Sage spa

The Hormone Guide

I couldn't resist posting this for our massage-for-PMS clients and for women everywhere. I found the image on Pinterest.

How Massage Heals Sore Muscles

NY Times February 6, 2012 By Nicholas Backalar

"A massage after vigorous exercise unquestionably feels good, and it seems to reduce pain and help muscles recover. Many people — both athletes and health professionals – have long contended it eases inflammation, improves blood flow and reduces muscle tightness. But until now no one has understood why massage has this apparently beneficial effect.

Now researchers have found what happens to muscles when a masseur goes to work on them....

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Vigorous exercise causes tiny tears in muscle fibers, leading to an immune reaction — inflammation — as the body gets to work repairing the injured cells. So the researchers screened the tissue from the massaged and unmassaged legs to compare their repair processes, and find out what difference massage would make.

They found that massage reduced the production of compounds called cytokines, which play a critical role in inflammation. Massage also stimulated mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses inside cells that convert glucose into the energy essential for cell function and repair. “The bottom line is that there appears to be a suppression of pathways in inflammation and an increase in mitochondrial biogenesis,” helping the muscle adapt to the demands of increased exercise, said the senior author, Dr. Mark A. Tarnopolsky."

READ THE ARTICLE>

What should every modern woman have? (No need to read this, guys)

There are several apps for tracking your periods (and the moods and symptoms associated with it) but this one seems to be particuarly good.  Sage is conducting a study on PMS and one of the participants in our study turned us on to it.

Here is a REVIEW by a woman iPhone user that I thought pretty much covered all the plusses and minuses of the app.

Also, you can check out Sage's PMS session if you are interested.

 

Looking for an excuse to get a massage?

Low back pain is one of the most common complaints of our Sage clients ... and the rest of America too so don't feel alone.

New research shows that massage alleviates low back pain better than traditional medicine treatments like medication or physical therapy.

 This is important because low back pain is a major cause of absenteism, disability and 'presenteeism" (you're actually at work but can't perform well because of the pain.  The massage participants in the study were required to get (lucky them) one massage a week for 10 weeks.  At the end of that time, their back pain was significantly reduced or gone entirely.  If you're looking for an excuse to get a massage, I think you've found it!

Acupressure Is Good Pressure

At Sage we have several different treatments that include shiatsu/acupressure points. These treatments are Massage for Menstrual Cramps, Massage for Headaches and Massage To Encourage Labor.  We believe in the effectiveness of point work not only because our extensive experience at the massage table shows that it works but because research studies have proven it to be so .  We are not "just winging it" although we certainly use our creative intuition when we need to in order to personalize a treatment that will be most effective just for YOU.    

If you're interested in reading the research (and I know there are some science nerds like me out there who are), here are a few studies that prove the effectiveness of shiatsu/acupressure:

Acupressure is more effective than physical
therapy for low back pain: MORE

Acupressure effective and reduces the need for pain medications in
migraine and tension headache.  MORE

Meridian Massage (shiatsu points) relieves
PMS/menstrual cramps:  MORE

 

I've Got Feet On My Mind

The New York City Marathon is 1 day away and, in the past few months, runners have been coming into Sage for relief from various physical pains or just to relax prior to the race.  Combine this with my return to ballet dancing after 20 years and you can see why I've got feet on my mind.  Mostly painful feet, mind you. Sore ankles, achy ball-of-the-foot, bunions, bent toes, sprains and of course calluses and blisters, oh my!

Massage can most certainly help with soreness and sprains after they occur; but, what could possibly help runners and dancers to prevent these injuries from happening in the first place?  I've been looking around and have found a product called the AFX or Ankle Foot MaXimizer.

Its unique design has a variety of resistance bands which allow a post-injury patient or a high performing dancer to achieve balanced stretching AND strengthening.Balancing strengthening with stretching is often key to preventing injury.  Some sports focus too much on stretching and not enough on strengthening or vice versa.  

 

Progressive Health Innovations' Innovative Resistance System provides balanced strengthening from early stage rehabilitation to high-performance athletic training. I plan on buying it.  It may not help you out with this year's marathon or next week's ballet class; but there's always next year!    

 

 

 

Smokin' Shoes!

Just 3 more days until the NYC marathon.  We've been massaging a lot of runners who want to be in top-notch form for the race and we are very excited about our clients' and friends' prospects for running a great race.  

The race passes only a block from Sage Spa in Brooklyn and we will be walking over to 4th Avenue to watch everyone from the elite runners on down to those amazing average joes who do what I can never myself imagine.

As I was thinking about the race, for some reason it reminded me of Hermes, the ancient mythological God.  He is described in Wikipedia as "the great messenger of the gods"  and also as "the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them...". Here's to all the marathon runners who pass boundaries they never thought they could.  You inspire us all!

MORE

Menstrual Cramps: Slow Down and Eat Less Meat? Advice from Dr. Christiane Northrup.

Cramps result when eicosanoids (prostaglandins) are released into your bloodstream (usually an hour or two after the onset of your period but sometimes even before.

The effects are cramps, sweating, hot flashes, feeling cold alternating with feeling hot, loose stools and possibly faintness. This eiconsanoid imbalance can be effected by the foods you eat (primarily dairy and meat) and by the amount of stress you're under.

Our therapists here at Sage can help with the stress and the cramps in our Massage for Menstrual Cramps session; but the dietary advice is intruiging. The holistic physican Christiane Northrup has lots of evidence from her practice for ways to holistically reduce your PMS symptoms.

PMS

Found this funny joke about PMS. No matter what it says, PMS DOES exist. But maybe a little laugh will help. Coming in to Sage for our PMS/Cramps treatment will help for sure.

Reclining Goddess For Cramps/PMS

… because every goddess needs to recline sometimes.

 Every one of our menstrual cramp/PMS sessions at Sage ends with the client in this posture.  That’s how much we believe in it ability to help.  To make it extra-helpful, at Sage, we add heated volcanic stones to the belly. (We happen to have volcanic stones available; but, you can use other methods at home). I want to give this information to all of you on a woman-helping-woman basis so that you can all benefit even when you can’t come in for the full PMS session.

 There are actually 2 postures (and 2 variations on those postures) which will stretch open the pelvic floor and soften the internal organs thereby reducing the pain and allowing you to flow more freely.  They are: reclining goddess pose, squatting pose, reclining goddess with feet up the wall, squatting pose with legs up the wall.  The only advice that applies to all the poses is (1) to stay aware so that you notice any pain/strain anywhere in the body (2) to liberally use pillows to reduce that pain/strain.

 Reclining Goddess

This is the classic yoga posture.  It requires a LOT of flexibility in the inner thigh. If you’re a ballerina, this is no problem for you.  If you’re just a regular person, you’re going to need props.  Put one or two pillows, according to your needs, under each knee. It’s also a good idea to put a nice pillow under your head.  And, by the way, this would be best done on carpeting or even in bed not on a hard surface.

 

Alternate position: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reclining Goddess with "Legs up the wall"

A variation of the above.  This pose is nice in that elevating your legs will press your low back again the floor or bed and help reduce any low back pain or strain.  You may find that you also need pillows or sofa cushions under each knee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Squatting Pose "Garland Pose"

 

Also called the “garland pose” in yoga, this is another way to stretch open the pelvic floor.  There are two concerns here.  If you’re a person with knee problems, this is not the posture for you.  Do the legs up the wall version instead.  Also, if your calves are no stretchy enough to put your heels flat on the floor, you will be too unstable to enjoy this posture.  You can fix that problem by putting a rolled-up towel under your heels.  Be on the lookout for any discomfort in your hip joints.  If that’s a problem, move on the the legs up the wall version.

 

 

 

 

SQUATTING POSE WITH LEGS UP THE WALL]

 Use pillow or sofa cushions under knees to reduce strain on inner thighs.

 

Finally, HEAT!  The use of heat on the belly will reduce the pain considerably.  We like to use hot stones at Sage because the weight of the stone will help sink the heat deeper.  At home, you’re likely to have a heating pad.  This is fine but will probably be better if you can find some safe-to-use household object to put some weight on the heating pad.  Also, as moist heat tends to penetrate better, treat yourself to a moist heat heating pad if you can.

 

We’re thinking about you and WE WISH YOU SWEET RELIEF.  Ahhhhhhh.