Massage is a wise self care strategy during the holiday season.

A 2004 study published in Circulation uncovered that during the holiday season there is a 5% increase of heart-related deaths. The increased strain on the heart during cold weather months combined with the emotional stress and overconsumption all may play a role in this spike of heart attacks during the winter holidays. Massage helps keep the heart healthy and balance circulation during the holiday season. It lowers blood pressure and helps support the heart.

A 2006 American Psychological Association study found that 61% of Americans feel stress during the winter holiday months. Massage helps the body perform better under stress. It can also reduce the amount of cortisol released into the body and increase levels of dopamine and serotonin. Massage is a great de-stressing solution, even thirty minutes can make a significant impact.

Muscular pain and tension can also spike this season. Cold temperatures can increase some joint problems and cause pain to be more intense during the winter months. Aches and pains may creep back in from stress and heavy work loads. Massage can help the body release and the muscles release. It can also increase the tissue temperatures decreasing pain and improving flexibility.

1. Natural Pain Relief

Massage can significantly reduce chronic and acute pain. It can support comfort care and reduce the amount of medications needed for someone to remain comfortable. This can help support increased awareness and alertness while keeping pain low.

2. Boost the Quality of Life

Massage can help someone relax and feel more at ease. There is a labor to dying and the more ease we can inspire, the easier this transition can be. Massage offers compassionate touch and attentive care. It can help someone feel seen, understood, and connected.

3. Minimize Anxiety

Massage helps relieve anxiety and instill feelings of peace and tranquility. It can help regulate the nervous system and promote the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest system) while allowing the sympathetic nervous system to take a break. It can reduce levels of cortisol in the system.

4. Enhance Mood

Massage offers support to those who are experiencing depression or sadness in this stage of life. Massage helps release endorphins and decrease the release of cortisol in the body.

5. Support Immune function

Massage can significantly help with lymph flow. This helps strengthen the function of the immune system and fight infection.

6. Improve digestion & ease nausea

Massage offers digestive support and can help promote regular bowl movements and reduce nausea. Many seniors may experience digestive imbalances especially if they are on a number of medications or in Cancer treatment. Massage supports the nervous system in charge of “resting and digesting”, it can help to balance this system and keep things moving through the body.

7. Increase quality and quantity of sleep

Massage can help support sleep. Treatments can help someone sleep more deeply as well as sleep longer. Often clients will fall asleep during the massage and/or notice significant depth in sleep the following nights.

8. Compassionate Touch

Often when someone is at the end of life, the care he or she is receiving is very medical. It may be rare to receive loving touch. Compassionate touch coupled with a healing presence can be incredibly relaxing and can inspire ease.

9. Respiration function

Massage can support respiration and inspire deep breathing. This can be incredibly relaxing and help massage the organs. If breathing is labored, massage can help relax the muscles that are overworking and hypertonic.

10. Improve circulation

Massage therapy can benefit circulation significantly. Helping return blood back to the heart and promote the removal of toxins and nutrient exchange. It can improve blood circulation but also circulation of lymph helping to boost immune function.

Anxiety & Stress

Anxiety and stress make it difficult for your body and immune system to function normally. Your heart may begin to race, breathing may become constricted and shallow, you may feel your shoulders sneak up towards your ears and you may notice shaking hands, a pounding in your head. Though our stress response is there to protect us and keep us out of danger’s way, a response that lingers can be detrimental to our health over time. We need this response when we are confronting a threat, but we need this response to soften as the threat disperses and this doesn’t always happen.

When we experience a stress response that is sustained over time, the stress hormones continue pumping through our bloodstream and get trapped in the body. The Cortisol in your system suppresses your immune system making you more susceptible to illness. Your body has a hard time repairing damaged tissue because available resources are being used elsewhere. The American Institute of Stress suggests that 60% of human disease and 75% of all doctor visits are for stress-related conditions.

These conditions and symptoms may include:

• Heart disease

• Weight gain or weight loss

• Reduced bone density

• Psychological and learning symptoms

• Chronic pain

• High blood pressure

• Digestive problems

• Depression and mental illness

How Craniosacral Therapy can help with Anxiety and Stress related symptoms

Craniosacral Therapy combines energy work and body work. The body work can help release muscles, ligaments, and tendons that are stuck tight or have a limited range of motion. Massage can also help release intense emotions that are held within the tissue.

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) specifically focuses on the cerebral spinal fluid that is pumped throughout the body. This fluid nourishes your central nervous system and transports neurotransmitters and hormones throughout this system. The more stress you experience, the harder this system is forced to work and it’s suggested that the production of this fluid is greatly reduced when under stress.

When you go to a Craniosacral Therapist you may feel a sense of deep relaxation and peace. It is common to feel relief of pain, improved sleep, and a sense of expansion. Seeing a Craniosacral therapist can help address the root cause of one’s anxiety and depression and induce a sense of deep relaxation that has lingering benefits. This work can help restore and re-energize this system.

Stress & Anxiety symptoms that body work and Craniosacral can help relieve:

• Chronic pain

• Tight muscles

• Jaw tensions

• Emotional distress

• Insomnia

• Stress & Anxiety

• Fear & Doubt

• Feeling lost or without direction

• Lack of creativity

If you’re interested in booking a Craniosacral Session with me to get started, you can do so here.

Resources on Craniosacral for those with Stress & Anxiety related conditions and symptoms:

• Craniosacral Therapy - Paul Brown

• How Craniosacral Therapy Helped Me Deal with Anxiety - Nylon

• My Journey to Peace - Anxiety & Depression Association of America

Motor vehicle accidents (MVA’s) account for a large percentage of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI’s) and those who have experienced a TBI may be great candidates for Craniosacral Therapy.

Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle modality that focuses on the flow of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) throughout the body. This fluid nourishes the brain and spinal cord and it is felt as a physical pulse that can be palpated throughout the entire body. Restrictions in the flow of cerebral spinal fluid can result from physical and emotional trauma and restoring a natural circulation can reduce systemic and specific symptoms down the road (and immediately).

Craniosacral & Healing from a Motor Vehicle Accident:

When the body experiences physical trauma such as a collision while driving, the entire nervous system experiences shock and this can take months or years to settle. Often this can detract from productivity and can have lingering negative effects in one’s day to day life. This kind of trauma can also result in compressions and torsions in sutures, muscles, tendons, and ligaments which can impede the flow of cerebral spinal fluid preventing the natural exchange of nutrients and the flushing of toxins throughout the body.

Symptoms associated with MVA’s that Craniosacral Therapy may help relieve include:

• Pain (chronic & acute)

• Fear of driving

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Irritability

• Muscular tension

• Whiplash

If you’re interested in booking a Craniosacral Session with me to get started, you can do so here.

To learn more about Craniosacral for those who have experienced a motor vehicle accident below are a few more resources.

• Whiplash and Craniosacral Therapy

• Low Back Pain, Car Accidents, and Craniosacral Therapy

• Car Crash Recovery and Craniosacral Therapy

We all know we’re going to die but that sure doesn’t make it easier. As a massage therapist and hospice volunteer, I believe that we can offer care to dying people that inspires grace and peace throughout the process of dying. Here’s how:

Physical Comfort

Aches and pains come with old age and as the body grows older, pain can become more prevalent. Massage and energy work can help relieve pain and help someone feel relaxed. It can benefit circulation and swelling (edema).

Loving Touch

Often someone approaching the end of their life may experience touch mostly from medical professionals . There can be a lot of transferring, taking vitals, needles, bathing, and other procedural care. This care often lacks compassion due to overworked staff. Simple compassionate touch can benefit physical and mental well-being significantly. Simple hand holding, applying lotion to hands and feet, a gentle foot or head rub are examples of this kind of touch. Touch without trying to fix or change something. Touch that is loving and intentional. Touch that expresses love, and tells the receiver’s body that it is safe, that he/she is loved, and that you are there with them.

Healing Presence

“You are the medicine” is something I tell myself every time I walk into a client or patient’s room. I am not going in to change or fix something. I am going to hold space, to be with someone where they are, to love and see them completely. I am not there to do. I am there to be with. Be with whatever he/she is experiencing. I leave my plans, my drama, my stresses and excitements in the car.

Therapeutic Tough

Massage for Palliative and Hospice patients can help relieve pain and anxiety. It can offer support that medical staff and even family can’t always offer. This undivided attention can help calm the patient and reduce fear. Loving and present touch is an essential part of one’s care plan. Of course there are considerations that must be made for clients experiencing severe conditions and specific illnesses where touch may not be permitted. It’s important to be knowledgable about the precautions and contraindications.