Massage – A Tried and True Method - Part 1

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, massage therapy is a practice dating back thousands of years. References to its uses have been found in ancient writings from Greece, Rome, Japan, China, and Egypt.

Massage therapy first became popular in North America in the mid-1800s. It was done for a variety of health reasons, and complemented with the mineral essentials of natural hot spring resorts so fashionable at the time. In the 1930s however, because of advancements in other medical treatments at the time, massage therapy fell out of general favor. However, in the 1970s it made a return, due in part to athletes who discovered its benefits in preparing for, or recovering from, strenuous workouts.

Massage is used in both conventional and alternative medicine therapies. There are more than 80 different types of massage therapy.

The well-known Swedish massage uses long strokes, kneading, and finger pressure on tight or knotted muscles. Trigger point massage uses deeper, more focused pressure on knots that form in muscles. Shiatsu massage applies varying, rhythmic pressure from the fingers on parts of the body that are believed to be key to the flow of vital energy called chi.

In all types of massage, therapists apply pressure and movement mostly with the use of their hands and fingers. However, forearms, elbows, and feet may also be a part a therapist's technique.

Why Massage Therapy?

Experts estimate that nearly ninety percent of disease is stress related. Now more than ever it's imperative that people make the most of self-care options to help decrease and manage stress levels. Massage, the application of soft-tissue manipulation techniques to the body, has been shown to reduce stress and fatigue while improving circulation.

People are often stressed in our culture. Stress-related disorders make up between 80 to 90 percent of the ailments that bring people to family-practice physicians. One of the complaints heard frequently is that physicians don't touch their patients any more. Years ago, massage was a big part of nursing. Now nurses for the most part are as busy as physicians.

In a Massage Journal interview, Dr. Joan Borysendko states, "I believe massage therapy is absolutely key to the healing process not only in the hospital environment but because it relieves stress. It is obviously foundational in the healing process anytime and anywhere."

Kinesio taping

At this time of the year we have several runners and triathletes coming in with an assortment of injuries. Most of these injuries involve the legs, low back or shoulder, a treatment modality we have been using with some success is Kinesio taping. Below is a short write up we found.

Kinesio tape...It's magic tape to several of my patients!
By Gary Mihoces, USA TODAY
There is an entirely different school of taping. It uses just a few strips of placed elastic, cotton tape. No encasing.Called kinesio taping, it originated in Japan about three decades ago. There are kinesio taping procedures for all sorts of muscle and joint problems. The tape is meant to be left on for several days.Kinesio taping for lower back pain, for example, involves two vertical strips on each side of the spine and one horizontal strip over the strained area."There is a method to the madness," says John Jarvis, director of the Kinesio Taping Association, a division of Albuquerque,-based Kinesio USA, a company which imports kinesio tape from Japan for sale in the USA and Canada.Jarvis says kinesio taping "corrects muscle function, improves circulation of blood and lymph, repositions the joint and relieves pain."The placing of the tape along muscles is aimed at assisting movement. "As the muscle fibers contract, Kinesio Tape supports the contraction by pulling and stimulating the skin and muscle back towards the origin," the Kinesio Taping Association says in its literature. It says the lifting of the skin by the tape (which has adhesive activated by body heat) allows lymph to drain more freely."It's completely different from what they (athletic trainers) were trained to do." says Jarvis. "They were going to immobilize something. This is encouraging range of motion."Kinesio USA originally had tape that came in hot pink and blue. It has added beige and black to accommodate teams that don't want it to clash with their colors.In his 2003 book Every Second Counts, Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong noted his team used "a special hot-pink athletic tape that came from Japan and seemed to have magical powers."Armstrong added: "Sometimes we'd be so wrapped up in hot-pink tape that we'd look like dolls, a bunch of broken dolls But the tape worked, so we kept it, because it could fix things."Jarvis says, "The Lance thing really helped us" and that kinesio taping has the attention of athletic trainers.

If you think Kinesio taping maybe of benefit to you, please call to book in an appointment at 905-209-1005

What's NEW at Balanced Living?

Spring is always a busy time at Balanced Living. We have provided Massage Therapy and Naturopathic Medicine at several special events including; Fit for Heart, Angus Glen 10 mile run, Legacy run and regular talks at local buisnesses.
We have also made some changes in the clinic. We have added a new luxurious massage table, which will only enhance the already amazing pregnancy massage threatment. We have also changed around Room 2 to make the Naturopathic visits seem more relaxed and functional. Ask about our Acupuncture treatments and Homeopathic remedies that may enhance your health and healing. The best way to know what would suit your needs is to make an appointment with Gail Sauer Naturopathic Doctor.

Jennifer Corey RMT has returned from maternity leave and is treating patients Tuesday to Saturday for the summer. Don't be disappointed, book in with her today!

Stay tuned for details on our BIKE REPAIR CLASS we will be offering in the next few weeks.

Helping you find balance one treatment at a time.

More pics from the last few days.

Feb 17th

Another day in paradise! Yesterday our racing and training on the men's and women's alpine courses was cancelled again, not because of warm temperatures, but because of the amount of snow we received.

So after a short break, several of the medical team members and I went powder skiing on Blackcomb. Let's just say this Ontario boy needs more practice skiing powder. Later in the day I went to watch "Fiest" in concert at the medals plaza, and on my way out I was invited to the Austria house by the medical team from the sliding centre. Many of the larger countries have gathering places or houses for their followers. The Austria house is an eco-friendly house built for the event, and after the Olympics will be donated to the town of Whistler. Last night the house was packed with Austrians celebrating there gold medal in men's biathlon.

All the staff where dressed in traditional clothing, with an Austrian band playing in the background and great food for all.

Today is another day off for the men's course, as the women's downhill is being run. Thursday will be training runs for the super combined race, which combines a downhill race and a slalom run.

I will try to post more pics of training on Thursday if I get a chance.

Feb 14th, Sorry for not posting more!

Everything here in Whistler has ground to a halt for the last few days for alpine skiing. Due to the warm weather we have been having, the snow has become really soft. In an effort to prevent the course from being beat up, they have postponed everything. The men's downhill will be held early Monday morning then women's combined training run held after that.

The last few days have been a huge blur. Due to course maintenance going on, we have to provide around the clock medical coverage for the course workers. I have had to start at 4am, on the hill, I've never been up so crazy early! Then we sit in a heated hut at the top of the mountain waiting for the sun to rise over the mountains. We then need to work 'till around 3pm as we stand by on the hill for the training runs to finish. These training runs have been fairly lengthy, with several delays due to the cloud and fog rolling over the course. The cloud and fog has been so bad at times that we can't see the next gate down the hill.

Yesterday we had hoped for the women's training runs to happen, but they were called off early. However, we still has our regular training session, but this time it was my turn to be first in on a pracice session (I will try to post more pics tomorrow). It is really amazing to be working with such a great team of providers, and working with all the best equipment including the helicopter/hets crews. It's an experience that I will never forget.

The village has had a noticeable change over the past few days, the crowds have grown, and the excitement is at a new high. With the races being delayed everyone is gathering in the village. I'm surrounded by so many nations, in line I have coaches and racers in front of me and behind. The national pride of those watching is great! Today I had a chance to watch the men's luge, at the sliding centre. There were flags everywhere and for at least a dozen countries, including India!

The internet here is really expensive, over $15 a day, so I have been searching for free coverage. Today I was able to get into the media centre for Whistler/Blackcomb, but could not use my own computer, so no photos today. I have been able to uplaod photos directly to my facebook page, so if you get a chance, look me up.

I hope to get on again tomorrow.