Massage & Wellness Resources
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I strive to stay current with health, massage, recovery, and wellness industry news. I enjoy educating and connecting with my clients about my work and what is helping people stay active, reduce stress, and perform optimally. I have included websites and articles below. Click on any of the images below and you will be linked to the actual website or article. If something strikes your interests, you'd like to learn more, or if you have any questions, please contact me.
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Professional Experience
I have included my professional resume and if you click the button below a pdf version will open. I feel that my work history and educational experience reflect my passion for massage therapy and wellness.
Articles reflecting Psychological & Spiritual Aspects of Health
According to an article in American Fitness, written by Brian Seaward states that, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This nugget of wisdom speaks to our understanding of well-being, for our health is not solely the optimal functioning of the body's physiological systems. Optimal health is the integration and harmony of mind, body, spirit and emotions" (1998). The article went on to highlight seven practices that can enhance the health of the human spirit including, "self-renewal, practicing sacred rituals, practicing forgiveness, embracing a shadow-self, keeping your faith, living your joy, and practicing compassion" (1998). One of the practices that aids in our spiritual fitness is the ability to meet others and ourselves with compassion and to practice compassion in action.
Reference
Seaward, B. L. (1998). Spiritual fitness. American Fitness, 16(3), 60.
Reference
Seaward, B. L. (1998). Spiritual fitness. American Fitness, 16(3), 60.
The focus of this article was to outline a program called the Three-minute mental makeover or 3MMM. According to the Permanente Journal article, patients and families of several Chicago area Children's hospitals were recruited to take part in an expressive writing tool (3MMM) program to help reduce stress and improve communication between the patients, their families, and the healthcare practitioners at the hospitals (2020). The program required that all participants took a survey and discussed stresses at the beginning and again at the end of the study. The article went on to report that, "after participating in the 3MMM, patients, their family members, and practitioners reported reduced stress compared with their initial baseline. There was a significant improvement in communication reported by practitioners and eighty-eight percent of patients and their families reported that the 3MMM activity was helpful, even though only 35% had used writing or journaling in the past" (2020). The 3MMM program study really brings to light the benefits of journaling and expressive writing and how it can improve overall communication and stress reduction.
Reference
Thoele, D. G., Gunalp, C., Baran, D., Harris, J., Moss, D., Donovan, R., Yi Li, & Getz, M. A. (2020). Health Care Practitioners and Families Writing Together: The Three-Minute Mental Makeover. Permanente Journal, 24(1), 47.
Reference
Thoele, D. G., Gunalp, C., Baran, D., Harris, J., Moss, D., Donovan, R., Yi Li, & Getz, M. A. (2020). Health Care Practitioners and Families Writing Together: The Three-Minute Mental Makeover. Permanente Journal, 24(1), 47.
According to an article by Lisa Turner, "studies show that meditation can relieve stress, improve concentration, increase energy, and encourage a sense of well-being" (2020). Throughout the article the author share her thoughts for helping her readers with their mindfulness and meditation practice. Ms. Turner makes meditation suggestions based on personality types such as, if you are a focused and disciplined person, it can be helpful to focus your concentration on one thing at a time and to set a time limit and slowly build upon that time (2020). For those with very anxious or fidgety personas, the author mentions that movement-based meditations could be best and an example would be that of a walking meditation were your attention flows to the experience more than your thoughts. The use of mantras and guided meditations is also recommended for those who are new to meditation. This article is a good start if you're looking for ways to personalize your meditation practice.
Reference
Turner, L. (2020). Pure Zen. Better Nutrition, 82(3), 36–38.
Reference
Turner, L. (2020). Pure Zen. Better Nutrition, 82(3), 36–38.
Beneficial Websites
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is a great resource for finding research studies, articles, and information about various types of complementary and alternative medicine. There are a plethora of evidence-based articles that the NCCIH website offered which support the benefits of massage therapy for chronic pain relief, stress reduction, and even helping premature infants gain weight. The NCCIH website is backed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, and USA.gov.
The Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals website provides massage therapists access to association membership which provides liability insurance coverage and other benefits. It is a great resource for the public in that is provides a member database with contact information and access to massage related articles and information. The association also provides opportunities for free continuing education courses and sets members apart from other practitioners.
The Massage Therapy Foundation website is a great resource for anyone looking to dig deeper into research about massage. The Massage Therapy Foundation has served as support and advocacy for the massage profession since 1990, by funding research, promoting educational programs, and connecting with communities through charitable service and outreach. This website is beneficial for both massage therapists and the public. The Massage Therapy Foundation has founded and publishes an open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal and provides service grants for those in need of therapeutic massage, who might not normally have access to such services.
Informative Articles
This article from ClevelandClinic.org, highlights 6 steps to follow, to enhance your recovery after strenuous workouts. Make sure to stretch and warm-up, stay hydrated with water, and to follow up your workouts with electrolytes and active rest. The article also stated that it's important to find balance between our amount of vigorous exercise and the time we spend relaxed and getting enough rest.
According to Timothy Huzar of Medical News Today, Cupping has been around for a long time and is an ancient form of alternative medicine. People can experience pain relief, increased circulation in area of treatment, and increased range of motion. Currently, there is an increasing need for more scientific and clinical research to support the benefits of cupping therapy (March 2019).
According to Aaron Kandola of MedicalNewsToday.com, Muscle soreness and pain can be disruptive and chronic. Soreness can be caused by strenuous or excessive exercise, increased strain or stress to the muscles, and repeated use. Utilizing hot/cold therapy, getting massages, and making time for restful activities such as walking or yoga can benefit the body and alleviate some symptoms (2019).
~ Be an active participant in your well being ~
“The sense of touch is the massage therapist’s main avenue used to affect another being and is the body’s main method of gathering information about itself. In contrast, an artist uses the sense of vision, and a musician uses the sense of hearing to communicate with others. Touching can affect us physiologically, cognitively, psychologically and emotionally”. ~ Susan Salvo, Massage Therapy Principles and Practice.
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