The Greatest Gift
This
holiday season, I wanted to tell you what I have found to be the greatest gift.
It is a gift that is given to us by our parents and is our responsibility to
maintain. Jimmy Buffet even talks about it in his song “Fruitcakes”, “I treat
my body like a temple, you treat yours like a tent.” If you haven’t figured it
out yet, I am speaking of the gift of life and the gift of wellness. I believe
we are put on this earth to make a positive difference and the best way to do
this is to take care of ourselves in whatever fashion is needed. Among those
ways are massage and nutrition.
Many people
think of massage just for relaxation, but there are so many more benefits that
we often overlook. For people with pinched nerves, such as sciatica, it is
often due to tight muscles that are impinging a nerve, and massage can relax
those muscles to allow the nerve to work properly. If a person has surgeries or
such illnesses as lymph edema, massage can allow for movement of lymph to
reduce inflammation and help the patient heal quicker. For those with
circulatory problems, massage can help circulation and reduce chances of blood
clots. If someone has an injury, it can help the muscles heal more quickly. It
allows for people to develop more of a connection with others. If one has
trouble sleeping, massage can calm the nervous system and allow the client to
sleep. If a client has Alzheimer’s disease or other memory problems, a ten
minute massage can cause an hour of clarity.
My favorite
stories of massage were my client with rheumatoid arthritis who had insomnia
for five days and, after I gave her a five minute massage, excused herself to
take a day long nap or my client who could not feel his legs for years due to
circulation issues and, the day after a massage, called me and told me he had
the weirdest experience while walking up stairs, that he felt his legs. Another
favorite story a friend of mine experienced was a client who was told she would
die of cancer in a few months and was able to still enjoy his massage five
years later.
Just as
massage is important, so is nutrition. Eating healthy, organic foods that are
low in sodium and do not contain MSGs are also equally important. Also, for
people with ciliac disease, gluten free foods are also very important. It is
about taking in the right nutrients and not overloading with junk food which is
so easy to do at this time of year. That is why I love my new organic, peanut
free food line from Wildtree. You can check it out at www.mywildtree.com/galaxymassage.
Although every body is different, nutrition
and massage are great ways to stay healthy. Therefore, this holiday season, I
believe the greatest gift one can give themselves or others is the gift of
wellness because, not only do they appreciate their gift, but they appreciate
the fact that you care about their health. Plus, you prolong their life so that
you can enjoy more years with your loved ones.
Jodi Schulman, LMT, MEd
Warm Up to Wellness This Winter
Have you ever heard someone say, or even said yourself, that your muscles can tell whenthe rain or cold weather is coming? Did you ever notice that you feel achier and more pain
during the winter months? If so, you are not alone. During the winter months, it is believed that
barometric pressure can cause additional muscle aches and pains. It is believed that colder
weather irritates common symptoms of such conditions as osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia,
rheumatism, low back pain and chronic muscle pain.
Cold weather may cause swelling of the joints and that swelling irritates the nerves
around the joints that sense pain. This can further cause increased pressure of fluids that lubricate
the joints which causes more resistance to movement. Cold weather can also cause spasms and
pain due to quick movements such as shivering resulting in the inability to move or bend certain
joints. Exposure to cold weather also causes a reduction in blood flow to the surface of the skin
by constriction of blood vessels causing the circulatory system to slow down. A slew of illnesses,
such as colds and flus, are also common in the winter time which causes our white blood cells to
be more directed towards fighting the illness rather than taking care of hurt muscles. We also
tend to be more sedentary during winter months causing more aches and pains. Another
symptom colder weather is seasonal depression, sometimes called cabin fever, due to less people
wanting to stay inside where it is warm.
What can we do to reduce these aches, pains, and depression during those cold winter
months? Three tips to help stay healthy in colder months include exercising, eating right, and
massage. When we exercise, we release endorphins that help with reducing depression while
exercising itself increases our range of motion as long as we remember to warm up the muscles
prior to our workout and stretch afterwards. The idea of muscles needing to be warmed before
exercising, is inherent in calling these stretches warm ups. Eating right consists of making sure
our diet consists of a balanced diet which contains omega-3, omega-6 and vitamins C, D, and K.
Finally, massage can help by increasing circulation, helping stretch the muscles through range of
motion, and helps reduce pain through deep tissue focus. Massage allows the muscles to create
an environment of healing. Therefore, why not call me today to make sure your muscles ache
less this season.
By Jodi Schulman, LMT, MEd
Annapolis Massage Therapist
786-566-0391 or info@annapolismassagetherapist.com
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