Blog

10 Reasons to Get a Massage for National Massage Therapy Week

The American Massage Therapy Association’s National Massage Therapy Awareness Week^® is October 22-28, 2017 and celebrating its 21st year!

Think a massage is just a massage? No way! That’s like saying that all varieties of wine are the same. Massage can, and should, be very specific to a patient’s needs and a patient’s requests. Within the normal options of sports massage, prenatal massage, deep tissue, trigger point, or aromatherapy massage, there are endless personalized customizations that can be made, just for you.

Massage therapy is one of the oldest healthcare practices in history, dating back nearly 5,000 years to the ancient Egyptians in 2,700 BC. Although there were times in history when massage therapy fell out of favor, in the 1960’s, massage therapy made a comeback as a tool for alternative healing, alternative medicine, and relaxation. Today, massage is one of the most popular healing modalities.

If you are feeling the need for a massage, we offer a variety of massage types here at Theramedic Rehab. Take a moment to Schedule a Massage today!

Ten Reasons to Get a Massage for National Massage Therapy Week

1. Massage relieves stress
This is a big one. If you’re not stressed out from time to time, you’re likely kidding yourself. One of the best ways to relieve that stress is a massage from a licensed massage therapist. If mental worry is your biggest issue, opt for an aromatherapy massage, a technique designed to promote relaxation, or If you’re pregnant, opt for a prenatal massage.

2. Massage manages back and neck pain
Back or neck pain is a constant irritant for office workers. All those hours people spend slumped in a chair or curled around a keyboard translate into back and neck cramps, knots or soreness. Massage is one of the best ways to iron out those snarled muscles.

3. Prenatal massage can ease discomfort for both mom and baby
Medical massage relieves many of the normal discomforts experienced during pregnancy, such as backaches, stiff neck, leg cramps, headaches and edema (or swelling). In addition, massage for pregnant women reduces stress on weight-bearing joints, encourages blood and lymph circulation, helps to relax nervous tension (which aids in better sleep) and can help relieve depression or anxiety caused by hormonal changes.

4. It can give your immune system a boost
Getting a regular massage is a great way to boost your immune system and ward off nasty germs during the fall and winter months. Massage has been proven to reduce inflammation (which hurts the immune system) and increase numbers of your immune-boosting white blood cells.

5. Massage can help you sleep
Studies show that getting a 60-minute massage is equal to 7-8 hours of sleep to your body. It’s hard for patients to get quality sleep when they’re anxious, in pain or stressed out. With the relaxation patients get from massage therapy, it makes it easier for patients to doze off into a deep sleep – That’s why people who have Insomnia are often advised to get this therapy.

6. It can help your range of motion
When recovering from an injury, patients typically have tight muscles, tendons, and ligaments or have a chronic condition like arthritis. Massage is great for increasing the range of motion in limbs and joints, allowing them to move more freely and with less pain. This is especially helpful when combined with physical therapy.

7. Massage can help relieve headache symptoms
Stiff muscles can impede the flow of blood in the body, which can result in a headache. Luckily, massage is a great way to promote blood flow and circulation, making headaches less frequent and severe. Also, cranial sacral therapy (also known as craniosacral therapy) is a gentle massage technique that addresses the bones of the head, spinal column, and sacrum to release compression in those areas.

8. Massage helps people recover quicker from workouts
More workouts mean more sore muscles and post-run stiffness. Fortunately, massage has been proven to reduce the incidence of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), getting you back in the gym that much faster.

9. Helps manage depression without prescription drugs
Massages help increase serotonin, the chemical responsible for maintaining mood balance. Serotonin’s effect on lowering stress levels can promote a positive attitude.

10. Treat yourself for once
Aside from all its wonderful therapeutic effects, massage just plain feels good. Massage therapy is one of the few nice things you can do for yourself that’s also good for your mental and physical health. Also, you don’t need a prescription to stop in for a massage from us. Go ahead and schedule a Massage today!

Fun facts about massage therapy:

• A 30-minute massage is equal to 3-4 hours of sleep to your body
• Sense of touch is the first sense to develop in humans and are among the last to fade
• Touch and massage stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers
• There are approximately 5 million touch receptors in our skin and 3,000 in a fingertip alone
• Massage therapy was a $13 billion industry in 2016 and continues to grow each year

The benefits of massage therapy include:

• Stress Relief – Stress can be carried in muscles. As these muscles get relaxed through massage, it can relieve tension within
• Pain Relief – Being able to work out the “kinks” can decrease the pain developing in that specific area
• Reduced Inflammation – Helping bring blood flow to these areas through massage can decrease the inflammation
• Improved Circulation – Massage helps to move blood and oxygen through the body to where it needs it most
• Improved Digestion – There is a lot of research supporting how digestion is aided through massage, as massage has a positive effect on the abdominal muscles
• Sense of Calmness – People experience anxiety, stress, hyperactivity, and pressure daily. Massage can be a therapeutic way to release those emotions and restore peace
• Improve Posture – Massage can help avoid slouching by relieving tension that runs along the neck and spine, which plays a pivotal role in posture
• Help Treat Injuries – Injury rehab typically uses a combination of medical massage and physical therapy to enhance movement and healing
• Alleviate Headaches – Headaches can be caused due to pain in the neck and shoulders, stress, or even pinched nerves

Schedule Your Massage Today!

How Physical Therapy Can Help Breast Cancer Surgery Recovery

It’s October, which also means it is breast cancer awareness month. That’s why at Theramedic Rehab and Physical Therapy, we have dedicated training to pre and post-surgical rehab. The word cancer is a scary one, however, it’s a testament to the medical community, that so many women are able to wear the pink ribbon as a sign of triumph and pride. A physical therapy post-mastectomy program can help address issues following breast cancer surgery.

A physical therapist can help women regain full function following mastectomy surgery, regardless of whether or not a woman has had reconstruction. Rehabilitation is always tailored to each patient’s specific needs. Not every patient experiences the same recovery, and we are prepared to help patients experiencing a multitude of symptoms.

According to the European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, most-mastectomy physical therapy ‘widely improves’ a patient’s quality of life.

After mastectomy surgery, patients may experience tightness around the surgical site caused by scar tissue formation. The result can be very dense tissue under the incision, which is painful and can restrict range of motion. The restricted range of motion puts women at risk for a painful condition known as frozen shoulder. Early treatment by a physical therapist can help reduce the pain and help regain functional range of motion and strength.

Numbness or nerve sensitivity can develop after breast cancer surgery. Manual therapy can help restore sensation and relieve nerve pain. In some cases, a chronic condition known as post-mastectomy pain syndrome may develop. This is caused by scar tissue impinging on nerves. Physical therapy can be very effective at releasing scar tissue and reducing this nerve related pain.

Also, radiation treatment can make posture and range of motion problems worse, causing fibrosis and skin tightness. Manual therapy can be used to remediate these issues and may even prevent them from becoming a problem in the first place.

The benefits of physical therapy after breast cancer surgery include:

• Improved shoulder range of motion
• Improved shoulder strength
• Improved functional mobility
• Improved posture
• Decreased pain around the area
• Decreased edema on the affected side(s)
• Improved sensation around the area

Get Your Free 15-Minute Consultation!

11 (Awesome) Tips for Fall Leaf Cleanup

There’s certainly a lot to love about the fall months: crisp air, football, apple cider, pumpkin spice everything, and even those leaves that begin to pile up on your lawn.

Raking leaves give you an opportunity to get outside, enjoy the fall air, spend time with your family, and even get a decent workout in. Also, your lawn will look great when you’re done!

According to Livestrong.com, raking leaves is considered moderate physical activity – similar to a brisk walk or short jog. Along with the cardio benefits of raking leaves, it also helps build upper-body strength, as well as core strength in your back and abs. Raking leaves at a moderate pace can burn roughly 300 calories per hour, so make sure to stay properly hydrated before, during and after doing yard work.

To make it easier on your body, here are some safe and healthy leaf-raking tips:

1. Wear layers. It may be chilly when you first head out the door to do yard work, but after a while, you’ll be working up a sweat. Make sure you wear layers to peel off so you don’t get overheated.

2. Warm up & stretch. As with any activity, you should warm up your muscles before you start. Raking and other fall yard work use the muscles in your arms, chest, shoulders, legs, and back. It’s pretty much a full-body workout by the end of the day. Try walking around the yard, bending forward and side-to-side to get warmed up. You can also follow that up with some gentle stretching.

3. Standing & posture. Pay attention to your posture when raking leaves. The best posture to ensure safety and minimize injury risk is to stand with a wide base and holding the rake slightly toward the end of the handle. Be careful not to twist your spine when pulling the leaves toward yourself of the pile. Keep your back naturally aligned — try to stand as straight as you comfortably can.

4. Switching sides. People tend to rake on one side of their body only, which increases the risk of injury. Using the same muscles to do the same movement repeatedly can cause overuse injuries. To reduce the risk of injury (and boredom), try switching the side to which you rake the leaves every 10 minutes or so. The constant switching sides can help balance the stress and strain to the muscles used when raking leaves.

5. Pause and breathe. Take your time. If you don’t normally do yard work or aren’t very physically active, you’ll likely tire yourself out with all the leaves to clean up. Don’t try to rake the whole yard at once. It may be easier to tackle your yard in quadrants, and then taking a 15-minute break after each quadrant is raked clean. The breaks will give you a chance to relax, stretch out the muscles you’ve been using, and to eat or drink.

6. Cool Down. When you’re done raking, do some light stretching. It may be smart to soak in a warm bath or schedule a massage with one of our talented massage therapists!

7. Dry weather is your friend. Rake leaves when they’re dry. Wet leaves are harder to rake, heavier and more slippery. Also, if you suffer from allergies, wet leaves can breed mold and mildew. It’s best to rake leaves during a stretch of dry weather in the fall.

8. Boot season is upon us. Wear shoes with good traction and support to keep you from slipping, or falling. Good foot support can also help with back pain during yard work. Invest in some durable, waterproof, supportive boots like these from DSW this fall.

9. Be aware of your surroundings. It may seem silly but beware of your surroundings – even in your own backyard. Be careful of holes in the ground or objects that can trip you or cause you to fall such as rocks, roots, garden tools, etc.

10. Pay attention to nature. Be on the lookout for insects (especially those that sting) and snakes or other critters that might have made the leaves their home. You can wear gardening gloves to protect your hands from cuts and scrapes. If there is mold or mildew on the leaves, consider wearing a mask if you suffer from seasonal allergies.

11. A smarter solution. Sure – there is some pride that comes from a hard day’s work. However, for homeowners that either aren’t physically fit enough to rake leaves, or they want to spend more time watching football on TV, there are a few other solutions. You could invest in a leaf blower, a power push rake or pay a landscaping company to take care of the leaves for you.

Raking leaves is not only good exercise for you, it’s good for your lawn; grass that’s covered with leaves can’t soak up the sun, which it needs to grow when spring rolls around. Raking also will make the outside of your house safer and more appealing. Make sure you add raking to your physical activity list and welcome those falling leaves in the coming weeks!

Get Your Free 15-Minute Consultation!

October is National Physical Therapy Month

October is typically a month filled with the beautiful changing of the leaves, Pumpkin Spice Lattes and the occasional scary movie in preparations for Halloween. October is not supposed to be a month for something scary like pain.

Even though we’re a multi-specialty outpatient rehab clinic, our beginnings stem from Physical Therapy. All month long, we’re committed to spreading the positive effects of Physical Therapy in the community, while combating the idea of prescribing opioids for pain as the only solution.

Also, Americans continue to be prescribed and to abuse opioids at alarming rates – leading to prescription pain medication abuse and dependency.

Here are a few staggering statistics regarding the opioid epidemic in America:

• 1-out-of-4 patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain end up misusing them
• Roughly 9% of patients develop an opioid use disorder
• An estimated 5% of patients who misuse prescription painkillers transition to heroin
• About 80% of people who use heroin, first misused prescription painkillers

We will carry on raising awareness of physical therapy as a safe and effective alternative to opioids for the long-term treatment of chronic pain.

People who struggle with chronic pain are urged to try alternatives to opioids, and October would be a great month to try physical therapy, one of the evidence-based, non-addictive, and very effective alternatives to prescription medications.

To schedule an appointment or get a free consultation by one of our licensed Physical Therapists, fill out a simple form here or give us a call at 248-565-4000 today!
 
 

Get Your Free 15-Minute Consultation!

How Incorporating Music Into Rehab Sessions Could Benefit Physical Therapy Patients

University of Edinburgh researchers suggest that listening to music while performing basic tasks may help strengthen the linked structures between brain regions that control the understanding of sounds and physical movement.

So what does this mean for physical therapy? This finding could help physical therapists create rehab programs for stroke patients or others who experience motor function problems, according to a news story published by Paste magazine.

However, using MRI scans, the researchers note that participants in the music group showed a significant increase in structural connectivity in the white matter tract that links auditory and motor regions on the right side of the brain. The non-music group showed no change, according to a media release from the University of Edinburgh. “The study suggests that music makes a key difference. We have long known that music encourages people to move,” says Dr. Katie Overy, University of Edinburgh research team leader.

The researchers’ future plans are to perform a larger study with larger numbers of participants, to examine whether music can provide an aid with specific kinds of motor rehabilitation programs, such as those with post-stroke patients.

Get Your Free 15-Minute Consultation!