As the winter is drawing nearer, what would be better than a Hot Stone Massage. This amazing experience is even better than it sounds. It is no wonder Hot Stone Massages are a top seller in most spas, especially ones in cold places like ski resorts.
First, your massage practitioner will apply massage oil allowing the stones to smoothly glide over your skin. Then the therapist will take hot water heated stones and place them on your skin. They will check the temperature with their hands to make sure the stones are not too hot. You must be quite clear about communicating your heat preferences. This is for muscle relaxation not skin burning.
As the stones sit on your skin the heat will sink into your muscles down to your very bones. The massage therapist may even take one of the stones and work your muscles with light or deep tissue massage depending on your preference. The stones will liquify your muscles allowing the therapist to go deeper to work out all of those stubborn knots that have been bothering you for a long time. Stones might even be placed in your hands or on the soles of your feet if you wish. Some massage therapists place stones on points that are thought to be energy centers of the body to rebalance the body and mind.
What kind of stones and equipment are used?
The hot stones used in this form of massage are usually river rocks that are smooth for gliding nicely and made of basalt so that they retain heat. The stones are placed in water that is heated by an electic device kind of like a big crock pot. The stone warmer is preheated to just the right temperature before you even walk in the room.
~~If any of this sounds tempting to you, I suggest you book an appointment to receive a Hot Stone Massage immediately. I provide them in the Seattle area. If you do a Google search in your area, I am sure you find someone who can give you an amazing Hot Stone Massage. Thanks for reading, PJ Harris, LMP http://www.pjharris.com/
Frozen Shoulder is also known as adhesive capsulitis. The capsule that holds the bones, ligaments and tendons of your shoulder thickens and tightens around the joint causing a restriction in movement. The symptoms start gradually, get worse over time, and include stiffness and pain in your shoulder joint. Some people might notice their pain getting worse at night when they are sleeping.
There are typically three stages of Frozen Shoulder:
Painful stage. This is the stage where pain and limited range of motion start.
Frozen stage. In this stage the pain might decrease and, unfortunately, your limited range of motion and stiffness gets worse.
Thawing stage. During the thawing stage, the range of motion in your shoulder begins to improve.
Massage can break up the holding associated with Frozen Shoulder. Massage incorporated with exercises and stretches a therapist can give you, will help you to be well on your way to recovery.
Some others things that have been known to help heal Frozen Shoulder:
When lifting with just one arm, lift with your unaffected arm.
When lifting with both arms, do not lift over your head.
Ice your shoulder after heavy activity for up to but no longer than 15 minutes.
Heat your shoulder by taking a shower or using a heating pack in the morning.
Heat your shoulder, if you are not inflamed, before doing your exercises.
Ice your shoulder several times a day when you are inflamed or in a lot of pain.
Support your elbow with a pillow when you sitting and your arm with a pillow when you are sleeping so that gravity does not pull your shoulder down.
In the first painful stage, don’t do something that causes pain. Be very gentle.
Do the exercises you get from your treatment massage therapist every day. The improvement might seem slow but this is very important.
Acupuncture has been known to be helpful with decreasing the pain and symptoms that come with Frozen Shoulder.
Thanks for taking the time and reading this post. If you have Frozen Shoulder, I hope you recover quickly. PJ Harri, LMP http://www.pjharris.com/
Reiki is a healing approach that uses light touch from the practitioner to channel the healing life force energy of the universe to the recipient. Used to relieve physical and emotional pain and to promote spiritual clarity and relaxation, Reiki also speeds the healing process and balances the body’s energy.
What a Reiki session might be like can vary from practitioner to practitioner. Some sessions might start with the practitioner placing their hands in a set pattern. Other sessions the hand placement might be more random with the practitioner using a more intuitive approach. Reiki can also be given from across the room. This is known as beaming.
Reiki training usually comes in levels of 3-4 ending in the Master level where the practitioner can teach others the art of Reiki. It is a good idea that a practitioner practices Reiki for a while between levels to gain a greater understanding of this amazing healing tool within each level.
As a Seattle massage practitioner, one of the things I appreciate about Reiki is you can treat any condition. I can not give massage to the severely wounded or on a broken bone. With Reiki that is not an issue. I have had great results giving Reiki to folks in Seattle with conditions that are not advisable for massage.
Another wonderful facet about Reiki is that a practitioner can actually give Reiki to themselves. As a matter of fact, it is encouraged to give yourself Reiki everyday and why wouldn’t you?
Before we launch into how to relieve Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), it is important to know you don’t have another condition. There are no test to find out if you have RLS, but there are tests your doctor can give you to rule out some other things. That could be important information because the treatment for those other conditions would be very different.
Some of the symptoms of RLS include:
~A creeping, crawling, jittery, tingling, burning, aching in legs at night or during inactivity
~Irresistible urge to move the legs
~Persistent leg movements during sleep hours
~Sleeping difficulty
~Not usually a muscle cramp or numbness
~Symptoms will have temporary relief with movement
Unfortunately, there is no known cure for RLS and they are not sure what causes it. There are a few treatments that have provided some folks with RLS relief. If your physician suspects you have RLS check with them to see if you could try these treatments.
~Make sure you are eating a healthy diet.
~Avoid caffeine.
~Exercise has been known to help. Make sure you don’t overdo or excercise too late in the evening.
~Massage can help you relax.
~Try other relaxation techniques like yoga, a warm bath or meditation.
~Make sure you have a regular sleep cycle and are getting enough rest.
~Alternating heat and cold packs or just one or the other can lessen the sensations.
~Have your iron levels checked.
~Cut back on alcohol and tobacco and see if that helps.
I wrote you all a little fun quiz. It is multiple choice to make it easy peasy. The answers are at the end of this post. Find out how much you know about massage and the body. Enjoy!
QUESTIONS
1. Do you need a Rx for massage to have it covered under insurance? a. Yes
b. No
2. What is the longest muscle in your body? a. Sartorius, a muscle in your leg
b. Latissimus dorsi, a muscle in your back
c. Abdominis rectus, in your stomach
3. What is the strongest muscle in your body? a. Gastrocnemius, a calf muscle
b. Masseter, a jaw muscle
c. Gluteus maximus, your largest glute muscle
4. Which one of these is not a Swedish massage technique? a. effleurage
b. petrissage
c. tapotement
d. isterband
e. all of the above
5. Is it legal to practice massage in the State of Washington without a license?
a. Yes
b. No
6. Does a massage increase your ability to kiss your elbow? a. Yes
b. No
7. What is the most common cause of headache? a. lack of sugar
b. too much television
c. dehydration
d. allergies
8. What part of your body does TMJD (temporomandibular joint disorder) effect? a. wrist
b. stomach
c. knee
d. jaw
e. all of the above
9. Which one of these is a benefit of massage? a. Helps relieve stress and aids relaxation
b. Helps relieve muscle tension and stiffness
c. Reduces muscle spasms
d. Promotes deeper and easier breathing
e. All of the above
10. Where does Lomi Lomi massage originate? a. Burundi
b. Hawaii
c. Switzerland
d. Thailand
e. New Zealand (Maori)
ANSWERS
1. Do you need a Rx for massage to have it covered under insurance? a. Yes, in the State of Washington
2. What is the longest muscle in your body? a. Sartorius, a muscle in your leg
3. What is the strongest muscle in our body? b. Masseter, a jaw muscle
4. Which one of these is not a Swedish massage technique? d. isterband is a type of sausage.
5. Is it legal to practice massage in the State of Washington without a license? b. No, and a big NO at that.
6. Does a massage increase your ability to kiss your elbow? b. No. The only thing that might do that is if you shoulder was dislocated. Dont try that at home.
7. What is the most common cause of headache? c. dehydration.
8. What part of your body does TMJD (temporomandibular joint disorder) effect? d. jaw
9. Which one of these is a benefit of massage? e. All of the above
10. Where does Lomi Lomi massage originate? b. Hawaii
You wake up in the morning sore and stiff because you were in bed all day yesterday with a cold. You then realize you have a massage schedule today. Aaahhh, that will provide relief to your achy muscles and give you a brief hour of feeling good instead of feeling terrible.
Actually, getting a massage when you are sick with the flu or a cold is a bad idea. Depending on what stage of the illness you are in, the massage can send the virus zooming through your body by increasing your circulation. Maybe you might get better faster, but it is more likely you will feel a lot worse. Also, when you go to a massage with a cold you put your practitioner at risk to catch your cold.
I was a child care provider for many years and would often get sick from being around the kids and babies. While I am not a doctor and can not prescribe cold treatments, I have found these natural remedies to be quite helpful.
Echinacea ~ This wonderful super herb stimulates the immune system and promotes T-cell activation. Remember when this herb was first available? It was in a horrible tasting tincture. Yuck. Some still swear that is the best way to take it but there are many other forms now found like tablets, capsules, teas…
Vitamin C ~ My favorite source of Vitamin C is Emer-gen C. Yummy powdered drink that helps hydrate you as well as give you lots of Vitamin C.
Zinc ~This is great to help with sinus type colds. Not so great for nausea. Be careful how much you take.
Drink lots of fluids ~ Water, herbal tea or any other clear liquid is best. They help replace fluids lost during mucus production or fever. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can cause dehydration, and cigarette smoke, which can aggravate your symptoms.
Chicken soup or Pho ~ The warmth of these soups helps to move that mucus out of your nose and on to your kleenex and provides nourishing hydration.
Get lots of rest ~ Stay home from work, keep warm and sleep as much as you can. Your body needs all of its strength to heal and you reduce the risk of infecting others.
Gargling with warm salt water ~ Not sure why this helps. It might be that the salt draws out the inflammation. Doing this several times a day can really help relieve your sore throat.
Saline nasal drops or Neti pot ~ Either one of these methods can help relieve nasal congestion. The drops are found at most local drug stores. Be careful when using the Neti pot and follow the provided directions. If you are not careful you can get water in your ears.
Thanks for reading and feel free to share remedies you might have in the comment section. PJ Harris, LMP http://www.pjharris.com/
I spent quite a bit of time reviewing online how-to-videos for neck and shoulder massage. Before I share my favorites, I want to give you some quick tips about giving massage.
1. Start with asking them to take a deep breath.
2. Breathe regularly and relax and it will rub off on your massage recepient.
3. Start gentle and work slowly and only work to a quicker or firmer pressure if your recipient wants that.
4. Check in from time to time, asking if they would like more or less pressure.
5. Be especially careful when working around the spine. Don’t use too much pressure in this tender area.
6. Have them sit facing a table or turned around facing the back of their chair and put a pillow in front of them so they can relax into it and not hold themselves up.
7. If you can’t do number 6 then make sure you are not pushing them to far forward.
This list of neck and shoulder massage videos is in order of preference.
There are so many ways someone with cancer can benefit from massage. Massage is incredibly nurturing. This is much needed by a person living with cancer. They often feel isolated, depressed and positive touch deprived. Many times their loved ones can not support them due to living far away or sometimes they are afraid of the stigmas attached to the disease. Loved ones also might feel afraid that they might hurt the cancer patient if they touch them. Massage provides relief from stress and restlessness, sleep improvement and pain relief. Fortunately, there are many hospice and cancer support organizations that have massage practitioners who donate their time.
Old school beliefs were based on the opinion that massage increases circulation and can promote the spread of cancer. We now have seen many studies that state that massage does not promote the spread of cancer, though some types of massage are inadvisable for certain types of cancer. For example, we need to be especially gentle when touching people with bone cancer, so deep tissue massage is a very bad idea. Another example might be someone undergoing cancer treatment might have nausea and jostling their body or aggressive movement of their limbs could agitate their symptoms. So, as always, talk to your oncologist about whether or not massage is a good idea for you. If your oncologist gives you the green light, make sure you find out what parameters the therapist should work within. I also suggest you see someone who is trained in how to address the special needs of someone dealing with this disease.
If you know someone with cancer, suggest to them to get a massage. They especially deserve some enjoyment from life. Thanks for reading, PJ Harris, LMP. http://www.pjharris.com/
The importance of strong ankles is far reaching. It greatly affects the fluidity in your walking stride. A disjointed stride can cause knee, hip, low back, mid back or even neck pain. Many of the people who come to me for knee pain can trace the cause to their ankles. In order to have strong ankles you must also have flexible ankles. Flexible and strong ankles are especially important if you run, play basketball, soccer, football, ride bicycles… or just want to stay active for many years to come.
Here are a few exercises to retain or regain ankle strength and flexibility:
1. The first exercise is called calf raises. Here are a few examples on how you can do these at home:
2. This video includes the exercises of ankle circles and alphabet ankles:
3. Another great ankle strengthening exercise is balancing on one foot:
4. This exercise involves sitting in a chair with your feet flat on the floor in front of you. With you heels firmly planted on the floor, slowly raise your toes up and down.
5. Here is a great stretch for the front of the lower leg and ankle:
6. Keeping your calves flexible are also important to ankle health. You can do this stretch with the back leg straight and then do it again with the back leg bent.
Always check with your doctor before you begin a new exercise routine. If you find your ankles or lower legs are pretty tight and stiff, call your injury treatment massage therapist to help you find relief. Thank you for reading, PJ Harris, LMP. http://www.pjharris.com/
While doing research on the history of Swedish massage, I came across many discrepancies. So as a result, I will not be relating information regarding it’s history. What I will explain is the main techniques incorporated in what massage practitioners practice while giving a Swedish massage currently in America.
The main goals of Swedish massage is to provide relaxation and improve circulation. The direction of massage strokes are what helps facilitate blood flow improvement. The focus of using strokes that are long and flowing help to promote relaxation.
Swedish massage consists of mainly five basic strokes:
Some of the other benefits of Swedish massage are:
1. Increase the oxygen flow in the blood and release toxins from the muscles
2. It stretches the muscles, ligaments and tendons keeping them supple and pliable
3. Reduces muscle spasms
4. Stimulates the skin and nervous system and soothes the nerves themselves at the same time
5. Reduces stress
6. Promotes well-being
7. Satisfies needs for caring nurturing touch
As you see, Swedish massage is beneficial in many ways and adds to the overall quality of life for the recipient. Thanks for reading, PJ Harris, LMP http://www.pjharris.com/
As the winter is drawing nearer, what would be better than a Hot Stone Massage. This amazing experience is even better than it sounds. It is no wonder Hot Stone Massages are a top seller in most spas, especially ones in cold places like ski resorts.
Before we launch into how to relieve Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), it is important to know you don’t have another condition. There are no test to find out if you have RLS, but there are tests your doctor can give you to rule out some other things. That could be important information because the treatment for those other conditions would be very different.
You wake up in the morning sore and stiff because you were in bed all day yesterday with a cold. You then realize you have a 
There are so many ways someone with cancer can benefit from massage. Massage is incredibly nurturing. This is much needed by a person living with cancer. They often feel isolated, depressed and positive touch deprived. Many times their loved ones can not support them due to living far away or sometimes they are afraid of the stigmas attached to the disease. Loved ones also might feel afraid that they might hurt the cancer patient if they touch them. Massage provides relief from stress and restlessness, sleep improvement and pain relief. Fortunately, there are many hospice and cancer support organizations that have massage practitioners who donate their time.
The importance of strong ankles is far reaching. It greatly affects the fluidity in your walking stride. A disjointed stride can cause knee, hip, low back, mid back or even neck pain. Many of the people who come to me for knee pain can trace the cause to their ankles. In order to have strong ankles you must also have flexible ankles. Flexible and strong ankles are especially important if you run, play basketball, soccer, football, ride bicycles… or just want to stay active for many years to come.
While doing research on the history of Swedish massage, I came across many discrepancies. So as a result, I will not be relating information regarding it’s history. What I will explain is the main techniques incorporated in what 
