What is Cupping?
The photos of Michael Phelps' mysterious circular bruises at the 2016 Olympic Games caused a huge spike in interest about a therapy called cupping.
Article Archive
What Research Says About the Benefits of Massage
For thousands of years, touch has been used as a therapeutic tool. Why, then, do we need to conduct research to demonstrate that it works?
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Should You Tip?
What do therapists expect? What should you do?
The act of tipping is a fascinating phenomenon. More and more professions appreciate and even encourage tips. What about massage therapy?
Perfect Your Massage Experience
Massage is a highly personal service, because each client’s needs are unique. What one person loves, the next may not. Knowing what to ask prior to booking, being prepared for your appointment, and communicating with your therapist during the session improves the chances that you’ll be happy with the massage you receive.
What to Expect
Many people have questions about receiving their first massage. Here are answers to some typical questions and concerns about your first massage or bodywork session.
Green Tea
Discover What this Strange Brew Does for You
For thousands of years, the Chinese have known the power of its healing properties, incorporating its use in their traditional tea ceremonies. Now green tea has found its way into the heart of Western medicine as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent capable of blocking the cancer-causing effects of free radicals in the body.
Santosh Katiyar, Ph.D., who has figured prominently in investigating the relationship between green tea and skin, says the tea has an “antioxidant activity superior to that of any other naturally occurring antioxidant known.”
All Waters Are Not Created Equal
Healing Remedies of the Sea
Most of us take water for granted. It’s in our oceans, rivers, lakes and swimming pools. It falls from the sky and flows from our faucets. We swim, bathe, wash and soak in it. When we need it, or want it, we have it. Our supply of water is not the problem today, (more than 70 percent of the Earth is covered by it) the problem is the purity of the water.
All water is not the same. There are differences equating to different healing properties and, as you can imagine, its uses in hydrotherapy vary greatly.
When Drugs and Exercise Collide
Know the Physical Interactions of Pharmaceuticals
You probably know that problems can occur when you combine different drugs or use certain drugs in conjunction with certain foods. Yet, are you aware that a wide variety of commonly used drugs — including prescription, over-the-counter and herbal products — can affect your response to exercise, potentially increasing your risk of injury? Discover how to stay sage using these tips from Carol Krucoff, coauthor of Healing Moves: How to Cure, Relieve and Prevent Common Ailments with Exercise.
Massage Crumbles Headache
News Note
New research verifies what massage therapists have always known: massage eases chronic tension headaches (American Journal of Public Health, October 2002). The small study measured baseline values of 14 non-migraine, tension headache sufferers for four weeks, documenting frequency, duration and intensity of the headaches. Subjects then received two 30-minute massage sessions each week for four weeks, emphasizing the neck and shoulder area. After just one week of therapy, subjects reported significant reductions in headache frequency, which continued throughout the study.
Aroma-oxidant
News Note
Breathing in aromas rich in antioxidants — the agents in fruits and vegetables, as well as vitamins C and E — may be an option for good health, according to Kwang-Guen Lee, a researcher at the University of California at Davis. Lee distilled and extracted 30 chemicals to produce aromas from 10 plants, including soybeans, kidney beans, eucalyptus leaves and several types of spices, including basil, thyme, rosemary and cinnamon. Lee then tested the extracts for antioxidant levels and found them to be similar to those in vitamin E.