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!