results of a study by the Royal College of Nursing Research Institute, at the Univer- sity of Warwick, in the UK, demonstrated that massage provides effective short- term relief for moderate to severe chronic pain. Patients receiving massage therapy reported significantly less pain immedi- ately as well as one hour after treatment. They also experienced a significantly reduced level of anxiety. Six years ago, when integrative
family physician Fred Morgan discov- ered that massage helped to alleviate the back pain he had suffered from for 11 years, he began recommending it to his patients. “The first time I went to a mas- sage therapist, the pain went away for a week,” says the co-owner of Pleasanton Family Wellness Center, in California, which combines allopathic, comple- mentary and alternative medicine.
Stroking Blood Pressure
in the Right Direction Not only does massage help to lower blood pressure, it also helps ease stress levels. One study published in Heart and Lung: the Journal of Acute and Critical Care noted that patients that had massage after heart surgery showed a lower level of postoperative blood pressure. Another study of patients that underwent twice weekly, 30-minute massage sessions demonstrated decreases in blood pressure and cortisol (a stress hormone), as well as depression, anxiety and hostility.
More is Better Who wouldn’t want to have a massage twice a week? The ongoing research of Dr. Maria Hernandez-Reif, of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Mi- ami, and Tiffany Field, Ph.D., the institute’s director, demonstrates that while an indi- vidual can benefit from even small doses of massage (15 minutes of chair mas- sage or a half-hour table session), longer bodywork, performed two to three times a week, compounds the positive effects.
Linda Sechrist is a senior writer and editor for Natural Awakenings.
natural awakenings May 2011 45
Peaceful Feelings
Massage Therapy The ultimate relaxation experience
Christopher Brownell, LMT 516-458-8353
www.peacefulfeelings.com
Located in Bellissimo Salon & Spa 4504 Sunrise Hwy Oakdale, NY 11769
Hot Stone Therapy • Aromatherapy Massage • Pinpoint Therapy Swedish Massage • Deep Tissue Massage
In our society, the women who break down the barriers are those who ignore limits. — Arnold Schwarzenegger
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64