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Massage Therapy

Robert Vignoli ⁽⁸⁴⁾ United States

Robert Vignoli

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Not Guilty. Your Computer, not main cause of carpal tunnel syndrome

Posted Sunday, January 20, 2008 (2 years 20 days ago.) Viewed 118 times.

Do you suffer from carpal tunnel? Are you searching for an alternative treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome?

Contrary to popular belief, carpal tunnel has no or very little relation to computer use. In fact, you are more apt to develop swelling of the feet and legs by continual computer use than you are to develop or aggravate carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. If ergonomically your chair, desk and posture are in correct position. What actually may cause carpal tunnel syndrome is heredity, diet, injury, repetition, force and duration, and included in that list expectant mothers suffer a higher rate of carpal tunnel symptoms. However, it is possible for the ligaments to become swollen with continual computer use, and thereby magnifying the pain and stiffness of carpal tunnel.

Latest studies indicate that the "static" position with what we hold ourselves in while using the computer is more damaging than the computer use alone. Our shoulders, arms and neck muscles become fatigued and eventually weak over a long period of time, thus causing injury to that area which over a set period of time, leads to a condition ripe for carpal tunnel syndrome.

What is Carpal Tunnel?

At the base of your palm is a cluster of eight bones, they shape the U at the base of your palm. Over these bones is an arching ligament, tunnel roof, this is where the median nerve is located. This nerve connects to the spinal cord, while also controlling the sensations of the thumb and fingers along the palm. If the tunnel becomes constricted, pressure causes blood deficiency to the nerve. This in turn causes weakness, pain and a tingling sensation, especially while sleeping. As carpal tunnel worsens, it causes a weakness of fist and grasp, thus making some everyday duties harder for you to practice. Some sufferers of CTS eventually lose the sense of knowing hot from cold and holding objects in your hands.

You can take tests to determine if you suffer from carpal tunnel. There are also many different ways to reduce the symptoms and pain. One such alternative treatment for carpal tunnel is massage therapy. Massage therapy is a wonderful, natural alternative to use for CTS, most often given as a moderate pressure massage from the elbow to the fingertips. However, some message therapists also message the upper back and shoulder areas as well.

You can learn and practice stretches, exercises and self-massage techniques from you massage therapist to practice, by doing so you can rebuild the strength in your hands and wrists. Those who do choose message therapy to treat their carpal tunnel symptoms express much less pain and an increase of their strength of grip with lessened signs of other symptoms. Massage therapy also aids in eliminating depression and in lowering stress levels in those who suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.

Such techniques that a massage therapist may include are stretching and exercise to strengthen your wrists, hands and fingers: Here a short list of things that you can do.

Holding your arms outstretched in front of you, while repeatedly lowering and raising your hands to stretch your forearms muscles.
Clenching your fists, then slowly opening and spreading your fingers to stretch, while stripping the muscle of your forearm extensors.
Slowly and repeatedly rotating your wrists

Simple things you can do to relieve the symptoms of carpal tunnel include:

Correct positioning of posture
Correct alignment of chair and desk
Daily exercises and stretches
Taking breaks often
Be mindful of your health and deeds
See a health care provider
Follow the stipulations of your carpal tunnel treatments

Keep in mind, that no matter the treatment you seek for relieving the pain and swelling of carpal tunnel, you must always take care of yourself, taking particular care not to hurt yourself while doing your regular everyday tasks and practice the stretching and exercises recommended by your message therapist.

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Are You Feeling Old? Muscle Adhesions Could Be Why!

Posted Monday, January 07, 2008 (2 years 34 days ago.) Viewed 623 times.

Do you get up in the morning and find it harder to move your arms, legs, and back than you used to? Do you feel more tired when taking long walks in the park, at amusement parks, or shopping in the mall? Do you find yourself having more aches and pains than you ever did before, and just knock it up to old age? Well, unless you are an elderly person feeling old like this due to aches and pains in your body is not normal-at all. If you are feeling old, it could be due to old scar tissue and muscle adhesions in the tissues of your body that are causing you to feel this way; luckily a massage therapist can do something about it.

What are Muscle Adhesions? The concept of muscle adhesions is pretty advanced but in laymen's terms, muscle adhesions are your body's way of repairing damaged muscle tissue in your body. If you have ever pulled or even torn a muscle, hurt your knee, hurt your back, or severely injured some other important muscular group in your body chances are that you have muscle adhesions in that area of your body underneath your skin and inside your muscle tissue. Since it is your body's natural muscular band-aid, muscle adhesions are not a bad thing but they can cause pain and discomfort as your body gets older and more worn, and that can be what has you feeling so old. Along with other scar tissue under your skin, muscle adhesions can be a nasty culprit for something that once did your body such good.

The Problem with Muscle Adhesions There is some problem with muscle adhesions, even for those who have not yet reached the point where it can make them feel older and stiffer. Muscle adhesions are like bandages that can lie across the muscles and tendons and hinder the way that they are able to stretch and move. This normally is not a problem, but a serious athlete who takes pride in being strong and flexible will find that although they may feel more powerful, they are less flexible.

What to Do About Scar Tissue and Muscle Adhesions Muscle adhesions and scar tissue in your muscles can be a nasty problem for an athlete, and a nasty problem for a person who is just beginning to feel their age-or older than it. It can reduce the quality of life for an active person, and outside surgery it can seem like there is nothing to be done about this painful problem. There is one way of treating this issue, and it is an issue that many people fail to consider when they have an ache or a pain in their body. Soft tissue massages are great for helping to ease out muscle adhesions and bring back strength and flexibility to a pained area! Trained professionals that are licensed and a massage therapy certifications know everything about the muscles that there is to know, including how to repair and ease the pain of scar tissue and muscle adhesions in the body.

If you are starting to feel your age and you aren't sure what to do about it, it could be those muscle adhesions calling your name and punishing you for years of football, track, softball, swimming, or whatever it is that you did to stay healthy and have fun. They can certainly prevent you from having fun now, but not if you do something about it. Your local licensed massage therapist is trained to take care of this problem, and they have the power to help you overcome the obstacles that muscle adhesions can put in your path.

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Learning New Massage Therapy Techniques For Success

Posted Monday, January 07, 2008 (2 years 34 days ago.) Viewed 22 times.

During your career as a massage therapist, you will want to continue your education so you can learn all about new techniques in massage therapy. Although this healing art has been practiced for over 4,000 years, there are always new discoveries being made to improve the healing powers of massage.

Massage therapists can benefit from learning different specialized massage techniques to better serve their clients who may range from geriatric patients to baby boomers and infants. To much of the general public, the thought of massage therapy involves a pampering treatment designed to relax them. People are just beginning to realize some of the healing powers of massage as it is now being used more often in medicine.

As with any other profession, it is important to keep abreast of any new massage techniques or information within your field. Just as doctors and other medical professionals receive constant updates regarding medical standards and discoveries, the professional massage therapist should also make certain that he or she has the most up to date information in their field.

Many massage therapists are now working with Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy which was developed by Ruthie Hardee in 1995. This technique treats the feet for pain and combines Swedish massage as well as deep tissue massage. The difference in this new technique from ordinary Ashiatsu Oriental Therapy for the feet is that the therapist uses overhead bars for better balance during the massage therapy.

Other massage therapists are working with color therapy that is based upon using light as treatments. With color therapy, the massage therapist uses different colors to treat different parts of the body as each color works in a unique way and reacts differently to light.

Infant massage therapy has been used for years in hospitals and is now becoming more acceptable to the general public not only as a way of treating colic but to allow the baby to relax and go to sleep. Many parents can benefit from learning these techniques from a certified massage therapist.

Perhaps some people may benefit from the Rosen method of massage. This technique uses very light touching instead of deep massage and communication to help clients relax and release their stress. The Rosen technique has been practiced for years but many massage therapists are unaware of this effective therapy.

More massage therapists are now combining ancient Chinese treatments and practices along with their massage techniques. Aromatherapy is now being used by many therapists as a way not only to relax their clients but to actually treat minor ailments.

Just as it is for any profession, it is important for a professional massage therapist to keep up with new techniques or technology that may enhance their performance. There are new products being produced to help massage therapists treat clients and these products are often demonstrated at trade shows or shown in trade publications.

Massage therapy is a very rewarding career for individuals who like to help people and have good communication skills. As it is being used more often as an alternative medicine, it is very important for a professional massage therapist to attend seminars and trade shows, keep up with the latest news in the field and learn any new techniques in massage therapy. The need for massage therapists has doubled in the past decade and is expected to grow as more of the general public are beginning to realize the value of this ancient way of healing ones body and mind.

massage techniques

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