Body Balancing Massage Therapy

The average person reaches peak respiratory function and lung capacity in their mid 20's. Then they begin to loose respiratory capacity: between 10% and 27% for every decade of life!

November was a chaotic month. It was up and down like a toilet seat with the only difference being the contents of the bowl (i know, "thank-you for that image!)

I had long wanted to continue with my certification in Lymphedema treatment, and was beginning to wonder if I ever would and then with luck, it happened. I even lucked into a seat that was still available with only 2 days left before the course. So I would say that, I was supposed to take it. I want to thank those that made it happen.

Here it is 2 weeks later and I am still filtering and processing the information to my head and hands. It was a tremendous amount of information on Lymphatic work to the deep structures, such as the brain, the lungs, the abdominal viscera, and bones. But I will get into that more in the LDT section.

I just noticed a flurry of articles in the news this week and all of them stating the same thing. Of the top nine nations has the highest count of medical errors. 30%! Yes 30% Folks, ask questions, demand answers you can understand! Keep in mind that 25% of patients who check into hospitals will not check out for the same reason. Of all things take preventative measures to stay healthy. Stand up straight, drink a tall glass of water, and get a massage. the health benefits will amaze you!

Just one more note on healthcare in the US. As stated we have the highest rate of medical errors. Our Prescription costs are high, and often makes us sicker. Many physicians treat us like cattle. All the gov't can talk about is raising our taxes to fund more of the same. The medical system needs an over haul in approach and application. Throwing more money at the problem never solved anything, and nationalized healthcare isn't the answer. So what is?          Lets try common sense for a change.

I have recently added paypal to my site for those that wish to pay by credit card. However I cannot offer the cash discount with this so the rate on the website is $5 more

The economy is "sluggish" and Its that gift giving time again. So here is my small solution to the gift giving dilemma. I am offering the option to buy 10 Gift Certificates at 50% off the normal price. So you can buy 10, 1 hour massages for only $350, that's $35 per massage. These can only be redeemed by new clients. So promote good health and save some money Massage GC's are a great Idea. They are good as Table or chair massage in your business. Don't wait, call now!

But your customers should never know it. As a business owner I try to remember that no one wants to get a massage from a grumpy massage therapist and so it would be for your business as well. Customers don't want a grumpy, depressed or stressed sales person or service personnel when they purchase your services, products or time.

One other thing, we are all having to do more for less right now it is the way of an economy like this. But either do it or don't! Don't half-ass the job your doing. Your customer doesn't care, about your problems, they just want what they paid for. When the economy turns around they won't care what the reason was that they got a crappy job, only that they did!

Keep this in mind also. Stress is NOT a killer! The way you react to it, IS! Point of view is important, perspective can change everything. The same event that makes some, excel, thrive and rise to the top, also collapses others into failure, pain and sickness. If all you think about is doom and gloom then that is all your world will be made of. Keeping a cheerful thought doesn't mean you have to be a glassy eyed idiot.

So, take a minute before you go into a meeting with a client, take a few deep breaths, listen to some upbeat music and leave for the meeting early. Getting there early and refreshed makes it more likely you will go in with a fresh and friendly attitude and not only close the sale but leave a great impression...

Massage works best as maintenance as opposed to last resort. Either way you'll be amazed at how much it improves your health and frame of mind!

I'll bet the last time you sneezed that you blew most of the "exhaust" out your mouth as opposed to your nose.

 I bet that you sneeze violently multiple times, rarely only once!

Try sneezing out of your nose. It might be uncomfortable reopening those pathways, but your sneezing will be more effective.

A sneeze is a reflex response that involves the brain, the face, the throat, the chest and the abdominal muscles. It involves a sudden and forceful burst of air expelled from the nose and mouth. Particles expelled during sneezing can leave the body at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.

Lets take "John". John generally had a life full of exercise and movement until an untimely (when is a good time?!) illness threw him a serious curve. Several surgeries and other invasive procedures put him into a position where he was laid up for a long time in a slightly fetal position breathing recycled air. The musculature shortened due to position and lack of movement. When the panic attacks came he thought it simply being overwhelmed with the illness. His physician treated the anxiety attacks, loss of respiratory volume, muscle aches with prescription after prescription. But as they got worse, the physician prescribed stronger medicine which he became addicted to.

The diaphragm is a muscle of joy and fear. In joy and laughter it is vibrant and full. In fear it is contracted, tight and restricting. It can be injured by fear, and raise fear in the body by its injury.

It was actually Johns wife that called me, as he didn't want a guy touching him. Which his wife found funny because he had never been particularly homophobic prior.

With anxiety or panic attacks it is important to start with the shoulder girdle musculature and lymphatics to help it to relax. This is particularly difficult because the patient is "holding on" for dear life, and they don't realize what they need to do is "let go". Subsequently it is a slow process and the nature of anxiety is speed. They want results now!!

Once "we" achieved some success with the diaphragmic breathing and partial release of the tertiary muscles of respiration (shoulder girdle) We added back and leg exercises to promote more blood flow in the deep front line, all the while "rinsing" the lymph nodes to keep the immune function up. Depression, anxiety and panic stress the immune system from an emotional stand point and a functional stand point as well

I will add as well that there are constant set backs with the treatment but that is part of learning anything new. They are as much a part of the healing process as improvement. john is well on his path to healing, is back in the workaday world and breathing in as much of his life as he can.

It never ceases to amaze me at just how much there is to learn. I was fortunate early in my career to come to some basic conclusions on Massage Therapy and Bodywork, and my subsequent learning has and continues to confirm them. But like wine, just when you thought you had a idea on what flavors there were, someone comes along with a slight variation and all the tastes change before your eyes, tongue, or hands as the case may be.

In this course load we had 4 days to grasp (no pun intended) doing LDT on the deeper structures of the body. Specifically the brain, bones, and organs. Like that wasn't enough, they added in a new technique called lympho-fascial release and a technique for scar work (which I am still validating) I was amazed at the link between the brain and the nasal sinuses. They presented the idea that the CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) drains a % of its content into the nasal sinuses. Which could present a rationale for headaches that I hadn't considered prior to this degree. If you look at the picture in the above frame you notice where the brain and cillia meet. This is the junction they introduced!

There was also a ego boost in the class for me. Over the last few of months (before I was considering that I would get to go to this class) I have been dealing with some clients that were presenting me with soft tissue difficulties that the normal techniques didn't seem to be reaching. So I started experimenting with variations with the logic of what I was trying to accomplish with different approaches then monitored the results. When my application started producing some results I stuck with it. The ego boost came when the LDT III instructor started demonstrating the same technique I had come up with on my own. Imagine my shock and thrill when I saw him demonstrating it. So, that was pretty cool for me.

The diaphragm is the primary muscle of respiration and is unique in both its design and function. Its broad, umbrella like shape separates the upper and lower thoracic cavities. The diaphragm's muscle fibers attach to the inner surface of the ribs and the lumbar vertebrae and converge at a central tendon.

The diaphragm creates inspiration when its muscle fibers contract and pull the central tendon inferiorly. Because the central tendon is attached to the connective tissue that surrounds the lungs, a vacuum is created in the upper thoracic cavity pulling air into the lungs. On exhalation, the muscle fibers of the diaphragm relax, releasing the central tendon and allowing the lung to deflate.

Like other muscle groups in the body, just because the diaphragm is the primary muscle of respiration it is not the ONLY one. You have more control over the abdominals and intercostals than the actual diaphragm. By training proper posture and balance in the rest of the body, the diaphragm naturally strengthens and works in concert with surrounding structures rather than in isolation.

The action of the diaphragm constitutes a regular, not regulated rhythm. With every respiration a multitude of things happen. The most basic and primary is the exchange of gases (carbon dioxide/oxygen). All of the abdominal organs get a gentle squeeze from the expansion phase and the lymphatic system gets a vacuum pull.

The diaphragm is well protected, but easy to injure. Shallow breathing, and slouched posture are two of the simplest ways to injure the diaphragm and two of the things we do the most.

So Stand up and breath deep!

The deep front line is  very obviously a "respiratory" line. Starting with its attachments to the temple, skull and neck vertebrae, nothing above the shoulders moves without affecting the breathing. Often times you will see people with "turtle necks" The tension literally pulls the neck into the shoulder girdle and the shoulder girdle up around the cervical vertebrae.

It goes down under the ribs, around the lungs and includes the diaphragm. This ties all the deep structures of the body together and to the respiratory response. Its connection to the iliopsoas ties it to the low back. Some of you who have sneezed and gotten a stabbing pain in the back will understand this connection.

In eastern medicine "fear" is the emotion of the "water element". The typical disease pattern is one of Soreness and pain of lumbosacral region, loose teeth, deafness and tinnitus. Thinning or loss of head hair. Weakness and pain of ankles, knees, and hips. Weakness of hearing and vision. Impotence, infertility, habitual miscarriage, genetic impairments. All this follows the musculature of the Deep Front Line very closely. Most of the musculature is involved in stabilizing and protecting these structures that show weakness or dis-ease.