Health Tips from Eugene Wood Massage Therapist

Sports massage involves using hands-on techniques to work on the muscles, ligaments, and tendons to improve circulation, reduce tension in the muscles, stimulate or suppress nerve activity and to enhance removal of waste in the body among others benefits. Despite its many benefits, most amateur athletes are yet to appreciate the importance of massage. Exercising while playing sports can be strenuous. Take tennis as an example. Players have to do a lot of running in addition to the repetitive and forceful motions that the body must endure to master the forehands, serves, backhands and volleys. This places a lot of stress on the joints, muscles, and ligaments. Sports massage therapy will help to keep the players healthy not only during matches but as also during training and after the matches. Increased Flexibilty: Massage can increase the motions in the torso and hands to enable a player to make powerful swings. It also eases pain and tightness in the neck and shoulder areas allowi...

Individuals who have suffered a stroke are likely to receive treatment and support from a wide range of healthcare professionals, including licensed massage therapists. Massage therapy can help improve the nerve function and joint mobility and relieve stress that is associated with the trauma of having a stroke. Following a stroke, the intent of therapeutic massage is to stimulate the nerves, so the nervous system is not able to ignore the stimulation. This physical stimulation of the nerves causes the nervous system to follow and process the tactile sensations. When the brain is trying to find better and more efficient ways to handle the information, it is forced to develop new connections by creating new cellular circuitry around the damaged areas. This is called neuroplasticity. Massage therapy is recommended for stress relief and therapeutic benefits, but the primary focus of treating strokes with massage is to stimulate the nerves. One of the most common massage techniques that...

How to Become a Massage Therapist in New York State In New York State, not just anyone can walk in and become a licensed massage therapist. There are steps you must take including tests both on your moral character and your skills. Your skills tests are a result of your classroom and hands-on training, which are required to test for the state license exam. Once you are licensed, you will be able to work either on your own, in a salon, or a full massage parlor or establishment. The need for licensed massage therapists in New York State is always high; this type of position is always in high demand, so you can be sure that once your testing and training are complete, there will be no shortage of employment opportunities. Before You Begin Before you start any training program for massage therapy , you will have to prove that you are worthy of the position. Since this is a position where the majority of patients who come in are typically vulnerable, the state needs to be sure that y...

There is nothing like being on the receiving end of a good, relaxing massage to make you feel loose and stress-free, right? Did you know there are more health benefits that you can reap when you get a massage? There is no doubt that everybody has heard the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," but many have not heard that massage can have the same effect - the effect of boosting your immune system through massage therapy . How it Works White blood cells are the types of cells that are vital in your immune system. It is these cells that help your body fight off serious diseases as well as the simple ones like the cold and flu. As you receive a massage, these white blood cells, more specifically the lymphocytes, are activated throughout the body making it easier for the cells to keep you healthy by fighting the things that are making you sick. Studies There have been numerous studies to determine the effect that massage therapy has on the immune system. One study...

As massage therapy continues to become more popular, myths regarding the practice have surfaced as well. Some people choose massage therapy to have a relaxing experience, while others use massage as a healing experience for the mind and body. There are several myths linked to massage therapy that should be made clear before anyone chooses this form of treatment. Myth #1: All massages are the same. There are over 200 types of massage, with each having its own focus . A spa massage is done for tension and stress relief and trigger the relaxation response . Sports massage , on the other hand, is great for athletes because it helps to keep the joints and muscles in great shape and correct muscle imbalances . Orthopedic massage is geared more toward healing a specific injury and keeping the joints and muscles mobile during recovery. Myth #2: The benefits of massage are temporary. While many people do enjoy getting a massage weekly , that doesn't mean that its effects are short-term...

Massage therapy is a luxury, it is something that you get to do when you have time and money to be able to lay down and just relax; but is it a luxury or is it something that every office worker should receive on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis? The fact is, your employees and your business will benefit from regular massage from a licensed massage therapist; think of it as an investment in your business, just like advertising. Less Stress and Anxiety Most employers don't know what kind of stress a coworker is going through. It is very possible that your employees are going through a stressful situation at home that weigh on them at work. When you offer them a corporate chair massage in the office, they can let go of their stress and become more productive. When they let go of the stress, they can focus on their job, not on everything else they have going on at the time. It is only when their stress and anxiety is relieved that they can do their very best for you, their em...

For centuries people have been getting massage therapy to relax from a rough day or intense physical strain. But, did you know that a regular massage session in your routine can have a dramatic effect on your overall sleep patterns? Here we will explore a few of the ways that this has been proven to work wonders for many people suffering through sleepless nights. Have you been feeling tired no matter how much rest you've been getting? This is happening more and more often to many people who are normally high energy folks. Having massage as a regular part of your week's schedule may be the answer you're looking for. The Importance of Good Sleep Many studies have proven that a good night's rest on a regular basis is vital to the proper functioning of the human body. Sleep deprivation can lead to a lack of drive, motivation, cognitive ability and focus in many cases. More serious is the fact that it has also been linked to numerous workplace incidents and car accidents...

Many people suffer from pain in their jaw, face, and head due to TMJD. TMJD is the acronym for the joint between the temporal bone (located on the side of the head) and the mandible (jaw bone), which is why it is called the TemporoMandibularJoint. The "D" is for Dysfunction or Disorder. We will refer to this joint as the TMJ. The TMJ is a hinge type joint that helps with speech, eating, chewing, and opening and closing the mouth. There are a lot of muscles involved in making this joint work. These muscles can develop trigger points and, when tight, can cause headaches, muscle spasms, and other annoying types of pain, as you will see.  What is TMJD? A picture is worth a thousand words: In the picture above, you will notice the Temporo Mandibular Joint. This is a hinge joint that connects the mandible (jawbone) to the temporal bone, which is one of the bones of the skull. There is a disc in between the mandible and temporal bone called the intra-articular disc. This...