This month we are talking about the serratus anterior muscle. Let’s start with where this muscle is and what it is meant to do. This muscle starts under the arm and attaches to the upper 8 or 9 ribs then wraps around and attaches under the scapula at the medial border (the side closest to the spine).
[Read more…]Neck Tension
Today’s topic is a very common area of concern for many people, the neck. The function of the neck is to balance the head over our shoulders but too many time’s our daily routine stops that from happening. Overall body alignment starts with proper head positioning so let’s explore why it is so important and when thing’s go wrong what we can do to correct the problem.
[Read more…]Foam roller for back pain
Get yourself a foam roller and loosen up those back muscles with this simple self massage:
[Read more…]The Benefits of a Scalp and Face Massage
When thinking of getting a massage most people think of getting those pesky shoulder or back muscles worked out but there are benefit’s to working the scalp and face. So I’m going to briefly go over those benefits this month.
[Read more…]How to help neck and shoulder pain at home.
The muscles in the back of your skull work all the time to keep your head stable on top of your spine. It’s alluring to give them a fast rub with your hands, but there is a better way to give them a little bit of affection. Click read more to learn how.
[Read more…]Raindrop Therapy!
By Jess
The 8 Essential oils used during the Raindrop Technique:
- Oregano: Has been tested and found to be 4x’s as powerful as penicillin
- Thyme: attacks viruses and bacteria, Purifying
- Basil: anti-spasmodic, headache relief, anti-inflammatory/bacterial
- Wintergreen: Pain relief for arthritis, joints, muscles and nerves
- Cypress: Improves circulation, Anti-infections
- Peppermint: anti-spasmodic, assists in “pushing” in all other oils
- Marjoram: relaxes musculature, lowers blood pressure and Herb of Happiness”
- Aroma Siez (blend):Basil, Marjoram, Lavender, Peppermint and Cypress
- Valor (blend): Spruce, Rosewood, Blue tansy and Frankincense
The Benefits of Massage for Physical Fitness
With more and more of people focusing on becoming more physically active during the summer, I feel this is a good time to talk about the benefits of massage after physical activity. During physical activity multiple systems of our body are being used like the: circulatory, respiratory, muscular, endocrine and nervous systems and they all receive benefits from massage.
Constricted muscles act like dams, blocking fluids from flowing freely throughout the body. Muscles need a steady flow of blood to get adequate oxygen and nutrients for energy necessary for muscular contraction and relaxation. The waste products of muscular metabolism are released into the venous blood supply to be transported out of the muscle and processed for removal from the body. When this process is disrupted the muscles become toxic from lack of nutrients and build-up of waste products and they can no longer perform their job effectively. Muscles that are chronically contracted disrupt the symmetry of balanced forces acting on the skeleton. When this happens our bones get out of position, causing postural imbalances that result in structural stress. This stress causes pain, loss of range of motion in a joint and loss of performance during physical activities.
We can counter those problems with regular massage and here’s how. First off, massage moves fluid through the body by manually flushing tense muscles of trapped blood and toxic waste. Secondly, massage can relieve the tension in muscle and get rid of trigger points that are causing pain. Thirdly, massage helps activate the lymphatic system alloying all of the toxic fluids that were building up to be released from the body. Lastly, massage calms the sympathetic nervous system (Fight or Flight) so the parasympathetic nervous system (Rest and Digest) can take over the bodily functions. With these benefit’s you can become physically active and stay that way for year’s to come.
Thank you for taking the time to read what I have to say.
Sean M. Devine, LMT
Reference- The Balanced Body, A Guide to Deep Tissue and Neuromuscular Therapy, 3rd Edition by Donald W. Scheumann
Acupressure for migraines..
By Jess
Having a migraine can make life come to a halt. There are some massage techniques that can help relieve that pounding head and uncontrollable nausea. Acupressure on different parts of the face can help, by applying pressure to different facial points to release that blocked up feeling and help your head feel clearer.
[Read more…]White Flower Oil
By: Jess
Have you heard of white flower oil? If not, this website is very informative. It explains how white flower oil can help with minor aches and pains. If you already know of white flower oil and its amazing benefits, you may find it interesting to learn how it came about and what else it can be used for other than aches and pains. Click the link below to read more about white flower oil.
Professional Burnout
This month I want to discuss professional burnout which can transfer to other areas of our lives. When talking about this you have to ask yourself, “How much of a workload can I take in one day and feel normal the next day?”. I’m sure the next question that comes to some of you is “What is normal?” Which is a good question and since everyone is different I am unable to give an exact description for everyone but I will leave you with this, normal is having energy throughout the day to complete your tasks after a full night of rest.
According to Michael Leither, PHD, co-author on Banishing Burnout: Six Strategies for Improving your Relationship with work, “Burnout has three elements. The most immediate is a fatigue you cannot overcome.” The second element is diminishing joy. The third is loss of confidence and your sense of being effective. Ironically those who are most motivated, dedicated and whose job is a big part of their identity and more vulnerable. This book also explains some of the things you can do to catch this early enough so it doesn’t become too overbearing. Things like; Understanding your physical limits, paying attention to your body, letting it go, figuring out your finances and be kind to yourself. Which brings me to massage and how regular massages can help you with a couple of these categories. Massage brings awareness to your body so you can notice problem areas and address them before they become major problems. Massage can also help you with understanding your physical limits. Most importantly though massage is a great way to be kind to your body. So come see myself or Jess for all of your massage needs here at East Wind Acupuncture. With togetherness we can make our world a better place for everyone.
Thank you for taking the time to read what I had to say and I will leave a link to the article that was sited so you can read it in its entirety if you like.
Sean, LMT
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