Biking for a Cause

One of the more rewarding events I've participated in this year was the MS ride. I have one aunt who died from MS (or complications from it), and have a number of clients with MS, so I'm working to learn what types of massage work best. This story from CNN was very inspiring, and the woman is a Shiatsu master, too. It's great she started after massaging a person with MS.

Biking 150 miles for a cause -- in a dress and heels
By Rachel Rodriguez, CNN
October 28, 2009 10:43 a.m. EDT
For the past 26 years, 84-year-old Lan Yin "Eiko" Tsai has worn a dress and high heels to bike 150 miles for MS research.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* 72 percent of Americans are spending less time volunteering since the recession
* But Lan Yin "Eiko" Tsai is continuing the 150-mile bike ride she's done for 26 years
* Tsai rides in a dress and high heels on a one-speed bike
* The "City to Shore" bike ride benefits multiple sclerosis research

(CNN) -- Amidst the sea of jerseys and bike shorts at New Jersey's City to Shore -- a 150-mile bike ride to benefit multiple sclerosis research -- one unlikely rider stands out.

A tiny 84-year-old woman wears a neat, green turtleneck dress and an embroidered jacket. On her feet is a pair of high-heeled pumps. Her salt-and-pepper hair peeks out from the helmet that indicates she is, in fact, a participant in the bike ride. Her old-fashioned one-speed bicycle is purple, with a large wire basket on the front that carries her belongings and her number for the ride.

Lan Yin Tsai doesn't give the impression that she could go five miles on that bike, let alone 150. But that's what she's done -- for the past 26 years. Eiko, as she's known to friends and family, is an institution at the annual City to Shore event. And over the years, she has become a symbol of hope and determination for City to Shore participants and MS patients.

Her unwavering determination makes her an unusual person in the days of this recession. According to the National Conference on Citizenship, 72 percent of Americans said they were spending less time volunteering since the economy hit rock bottom a year ago. It's a double blow to nonprofits, which are relying increasingly on volunteers as their revenues sink. But Tsai is persisting with the service she's done for 26 years.

"I always try to tell people, whatever you can do, keep doing it, keep doing it," she says. "And that's why I do MS. When I start something, I don't want to just quit."

It all started when Tsai began to work in a hospital many years ago. A native of Taiwan, she was trained in Japan in the art of shiatsu massage. So while working at the hospital, "I started to put my hands where they hurt," she says. Tsai began regularly giving massages to cancer patients, until one day, about 26 years ago, she massaged a patient with MS. It was then and there that she first heard about the bike ride and decided to participate.

"In Taiwan, riding a bike is very common," explains Tsai's grandson, Alan Sim, who also participates in City to Shore -- 2009 was his sixth year. "So she grabbed her little one-speed bike and was doing the ride."

And why the nice dress and high heels? Tsai says that's just her normal biking outfit.

"I went to church, so I always dressed up and would ride my bicycle," she says. "So that's why I do it that way -- I do it that way naturally. That's the way I ride my bike."

Tsai is well-known in the local chapter of the National MS Society and among MS patients.

"She's like the superstar of the ride," says Jeff Pickens, a volunteer at this year's event and a CNN iReporter. "When she shows up, the whole place applauds."

"When the last rider comes in, [the MS society] usually has like a police car or fire truck with sirens going off. And usually my grandmother is the last person," says Sim with a laugh. "So the people who know about her, they just sit around waiting for multiple hours after most people have finished. And she'll just ride in, and people are cheering, taking pictures, asking for autographs. It's like being with a celebrity."

"I have the most pressure out of anyone on the tour," Sim adds jokingly. "I know I can't quit, because my grandmother's behind me somewhere!"

Tsai's determination runs beyond her annual participation in the bike ride. She's still practicing shiatsu, running her own massage business out of her basement. It keeps her busy -- Tsai usually spends about two hours with each patient, she says. But just like the MS ride, it's a commitment that she won't soon give up. She plans to continue with both for as long as she can.

In 2008, Tsai's family honored her commitment by creating a team in the bike ride called "Team Eiko." Sim says17 riders, all family and friends "from all over the place," joined the team to participate in the ride, and returned this year. The 2009 City to Shore ride raised more than $5 million for MS research and care, and Team Eiko was responsible for more than $6,000 of that. Sim says his grandmother's determination is inspirational for both the other riders and the MS patients themselves.

"I think because of her personality and her demeanor, it really gives people hope. It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from, as long as you're persistent, you'll be able to come up with a cure," he says. "She's a pretty remarkable woman. And I'm just hoping the genes pass down."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/28/eiko.irpt/index.html

Massage Therapy and Cold Feet

Great article from Braxton Dutton in Virginia Beach [other related articles if you follow the link below]

Massage therapy & cold feet
August 7, 6:36 PM Virginia Beach Healthy Living Examiner Braxton Dutton

Full body massage encourages blood flow throughout the body

Do you have cold hands & or cold feet. Do you experience numbness or pain in your extremities. This could be related to poor blood circulation. One of the major benefits of massage therapy is improved blood circulation.

The heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body. The hands & feet are farthest from the heart & the last to get nourished. Lack of nourished, warm blood causes the cold &/or numbing sensations.

Cyclists quite often suffer from these sensations during & after long rides. This is due to the amount of nourished blood diminishes over time as the body is exerted leaving the extremities neglected of proper blood flow. The ongoing pressure on the feet are contributing factors as well.

Age, injury, illness, obesity, & a sedentary lifestyle are factors that lead to poor circulation. Roadblocks known as myofascial adhesions are created over time that inhibit proper blood flow. The areas most affected are extremities of the body.

A full body massage can work immediate wonders for improved blood circulation & eventually alleviate the circulation issues completely. Techniques such as effluerage, pettrisage, tapotement, vibrations, acupressure, & stretching can make rapid improvements in blood circulation to the extremities. By massaging throughout the body, blood flow is encouraged. You can visually see this during massage therapy. Hyperemia, blood flow to the surface of the skin causing redness, is quite often present during & after massage.

Reflexology in the hands & feet can alleviate euric & lactic acid buildup relieving chronic pain in the extremities. Lactic & euric acid buildup in the feet can also be a precursor to Gout. Many diabetics get relief with a focus on foot reflexology during a full body massage.

Often clients request an hour with work on one area of the body such as the back. The overall benefits are greater by doing a full body massage with focus on the area of concern. Blood flow is a major rationale for this line of thinking. Remember, invest in your health & the returns are bountiful.

For more info: Healthworks Wellness Training - The heart, the only emotional muscle - Massage therapy, the lost art - Hydration 101, the body's conductor

Spas and taking the concept too far

I'm not a spa therapist. When I first looked at places to work, I went to a recruiting event at the Grove Park Inn. If I wanted to work in a really nice spa environment, that surely would be it! They pay pretty well, have benefits, pay for continuing ed. And you work every weekend and holiday which was a serious put-off for the musician in me.

Nonetheless, I'm not anti-spa. I think spending an hour or a day pampering with massage and facials and pedicures and such is a fabulous idea. I just like doing therapeutic massage.

So, spas are good. I'm not quite so sure about "spa dentistry" however. Quoted below is from a letter I received last week from my former dentist office.

...As you enter our office, you will experience a relaxing spa atmosphere with the aroma of lavender in the air and the soothing sounds of spa music in the background. While in the dental chair you can relax with a complimentary paraffin hand waxing, rest your head on a pillow while you wrap up in a blanket waiting to see the doctor....

Now, I do think the lavender is a good idea; I've used a few drops myself when I knew the drill was coming out. Maybe the paraffin wax is so you're less likely to yank on the armrest, but I don't know any soothing music that will overcome the sound of that drill in your mouth.

I plan to go to my regular dentist, and I'll take my Ipod and my own lavender, thanks!

Language and Variations

I'm starting to set up a new massage office with Bon Secours St. Francis Health System. When I first saw the brochure for massage at the new location, it was listed in the HealThy Self Suite. On arriving, I noticed the sign says Healthy Self. Kinda changes the meaning. Or does it? In massage, my main goal frequently is to release enough tension so my client can get healthy faster. The physical therapists working with cardiac patients are teaching them how to get stronger and heal themselves. So it is both for folks to be healthy and to help them learn to heal themselves.

Language is so important. I've been attending Weight Watchers and bumping up the intensity of my exercises so that I can be healthier. I tell people I am working on improving my power to weight ratio (thanks, Jim!), not that I am trying to lose weight. When I lose something, it is unintentional, and I try to find it again as soon as possible (car keys, sunglasses are the most frequent losses). I am consciously and intentionally working on a healthier weight, lowering cholesterol (through better food choices). I am releasing it, letting go, ridding myself of the excess, but certainly not planning on finding it again, so "losing" weight is clearly a misnomer. If the Industry that is making a gazillion dollars a year on "weight loss" changed the wording, perhaps the profits would be smaller but the results better.

As I improve my power to weight ratio, and become a healthy self, it is helping my massage, too. I tire less easily, less knee pain. The core workouts have made everything easier. And the positive language I use makes a huge difference, too!

Massage for MS

My friend (and client) Marcia, who has MS, checked with her doctor about getting massage to help with MS, and he said, "by all means, please do." I hope the health care reforms will provide insurance coverage for prevention, including receiving beneficial massage to help with pain, anxiety, flexibility, and lots of other benefits. Marcia is one of the people I'll be riding for in the MSBike ride in October.

She shared with me the following article from MS Perspectives (Spring issue, p. 13)

Focus On ... Massage Therapy for MS

There are few things in this world that are more relaxing than a massage. But beyond the spa-like aspect, massage therapy can offer relief from symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS).

According to Leigh Broschat, a licensed Atlanta, Georgia massage and neuromuscular therapist, studies have shown that massage therapy can improve mood, lower anxiety, ease the pins-and-needles sensation known as paresthesias, reduce muscle spasms, and lessen pain in people with MS. "Bodywork helps to relax the mind and body," she notes, "so it can improve a person's quality of life."

Broschat begins sessions by asking her clients to rate that day's pain level on a scale of 1 (no pain) to 10 (severe pain) and indicate the most painful areas. As she works on the body, she checks in with clients to find out if the bodywork is increasing or decreasing their pain. "This is why I do this work," she says. "If I can reduce pain from a 10 to a 5, that makes a client's day better."

Broschat strongly advises signing on with bodywork specialists who are famil­iar with MS. "Pain levels can change quickly in MS· patients, they can become overheated, and they typically require shorter sessions than other people because they get tired more easily, so you need a therapist who can watch for those things and alter the bodywork to suit your individual needs," she says .

Finding a massage therapist ...
· Ask an MS practitioner for a referral
· Visit the websites of the Associated Bodywork and Mas­sage Professionals (www.abmp.com)
and the American Massage Therapy Association (www.amtamassage.org)
o find the names of licensed professionals near you
• Contact a local certified school of massage

Questions to ask ...
· Do you know what MS is?
· Have you worked with people with MS before?

Massage in Hospitals

A few weeks ago I was filling in for the regular massage therapist at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in downtown Greenville while she and her family were on vacation. In part because I'm certified in oncology massage, I was called to fill in.

Over four days, I saw a number of patients who were being cared for with heart problems, pneumonia, bone marrow transplants or complications thereof, dementia, and a number of other conditions. I first went to the rooms where the patient or family member requested the massage therapist, either through a chaplain or a nurse, and then went through a list that the spiritual care team puts together for folks who might benefit. I checked in with each nurse before going in. Sometimes the patients were sleeping or just didn't want a massage. Most of the massages were around 10-15 minutes, either gently massaging shoulders and neck or feet and lower legs.

A couple notable patients--one was an older gentleman who had played bluegrass all of his life. When I arrived in his room, the physical therapist was trying to get him to walk, but he was afraid of falling so he refused. When I asked if he'd like a massage, he quickly said "yes!" This became an opportunity to work with the p/t to come back after the massage and hopefully his legs feeling better to get him to walk. I played some bluegrass music from my IPOD player while working on him and that cheered him up.

Another patient who was in for some followup from a bone marrow transplant enjoyed the foot and leg massage I gave her the first day that her friend later told me it was all she had talked about. Now think about that--you're in the hospital, and your main focus is on the nice massage you received. Kinda makes you think every hospital should incorporate it in their care program. Maybe someday...

Healing Touch

a powerful article about the benefits of massage for recovery from injury. I pulled this from the AMTA website:

By Diana Lund

You can’t fully imagine how bad it was. After I was in a car crash, my continual pulse of thoughts stopped dead. The only time I could generate an idea was in reaction to an event, such as when a person asked me a question, or when I tripped and fell. Otherwise, I lived in internal silence. But one day while getting a massage, in my fifth year of recovery, fluidity of thought returned! Now, in my tenth year of massage treatments, I recall my introduction to therapeutic massage and its role in my revitalization.

In a makeshift room of curtain walls, a month after the four-car collision had taken away my mental and physical prowess, a physical therapist evaluated my body. After moving my arms, legs, and head every which way, as much as tension and pain would allow, she told me, “I can’t work with you.”

“I’m permanently damaged?” I wondered.

“Your body is so stiff, my only choice is to send you to massage. For about a month.”

I’d been in a neck brace the first three days after the accident, and when it came off, I’d lost several degrees of neck rotation. The only way I could back up a car was by using mirrors. My right leg was a little shorter than my left leg, and my right arm couldn’t reach a glass on a shelf at eye level. In the third week, as my body shock began to wear off, an all-consuming, muscle-wrenching, eye-watering pain commenced.

At the rehabilitation clinic, the physical therapist handed me off to Cathy, an amiable, relaxed massage therapist. Soon, I was lying on my back, Cathy’s hands kneading my neck, shoulder, and upper back.

While she worked, Cathy reported, “Neck muscles—tight. Shoulder blades—tight. Trapezius—very tight.” Unlike other massages I’d had over the years—I’d been a recreational soccer forward who’d occasionally had massages to soothe overworked muscles—this one didn’t approach nirvana.

Instead, my soft tissue responded like a giant knot in an evenly-matched tug of war. It didn’t have much give. It fought manipulation. Even though Cathy touched me carefully, I winced from the contact and yipped repeatedly. Sweat soaked the underlying sheet. Experiencing more pain than pleasure, I willed the session to end.

I didn’t want to skip the massage. I just wanted its end results faster. When the half-hour was up, my body seemed a little looser.

That day, my physical therapist recorded: “Goals: pain-free cervical range of motion . . . [and] pain-free . . . shoulders, neck, lower back . . . at rest. Was involved in an MVA [motor vehicle accident]. Had concussion. Communication is strained due to cognitive/memory difficulty.”

I must have arrived late to my next appointment because I could no longer track time, and instead depended on chance that I would glance at my schedule around the time I was supposed to leave. Having lost the ability to spontaneously think about the future, I didn’t feel any apprehension upon arrival at the clinic. When Cathy greeted me, I didn’t recognize her, but I probably pretended to know her. The manipulation mirrored my previous one—painful.

Each session repeated until I eventually remembered Cathy, the pain, the relief from pain. Soon, physical therapy began in conjunction with massage. Over months of appointments, I saw many physiotherapists. Like an opening flower, my body’s tension unwound and my brain’s functioning improved.
© 2006 JupiterImages Corporation
Craniosacral massage involves finding and correcting cerebral and spinal imbalances or blockages that may cause sensory, motor or intellectual dysfunction.

After two years, my home exercise regimen was sufficient and I didn’t need to go to physical therapy anymore. But I continued on with another massage therapist, Wes, an amazing rejuvenator. He introduced me to craniosacral therapy, a rhythmic scalp massage and gentle pulling of the hair. Afterward, I sensed a freeness to my brain, like it had been lubed and my neurons’ signals flowed better.

It was in the middle of one of Wes’s sessions that fluidity of thought returned to me. On another breakthrough day, after an hour’s session, my night vision suddenly improved and I could drive during darkness again! And Wes also finished what my physical therapist had started. He got my right arm to extend above my head—something a doctor initially told me I would never regain.

Massage brings pleasure again and I owe the massage therapy community a debt of gratitude for their part in my condition’s improvement, and for accelerating the return of keen thought required to write. Thank you for staying with me for a decade, performing miracles I’d not dreamt possible.

Diana Lund is a freelance writer living in the Chicago area. She is author of the memoir Remind Me Why I'm Here: Sifting through Sudden Loss of Memory and Judgment. To read more about her work, visit www.dianalundwriter.com.

Great Escape Blog

It was nice to see a mention of my chair massages at the Women's winter cycling clinic at the Great Escape in February. Ric wrote a good review:

Women's Winter Cycling Clinic, The Great Escape Blog

There is another seminar this Thursday if you missed the first one.

Acupuncture and Massage

Sometimes when a client comes in I get a question about other alternative therapies such as acupuncture or chiropractic care. I found over the years that there is frequently more than one way to help a person heal him or herself, so unless I know a practice is dangerous, I usually encourage folks to try all avenues for healing. I’ll talk about some of the other modalities at some point, but want to share some thoughts today about acupuncture.

Although some people are skeptical about acupuncture, and say we don’t have enough research, I think that’s bunk. There is ample research on the effectiveness of acupuncture. The problem, at least here in the US, is that most of the research for the past 1000 years or so was published in Chinese, and has not been translated into English. And not many western doctors have studied Chinese, so they are unaware of the research. I decided to trust the acupuncturist that the scientific enquiry backs up the use of this therapy.

Here’s a quote about acupuncture:
The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture stimulates the body's own natural healing ability. The ultimate result yields significant increases in a patients physical and emotional well-being. http://keyacupuncture.com/acupuncture.php

Like massage, the goal is to help you heal yourself. We all have that innate ability, but sometimes we let ourselves get so out of balance that outside intervention is necessary to set us back on track.

I’ve been going for regular acupuncture treatments for about 3 years now. It has helped me with pain relief, especially when I severely injured my shoulder, along with helping clear up sinus problems, menopause symptoms, and digestive disorders. I’ve sent clients there when I thought it might help, and one person came back with immediate relief and satisfaction, when other therapies had not helped at all.

In addition, my acupuncturist has referred people for massage when she felt that would benefit them instead of, or in addition to her treatment.

One of my clients being treated for breast cancer reported that if she received acupuncture a few days after chemotherapy, it greatly reduced the side effects of the drugs. Some preliminary research has shown that a combination of acupuncture and massage for relief from the effects of chemo is cumulatively greater than the benefits of either alone. Here's a reference to one study:

Collins KB, Thomas DJ. Acupuncture and acupressure for the management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Feb 2004;16(2):76-80.

Remember that some therapies work better for certain situations than others, so please keep an open mind and if one doesn't work for one condition, it may work for another.

Massage and Wellness

I was browsing in one of the massage groups on LinkedIn and found a massage blog site I like. Pia Poulsen is a massage therapist in France, and her blog gives good advice on massage and self-care for a number of different conditions. Her most recent post is on wry neck (or torticollis). Check it out!

http://www.starkeys.com/blog/

Abs

Yesterday, two of my clients requested abdominal massage as part of the overall massage. I was surprised, because most people never ask about it. I don't include ab massage usually, mainly because it is an area people tend to be more sensitive about (both exposing it, and having it touched). However, I love receiving ab massage, and the one client with nausea reported an immediate benefit from the massage. So perhaps it needs to be included more often.

It helps with nausea and cramps, digestive issues, and just plain feels good. For women, just to reassure you, the breasts are covered with a pillowcase or towel first before the sheet is lowered to uncover the ab region.

After the massages, I attended a core class, again focusing on abs. Doing massage (or many other occupations and sports), core strength helps tremendously. So I started this class once a week in November. By the end of December my waist was 4" smaller (hooray) and I have been having fewer problems with indigestion, so my digestive system is working better. And it has helped in my work, too. I can feel my body mechanics improving, which will lead to a longer massage career.

I love the little synchronicities of life. Anyway, if you enjoy or need abdominal massage, and come to see me (or your regular therapist) and we don't normally do that, please ask!

Transitions

Between the holidays and learning I will be working some for St. Francis Hospital, I've been at a loss for things to write about. Or really, not inspired to sit and write about anything.

Transitions are always tough. My transition is minor compared to that of our new President. I don't have to move, create an entire cabinet, or deal with the domestic and international issues that Obama is now facing. I am comforted that he has picked what seems to be a great team of advisors, and he is intelligent and articulate. A realist who also inspires hope. Perhaps more of us can aspire to do as well.

So, back to my transition--I'll be starting mostly working with the residents at the Cascades, a new retirement community in ICAR. St. Francis is providing health and wellness services for them. This will be a wonderful opportunity to see people with a range of health issues, and a good intro to what I may face in the hospital enviroment. I'll also be the back-up for massage in Rehab Services and downtown in the oncology floor. The oncology massage is where I would like to be moving eventually. The main challenge is how to make that an affordable service to help alleiviate anxiety, pain, depression, etc for folks going through fairly aggressive medical protocols.

I'm also in transition personally, having gotten engaged just before Christmas, then my fiance was laid off. We're in no hurry on the wedding, just nice to know we have a new level of commitment. So, we're moving in a new direction in our relationship, and he is in his career.

A time of change and hope in lots of ways!

It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.

Ralph Waldo Emerson