Fun Facts

There are over 640 muscles in the human body.

There are 206 bones in an adult human body. There are about 300 at birth.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

Human jaw muscles can generate a force of 200 pounds on the molars.

Toenails and fingernails are actually made from skin cells.

Sun exposure is cumulative, which means that your skin hasn’t forgotten the sunshine you enjoyed last year or the year before. (Don’t forget your sunscreen!)

How fast are nerve signals? Some, like the ones for muscle position travel on extra fast nerve fibers at speeds of up to 390 feet per second! Close your eyes and wave your arms around: you can tell where they are at every moment because the muscle-position nerves are very fast. But other messages, like some kinds of pain signals, travel more slowly. If you stub your toe, you feel the pressure right away because touch signals travel 250 feet per second. But you won’t feel the pain for another 2 or 3 seconds because pain signals generally travel at only 2 feet per second.

The average person can live without food for a few weeks, depending on their body type.

The average person can live without water for 3 or 4 days.

The average person needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.

Healthy Balance

Did you know that an unbalanced diet can trigger increased food cravings that make it difficult to stick to any diet for very long?

Going on a diet and losing weight doesn't have to mean depriving yourself from the foods you enjoy. You just need to find the right balance... and now you can.

With Isagenix Products you can achive this blance

Call me for details
Ramona
651-206-7141
www.rwesterberg.isagenix.com

Tell someone you care about how massage has helped you ...

The Healing Place of Cottage Grove
www.thehealingplacecg.com
651-206-7141


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Tell someone you care about how massage has helped you ...
or surprise them with a massage gift certificate!

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When’s the Best Time for a Massage?
Massage always feels great, but there are certain times when a massage can make a big difference in your life. For instance:

• You’re about to have an important presentation, interview, etc., and you want to be relaxed and able to do your best

• You’ve just completed a physically or mentally stressful project

• You’re experiencing high levels of stress in your day-to-day life

• You have important company coming

• You’re about to have surgery or another stressful medical procedure

All of these situations, plus many more, are times you really can benefit from a de-stressing massage—for the well being of your body, mind and spirit.

Of course, when you’re able to receive your massages regularly, you’ll be one step ahead of stress and worry and able to maintain a higher level of overall health. So, be sure to take care of yourself and don’t wait too long for your next massage!

Regular Massage Can Lead to Better Health
You could consider massage therapy as the ultimate health support system. As more studies are completed, the scientific proof keeps building on the many ways massage can help you to improve your overall health. The following information is from the Mayo Clinic’s website:

Massage can relieve tension in your muscles, and most people use it for relaxation, relief of stress and anxiety, or to reduce muscle soreness. Massage can also cause your body to release natural painkillers, and it may boost your immune system.

While more research is needed to confirm the benefits of massage, some studies have found it helpful for:

Anxiety. Massage reduced anxiety in depressed children and anorexic women. It also reduced anxiety and withdrawal symptoms in adults trying to quit smoking.

Pain. Pain was decreased in people with fibromyalgia, migraines and recent surgery. Back pain also might be relieved by massage.

Labor pain. Massage during labor appears to lessen stress and anxiety, relax muscles and reduce pain.

Sports-related soreness. Some athletes receive massages after exercise, especially to the muscles they use most in their sport or activity. A massage might help increase blood flow to your muscles and may reduce muscle soreness after you exercise.

Alcohol withdrawal. Massage during withdrawal from alcohol has shown benefits when combined with traditional medical treatment by increasing feelings of support, safety and engagement in the therapy.

Immune system. People with HIV who participated in massage studies showed an increased number of natural killer cells, which are thought to defend the body from viral and cancer cells.

Cancer treatment. People with cancer who received regularly scheduled massage therapy during treatment reported less anxiety, pain and fatigue.

Self-esteem. Because massage involves direct contact with another person through touch, it can make you feel cared for. That special attention can improve self-image in people with physical disabilities and terminal illnesses. And using touch to convey caring can help children with severe physical disabilities.

Communicating with your massage therapist

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651-206-7141

It's interesting to see how many people are shy when it comes to telling the massage therapist very important things. So here's a list of some things to keep in mind and use your voice when you are receiving a massage.

Important things to communicate to the therapist:

1) If it hurts. - Frequently, people will just grin and bear the pain. Sometimes the therapist might not be able to tell that it's painful. So it's important to communicate that information to the therapist. The goal really isn't pain, occasionally it might be, but only temporarily and certainly not intolerable.

2) If you are uncomfortable being undraped - Most massage therapists, if they have been doing massage for a while, get totally anesthetized to nudity or partial nudity. For most therapists, it's just skin, fat or muscle tissue. So if you feel like you are exposed, it's up to you to communicate that to the therapist. If they are professional, then they will make sure you are draped and understand your concerns.

3) Temperature - Being cold on the table is not relaxing. Most massage therapists have blankets they can use to make sure are completely comfortable.

4) If you need to go to the bathroom - Again, because of our western-be-polite sort of society, people will hold having to go the bathroom. Believe me, massage therapists want you to go. And they will usually have a robe or some kind of way to make sure you can easily go to the bathroom and then come back to enjoy the rest of the massage.

5) If you don't want to chat - From time to time, therapists will chat with their clients during the massage, if you don't want to chat, that's totally ok, just let the therapist know. The massage therapist will understand.

Those are some of the major ones. Massage therapists are really there for you. It's your experience. So speak up, if something is bugging you, let them know. It's ok. It's also ok to let them know when they are doing something right as well.

Until next time....

About Isagenix

The Healing Place of Cottage Grove
www.thehealingplacecg.com



Isagenix is a simple to follow nutritional system. The products are all natural and organic. The flagship product is a cleansing system that removes toxins and at the same time replenishes the body with over 240 nutrients to help you achieve optimal health. By detoxing and replenishing the body with over 240 essential nutrients, the Isagenix nutritional system enables the body to be the miracle is was designed to be and heal itself. What better approach to wellness?

for more information visit my website or call 651-206-7141

www.rwesterberg.isagenix.com

Trigger Point Therapy

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Trigger point therapy is also known as myotherapy or neuromuscular therapy. This massage modality was introduced by Janet Travell and David Simons and developed around the theory that pain is caused by myofascial trigger points which are tiny contraction knots that form in a muscle once it is injured or subjected to too much stress.

Muscles are made up of sacromeres, tiny units that alternately contract and relax in a synchronized fashion during body movement enabling blood circulation. Trigger points develop when sacromeres overlap and become entwined. Blood flow is impeded in the immediate area and the oxygen shortage results in the accumulation of metabolic wastes which irritate the knotted sacromeres.

These trigger points send out pain signals, not from its actual site but from another part of the muscle or body, hence the concept of referred pain. Trigger point therapists say that it is ineffective to treat muscle pain where it hurts. One has to look for the site of the trigger point and apply therapy there to guarantee successful treatment.

Travel and Simons reveal that headaches, neck and jaw pain, low back pain, tennis elbow, and carpal tunnel syndrome can be attributed to trigger points and that they are also the causes of pain in the shoulder, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle joints that is so often mistakenly diagnosed for arthritis, tendinitis, bursitis, or ligament injury.

Trigger points also display other seemingly unrelated symptoms such as dizziness, earaches, sinusitis, nausea, heartburn, false heart pain, heart arrhythmia, genital pain, and numbness in the hands and feet. Even fibromyalgia is said to have its beginnings with myofascial trigger points.

Using mainly finger pressure, trigger point therapy releases the interlocked sacromeres into a state where they are neither contracted nor stretched. Typical therapy lasts between 3-10 days in order to achieve marked results. In treating chronic conditions that have also persisted over long periods of time, results can be achieved in a span of 3 weeks.

Why Getting Deep Tissue Massage Work Is So Important

The Healing Place of Cottage Grove
www.thehealingplacecg.com
651-206-7141

Have you ever had a cavity that became so painful that you needed to seek a dentist for pain relief? Did you feel it coming on? Most likely not, muscle pain and dysfunction is very similar in nature, you may not feel it initially until the pain becomes so great, that you seek a doctor for an explanation and all he or she does is prescribe pain killers and muscle relaxants.

Muscle pain and dysfunction begins much earlier than when you begin to feel it, because it is an accumulation of muscles becoming “stuck” to one another and because your nervous system as a job uses only 10% for pain sensory. Your muscle fibers are to slide against one another for contracting and releasing as we move throughout the day. Pain and dysfunction within the muscle structure occurs as a result of these fibers not having the freedom to move and slide freely, altering your natural movements.

There are many reasons why this occurs, you will find below just some of them.

Overuse syndromes- these are probably the most common, repetitive strain injuries happen so often because they are job related in most cases.

Sports injuries- if you play sports and do not stretch often, you will be subject to muscles becoming tight, overworked or traumatize by the high impact of physical activity or a fall.

Car accidents- car accidents often cause more pain and dysfunction that what you initially feel or become aware of. An automobile is built to take a slow 5 to 10 mph crash, this is not necessarily true for your body. Even in a low impact accident a person’s soft tissue can be damaged. The back and neck are the usual problem spots for soft tissue injuries.

A lack of sleep- your body isn’t healing properly during your deep sleep (non-REM sleep). This prevents your brain from getting the deep restorative sleep it needs to generate enough growth hormones. And it is the growth hormones that your body needs to keep muscles healthy.

A knowledgeable deep tissue massage specialist can do so much for each of these problems.

The primary goal for deep tissue massage experts is better posture, decrease of pain symptoms, increased flexibility and fluid movements. These are the very things that are impacted by the above list.

Deep tissue massage specialists are trained to look for these kinds of restrictions and improper muscle movements, even before you may become of aware it. A professional deep tissue massage therapists will utilize many different styles of massage that you will not receive with a spa that hires massage therapists with very little skill or know how.

A knowledgeable therapist has many massage techniques from which he will use on you to help you regain normal muscle function and decrease pain. Massage techniques such as cross-fiber friction, muscle stripping techniques, anchor and stretch, active release techniques and stretching. All these different techniques are muscle lengthening strokes and are designed to alleviate restrictive or stuck muscles that alter normal muscle function.

RPM Therapy is here to help

We are not a Spa, our massage work is therapeutic. Your massage session with us will address these muscle and pain dysfunctions that can only be corrected by deep muscle work. we take pride in helping you live an active and full life free from pain and dysfunction.

We also provide relaxation with Reiki, hot stones and aromatherapy for those of you looking for that spa-like massage. Even though our massage is therapeutic and deep, you will feel much more relaxed after your session with us. The reason for this is simple, a muscle that is tight and restricted cannot ever be or feel relaxed when it is constantly at work even when you are resting.

To book your massage with us click here for our online massage scheduler, we now offer massage gift cards, thank you.

www.thehealingplacecg.com
651-206-7141

Making the Most of Your Massage

The Healing Place of Cottage Grove
www.thehealingplacecg.com
651-206-7141

Massage works in wonderful ways, easing stress and pain, calming the nervous system, increasing circulation, loosening tight muscles, stimulating internal organs, and enhancing skin. The multiplicity of physiological responses sends a simple, clear message to the mind: Massage feels good. Of course, you want to hold on to that just-had-a-massage feeling -- total body relaxation, muscles relaxed and at ease, and fluid movement restored -- for as long as possible.

But how long that bliss lasts depends on the state of your body. If you're suffering from chronic pain or recovering from injury, then it may take more sessions and perhaps different modalities before optimal health is restored.

If massage is part of your regular health regimen, then it's more likely the effects will endure. In other words, the effects of massage are cumulative, like any healthy habit. The more often you get a massage, the greater and longer-lasting the benefits.

Massage Frequency - How often you receive massage depends on why you're seeking massage. In dealing with the general tension of everyday commutes, computer work, and time demands, a monthly massage may be enough to sustain you. On the other hand, if you're seeking massage for chronic pain, you may need regular treatments every week or two. Or if you're addressing an acute injury or dealing with high levels of stress, you may need more frequent sessions. Your situation will dictate the optimum time between treatments, and your practitioner will work with you to determine the best course of action.

"You need to consider how you felt before the session and how you felt after, and then look at how long you maintain that," says Pieter Sommen, the chair of the eastern department in the Swedish Institute School of Massage Therapy in New York.

In general, experts say "regular" is preferable, but how regular depends on your situation. While daily massage would be delightful, practical considerations such as cost, time, and physical need likely determine the frequency of treatments. "It's best to maintain a schedule," says Eeris Kallil, CMT, a shiatsu instructor at the Boulder College of Massage Therapy in Colorado. "That way the body becomes conditioned and prepared for session at specific intervals."

Maintenance - Whether you get a massage weekly, monthly, or just every once in a while, the following habits can maximize and extend the afterglow of treatment.

Water - One bit of advice you'll hear over and over again is to drink plenty of water after a massage. Bodywork -- no matter the particular modality -- releases toxins, such as lactic acid and carbonic acid, that need to be flushed from the body. Massage also promotes circulation, increasing blood flow and oxygen and stimulating the lymphatic system, which helps rid the body of pathogens. After-massage hydration supports these functions, helping to eliminate released impurities, sooner rather than later.

Stretching - Another helpful habit is stretching between massages to maintain joint mobility, prevent muscles from tightening up again, and keeping the life energy flowing. This may mean doing yoga or whatever specific or full-body stretches suggested by your practitioner. After a shiatsu session, for example, your practitioner may recommend "makko-ho" stretches, a series of six exercises designed to keep energy circulating. "This series of stretches take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes a day, but really help keep the chi flowing through the body," says Kallil.

Exercise - Working out can also help maintain the benefits of massage, and this habit should be continually cultivated. However, if you're receiving massage therapy to help speed muscle strain recovery, you may need to ease up on the exercise for a while and give the body time to heal -- particularly if you're recovering from a strenuous body-pummeling training regimen. "You don't want to over-work your body," says Kallil. That is, if running is taking a toll, try something more gentle and meditative such as swimming, walking, or tai chi.

Body Awareness - After a massage, respect how your body feels. If your body seems to ask for rest, give in to that demand. This may mean backing off the to-do list, taking it easy, moving slower, and perhaps doing less for a while. And don't allow yourself to get fatigued because it will undermine the effects of massage. Get sufficient sleep to allow the body to absorb the effects and regain vitality.

Diet - Finally,since you've just rid the body of toxins, support the body's renewed state by adhering to a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which will continue the detoxification process. Lay off the espresso and all adrenaline-challenges for a time -- which would short-circuit relaxation anyway -- and enjoy the calm.

The benefits of massage are many, including: increasing circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, stimulating lymph flow and boosting immunity, relaxing overused or tight muscles, increasing joint mobility and range of motion, reducing recovery time after strenuous workouts or surgery, and relieving back pain and migraines, just to name a few.

After receiving a massage, clients feel rejuvenated, relaxed, and refreshed. By opting for a few lifestyle choices, you can extend these benefits and get the most out of your massage.

Healthy Eating Tips

Another year is winding down, and the hectic holiday season will be here before you know it. Hopefully you’ve been doing well and you are experiencing pleasant days.

Healthy Eating Tips
One of the best ways to support better health is being conscious of what and how you eat. These hints are taken from Jean Carper’s “EatSmart” column in USA Weekend, Sep. 21, 08:

• Cut Fructose. This form of sugar can turn to fat in your body with surprising speed, show new tests at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Researcher’s advice: Limit processed foods and beverages sweetened with fructose. Fruit is OK.

• Eat Slowly. Gulping food makes you eat more, says a new University of Rhode Island study. Women who ate slowly, compared with those who ate quickly, consumed about 70 fewer calories and felt more satisfied later.

• Drink Water. Tests by Virginia Tech show drinking 2 cups of water a half-hour before breakfast cuts caloric intake by 13% in older [people] who are overweight. More exciting: German research says water burns calories! Drinking 2 cups of water revved metabolism 24% in overweight subjects in an hour.

Benefits of Massage

What are the benefits of massage?

The definition of massage is the scientific and systematic manipulation of soft tissue. Soft tissue in this case means muscles, skin, connective tissue (i.e., fascia), ligaments and tendons.

Massage therapy has been well studied and more importantly, time tested. And there are some extremely beneficial things massage has been shown to do:

1) Massage increases circulation. This is one of the most important benefits. Massage helps increase circulation to the tissue. Why is this helpful? Because, very simply, circulation brings oxygen and nutrients to the cells and also removes waste products from the cells. Improving circulation helps the whole body. Any stagnation or interference with that process can cause lack of optimal blood flow, swelling and pain. It is extremely common to see people with areas that are tight and tender. These areas are referred to as ischemic tissue, or areas lacking optimal blood flow. Massaging the tender areas typically can help reduce the pain by improving circulation to those areas. Massage therapy has been shown to significantly improve circulation overall.

2) Massage stimulates the lymph system. The lymph system is an instrumental part of our immune system. When get sick, sometimes the lymph glands get swollen. This is a sign that our body is battling the infection. But physical injuries can also cause swelling. This swelling is a natural healthy response. However over a sustained period of time, the swelling can cause a slower recovery time. Interestingly enough, the lymph system doesn’t have a pump. It moves via exercise and deep breathing, as well as direct touch, like massage or manual lymph drainage.

In one study, it was suggested that the optimal breathing ratio to help pump the lymph was 1 – 4 – 2 . Meaning inhale for a count of 1, hold for a count of 4 and exhale for a count of 2. So if you could inhale for a count 4, you’d hold for a count of 16 and exhale for a count of 8. However if you do this, make sure you don’t strain or struggle in the attempt.