Most massage therapists will be able to tell you in detail about how effective massage therapy is at reducing stress. While the science might have lagged behind the practitioners a little, scientists from the University of Konstanz in Germany have provided measurable proof that massage triggers the body’s parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS). What Is the Parasympathetic Nervous System? The parasympathetic nervous system is one of three parts of the human autonomic nervous system. Often referred to as the ‘rest and digest system,’ the PSNS controls many of the subconscious processes they body undergoes when it is at rest.    The..

For many people exercise is something they need to fit in around their busy work/life routines. Being on a short timeframe can mean that the easy thing to do is to hit the gym and jump straight on the weights or the treadmill. Stretching is a luxury that most people don’t think they have time for.   However, proper stretching both before and after exercise is critical to avoiding injuries that can stall your exercise routines. In this article, we’ll be looking at how stretching prevents injuries and how you should do it. Avoid Static Stretching Before we get started,..

A favorite of athletes on social media, massage guns have been touted as an essential part of any gym-goer’s or sportsperson’s recovery kit. In this article, we’ll be looking at what a massage gun is, how they work, and how they compare to actual massage therapy. What Is a Massage Gun? Bearing more than a passing resemblance to a power tool, massage guns are basically a handheld motor attached to a rubber head. The massage gun provides percussive or vibration therapy, similar to what you might expect from Swedish or sports massage. What Does Vibration Therapy Do? Vibration therapy is..

According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 20.4% (50.0 million) of U.S. adults had chronic pain and 8.0% of U.S. adults (19.6 million) had high-impact chronic pain.   The resort also highlighted higher prevalences of both chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain reported among women, older adults, previously but not currently employed adults, adults living in poverty, adults with public health insurance, and rural residents.   In this article, we’ll be looking at the positive benefits that regular massage can have on those suffering from chronic pain. What is Chronic Pain? According..

Across the US around 10 million Americans suffer from a known hypothyroid condition. Hypothyroidism disproportionately affects women, with an estimated 10 percent of adult American women having some form of the condition.   The normal treatment for hypothyroidism is a lifetime of thyroxine supplementation, however, there are other ways to manage the symptoms of the condition. In this article, we will be looking at the potentilla benefits of massage therapy on thyroid health. What Is Hypothyroidism? Hypothyroidism is a catchall term that encompasses a large number of conditions stemming from the thyroid gland’s inability to produce adequate levels of certain..

Working as a massage therapist can be an immensely rewarding career, but, unlike some other careers, getting started and becoming successful as a massage therapist isn’t particularly clear cut.   If you’re interested in starting a career in massage therapy, here are some tips you can use to get started. Get Trained Massage therapy as a career requires an intricate knowledge of the techniques of massage and how they can be applied to a patient. Learning these techniques and their applications requires attending a well-regarded massage therapist school.   The good news is that this doesn’t have to be a..

Social-distancing is vital to helping contain the current COVID-19 outbreak, but staying social, digitally if not physically, is equally important to your mental and physical wellbeing.    In this article, we’ll be recommending some of the best, entirely cost-free, video calling apps that you can use to stay social while socially-distancing. Best Mobile to Mobile Video Chat Apps If you are looking to call up a friend over video chat using your mobile then there are a number of great free apps you can use to socialize with your friends, without ever leaving the house. FaceTime If you and your..

The lymphatic system is a network of tissues and organs that help rid the body of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials. A major part of the body's immune system, the primary function of the lymphatic system is to transport lymph, a fluid containing infection-fighting white blood cells, throughout the body.   Lymph itself is a clear-to-white fluid made up of white blood cells, especially lymphocytes, the cells that attack bacteria in the blood and a fluid from the intestines called chyle, which contains proteins and fats   Lymphatic massage encourages healthy lymph flow and has a number of benefits..

For gyms, January and February are some of the busiest weeks of the year. 12% of new gym memberships come in January come by percentage, but it actually represents about a 33-50% increase in volume. The second week of January is almost always the busiest of the year. 80% of the New Year's Resolutions crowd drops off by the second week of February.   One of the main reasons, other than scheduling, that people stop going to the gym is the stiffness and pain that your body feels when first experiencing a novel exercise.    Delayed onset muscle soreness, or..

Tui na massage is a form of massage used in traditional Chinese medicine and is regularly used alongside modern medical techniques to treat a range of conditions, from diarrhea to short-sightedness.   The term tui na, which is pronounced "twee naw" translates literally to  "pinch and pull." Unlike other forms of massage, tui na is not used to for relaxation, but rather to redirect disharmonious patterns of qi, or “chi”, in the body, as defined by traditional Chinese medicine.   In a manner similar to acupuncture,  tui na is used to harmonize yin and yang in the body by manipulating..