Questions and Answers about Trigger point therapy
What is a trigger point?
A trigger point is an area of uncontrolled muscle tightness causing tenderness which interferes with normal muscle function. This restricts Normal Range of motion, weakens the muscle, and may refer pain to other parts of the body.
How does trigger point therapy work?
Using the hands, the skin is gently pressed, to locate underlying type bands or nodules of muscle fibers. Then using the hand, fingers, elbow, or small and instrument, the muscle is compressed with sustained pressure to relax it.
What does trigger point therapy feel like?
To prepare the site, a cooling spray may be used. As pressure is applied, some patients experience temporary discomfort until the muscle relaxes. Others may feel referred pain to other parts of the body.
Why is trigger point therapy used?
Trigger point therapy is a highly effective way to reduce muscle spasms and relax hyperactive muscles. This helps restore Normal Range of motion and promote faster healing.
Benefits to the patient are:
Reduces chronic muscle spasms
Avoids scar tissue formation
Improves muscle tone
Promotes better circulation
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Questions for Your Prospective Massage Therapist
In order to confirm your prospective massage therapist’s qualifications and ensure that your massage therapy will benefit your health needs, consider asking him or her the following questions:
1. Are you licensed to practice massage in this state?
Thirty-seven states regulate the massage therapy profession. Depending on the state, this regulation comes in the form of a license, registration or certification. Also, some local governments may have some form of regulation.
2. Are you a member of the American Massage Therapy Association?
Professional members of AMTA have demonstrated their competency through successful completion of the AMTA national exam or graduation from an accredited program. Members must also pursue continuing education standards in order to retain membership.
3. Are you certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB)?
The NCBTMB offers a nationally recognized certification for massage therapists. Massage professionals earn the NCBTMB designation by demonstrating mastery of core massage techniques, passing a standardized exam, and abiding by the NCBTMB Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. Requirements must be reestablished every four years to maintain certification.
4. Where did you receive your massage therapy training and did you graduate from a program accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA)?
To ensure that your therapist has had proper training, AMTA recommends you find a graduate of a COMTA-accredited program. COMTA confirms that massage schools offer rigorous training and possess qualified faculty and proper equipment.
5. How many hours of initial training did you have?
AMTA suggests that your massage therapist has completed at least 500 hours of training, which is also the standard for most states that regulate the massage therapy industry.
6. Are you trained in any specific massage modalities?
The various types of massage are termed “massage modalities.” Each massage and bodywork modality requires specialized training. While some massage therapists use just one or two types of massage, most employ a variety of techniques in their practice. Look at the Glossary for explanations of different massage modalities.
For incredible natural remedies, visit our website at www.DoctorGendron.com
Questions and Answers about Therapeutic massage
What is therapeutic massage?
Massage is a term describing a variety of techniques using the hands, a mechanical or electrical apparatus to stimulate or soothe soft tissues of the body for therapeutic purposes.
How does it work?
Massage works by needing and stroking muscles to relax them and uses friction to stimulate soft tissues. This therapy can increase blood and lymph circulation welt breaking up scar tissue between muscle fibers.
What does therapeutic massage feel like?
Therapeutic massage usually feels good though the effects vary with each individual. Clothing is optional bodies often removed from just the area being treated, keeping patients warm, relaxed and comfortable. A lubricating oil or powder is used to reduce friction during the massage session.
What can I expect from therapeutic massage?
Massage is useful in many conditions where body relaxation, a reduction of swelling, and muscle mobilization is desired. Massaged can also be helpful in reducing the swelling and cooling of fluids at the site of a recent injury or trauma.
Patient benefits to massage are:
Enhances the joint and muscle function
Improves circulation
Increases metabolism
Breaks down scar tissue adhesions
Promotes the healing process
For incredible natural remedies, visit our website at www.DoctorGendron.com
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Choosing a Type of Massage
There are many types of massage and sometimes massage techniques become fashionable. Though some consumers may know a specific massage modality or technique they want, it is generally best to ask your massage therapist what massage modality will give you the results you want. Most massage therapists use a variety of massage modalities or types in a massage session to best achieve desired results.
The four most common types of massage are:
- Swedish: The most common type of massage, to relax and energize you.
- Deep tissue: For muscle damage from an injury, such as whiplash or back strain.
- Sports: To help prevent athletic injury, keep the body flexible and heal the body should injury occur.
- Chair: Massage of the upper body, while fully clothed and seated in a special portable chair
Make sure your massage therapist is well qualified. A Physician’s office or referral is always recommended over blindly picking one out of the phonebook. They should have their license displayed on the wall. The environment should be clean and sterile. So, relax and enjoy!
For incredible natural remedies, visit our website at www.DoctorGendron.com
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Massage Therapy
More Than Pampering…
Words like “relaxation” and “pampering” are often used to describe a person’s idea of a good massage. In fact, 26 percent of the 39 million Americans who got a massage last year say it’s for relaxation or stress reduction, according to a recent survey commissioned by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). Only 11 percent say it was to pamper themselves. Although relaxation plays an important role in one’s overall health and wellness, another 30 percent of those surveyed say they get massage therapy for medical/health reasons specifically.
Massage therapy has been shown to address serious health issues by relieving symptoms associated with a variety of conditions. Here’s a look at just some of the ways in which massage therapy can be effective.
Relieve Back Pain
More than 100 million Americans suffer from lower-back pain, and nearly $25 billion a year is spent in search of relief. A 2003 study showed that massage therapy produced better results and reduced the need for painkillers by 36 percent when compared to other therapies, including acupuncture and spinal modification. Today, massage therapy is one of the most common ways people ease back pain.
Source: Annals of Internal Medicine, June 3, 2003
Treat Migraines
Of the 45 million Americans who suffer from chronic headaches, more than 60 percent suffer from migraines. For many, it’s a distressing disorder that is triggered by stress and poor sleep. In a recent study, massage therapy recipients exhibited fewer migraines and better sleep quality during the weeks they received massage, and the three weeks following, than did participants that did not receive massage therapy. Another study found that in adults with migraine headaches massage therapy decreased the occurrence of headaches, sleep disturbances and distress symptoms. It also increased serotonin levels, believed to play an important role in the regulation of mood, sleep and appetite.
Sources: Annals of Behavioral Medicine, August 2006; International Journal of Neuroscience, 1998.
Ease Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a progressively painful condition that causes numbness and tingling in the thumb and middle fingers. Traditional treatments for carpal tunnel range from a wrist brace to surgery. However, a 2004 study found that carpal tunnel patients receiving massage reported significantly less pain, reduced symptoms and improved grip strength than those patients who did not receive massage.
Source: Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 8, 9-14.
Reduce Anxiety
An estimated 20 million Americans suffer from depression. A review of more than a dozen massage studies concluded that massage therapy helps relieve depression and anxiety by affecting the body’s biochemistry. In the studies reviewed, researchers measured the stress hormone cortisol in participants before and immediately after massage and found that the therapy lowered levels by up to 53 percent. Massage also increased serotonin and dopamine, and neurotransmitters that help reduce depression.
Source: Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine.
Alleviate Side Effects of Cancer
Massage therapy is increasingly being applied to symptoms experienced by cancer patients, such as nausea, pain and fatigue. Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center asked patients to report the severity of their symptoms before and after receiving massage therapy. Patients reported reduced levels of anxiety, pain, fatigue, depression and nausea, even up to two days later.
Source: Journal of Pain & Symptom Management, September 2004.
In a study of breast cancer patients, researchers found that those who were massaged three times a week reported lower levels of depression, anxiety and anger, while increasing “natural killer” cells and lymphocytes that help to battle cancerous tumors.
Source: Touch Research Institutes, University of Miami School of Medicine, Journal of Psychosomatic
Research, Volume 57, Issue 1, Pages 45-52, July 2004.
Lower Blood Pressure
Hypertension, if left unchecked, can lead to organ damage. Preliminary research shows that hypertensive patients who received three 10-minute back massages a week had a reduction in blood pressure, compared to patients who simply relaxed without a massage.
Source: Biological Research For Nursing, Vol. 7, No. 2, 98-105 (2005).
For incredible natural remedies, visit our website at www.DoctorGendron.com
Clinical research has shown that massage therapy has benefits for many serious medical conditions. It alleviates pain and aids in the healing process.
Massage has been found to be especially effective for patients with these conditions:
Low Back Pain
Chronic low back pain sufferers find enduring results from massage therapy, according to a study conducted by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Center for Health Studies. The researchers plan to determine the specific components of massage therapy that contribute to its effectiveness.
A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine supported the idea that massage therapy produces better results for low back pain than other therapies, including acupuncture and spinal modification.
Breast Cancer
Massage promotes relaxation and reduces anxiety in patients with varying kinds of cancer, and has proven especially effective breast cancer survivors. Research shows therapeutic massage is an effective complement to traditional medical care for women undergoing lumpectomy, mastectomy or breast reconstruction. Pre-surgery, massage relaxes muscle tissue and increases the flow of lymph. Post surgery, women who apply specialized lymph drainage techniques from a well-trained massage therapist to their treatment may experience less pain and swelling.
In a study performed by the University of Miami School of Medicine, breast cancer patients who were massaged three times a week reported lower levels of depression, anxiety and anger. Benefits of massage after breast cancer treatment also include boosting the immune system and helping women reconnect with their bodies.
Other Kinds of Cancer
Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center asked cancer patients about the severity of their symptoms before and after receiving massage therapy, and patients reported reduced levels of anxiety, pain, fatigue, depression and nausea.
Heart Bypass Surgery
In-patient massage treatment performed after heart bypass surgery helps reduce pain and muscle spasms, confirmed by a pilot study conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Because of its effectiveness, 60 percent of the massage group in this study expressed a willingness to pay for massage therapy out-of-pocket.
Anxiety
A review of more than a dozen studies concluded that massage therapy helps relieve depression and anxiety by affecting the body’s biochemistry. Researchers at the University of Miami School of Medicine reviewed studies that measured the stress hormone cortisol in participants before and immediately after massage and found that the therapy lowered levels by up to 53 percent. Massage also increased serotonin and dopamine, which are both neurotransmitters that help reduce depression.
Migraines
In a 2006 study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, massage therapy recipients exhibited fewer migraines and better sleep quality than the control group. A 1998 study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience found that massage therapy decreased the occurrence of headaches, sleep disturbances and distress symptoms in adults with migraines.
Carpal Tunnel
A 2004 study by the University of Miami School of Medicine explored the effects of massage therapy on carpel tunnel syndrome. The study concluded that carpal tunnel patients receiving massage experienced less pain, reduced symptoms and better grip strength than patients that did not receive massage.
Hypertension
Research has shown that hypertensive patients who received three 10-minute back massages a week had a reduction in blood pressure, compared to patients who tried to increase relaxation without massage.
Other Conditions
Research indicates that massage can help boost immune system strength by increasing the activity level of the body’s natural “killer T cells,” which fight off tumors and viruses.
Massage therapy benefits that are applicable to sufferers of any kind of pain include the stimulation of endorphin production in the brain and the encouragement of patient confidence in improving their condition.
For incredible natural remedies, visit our website at www.DoctorGendron.com
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Chinese massage, also known as traditional Chinese medicine, has many variations, including Shiatsu and acupressure. Discover different types of Chinese massage with information from a licensed massage therapist in this free video series on massage therapy.
Expert: Rebecca Harrick
Bio: Rebecca Harrick is a licensed massage therapist who works at the Everything Peaceful Massage Therapy Center in Wilmington, N.C.
Filmmaker: Reel Media LLC
Duration : 0:1:18
The Forever Aloe Body Toning kit is fabulous!
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It tones all those flabby bits, that you don’t want others to notice when the weather is nice enough to show a bit of skin.
Plus is does make your skin more radiant and you can loose a few cms.
You can get these all as single items, but the kit is cheaper and in a nice package if you want to gift it
Aloe Bath Gelee:
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Pamper your body with Aloe Bath Gelée to
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Aloe Body Conditioning Creme;
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Aloe Body Conditioning Creme is the ideal partner
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There are many reasons for the appearance of
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A thick emollient cream, Aloe Body Conditioning
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cream, it can also be a spot rub for the entire hip
and leg area, or for parts of the body which should
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this non-greasy, conditioning cream gives your
skin a warm glow for a great all-over feeling.
Aloe Body toner:
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• Superb combination of herbal complexes
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Aloe Body Toner, a wonderfully warming and
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This specially prepared cream, designed for use in
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Duration : 0:7:19
I am creating business cards for my massage therapy. I am self employed and only do outcalls to people’s homes. I want to put something that says that I travel to their homes or something like that – but don’t like the word "outcall" because it sounds like an escort job instead of a massage. Any ideas?
I think that having a business card and maybe a website would convey a sort of professionalism that makes it clear that you are not offering the "rub and tug" technique. Those sorts of borderline prostitutes tend to advertise in the back of shady local magazines and craigslist. They don’t usually have business cards. And to add to the professionalism, make sure it says "Licensed Massage Therapist" or whatever the credentials are these days (RMT, etc). If you give out your business cards in upstanding places, that helps. If you leave your cards in a shop that sells pipes and bongs, then who knows what kind of calls you’ll get.
I’m looking into massage therapy schools/programs and wondering which place is the best to go to. I was looking into Aveda or other specialized massage therapy schools…but what do employers look for? Are community colleges better for that type of thing or are individual schools just as good?
Thanks!
Btw, I live in MN
Find a massage school that is best for your needs, one you can afford, one that supports your learning style, one that is close to home.
Individual schools are usually better than community colleges. Most schools are geared toward teaching adults though who are choosing massage as a second career. The average age of a massage therapist is 45.
Most massage therapists start their own business. There are more jobs becoming available but most are really low paying -less than $25 an hour which you can’t really make a living on because most massage therapists only are able to physically work about 25 hours at most a week.
What employers look for is someone who shows up on time, provides outstanding customer service, will work whatever hours they have open esp. weekends and evenings, will take a lower rate of pay when they aren’t doing massages, will work to retain clients and excel at their work and have a great attitude on work.
My 8 year old husky has arthritis in her hips, are there any natural forms of pain relief that might help her? Massage, herbs, etc?
I ask because my dog has been on both Rimadyl (spelling?) and Deramax and they both make her throw up, so I was just wondering if there was something natural that would help her.
"Natural"? Do you mean drug-free options? If so, look into glucosamine/chondroiton supplements. Ask your veterinarian about dosing for her, and where to get it.
In 2002 2 legislators introduced a house bill to change the law from Veternarian care ONLY to anyone (because according to the law, not even the pets OWNERs could do massage therapy on their OWN dogs). Unfortunatly one of them died of a heart attack before the bill was passed, and so I suppose it just got pushed to the side and nothing ever came of it. Does anyone know if the bill was reintroduced?
I’d say as long as you’re not rubbing your dog in public? (funny boys knock it off..sheees,lol).. who’s to stop you?..
Understand what lordosis is and how massage therapy can help relieve the pain associated with it with expert tips from a certified and licensed massage therapist in this free online massage video clip.
Expert: Alexson Roy
Bio: Alexson Roy has been certified and licensed as a massage therapist for over 8 years.
Filmmaker: Nili Nathan
Duration : 0:1:18
Learn how to give a lower body sports massage with pressure techniques to prevent injury, & raise athletic muscle performance – free massage therapy video.
Duration : 0:1:30
Learn four types of Swedish massage therapy in this free massage therapy video.
Expert: Jinilee Reavis
Bio: Jinilee Reavis has learned many massage therapy techniques that promote Flexibility and Problem Solving.
Filmmaker: Mark Sullivan
Duration : 0:1:1
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