Dynamic Balance

Get It Started

Well September has been an interesting month. It has been up and down like a toilet seat. The only difference is the height of the contents and the color of the bowl.

First an announcement. As of the September 26th issue of St. Cloud in the News I will be a regular contributing author on all things Massage. The original article was just to introduce myself and the article. So look for it in your St. Cloud in the News issue. (not online,... yet!) 

My continued research into the Lymphatic system and the benefits of LDT work continues to amaze me. In 3 instances of the last month I have found working on the axillary ("armpit") nodes has produced a fast paced "evacuation" of the intestinal tract followed closely by an improvement in symptoms, and improvement in general malaise (feeling poorly). The medical community seems to have but a single use for Lymphatic Drainage and that is edema, but primarily Lymphadema. They are missing out on numerous health benefits to be gained.

I am sure that it seems like my main focus lately is Lymphatic work. Admittedly I spend an inordinate amount of time promoting and researching it. That is not to say that I have given up on all other things massage. While it is not the alpha and omega (I think that position is taken) the new depth of understanding of the body and soft tissue work has brought new hue and tone to all that has gone before. More and more I have come away with the deeper realization that bodywork is rarely this or that or even this combination or that but very multi faceted, and without the additional training, much can be missed!

That being said,...

This is breast cancer awareness month. Lymphatic drainage is good for the body. But it can be very good to aid in the prevention of Breast cancer - Read on.

"Carpal tunnel syndrome was a term first used in the 1930’s to describe an entrapment neuropathy of the median nerve at the wrist."

30 odd years later Dr. Janet Travell's book on Neuromuscular trigger points was published and carpal tunnel syndrome was also found to be a symptom of referred pain from a subscapularis trigger point.

Did You know?

"Soft Tissue - more specifically muscle makes up 40-50% of the body"

"A mere pound of fat stores an astounding 3,500 Calories for delayed use at any time in the future. As dormant tissue, there is almost no metabolic cost for keeping it on the body. As a members of the human species we all owe our existence to fat."

"An extreme overabundance of bodyfat places stresses on the body and can be unhealthy. However, the degree of leanness (or lack of bodyfat) that is currently in vogue is probably just as unhealthy for up to 80% of the population."

Body Balancing of Central Florida

This month I have been from Daytona to Deltona and back again. Done chair massage on the beach for 100 "croppers", and 50 spa goers, faces, fascia and festivities. This seemed to be a month for those that took just a little time out of the chaos to de-stress and enjoy life just a little. Major companies and small businesses alike realize the benefit of chair massage in the work place.

This month has also presented many opportunities to demonstrate how beneficial the lymphatic facelift work is. I always take compliments on work with a grain of salt. People sometimes say nice things because they "don't want to hurt your feelings". But true and honest feedback helps my technique and skill to grow and benefit my clients. But when they come back and tell you their friends noticed the difference, without having to say anything, well that's a pat on the back I'll take.

Ethics: what you do when no one is watching

Professionalism: doing what you should do when no one would know differently

In Massage therapy it is an ethical no no to spread table talk. It is my personal charge that what is said on the table, stays on the table (credit to whomever used it first). Many therapists loose their practices by accusations that are never brought forward. In 8 years I have had only 2 accusations of not keeping talk private and to my great fortune they have been brought to my attention. To my credit neither was true. But it is something that is critically important. It can be a difficulty for a therapist for determine what they can discuss in public, and what they can't so I find, keeping my mouth shut helps greatly ( a poor memory doesn't hurt either). Suffice it to say I hold a great many trusts, for privacy, professionalism and ethics I do my utmost to protect them.

Everyone needs a safe place to relax and heal

One in eight women or 12.6% of all women will get breast cancer in her lifetime

More than 1.7 million women who have had breast cancer are still alive in the United States.

VERY light movement of the skin in the direction of the arrows aids the flow of the lymphatics

Over eighty percent of breast lumps are not cancerous, but benign such as fibrocystic breast disease.

"Take your bra off whenever you can. Bras restrict the lymph drainage allowing breast to experience longer exposure to toxins."

"Wearing a bra, especially a constricting one with under wires, and especially to bed, prevents normal lymphatic flow and would likely lead to anoxia (lower than normal oxygen content), which has been related to fibrosis, which has been linked to increased cancer risk."

"The lymph system depends on deep breathing, peristalsis and the movement of skeletal muscles, to squeeze fluid through lymph ducts and vessels."

Since October is Breast Cancer awareness month, I thought this a good time to cover it and get some additional information out there. While the lifetime risk of breast cancer for women is 1 in 8, it is only 1 in 1000 for men. Which means that while we are not bloody likely to get it, it is possible. Either way, with a 1 in 8 chance of a woman developing breast cancer, guys we ARE going to know someone close who gets it. So you listen up too.

"most women who get breast cancer have no extended (up the family tree) family, history of the disease. However, a woman whose mother, sister or daughter had breast cancer has an increased risk."

"According to the National Toxicology Program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are 52 chemicals known to cause cancer of all kinds in humans and 176 chemicals reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens. Lung and mammary cancers are the most common forms of cancers that arise in animal studies looking at potential carcinogens."

The following are environmental risks for breast cancer:

There are a great many predisposition factors such as location, work environments etc. After doing a little research one is likely to feel inundated, overwhelmed and hopeless. But since the first recorded instances of breast cancer were in ancient Egypt, the body must be doing something right.

Enter the lymphatic System, trash removal extraordinaire. In my investigation I have found the same point made in research or comments. Tight bra's restrict lymphatic drainage, leaving a potential virus, bacteria or cancerous toxin in the tissue longer. While researchers nor the medical community have come out and stated a correlation, they dance around it close enough to trip over it.

The point here is not to pick on bra's but to note that restricting lymphatic drainage in the breast tissue increases your chances of breast cancer. Because of the causative factor staying longer in the tissue instead of being drained away, whether that being poor drainage due to lack of movement, blocked nodes, or environmental toxins poor drainage increases the risk exponentially (really really big).

One of the great things about lymphatic drainage is the fact that it is a closed system. This benefits you by my being able to clear the nodes all around the breast without having to work directly on the breast tissue itself. Yes there are instances, but they are few and far in between and are extraordinary circumstances (mastectomy or other surgical insult to tissue and node).

As you can tell from the picture on the sidebar there are a great many lymphatic pathways surrounding the areola. More pathways tend to denote an area that "really" relies on normal drainage. The arrows denote which way the fluid drains. By cupping the breast from the bottom and rotating outward  "gently" you can encourage lymphatic flow and potentially improve the health of the tissue. So drain at home, and then call a professional to clear the rest.

As you lift the arm outward the Teres muscles use their connection to the shoulder blade to stabilize and pull on. The direction of movement demands elasticity or stabilizing from the rhomboids which are common "stressor" muscles. This can make an existing problem worse or provide some much needed pumping action for the area.

Muscle of the month

Case Study