Self-Care Habits with Hydrotherapy

 Traditionally hydrotherapy refers to the application of water to the body. Water, one of the oldest cures, has a long history of therapeutic uses; such as drinking and soaking in mineral water; healing baths and hot springs, to increase the flexibility of the fascia and warm the tissue up to reduce tension. Cold applications can be traced back to Hippocrates in the treatment of acute or overuse injuries, used to reduce the body's natural inflammatory response.

Hydrotherapy is an easy (and free, as a client recently told me) way to help your aches and pains between treatments. I'm often asked, heat or cold? It is always dependent on your comfort and preference, but here are some things to consider with hydrotherapy self-care:

HEAT

Heat increases the tissue temperature, and blood flow to the skin and muscle, which causes an increase in the body's metabolic response: more oxygen and nutrients to the tissue and more sweating (one way our body removes toxins). Heat also makes joints and muscles more flexible as it warms the collagen tissues which control our muscle and skin elasticity. Spasm is decreased with heat as it slows the rate of firing within the cells that tell our muscles to move, and pain perception is also decreased with heat due to a slower response within the nerves. Heat creates a general sense of sedation and relaxation, everyone loves to use heat!

When to use it: with chronic muscle tightness or tension, spasm, and joint pain. Not recommended for swelling, acute injury, or inflamed joints.

How long: about 10 minutes for heat packs, 15-30 minutes for hot baths.

COLD

Cold reduces the temperature of the skin, decreasing blood flow. Within injured tissue this decreases inflammation, swelling, edema, and bleeding. Pain transmission is blocked with cold application.

When to use it with inflammation, acute injury, or shooting and sharp nerve pain.

How long: 15 to 30 minutes, and never applied directly to the skin.

CONTRAST

This is when we use heat with cold. Starting with heat, apply it for 3-10 minutes, then cold, applying it for 1-5 minutes. Repeat (heat-cold-heat-cold-heat-cold) as long as needed, and always end with cold. This is a great therapy to increase blood flow and promote healing to those lingering injuries.

The Luxury of Self-Care

I am so proud of my clients who have begun to take more time for their own care; who view their monthly, or twice-monthly massages as a part of a Self-Care routine that insures their continued comfort and ability in their day-to-day. Our bodies often are the last thing we think to care for, unless we are in so much pain we can't sleep or sit comfortably, or we can't walk or move throughout our day without extreme discomfort. It shouldn't have to feel this bad to become an excuse to finally take care of ourselves.

Luxury is really a misnomer when it comes to getting massage or bodywork. It shouldn't be labeled a luxury to care for yourself. One of my clients works in construction, and he tells me that his co-workers often give him a hard time for getting regular massage; 'oh, that must be nice', they tell him. He laughs, but as hard as he is on his own body; lifting, twisting, walking around on cement all day, he knows that what keeps him going is his regular massages. He tells me, he probably couldn't get out of bed in the morning without massage.

Hyperbole aside, I stumbled across an article recently from a 2008 issue of Body Sense. Lee Picciuto explained this Luxury rhetoric well:

"Some people believe that massage therapy is either an indulgence for the wealthy or a "treat" for special occasions. Most therapists have some clients who only come in once a year, usually for a birthday or special holiday.

I have also encountered clients who have been influenced by others and made to feel guilty for spending money on a monthly massage session. These clients seem to think of massage therapy as a frivolity they don't deserve. 

Admittedly, massage therapy has a monetary cost, but that should be weighed against the benefits of the treatment--diminished stress, decreased pain, improved moods, etc. There is usually a way to budget for a monthly massage with a bit of reprioritizing."

My clients who have committed to regular massage have noticed a huge difference in the way their bodies feel; decreased chronic pain in common areas that hold stress, or do repetitive motions, and they tell me the just feel better, less "stressed". We hold the tension we collect from the world in our bodies; our physical reactions to what we experience, in addition to what we do (walking, running, sitting at a computer, gardening, lifting heavy boxes...). It is always a joy to witness my clients continued relief of their pain and stress, these are not things I believe they should carry with them every day.

I notice in my clients a difference in the tissue, the way the muscles move and feel, the way the body reacts to receiving massage, how quickly muscles release tension and adhesions. I cannot speak for their change in emotions, but I do notice their stress dissipate. I notice more smiling. I notice a deeper connection with their breathing on the table, and an understanding of how they are living in their bodies from appointment to appointment, as we continue to change and effect a more comfortable way to live with each massage.

Think about you commitment to caring for yourself. It isn't selfish, it isn't a luxury. You can save money when you sign up for a "monthly maintenance massage" with a 6-month commitment.

One 60 minute massage per month : $50.00 USD - monthly One 90 minute massage per month : $80.00 USD - monthly

Dry Brushing

 

Dry brushing is an invigorating way to support the skin and the body as a whole. It is said that 1/3 of the bodies toxins are excreted through the pores; dry brushing exfoliates the skin and helps to unclog the pores. As it encourages circulation, it also exercises and supports the lymphatic system through gentle stimulation of the glands as you glide the brush over your body. And a healthy lymphatic system is the foundation of a healthy immune system!

How to Dry Brush:

With a dry, natural bristle brush, apply your preferred pressure, and gently brush your skin. Starting at your extremities, brush toward the center of your body. Avoid the groin, breasts, and face. It's best to brush before bathing.

And, to really help detox the body, at the end of your shower take a 10-30 second cold plunge! This helps the blood return to your vital organs to replenish your body systems, as well as stimulate your nervous system.

the history of massage in America

The history of Massage can be traced back to Greece, ancient Romans, and the Eastern modalities of shiatsu and tui na. The oldest and most common training in Western-styled massage that most therapists receive today is in Swedish-style, traced back to 1868 and Dr. Johann Georg Mezger, sometimes miscredited to Per Henrik Ling, a physical therapist, who instead created a gymnastics protocol which included manual techniques(1). Mezger first practices French "frictions" which would evolve into his methodology of Swedish massage: effleurage (long, gliding strokes), petrissage (kneading of the muscles), friction (firm, circular rubbing motions), tapotement (tapping or percussive movements) and vibration (shaking particular muscles).

Massage in America can be traced to the 1700's with "rubbers" who would uses rubbing and frictions to effect orthopedic ailments. "Medical rubbers were typically women hired by surgeons to assist with the rehabilitation of patients after surgery, and with treatment of lameness and joint diseases. Rubbers had little education, but possessed a knack for hands-on therapy. Their basic techniques were simple, but were modified to produce different effects. Rubbers incorporated joint movements into their treatments to increase range of motion, and to get lame patients walking again." (2)

Swedish-style made its way to America in 1890 in Boston, at the Posse Gymnasium, which paved the way for training of masseuse and masseur. in the Mezger and Ling traditions. "Agnes Bridget Forbes became the first licensed masseuse in North America in 1916." (2)

By the 1930's these practitioners were called physiotherapists, utilizing manual therapies, but also hydrotherapies, electrotherapy's, and movement therapies -more similar to today's physical therapy. In the 1943 an associated body came together to standardize and protect the masseuses and masseurs.

In 1958 the practitioners started to be called Massage Therapist, to disambiguate from the "massage parlors" which were associated with prostitution, and to help "give the field legitimacy as a health profession." (2)

As with most things, there was a boom of knowledge and transmission of modalities practiced around the world. "The human potential movement, epitomized by the Esalen Institute in California (est. 1962), fostered new types of manual therapy, such as Rolfing and Esalen massage. Hands-on approaches from Asia—including acupressure from China, shiatsu from Japan, and Ayurvedic massage from India—were embraced in America.

The term bodywork was coined to encompass the diversity of manual therapies that surfaced in this period. The wellness movement, fitness boom, concern about unhealthy stress, and growth of alternative medicine all contributed to a rising public interest in massage therapy, which expanded its scope to include diverse massage modalities." (2)

In the 1990's more regulation was set in place to protect both the practitioners and clients seeking care within this health field. Today, there are an innumerable amount of modalities of bodywork and many wonderful practitioners, helping us learn the ways our bodies can work, what are bodies can do for us, and how we can support them and how they support us. 

(1) AMCollege blog https://www.amcollege.edu/blog/dutch-origins-of-swedish-massage-amc-miami
(2) Patricia J. Benjamin https://www.amtamassage.org/articles/3/MTJ/detail/3285/brush-up-on-the-history-of-the-massage-therapy-profession

knowing your body

I recently had acupuncture. It had been several years since my last treatment, and my neck and arm muscles were feeling particularly taut. She placed needles in my lower leg to alleviate my head and neck tension. The muscles instantly released upon the prick of the needle. My mind drifted, my body rested. This treatment reinforced my thinking around the systemic connection of the body; that one point can hold deeper sense of inner workings.

I must admit, I haven't been taking very good care of myself lately -a lot of working, and planning, and performing, and...not enough revitalization. I am determined to prioritized self-care. I've had massage. I took an Epsom salt soak. I stretched every morning and evening. It takes a lot of work, and after a week of working on myself, I don't feel better -(!!!)- I feel pretty mediocre. There is no miracle, and it takes time and energy. Our bodies are ever-changing, adaptable, and impermanent. When we heal, we don't heal to our former self -our "pre-injury" status- but rather a new status, one that remembers the pain and weakness, yet strives for physical knowledge beyond our past afflictions.

full moon of feelings

Cancer Sun //Capricorn Full Moon exact at 7:20pm PDT July 1st, 2015

Stephanie Gailing of Planetary Apothecary says:

"What’s...highlighted during this Full Moon is the importance of maintaining a balanced sense of perspective. Cancer inspires us to both feel as well as value our feelings. It has flowing, soft, and undulating energy. Capricorn, on the other hand, is not focused on feelings but rather on diligent and responsible approaches to accomplishing tangible outcomes. The question becomes how the nurturer (Cancer) and the achiever (Capricorn) can co-exist."

Read her full article here: http://planetaryapothecary.com/2015/06/capricorn-full-moon-2/

What interests me in Stephanie's words is this balance between self-care, and what we need to get done. These things are more often than not contractions. It is hard to make the time with our ever-swiftyly-moving lives for us; for a breathe, for meditation or mindfulness practice, for self-reflection, or self-care.

I've recently shifted my work-load, I don't know how I was doing it, working three jobs, attempting to create within my Art, renovate a home, all while living with my partner in my childhood home, but I did it. The easiest thing to drop off my list? Self-care. My work-out, my yoga, my meditation, my own massage.

How can we balance how we nurture our bodies and minds? How do we attend to our feelings? All the while walking forward on our distracting paths ahead?

Summer Sun and Your Skin

Massage therapists are very conscientious of skin. Summer is a difficult time for our skin; it gets warm, it gets damp, and too often, it gets sunburned. The best thing to do is to stay out of the midday sun, and know that even when the sun is hiding under the clouds on these hot and humid days, you are still catching rays. So when you enjoy the outdoors wear sunscreen -I usually wear Badger natural sunscreen- and always try to wear a hat, and a light-weight long-sleeved shirt. If you do get a sunburn, slather on plenty of pure aloe vera or calendula oil to help soothe irritated skin.