how mental stress creates physical tension. So when your subconscious tries to help you out, let it go! Release that tension - and smile! This is massage therapy at work...