On Site Chair Massage

Many companies now provide wellness programs to help their employees stay healthy and satisfied with their jobs. After all, it's no secret that the healthier and happier an employee is, the more productive they are.

Many companies offer on-site chair massage as an integral part of the preventive and rehabilitative aspects of a wellness program. These have been shown to reduce worker's compensation claims, reduce time off from work, increase productivity, and increase job satisfaction.

BENEFITS OF ON-SITE MASSAGE

Additionally, massage improves flexibility, increases circulation, enhances self-esteem, and relieves tired, sore, aching muscles. It addresses the three most common causes of absenteeism: headaches, chronic pain, and hypertension. It enhances the immune system and creates an overall sense of well being and relaxation.

On-site chair massage is also a great success at the workplace for the following reasons:

• The recipient is fully dressed.
• No oils or lotions are necessary.
• Minimal space is required.
• It addresses common stresses and problems in the workplace.
• Privacy is not necessary.
• It takes less time than full-body massage; usually less than 15 minutes.
• It focuses on the head, neck, shoulders, back, arms and hands.
• It is cost-effective.

There are several payment strategies for the employer to offer seated massage to it's employees! Great to add to any event such as showers, parties, promo's to build your business, or any event you may think of. Prices are only $1 per minute, typically lasting 10-20 minutes.

Got a health TIP?

Got an inside scoop on a healthy resaurant, exercise program, grocery store, organic produce/meat, social groups or anything related? Please e-mail me and I will check it out and possibly add it to this site. Are you a health conscious business or offer natural products? Get on here! You may e-mail me an article you wrote in word format, a logo, coupon, business hours, location, web link and contact information and I will gladly post it for you here! Be a guest writters to add content reguarding healthy Springfield!

I am dedicated to making this site an access point of great health information in Springfield and surrounding areas. As a recent relocatee it was quite a painstaking process to ask everyone I came in contact with where to get organic chicken, veggies, a healthy lunch, natual skin care, and massage. So as new people come to town, new business arise or people that just want to know where to find natural products locally, they can find it here. I would love to promote your business, build mine, and help Springfields obvious movement towards health and happiness! 


Thank you healthy Springfield!

Trigger Point Therapy

Myofascial Trigger Points are extremely common and become a painful part of nearly everyone's life at one time or another, from your youth to your later years. The severity of symptoms range from the agonizing incapacitating pain caused by very active trigger points to the painless restriction of movement and distortion of posture that are so commonly overlooked with inactive trigger points. Trigger point therapy is a highly effective technique used to alleviate chronic pain and disfunction. It can be used alone such as during a clothed chair massage or incorporated into any other therapy.

A brief history
The research on myofascial pain has been ongoing throughout the last century. The terms to describe the condition and the muscular findings have evolved to what we now call "Myofascial Trigger Points."
Research on trigger points is more about finding out what they are not and studying what other conditions are related. Research as far back as 1843 by Froriep, a 20th century author, found tender, tight cords or bands in the muscles and named them "muscle calluses" and discovered that treating them would bring much relief to the patient. In 1900, an American named Alder used the English term, "muscle rheumatism" and talked about radiating pain from tender spots in the muscle. Four English researchers from 1904 to 1915 introduced a new term for the same condition and symptoms "fibrositis." In 1919, a researcher by the name of Schade reported that even when a patient is under deep anesthesia or after death prior to rigor mortis, the hardness and ropiness in the muscle remained. This research supports the theory that it is not the nervous system causing muscular contraction resulting in the hard knot, but a contraction of the sarcomeres causing the hard knot or "trigger point" as it is now termed.

The most recent and well-respected research is from Janet G. Travell M.D. and David G. Simons M.D. Dr. Janet Travell worked in cardiology, pulmonary and general medicine and her main complaint received from patients was of pain. The pain was more of a concern to the patient than the terminal illness or serious illness being treated. Over the years, Dr. Travell dedicated her studies to myofascial pain syndromes and bringing relief to her patients. With the success of Dr. Travell's care, she acquired the position of White House Pysician under the president John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Dr. Travell, with the assistance of Dr. Simmons, put together two volumes of the accurate and in-depth information about trigger points, their causes and treatments. Dr. Travell passed away in 1997 at the age of 95.
                                                                                                      -Utah College of Massage Therapy-

Trigger points have many activating factors ranging from automobile accidents, birth trauma, acute illness, new shoes or terrain, emotionally charged events (illness, death, divorce, loss of job, etc.), to starting a new exercise program or job with different demands on the body. The continued stress and patterns of activity, which aggravate the muscle and reignite the trigger point repeatedly. This is where it is important to not only find the trigger point causing the disfunction, treating the trigger point to alleviate symptoms but to identify it's cause and make changes to avoid further activation of these nasty little buggers. Perpetuating factors include things like ergonomically-incorrect work stations, broken-down shoes, stressful environments, mental or emotional, poor diet, lack of sleep, dehydration, mineral deficiency, and postural distortions or imbalances.

The worst part of an active trigger point is not just the knawing, aching it produces at the site but the referral pain it sends out to surrounding areas mimicing many other disorders.

Example:

Active trigger points (dots on the illistration) send "referral pain"(gray areas) into other parts of the arm mimicing numerous possibilities of a problems in the arm area.

Active Trigger Points can cause headaches, tooth pain, carpal tunnel symptoms, chest pain, elbow pain, interanal viceral pain, sciatic sensations, knee and foot pain, etc. They can arise in any muscle of the body and should be addressed by the therapist for long term pain relief.

For further, in depth reading on Trigger Points please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_point

Russian Sports Massage

A brief overview
Russian massage therapy is very similar to traditional Swedish massage. During a session, the client lies on the table and the therapist stands above him to perform the strokes. The client is unclothed, and the massage is performed directly on the skin, with the aid of oil. The Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals notes that Russian massage can get deeper than the traditional Swedish variation and is considered a type of sports massage. Russian massage can be received for those suffering from an injury, have an illness, sore/stiff muscles with little or reduced mobility, or just want to promote general well-being.You don't need to be an "athlete" to receive the healing benefits of this modality. The Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine also notes that Russian massage can help to reduce muscle aches and pain associated with certain disorders used to soothe pain associated with arthritis, carpel tunnel issues, sprains, strains, rotator cuff, low back and other muscle injuries.

Un-like other massage therapies, Russian massage is based on the physiology of a dysfunction rather than on anatomy as the principal guideline for treatment. 


There are three main phases to a Russian massage and these apply to all patients. Only the specifics of each massage will be different depending on the needs of the individual.

The first phase is the slow, gentle phase. The therapist applies gentle massage techniques (effleurage) to the body, preparing it for deeper work. This phase is important for the muscles to rest and the body be placed in a great state of relaxation. It decreases activity of the central nervous system, speeds blood flow and lymph, reduces edema, lowers heart rate, systolic blood pressure and lowers respiratory rate, etc.

The second phase involves faster, deeper, and harder movements to the body by the therapist. This is the part of the massage that has the most therapeutic effects. It is also the most active phase as it involves intense manipulation of the body muscles to relieve tension and pain. Deep, non-gliding petrissage incorporates pulling and pressing of muscle tissue which increases flexibility, range of motion and tone, speeds waste removal speeding tissue regeneration, just to name a few. It also raises body core temperature and metabolism. 

The friction techniques used during the session will help to break up scar tissue and adhesions that limit mobility. FACT: Each increase of 2 degrees F increases local metabolism by 13% and cellular oxygen uptake by 20%!

Finally, there is the third stage during which the therapist switches back to the gentler, slower techniques. The slow movements are used to complete the session and to promote relaxation once again.

All three stages are very important for the effectiveness of the massage. If the body is not warmed-up and relaxed before the deep manipulation of the muscle tissue, it will not produce healing results as well. Just the same, if the body is not relaxed after the massage has been performed, then it won’t accept the therapy as well and may become tense or sore.

The actual massage techniques used throughout the three stages include stretching, gliding/non-gliding, kneading, pressing/pulling, vibration, friction and percussion. The amount of pressure applied during these techniques depends on the patient’s body state and comfort level. The application of techniques will differ from person to person and the depth of the pressure ranges from light, to medium, to deep.

Russian massage techniques are wonderful for rehabilitating the body back to a healthy stage. More movement, less pain with long term benefits. You'll love russian massage!