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Cupping for Relaxation and Pain Relief

3/25/2015

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Cupping has been one of the therapies used in Chinese medicine for over 2,500 years. In a cupping treatment, a vacuum is created by heating the air inside of a specialized cup, which is then placed on the skin. The cups can then be gently moved across the skin, referred to as "gliding cupping." I use special oils infused with therapeutically beneficial Chinese herbs to add to the effectiveness and comfort of the treatment. The suction in the cups causes the skin and superficial muscle layer to be lightly drawn into the cup. Cupping is much like the inverse of massage - rather than applying pressure to muscles, it uses gentle pressure to pull them upward. For most patients, this is a particularly relaxing and relieving sensation. 

Once suctioned, the cups are generally left in place for about ten minutes while the patient relaxes. The suction and negative pressure provided by cupping can loosen muscles, encourage flow of blood and lymphatic fluid, and sedate the nervous system. Cupping is used to relieve back and neck pains, stiff muscles, anxiety, fatigue, rheumatism, and a range of other conditions. It is also very beneficial for the lungs, and can clear congestion from a common cold or help to control a person's asthma. In fact, respiratory conditions are one of the most common issues that cupping is used to relieve.


Like acupuncture, cupping follows the lines of the meridians, specific patterns of energetic flow in the body. There are five meridian lines on the back, and these are where the cups are usually placed. By targeting these meridians, cupping strives to 'open' the channels providing a smoother and more free-flowing experience of qi or life energy, which in turn leads to relaxation, improved vitality, and alleviation of pain.

To get started, contact the front desk to schedule your initial appointment. 614-298-8781

Chris Cooper, Diplomate of Acupuncture
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What Happens When We Fall?

3/4/2015

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A fall can be similar to surgery, a sprain or a car accident-it's a trauma to your body.  Recovery from a trauma can be a process and multiple steps need to be taken to ensure how your body responds to what has happened.

In a fall, typically our pride is hurt, and both mentally and physically, it can be literally a pain to deal with. When we fall, our instinct is to catch ourselves and stop that fall. When we do this, we tense up other muscles and can potentially create other body pains with this tensing. If we slip on a patch of ice and fall down onto our hip/buttocks, there is a chance we could also create a whiplash type movement through the upper body and hit our head. A few things happen in this scenario. One, the muscles of the hip and low back become twitchy, literally, like an eyebrow twitch or a leg muscle twitch. This can continue for a while, until it is addressed, or the muscle settles into a position that creates a pull on the body, creating pain. Two, the muscle or group of muscles can go into spasm, creating more pain and discomfort through multiple areas of the body. Thirdly, the vibration of a fall can resonate up the spine and into the neck, creating other things that need to be addressed.

Recently I had a client who fell on the ice outside of her house going to work one morning. She called me a couple of hours later to ask if I could see her. This is important to do, simply because those muscles that are twitching or in spasm can be addressed within a timely fashion. As a Massage Therapist, I like to see people on my table within 24 hours, and not put it off. My client came in for a lunch time session and described what happened, how she fell, what areas hit the ground, etc. When she was on the table, I was feeling what her body was telling me, from her neck, down to her hips. Certainly she had tight areas due to not only the fall, but stress and life in general, but when I got to her hips, I was actually able to feel the muscles twitching! This was exciting to me, simply because I have had clients come in after falls before, but not so quickly that I was able to feel that movement in the muscle.

So, what do we do with this information? How do we proceed from a massage standpoint? Being able to feel the muscles moving like that is a great thing, but we also don't want to work the tissue too much so it can't recover. What I was able to do with my client was massage the neck and head, very gently, and work my way down her spine, also in a gentle manner. If we work too deeply the muscles can respond in a negative way and not relax the way that they need to. Gentle work is the way to go at first, in order to get things to calm down and work through the trauma that they just experienced. In moving forward with the massage procedures, after I worked with my client for 60 minutes the day of the fall, we scheduled another appointment for her 3 days later. Why? In order to keep the muscles loose and in the position we relaxed them into, we need to get back in and keep them loose in a specific amount of time. Why again? If we don't get back in 3 days later, there is a chance those muscles can go into spasm and create even more muscular issues than the initial fall did. The consistency of keeping the tissues soft and pliable gets people back on their feet feeling good and makes for a quicker, more efficient recovery from a fall. After the 3 day appointment, we like to see the client again in 5-7 days. Again, this is to maintain the consistency of keeping the muscles loose, so they don't settle in a position they shouldn't. Also, we can check in with them to see if they have developed any other muscular aches and pains that could be side effects from the fall. Usually in this appointment we can work a little deeper into the tissues, but again, we go by what we feel and every body is different and responds differently. What is good for one body, isn't always good for the other. The next step is for the client to come in again in 10-14 days. This type of protocol is so that we can help the client through a fall, both mentally and physically.

Massage is a great tool for recovering from falls and putting that in your tool box for life is putting you one step ahead of a fall. No matter if you fall on ice, while rollerskating, snowboarding, or being graceful doesn't come naturally, we are here to help you through those events.

Cheryl Harris - Licensed Master Massage Therapist
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You Make Your Kids do What?!

3/3/2015

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It no longer surprises me when clients react to learning that I take my kids to the gym. Over the years I have grown to expect reactions. Questions like "What do they need to do to get out of going?" and "When will you stop making them go?", sound to me as if the questioner thinks that I am forcing my kids as a type of punishment. It is not a punishment, it is a belief.

I believe that if you have a body you should take care of it.


How your body, ideally, needs taken care of is different than anyone else's - which is one of the reasons that I am so against comparatives, but every body needs movement. There is simply no substitute.

I work in fitness so my kids have always had the opportunity to exercise, but mostly just play. A few years ago I decided it was time to start taking them with me to the gym a couple of times a week. Now, before you start making some comments about how it would suck to be my kid - you know who you are - let me be clear that I do not set expectations for what they must do at the gym. I don't want them to hate exercise. My goal is that they get used to the idea that going to a place for exercise is common, expected and simply what one does.

It is far too easy in our society to allow our health to become something that we only think about after it fails. Caring for your body is something that requires consistency and in our busy lives that consistency can quickly become non-existent. Being around people who hold a similar value and understanding of self-care, reinforces the importance in our own lives to make the effort.

When I first planned the layout of the EQUI
VITA facility I made sure to build a space for kids. Now, it is still just as important to me even though my kids no longer use it. The reason that having a space for kids is important has little to do with making the parents feel comfortable bringing kids and more about the kids themselves. I want kids to get a feel for what people do to take care of their bodies. Leave kids at home while you workout and they will have no understanding of the difference between going to the gym and going to a movie. Bring them with you and even if they are not in the same room, they see that there is something you do to take care of your body. 

As with kids, the same is true for adults. If you are around people who are active and caring for themselves, then you will be more likely to care for yourself. So, in a very real sense who you choose to spend your time with has an effect on your health and well-being.


Choose wisely, and, as alwa
ys, let me know how I can help.



Adam
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    EQUIVITA

    This blog is written and updated by the staff that support EQUIVITA. Individual blog posts are the thoughts of the staff member that submitted the post.  The content of these posts often support the thoughts and ideas of our organization, but do not always(and we scarcely use definitives) reflect the same thoughts or ideas of the organization as a whole.

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