Carefree Services Massage

Massage now, makes more sense than ever

2011-05-17T05:27:00.002-07:00

With all the wild fluctuations in the stock market, most financial advisors are giving the same advice: “Invest in the long term.” This is a good reminder but requires some foresight and patience. It's hard to keep this in mind with all the scary news, but it's an enduring truth.
With all this stress it makes sense to apply this same advice to our health. There are many holistic health strategies that you can apply. Some will return immediate results and some will see gains over the long term. Massage is one of those that delivers both.

If you've ever had a massage you already know the short term benefits of stress and pain relief and the relaxation and clear-headedness you experience. Massage therapy's preventive impact and as an ongoing care can mean fewer visits to the doctor, as well as fewer co-pays, prescriptions, and over the counter medications.
Research supports this value of massage. It's been shown to:

Boost the immune system.
Improve circulation, concentration, energy, self-esteem, and sleep.
Reduce anxiety, fatigue, the flow of stress reducing hormones, and the reduce the frequency of headaches.
Release endorphins

With the financial changes happening right now, we may need to trim out something from our budget. When weighing in what stays and what comes out, consider the excellent value massage offers in both the short term and on-going long term.

Getting creative with your massage dollars

Many self employed professional massage therapists offer rates way below the fancy spas. You may not get all the spa treatments from a self employed therapist, but you will get a great massage and save some money.

Check out http://www.carefreeservices.org/ for more info!

Win a free Massage

2011-05-17T05:07:00.003-07:00

Win a free massage just by posting a comment here about the type of massage you like the best and why.

Do you like deep tissue, Deep Tissue Massage, Lymphatic work, Swedish, Orthopedic Massage, Reflexology, Massage Cupping, Relaxation Techniques, Sports Massage or Energy Work ?

At the end of the month I’ll randomly pick one lucky winner from all who posted here.

Check out http://www.carefreeservices.org for more massage information.

Custom Multi Modality Massage

2009-03-13T05:03:00.005-07:00

The Problem
If you just had a pain in your back would you need to have your therapist do deep tissue massage to your whole body? If you had a frozen shoulder should your therapist perform orthopedic treatment on every joint? These questions are pretty simple and strait forward so the answer is of course not.

Tools
Many very good therapists get used to one or maybe just a few modalities. They do them good and use them often for lots of clients. There's an old time saying “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail”. This is the same for some therapists and the way they work on their clients.

Having lots of different tools in in their bag allows them to become more flexible and custom in the massage they provide you. One of the keys to knowing which tool or tools are the right ones to use. The key to picking the right modality is open and frequent communications between you and your therapist. Every session should start with a few minutes where you the client is doing most of the talking.

So how might a Custom Multi Modality Massage go?
An example of what a multi modality massage might be like, lets start with you talking with your therapist. Maybe you mentioned that over the weekend you over exerted your self while doing yard work and you lower back is bothering you. Also you're recovering from a bit of a cold. Its been a little longer than you'd have liked since your last massage and you want to get some real relaxation.

How it works
This sounds like a lot but not really if your therapist has the right tools and was listening to you. So the overall massage would be a full body therapeutic relaxation massage (basically a slower and little bit deeper Swedish massage). You'd start the massage with you being face up, the therapist can easily massage the lymphatic glands in your neck, arm pits which are the two biggest areas of glands. This lymphatic work would be worked into the overall massage of you body.

Once you've rolled over face down, the therapeutic relaxation massage continues but only after some warm heat packs are wrapped in soft towels and laid over your achy lower back. The massage of your back is saved for the last 20 minutes of the massage. The heat packs have done their job and softened the tight muscles of your strained back.

With the muscles in your lower back warmed and softened with an increased circulation, a slightly deeper massage really loosens up the muscles and helps relieve your pain.

Sounds a lot better than an hour of deep tissue massage on your back with some extra focus on your lower back. Your lower back might feel better but you were not did not get much relaxation and you did not get any of the detox benefits of the lymphatic work.

Massage now, more than ever

2009-03-08T08:38:00.007-07:00

With all the wild fluctuations in the stock market, most financial advisors are giving the same advice: “Invest in the long term.” This is a good reminder but requires some foresight and patience. It's hard to keep this in mind with all the scary news, but it's an enduring truth.

With all this stress it makes sense to apply this same advice to our health. There are many holistic health strategies that you can apply. Some will return immediate results and some will see gains over the long term. Massage is one of those that delivers both.

If you've ever had a massage you already know the short term benefits of stress and pain relief and the relaxation and clear-headedness you experience. Massage therapy's preventive impact and as an ongoing care can mean fewer visits to the doctor, as well as fewer co-pays, prescriptions, and over the counter medications.

Research supports this value of massage. It's been shown to:

Boost the immune system.
Improve circulation, concentration, energy, self-esteem, and sleep.
Reduce anxiety, fatigue, the flow of stress reducing hormones, and the reduce the frequency of headaches.
Release endorphins.

With the financial changes happening right now, we may need to trim out somethings from our budget. When weighing in what stays and what comes out, consider the excellent value massage offers in both the short term and on-going long term.

Getting creative with your massage dollars
Many self employed professional massage therapists offer rates way below the fancy spas. You may not get all the spa treatments from a self employed therapist, but you will get a great massage and save some money.

Take some time for your self in the New Year!

2009-01-06T06:02:00.006-07:00

With the New Year many of us will make a resolution that might involve our health. Whether its loosing some weight, exercising more or eating better, massage therapy can help you on your way to that goal. Beyond massage softening of tight sore muscles from exercise, lymphatic cleansing to remove help remove toxins from your body, massage just feels good and you might feel better about your self.

Taking time to do something just for you can refocus you and help keep you on track with your resolution.

If you've never had a massage it's a wonderful thing to try. If you've had massage before, come back you know you'll enjoy it and your body will thank you.

Hot or Cold for Injuries?

2009-01-06T05:41:00.001-07:00

How to Know Which is Best for You

We all know that treating an injury immediately after it happens can help minimize the pain and damage as well as facilitate recovery. But after rolling your ankle in a soccer game, or hurting your back when lifting your toddler, or tweaking your knee when stepping out of your car, what's best? Should you ice it to try to control inflammation, or would heat be better to promote circulation?

While it's difficult to establish a fail-safe rule for when to apply ice or heat, the general directive is to use ice for the first forty-eight to seventy-two hours after an acute injury and then switch to heat.

It Depends
The reality is that many conditions are not necessarily the result of a specific injury. I call these conditions "recurrent acute" and find them by far the most common: sciatica that occurs when you drive a car, a back that flare up every time you garden, or tennis elbow from intense computer work. In these cases, consistent and frequent applications of ice may prove very helpful over long periods of time, particularly immediately after experiencing the event that causes problems.

Conversely, back or other muscle spasms caused by overexertion rather than injury may benefit greatly from heat immediately upon the onset of symptoms or immediately after exercise in order to relax the muscles and increase circulation. Also, muscle belly pain not resulting from acute and serious trauma generally responds well to heat, which can break the spasms and release the strain. On the other hand, nerve and tendon pain--regardless of the duration of symptoms, even if you've been experience them for months--benefit from ice.

What Works for You
The bottom line: different individuals will constitutionally vary greatly in their reactions. Some people are more prone to the types of inflammation exacerbated by heat, while others find their bodies contracting and tightening at the mere mention of ice. Try each option and pay close attention to how your body and mind respond, and let your gut be your guide. Ultimately, what works best for you is, well, what's best for you.

The Health Benefits of Ginger

2008-12-29T05:53:00.001-07:00

Easing Nausea, Joint Pain, and Allergies

This pungent spice is found in cuisine around the globe, but ginger has also been used for more than 2,500 years for its medicinal properties. The ancient Chinese knew that it aided in the absorption of many herbal preparations and they prescribed it extensively as a digestive tonic.

A native root of southeast Asia, ginger is a potent ally in the treatment of nausea, motion sickness, and joint pain. Current research confirms ginger's efficacy as an anti-inflammatory, GI calmative, and antihistamine. The active ingredients found in ginger -- gingerols and shagoals -- lower levels of prostaglandins, the chemicals responsible for pain and inflammation in joints and muscles. By reducing prostaglandins, ginger can even have a positive effect on heart health and circulation because chronic, systemic inflammation increases the risk of heart attack and blood vessel compromise.

Ginger comes in several forms. Fresh and dried ginger is available in supermarkets for use in cooking. It's also available in capsules, an extract pill form, prepackaged tea bags, crystallized, and as a topical oil.

Recommended Uses Motion Sickness and Nausea Most medications for nausea and motion sickness work to calm the nervous system and can cause drowsiness and dry mouth. On the other hand, ginger calms the digestive tract directly and has been shown to reduce nausea after surgery and chemotherapy. For motion sickness, take 100 mg two hours before departure and every four hours afterwards or as needed.

Arthritis and Muscle Aches Massage ginger oil into affected areas and/or take up to 1 g of powdered ginger daily to reduce inflammation.

Colds and Allergies Drink up to 4 cups of ginger tea daily or enjoy authentic ginger ale (made from real ginger).

While ginger has no known side effects, it's always a good idea to consult your health care practitioner to make sure it's right for you.

Massage for Old Injuries

2008-12-27T13:48:00.001-07:00

Ancient Injuries Don't Have to Make You Feel Old
by Art Riggs

Injuries such as chronic back pain, trick knees, and sticky shoulders are not necessarily something you just have to live with. Massage techniques might hold the key to unlocking this old pain.

Will Massage Help? The benefits of massage will depend on the extent of the injury, how long ago it occurred, and on the skill of the therapist. Chronic and old injuries often require deeper and more precise treatments with less emphasis on general relaxation and working on the whole body. Massage works best for soft tissue injuries to muscles and tendons and is most effective in releasing adhesions and lengthening muscles that have shortened due to compensatory reactions to the injury. Tight and fibrous muscles not only hurt at the muscle or its tendon, but can also interfere with proper joint movement and cause pain far away from the original injury.

Therapists who perform such work often have specialized names for their work--such as orthopedic massage, neuromuscular therapy, myofascial release, medical massage, etc.,--but many massage therapists utilize an eclectic approach combining the best of the specialties.

It Works! A recent Consumer Reports article ran the results of a survey of thousands of its readers and reported that massage was equal to chiropractic care in many areas, including back and neck pain. Massage also ranked significantly higher than some other forms of treatment, such as physical therapy or drugs.

If that nagging injury persists, consider booking a massage. Be sure to discuss the injury with your practitioner: How did you receive the injury? Have you reinjured it? And what exactly are your symptoms? Often, the body compensates in one area to protect another that has been traumatized, and this can create new problems.

Discuss the issues with your massage therapist. (Sometimes just talking about old injuries can play a significant role in the healing process.) Together, the two of you can work to determine a treatment plan.

Making the Most of Your Massage

2008-12-27T13:43:00.002-07:00

How to Prolong the Benefits of Bodywork, by Barbara Hey

A massage works in wonderful ways, easing stress and pain, calming the nervous system, increasing circulation, loosening tight muscles, stimulating internal organs, and enhancing skin. The multiplicity of physiological responses sends a simple, clear message to the mind: Massage feels good. Of course, you want to hold on to that just-had-a-massage feeling -- total body relaxation, muscles relaxed and at ease, and fluid movement restored -- for as long as possible.

But how long that bliss lasts depends on the state of your body. If you're suffering from chronic pain or recovering from injury, then it may take more sessions and perhaps different modalities before optimal health is restored.

If massage is part of your regular health regimen, then it's more likely the effects will endure. In other words, the effects of massage are cumulative, like any healthy habit. The more often you get a massage, the greater and longer-lasting the benefits.

Massage Frequency How often you receive massage depends on why you're seeking massage. In dealing with the general tension of everyday commutes, computer work, and time demands, a monthly massage may be enough to sustain you. On the other hand, if you're seeking massage for chronic pain, you may need regular treatments every week or two. Or if you're addressing an acute injury or dealing with high levels of stress, you may need more frequent sessions. Your situation will dictate the optimum time between treatments, and your practitioner will work with you to determine the best course of action.

"You need to consider how you felt before the session and how you felt after, and then look at how long you maintain that," says Pieter Sommen, the chair of the eastern department in the Swedish Institute School of Massage Therapy in New York.

In general, experts say "regular" is preferable, but how regular depends on your situation. While daily massage would be delightful, practical considerations such as cost, time, and physical need likely determine the frequency of treatments. "It's best to maintain a schedule," says Eeris Kallil, CMT, a shiatsu instructor at the Boulder College of Massage Therapy in Colorado. "That way the body becomes conditioned and prepared for session at specific intervals."

Maintenance Whether you get a massage weekly, monthly, or just every once in a while, the following habits can maximize and extend the afterglow of treatment.

Water One bit of advice you'll hear over and over again is to drink plenty of water after a massage. Bodywork -- no matter the particular modality -- releases toxins, such as lactic acid and carbonic acid, that need to be flushed from the body. Massage also promotes circulation, increasing blood flow and oxygen and stimulating the lymphatic system, which helps rid the body of pathogens. After-massage hydration supports these functions, helping to eliminate released impurities, sooner rather than later.

Stretching Another helpful habit is stretching between massages to maintain joint mobility, prevent muscles from tightening up again, and keeping the life energy flowing. This may mean doing yoga or whatever specific or full-body stretches suggested by your practitioner. After a shiatsu session, for example, your practitioner may recommend "makko-ho" stretches, a series of six exercises designed to keep energy circulating. "This series of stretches take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes a day, but really help keep the chi flowing through the body," says Kallil.

Exercise Working out can also help maintain the benefits of massage, and this habit should be continually cultivated. However, if you're receiving massage therapy to help speed muscle strain recovery, you may need to ease up on the exercise for a while and give the body time to heal -- particularly if you're recovering from a strenuous body-pummeling training regimen. "You don't want to over-work your body," says Kallil. That is, if running is taking a toll, try something more gentle and meditative such as swimming, walking, or tai chi.

Body Awareness After a massage, respect how your body feels. If your body seems to ask for rest, give in to that demand. This may mean backing off the to-do list, taking it easy, moving slower, and perhaps doing less for a while. And don't allow yourself to get fatigued because it will undermine the effects of massage. Get sufficient sleep to allow the body to absorb the effects and regain vitality.

Diet Finally, since you've just rid the body of toxins, support the body's renewed state by adhering to a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which will continue the detoxification process. Lay off the espresso and all adrenaline-challenges for a time -- which would short-circuit relaxation anyway -- and enjoy the calm.

The benefits of massage are many, including: increasing circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, stimulating lymph flow and boosting immunity, relaxing overused or tight muscles, increasing joint mobility and range of motion, reducing recovery time after strenuous workouts or surgery, and relieving back pain and migraines, just to name a few.

After receiving a massage, clients feel rejuvenated, relaxed, and refreshed. By opting for a few lifestyle choices, you can extend these benefits and get the most out of your massage.

The Fruit That Fights Wrinkles

2008-12-26T06:00:00.003-07:00

You really can fight wrinkles from the inside out. And there's a fruit that can lead the charge.

It's papaya. What makes papaya so perfect? Easy. Vitamin C. Papaya has loads of it, and getting lots of vitamin C may mean more youthful skin -- fewer wrinkles and less thinning and dryness. A recent study in women over 40 confirmed it.

The Mysteries of C
Vitamin C is a natural friend to skin. The nutrient is essential for making collagen, the protein fibers that give skin its strength and resiliency. And being a powerful antioxidant, C also disarms free radicals that would otherwise chip away and weaken collagen. (Did you know? Vitamin C helps protect skin from this sun scourge, too.)

More Food for Your Face
A little extra vitamin C isn't all it takes to plump your complexion. Here are a few more food tips that can help keep your face fresh:

* Munch on walnuts. In the vitamin C study, researchers also noted that diets rich in linoleic acid -- an essential fatty acid in walnuts -- meant moister, plumper skin. (Bonus: Walnuts will make this happy, too.)
* Ease up on fats and refined carbs. Scientists found both were linked to aging skin. Discover the dark side of processed foods with this article.
* Think whole grains. The magnesium and B vitamins you get from them help with the regeneration of skin cells. Find out what foods are mostly whole grains.
* Keep the fruits and veggies coming. To stay smooth and healthy, your skin needs a whole slew of antioxidant-rich produce. Like this root vegetable.

Also remember massage is a great benefit to your skin. Beyond the hydrating natural oils that are massaged into your skin, the mechanical action of massage promotes better blood circulation.

Massage 101, Manual Lymph Drainage

2008-12-24T10:17:00.001-07:00

Manual Lymph Drainage (also referred to as simply MLD) is a very gentle type of massage therapy used to drain excess fluid and toxins from the body and improve the overall functioning of the lymphatic (immune) system. MLD is most commonly used to treat Lymphedema, which is characterized by the blockage of lymph nodes in the arms and legs.

Massage 101, Swedish Massage

2008-12-24T10:13:00.002-07:00

Traditional Swedish massage was introduced by Swedish physiologist, Henri Peter Ling, in Stockholm, Sweden in the year 1812. This massage technique is characterized by its firm, yet calming pressure that improves blood circulation, eases muscle tension, and improves flexibility.

Today, a Western-style Swedish massage still employs a series of long, gliding strokes, kneading of the muscles, and vibrational taps that are so common when one thinks of massage.

Massage 101, Myofascial Release

2008-12-24T10:11:00.002-07:00

The term myofascial release is derived from the Latin words myo (or muscle) and fascia (or elastic band). Its no wonder many massage therapists and chiropractors liken the stretching of muscles and ligaments to the stretching of an elastic band.

Massage 101, Muscle Energy Technique

2008-12-24T10:09:00.003-07:00

Muscle energy technique (or MET) is based on the principle of reciprocal inhibition, a theory that explains that muscles on one side of a joint will always relax to accommodate the contraction of muscles on the other side of that joint when indirect pressure is applied. MET is often applied to patients who suffer from muscle spasms.

Massage 101, Deep Muscle Therapy

2008-12-24T10:06:00.002-07:00

Deep muscle therapy is performed by a qualified deep muscle massage therapist in order to help release myofascial restrictions within the body. The theory behind this type of massage is that when chronic knots (also referred to as adhesions) exist within the deep muscle tissues, the bodys natural balance is thrown out of wack.

Massage 101, Active Release Techniques (ART)

2008-12-24T10:04:00.001-07:00

Active Release Techniques, or ART, is used to treat a wide variety of soft tissue and repetitive-motion injuries that havent responded well to other forms of sports therapy. For this reason ART is most commonly performed on professional and serious athletes who suffer from associated sport-related injury, sports-related trauma or overuse of a muscle.

New Year Resolutions and Discount Massage

2008-12-24T09:59:00.002-07:00

With the coming of the New Year many of us will make resolutions. If one of your resolutions is to improve your health, I’d like to help you with that. From January to March of 2008 I’ll be offering discounted massage services at my 2008 rate of $40 an hour for all monthly customers. This is $20 off my 2008 full rate of $60.

There is no question that having a massage makes you feel great. Even having a deep-tissue, sports massage makes you feel wonderful afterwards. Massage can relieve stress, help you recover from hard physical activity or injury and even reduce anxiety, but can it help you to achieve your weight loss goals?

Research shows that massage can have a positive effect on your muscle-building capabilities and fitness levels, which in turn increases your capacity to control or loose weight.
Healthy strong muscles burn calories and give you the freedom to participate in all sorts of sports and activities that can help you burn excess calories and improve your overall fitness and wellbeing.

Massage has the following benefits that can directly influence your ability to control or loose weight:

1. Massage has been shown to improve circulation and the supply of nutrition to the muscles. Massage increases the interchange of vital substances between the blood and tissue cells, which increases tissue metabolism. After muscles are exercised, vital nutrients must be supplied to them so that they can recover and rebuild themselves. Massage maximizes the supply of these nutrients and oxygen though increased blood flow, which helps the muscles to grow and burn more calories as a result.

2. Massage improves your muscles’ range of motion and their flexibility. This allows them to maintain maximum power and performance while active, and burn the maximum number of calories in the process.
Improved range of motion and flexibility also reduces muscle soreness during periods of recovery and muscle repair.
Having a wide range of motion and maximum muscle flexibility also reduces the danger of experiencing injuries during exercise which can severely limit activity, exercise and weight loss progress.

3. Massage helps to shorten the recovery time needed between your workouts. Waste products such as lactic and carbonic acid build up in muscles during and after exercise. Increased circulation to these muscles helps to eliminate toxic debris buildup caused by these waste products and in doing so shorten recovery time.
Shortened recovery time means you can safely have more workouts over a given period of time, which in turn means that you have the opportunity to burn more total calories in your effort to achieve your individual weight loss goals.

4. Massage can also help reduce the chance of you over-training. Massage has a relaxing effect on the muscles and a sedative effect on the nervous system. By helping you to rest, which is a very important element of any exercise program, massage can reduce the likelihood of you experiencing over-training syndrome, which is known to limit your ability to build strong healthy muscles and therefore loose weight with maximum efficiency.

5. As we have already touched upon, massage helps prevent and heal injuries. By stretching connective tissue, massage improves circulation to help prevent or break down adhesions and scar tissue that result from muscle tears and other common muscle injuries. Massage also influences the excretion of certain fluids (nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur) that aid in tissue repair. Fast and effective recovery from injuries means that you can begin exercising sooner after suffering an injury and getting your weight loss progress back on track.

So there you have it. Massage has a lot of benefits that can indirectly and possibly even directly aid you in achieving your weight loss goals.

Regular massage is just as important a component as regular workouts and correct nutrition in any comprehensive fitness and weight loss program, which is great news for those of us who thought that exercising and loosing weight was all hard work! Remember, weight loss is all about leading a balanced lifestyle and massage is an essential part of any balanced lifestyle.

Quote of the Week!

2008-12-24T05:50:00.001-07:00

"To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life."
-William Londen

Healthy Holidays

2008-12-24T05:43:00.004-07:00

Five Tips for the Natural Traveler

Planning a vacation or business trip? Consider packing a small kit of natural remedies before you go. Unfamiliar surroundings, unusual foods, and jet lag can make you vulnerable to viruses,
stress, and gastrointestinal (GI) upset. Colorado Naturopathic Physician Michael Sutton suggests the following items:

1. Grapefruit Seed Extract
This extract fights and prevents viruses and helps reduce symptoms of diarrhea and GI upset. It can even be used to decontaminate water (4-5 drops extract per quart of water). A few days before you leave, mix 4-5 drops with juice or water and drink it before bedtime, and
continue for the duration of your trip. If you do catch a cold or flu, you can drink as much as 8-10 drops, 3-4 times a day.

2. Airborne
Available in natural products stores, Airborne is an effervescent tablet containing herbs, antioxidants, vitamin C, and amino acids. It helps prevent and fight colds, as well as motion sickness, when traveling.

3. Melatonin
To ease jet lag, Sutton suggests leaving your watch set for the time zone from
which you're departing. When your watch shows your normal bedtime, take 3-6mg of melatonin, then go to sleep to regulate yourself quickly and easily to the new time zone.

4. Bach Flower Rescue Remedy
To calm nerves and reduce anxiety, place a few drops of this remedy under your tongue when you're feeling anxious, or add 5-6 drops to your water bottle and drink throughout the day.

5. Water
H2O is essential to healthy travel. Drink lots of water and avoid alcohol, as dehydration is a major cause of travel-related illness.

By packing a few natural remedies and paying attention to your body's needs, you'll be able to fully enjoy your trip.

My Mission Statement to you!

2008-12-23T16:35:00.003-07:00

I will provide therapeutic massage that delivers effective, comfortable and personalized health care, built on a relationship that is professional, caring and secure.

I will listen to what you, the client, wants and I will help you to achieve your health goals in a way that feels comfortable and wonderful.

I am a nationally certified therapist, insured and licensed in the State ofArizona. Each time we meet, whether that's once or regularly, you will receive a massage that is relaxing, professional, ethical and industry approved.

My services include therapeutic Swedish, medical myofacial, deep tissue massage, lymphatic drainage therapy, reflexology, chair massage and reiki energy work. Session types range from a fifteen minute chair massage to a ninety minute table massage.

I am located in the Cave Creek, Carefree and northern Phoenix area.

I look forward to meeting you and to helping you relax, heal, repair and re-balance your body and spirit.