Category: Massage

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Your Body’s Waste Management System


The lymphatic system is your body’s “waste management” system, and lymph fluid helps remove waste and toxins from the body. Some health conditions can cause lymph fluid to build up. Lymphatic drainage massages can benefit people with lymphedema, fibromyalgia, and other conditions.

The lypmphatic system is your body’s version of a trash truck!

The lymphatic system does not possess a muscular pump, such as a heart; therefore, there are three main ways to jumpstart it:

  1. Movement
  2. Deep yoga or belly breathing
  3. Massage

You Got to Move It

I’ve written before about the importance of moving after a massage, but moving, in general, is actually important for your health. Some of my clients set their watches or phones to go off, reminding them to stand, stretch, and move. Consider ways you can incorporate more movement into your day. For example, go for a ten-minute walk between meetings or after finishing a task. You can park in the space farthest from the grocery store, thus increasing the length of your walk. Skip the elevator and choose the stairs.

Breathe Deep

Do you hear strains of The Moody Blues and their song, Nights in White Satin? “Breathe deep in the gathering gloom/watch lights fade from every room.”

Seriously, breathing is something most of us take for granted. We do it without even thinking. The problem is that we’ve learned to live by breathing shallowly. Take a moment right now and feel where you’re breathing. I’ll bet it’s into your sternum area. Breathing into this space indicates stress (did you know that?)

Now, I want to you take three slow, deep breaths into your belly—actually feel it expand (you can put your hand on your tummy to feel the difference). Do you feel the immediate relaxing of your shoulder blades? It’s amazing what taking three deep breaths can do to improve your health and mindset. What this video on how to utilize your breath effectively.

The Space Between

Cue Dave Matthews and picture this: a teeny tiny cleaning person scrubbing the spaces between your cells and blood vessels. This space, called interstitial space (oooh! I’m geeking out!), must be kept clean of debris to ensure healthy cells, proper blood flow, and lymphatic drainage. Massage is THE teeny tiny little cleaner!

Lymphatic massage is often utilized when your body is collecting waste and removing it too slowly. Having this type of gentle massage results in the swifter movement of lymph fluid through the body’s lymphatic system.

Ready to Give Your Lymphatic System a Work-out?

I’m ready when you are! Book now or purchase a MiraclePass to optimize your massage experience.

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Massage Therapy’s Role in Addiction Treatment

In recent decades, massage therapy’s role in addiction treatment has been explored as a means of aiding the detoxification efforts of addiction patients. One significant study published in the Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine indicated that a chair massage was more effective than pharmacy-induced methods to increase relaxation and ease anxiety when detoxing.

Free your brain and body from addiction!

A similar study in the same journal highlighted that fifty patients recovering from alcoholism indicated that a back and shoulder massage reduced their Alcohol Withdrawl Scale scores in the early stages of detox.

What Is Detoxification?

As a massage therapist, I often tout the benefits of detox on the body as a result of massage. The medical definition of detoxification is,” the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from a living organism, including the human body, which is mainly carried out by the liver.”

Detoxification in context to addiction means managing the acute symptoms of withdrawal associated with the cessation of drug or alcohol use. It’s the first step among many in the long road to “getting clean.”

Stages of Alcohol Detoxification

In the case of alcoholism, there are three primary stages of withdrawal:

  1. Stage 1: Anxiety, insomnia, nausea, and abdominal pain, which typically set in about eight hours after the last drink.
  2. Stage 2: High blood pressure, increased body temperature, irregular heart rate, and confusion arrives between twenty-four and seventy-two hours later.
  3. Stage 3: Hallucinations, fever, seizures, and agitation begins two to four days after Stage 2 begins.

All these symptoms tend to decrease within a week.

How Massage Can Help

Massage therapy’s positive physiological effects can support a patient during because massage improves lymphatic drainage, promotes the immune system, and improves sleep and relaxation. These positive effects result in the increase of serotonin and dopamine levels and activate the body’s parasympathetic response.

Additionally, massage therapy’s psychological image also supports detoxification by promoting relaxation and reducing stress and anxiety.

Who Do You Know Who…?

Who do you know who could use support through the challenges of detox? Gift them with a massage today.

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5 Things to Do After a Massage

You’ve invested time and treasure to receive a first-class massage. To keep the benefits flowing long after you’ve driven home, make sure to integrate these five things into your post-massage regimen:

Drink lots more water after a massage.

One: Do your homework.

We spent ninety minutes stretching and strengthening your muscles. Most of the time, I’ll suggest activities you can do at home to keep muscles feeling supple and loose (if I don’t, please ask me!). By doing your homework, you’ll maximize the benefits you enjoy while on my table.

Two: Keep moving.

I’m channeling the movie Madagascar and singing, “You’ve got to move it, move it.” Getting, and staying, active after your massage increases blood circulation, which we’ve supercharged during your massage. This means great outcomes for your body!

Three: Drink lots of water.

Enjoy extra ounces of H2O throughout the day after your massage. Increased water consumption helps rid your body of toxins and waste. Avoid sugary and caffeinate drinks, though, as these dehydrate your body. I read somewhere that it takes twenty ounces of water to replace the water you lose when you have just one cup of coffee. Also, do not drink alcohol after a massage.

Four: Notice changes within your body.

As you tune into your body through regular massage, you’ll notice how certain techniques impact you. Let me know what you experienced before your next massage so that I can tweak my techniques to maximize the positive impacts on your body.

Five: Be aware of physical and mental shifts.

Many of my clients report that after a massage they feel more alive, have increased clarity, and an overall feeling of wellness. Sometimes, moving the muscles releases deeply stored emotions. It’s just as important to allow space for what you feel and process it as it is to keep moving your body and consume copious quantities of water.

And Lastly

Book your next massage before leaving! Better still, purchase our MiraclePass, which gives you a nice discount and sets you up for a monthly massage–because you deserve it!

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5 Things to Do (or Not) Before a Massage

Some people view a massage as only a luxury or service to be enjoyed on special occasions. I hope that as you’ve read my blog posts, you recognize that therapeutic massage is a medical service. As such, there are five things to do—or not do—before your next massage to ensure you receive the best outcome.

You deserve a massage today!

One: Ensure you’re clean.

Whenever there’s skin-to-skin contact, make sure you’ve recently bathed. In other words, don’t show up just having worked out (and sweated profusely) or done yard work. Sure, your pores are open, but I use medical grade products and essential oils that are easily absorbed into your skin.  If your skin is dirty, you won’t receive all the benefits from your massage.

Two: Show up 5-10 minutes early.

I run a tight ship at Miracles Massage, which means between appointments, I have to strip all bedding and remake the room before my next appointment. If you arrive 5-10 before our scheduled start time, we can do a quick intake and have you on the table on time. My goal is to have you experience the very best massage of your life—and that goes for all my clients!

Three: Don’t eat 60 minutes before your appointment.

Every time you eat a meal, blood rushes to your small intestine, which then carries nutrients throughout your body. Massage encourages blood flood throughout your body, pushing it away from your body’s core, where your small intestine is located. That means your digestion process is interrupted. And no one wants that!

Four: Be considerate if you can’t keep your appointment.

Please don’t be a “no show” or a late cancellation! Not only is this problematic for me, but it’s also rude to my other clients. When cancellations or no-show behaviors habitually occur, it often means that you don’t value yourself enough to keep commitments to yourself. Yikes. Like most massage therapists, I do have a cancellation policy.

Be open and honest about health conditions and injuries.

As a massage therapist, I know a lot about body systems, including circulatory, nervous, digestive, and muscular. It’s imperative that I’m kept up-to-date on any health changes or injuries you have so that I can best serve you. My clinic is a “no judgment zone,” so please be upfront about what’s going on for you.

Are you ready to schedule your next appointment?

Just click on this link and let’s get you in for your next massage.

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5 Ways to Relieve Pain Naturally

You may have heard that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued strong warnings about regularly using non-aspirin non-steroidal painkillers, like Aleve, Advil, and Motrin. Apparently, these increase your chance for heart problems or strokes. So, how can you reduce pain naturally?

One: Acupuncture

Acupuncture, which uses tiny needles inserted into your skin to target your body’s trigger points, corrects imbalances in your body’s natural energy flow. Acupuncture has been proven to aid the body’s healing process and reduce both chronic and acute pain.

Two: CBD Products

Cannabidiol (CBD) products such as topical CBD creams are gaining popularity for those seeking safe alternatives for pain relief. Extracted from hemp,  CBD isolate can be added to creams to alleviate aches and pains.

Three: Yoga

 Practicing Yoga offers natural pain relief by maintaining flexibility in muscles, joints, and other soft tissues through regular range-of-motion movements and poses. It’s also an effective stress-reliever!

Four: Meditation

Meditation is an effective way to reduce and relieve chronic pain. Even practicing meditation for only ten minutes a day can decrease stress levels and induce a feeling of calmness in addition to alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Five: Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is a great alternative to pain relief medications (are you really surprised by this?). Massage releases the muscle tension that restricts blood flow and causes many headaches, neck pain, and backaches. Massage therapy has been proven to relieve muscle tightness but also reduces pain from many chronic conditions because endorphins and toxins are released through massage.

Schedule Your All-Natural Pain Relief Session Today

Schedule your appointment today and let’s increase the quality of your life!

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Massage or MFR?

You may have heard talk about a practice called Myofascial Release, which is a complementary, holistic practice to massage. But what is fascia anyway?

Superficial fascia on a chicken breast.

Fascia is the strong, fibrous, connective tissue the envelops and isolates muscles, providing the body what a structural support system. Picture a web of thin, yet strong, fibers running throughout your body. Fascia has three layers starting with superficial fascia just under your skin. The last layer is called subserous fascia, and it’s located deep within your body.

If you’ve ever deskinned a chicken breast, you’ve encountered fascia–it’s the fibrous connective tissue just beneath the skin.

What is MFR?

MFR usually begins with a gentle massage designed to warm and loosen muscles. As an MFR therapist works, she identifies areas of tension which call out for additional attention. Sometimes MFR can be intense, unlocking log buried emotions and associated wounds. Once any stiffness or soreness subsides, the client feels a deeper sense of well-being.

Myofascial Release, or MFR, is a type of soft tissue massage that incorporates stretching muscles and connective tissue. Just like I had to receive training and certification to perform massage, MFR practitioners must log hours in the classroom and in practice before receiving their certification.

Is MFR a Kind of Massage?

Although MFR uses gentle massage to begin a session and operates on similar principles that people hole stress in their muscles, MFR is different than a massage. MFR focuses on areas of blockage and tension, to release the fascia, which then frees up the muscle.

MFR tends to hone in on one or two specific areas. The MFR therapist may only stretch a muscle lightly in order to gain access to the fascia. The MFR process is quite slow and deliberate. MFR clients describe the feeling of fascia loosening as though they were melting and going deeper.

Massage + MFR

Because massage and MFR are complementary practices, you could include both in your wellness practice. If you’re working with an MFR therapist, let me know so we can support you together, providing optimal benefits. To book your massage with me, click here!

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Gas, Bloating, and IBS, Oh My!

We’re guessing that most of you schedule an appointment with me to address tight muscles, aching back, excessive stress, or to enjoy a little pampering. These are awesome reasons to schedule regular massage sessions. But what about other benefits, like to your digestive system?

Upset tummies can be helped with massage.

A brief anatomy lesson

Are you ready for a short anatomy lesson? Don’t worry—there’s no exam! As food passes through your digestive tract, your intestine muscles involuntarily contract. This process is called peristalsis, and it can be thrown off by a whole host of issues, like irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, mineral deficiencies, and others. What happens next, you ask? Well, all sorts of unpleasantness unfold such as diarrhea, colitis, gas, bloating, and other bowel-related dis-ease.

Digestive benefits of massage

Here’s where the unsung benefits of massage to your digestive system come into play. A full body massage works to prevent digestive issues by stimulating the involuntary contractions of the intestine, moving things along. A massage also rids the body of toxins—that’s why it’s imperative to drink lots of water after a massage—and increases the release of certain enzymes, both of which have a positive impact on your digestive system.

Let’s see if we can help

If you’ve worked with a medical professional to ensure that there are no serious underlying medical issues, consider how a massage might resolve digestion challenges in a holistic, natural way. Book time with us to see if we can make you a whole lot more comfortable!

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Does Your Liver Need a Good Cleaning?

Tools of the massage trade.

Ah, the liver—an unsung hero of your lymphatic system. Did you know the liver is the largest digestive-exocrine gland in the body? It has over 500 functions! That means it has a tremendous amount of influence over your body. When your liver is out of balance and in need of a good cleaning, you might feel a lack of stamina or have out-of-whack hormones.  You might crave sugar, have joint pain, be overweight, have bloating and gas, feel stressed or anxious, and have bad breath.

Ways to support your liver

There are ways to naturally detox your liver and mbg health has several ideas.

Alcohol, food intolerance (to dairy, gluten, sugar, and more), allergies, medications, and infections all lead to “dirty” livers. That’s the bad news. The good news is that it’s easy to keep your liver clean by doing the following:

  1. Drink lots of water (a good rule of thumb for how much water to drink daily is to take your body weight and divide by two, leaving you with the number of ounces to drink every day). Hot water with lemon goes a step further to support your lymphatic system.
  2. Take supplements like Milk Thistle and Turmeric.
  3. Enjoy an Epson salt bath.
  4. Eat liver-friendly foods, like salmon, leafy greens, lentils, fermented foods, beets, blueberries, artichokes. Green tea also promotes liver health.
  5. Get regular deep tissue massages, which support lymphatic drainage, removing toxins built up in your body.

Schedule your massage appointment today!

If you’d like to learn more about how to cleanse your liver through massage, schedule an appointment today!

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Ready to get stoned?

Dude! I’m not talking about getting high. The stoned I’m referring to is the usage of hot stones in massage therapy. No doubt you’ve enjoyed having me use hot stones during your massage, but have you ever wondered why I use them?

They’re Hot! Hot! Hot!

During a hot stone massage, smooth, flat, heated stones are placed on specific parts of your body. The stones are usually made of basalt, a type of volcanic rock that retains heat. According to the American Massage Therapy Association, hot massage stones are heated in water heated to between 110 and 130 degrees.

Four benefits to a hot stone massage

  1. Helps relieve muscle tension and pain. Heat is often used to ease muscle tension and pain as it increases blood flow to the affected area. Heat reduces muscle spasms, increases flexibility, and range of motion.
  2. Reduces stress and anxiety. It’s the position of the American Massage Therapy Association that “massage therapy can be effective for stress relief.” Research supports their opinion.
  3. May help relieve symptoms of autoimmune diseases. Hot stone massage may relieve painful conditions such as fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.
  4. Boosts immunity. Massage gives your immune system a boost. According to a 2010 study, a single session of Swedish massage therapy had a positive and acute impact on immunity. Blood samples taken before and after the massage showed a decrease in a hormone that helps regulate blood pressure and water retention.

If you’re experiencing muscle tension and pain, insomnia, or stress, you may benefit from a hot stone massage. If you have a chronic condition that causes pain, talk to your doctor to see if a hot stone massage is a good option for you. Either way, book your next massage today!

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Best Tips from 2018

As 2018 winds down, I wanted to thank you for being part of the Miracles Massage family. Year-end is a wonderful time to reflect on what went well this year, so I thought I’d share a recap of favorite 2018 blog posts (you know, in case you missed them!).

What’s all the fuss about the dry brush?

Have you heard as I have the hubbub over dry brushing and why you will want to include it in your daily routine? You may be wondering, “What exactly is dry brushing? How does one dry brush?” Simply put, dry brushing is the juice cleanse of the beauty world. Read more.

Can massage help with depression?

It’s normal to feel down, or experience depression, once in a while. Typically, I feel down when it rains multiple days in a row or when I’m exhausted, or something bad happens to my loved ones. Read more.

Repairing your sun-damaged skin with essential oils.

Sun-damaged skin is a total summer bummer. Despite our best efforts, there are times when we either find ourselves without sunscreen, or we have not reapplied it soon enough to avoid sunburn. If you find yourself with sun-damaged skin, here are a few essential oils to help get your skin feeling healthy and rejuvenated again. Read more.

The incredible benefits of frankincense.

Frankincense is an excellent essential oil to use when you are looking to restore balance in your life. It is associated with promoting feelings of peace, relaxation, and a sense of satisfaction. Who couldn’t use a little more of that every once in a while? Read more.

Uncovering Why Miracles Massage is Different.

I believe massage has incredible power to promote healing within our bodies, which are often neglected until something is out of alignment. Massage is a gateway to better overall health. Understanding the benefits of regular massage has the power to change the course of your future medical picture, in many cases. It’s that powerful. Read more.

As always, feel free to reach out to me to schedule a massage or learn more about how we practice at Miracles Massage. Wishing miracles for you in 2019!