Category: Massage

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Handcrafted, Small Batch Yumminess for You

When I began Miracles Massage, I purchased organic massage crème online to use on my clients. It was a great product, but I wanted to do something…more. Something different. Something unique. So my husband and I began to experiment with ingredients. Finally, we landed upon the exact right combination to create handcrafted, small batch yumminess: all-natural body butter.

It started with the chemicals

I’m a label reader. I continue to learn about the body’s composition and how certain products interacted, specifically with our skin and decided that I didn’t want to be exposed to the chemicals utilized in mass-manufactured products—and I didn’t want to use those products on my beloved clients.

We purchase the highest quality ingredients, which include coconut oil, avocado oil, cocoa butter, mango butter, shea butter, and vitamin E.

Specific Oils

Coconut oil is great for increasing hydration. It helps reduce water loss experienced when we have seriously dry skin (ah hem, hello winter!),speeds up wound healing, and leaves skin feeling nourished and smooth. It’s especiallyeffective for acne, psoriasis, and eczema.

Avocado oil includes antioxidants and vitamins to heal dry, irritated, and flaky skin, especially associated with psoriasis and eczema. This oil contains potassium, lecithin, and other nutrients that can nourish and moisturize the skin.

It’s Like Butta

Cocoa Butter is high in fatty acids, which is why it’soften touted for its ability to hydrate and nourish the skin as well as improve elasticity. The fat in cocoa butter forms a protective barrier over the skin to hold in moisture. It’s also rich in natural plant compounds called phytochemicals, which improve blood flow to the skin and slow skin aging by protecting against damage from the sun’s harmful UV rays.

Mango butter is a naturalsource of vitamin A, and it helps reduce theappearance of fine lines and wrinkles thereby increasing the skin’s overall youthful look. Dry patches, flakiness, and sensitive skin can benefit from daily application of mango butter, which goes to work deeply moisturizing.

Shea Butter has high concentrations of fatty acids and vitamins which make it an ideal cosmetic ingredient for softening skin. Shea butter also has anti-inflammatory and healing properties. Using shea butter on your body, especially your face, can condition, tone, and soothe your skin

Other Goodness

Vitamin E combats free radicals, which make it harder for scars to heal. By applying vitamin E oil to scars, one can diminish more permanent marks. While vitamin E’s main role in creams and lotions is as an antioxidant, it could help soften skin as well.

To further promote healing, Miracles Massage also has an Arnica-InfusedBody Butter to reduce muscle pain or soreness and a CBD Body Butter to promote a healthy skin appearance and decreasemuscle pain or soreness.

Perfect Gifts

Not only do I use these body butters for my clients’ massages, but I’ve also made them available for purchase at the studio. You can contact me directly to place an order for pick-up—the gift of our body butter is one you will be thanked for time and again!

Basket of Butters
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Massage Therapy Chose Me

I didn’t imagine when I was a kid that I would own and run a thriving massage therapy practice. I believed I was destined to work in business. In fact, for over ten years, I was employed as an office manager and bookkeeper for a small company located in Silver Spring, Maryland. But massage therapy chose me.

My days ran one into another as I put in over fifty hours a week in the office. Tack on a hellish commute both ways and I lived in perpetual exhaustion. I knew I had to make a change in my life and leap off the hamster wheel.

My hands spoke for me

One particularly stressful day when our office was busier than usual, I gave a co-worker a neck and shoulder massage. She declared she felt fantastic afterward. “You should become a massage therapist!”

I reflected on her words, letting them settle into my heart. It wasn’t the first time someone mentioned to me that I was gifted in this way. I decided to jump way outside my comfort zone and, at age forty-five, changed careers.

First position

My first paid massage therapist position was at a day spa in Elkridge. Over the year I spent there, I witnessed first-hand healing.

I soon had a full client load of wonderful people who booked to see me week after week or month after month. They and I noticed how their bodies and stress levels really changed!  It felt like I was delivering miracle healing through my hands and I feel deeply in love with my craft.

Miracles everywhere

It didn’t take me long to figure I could start and operate my own healing business.  Using my prior business and administrative skills, I created Miracles Massage.

I love my business and my work.  Making real connections with my clients and being a conduit of healing is everything to me.

I enjoy listening to any of my client’s stories about their families, careers, and their happy or challenging times. Part of my holistic approach is to deeply connect with my clients, letting them decompress before we begin their massage. I follow my intuition, knowing on what areas I need to focus to give my clients the best therapeutic massage they’ve ever had (even if they’re regulars!).

I end each session by saying, “Thank you.” It’s an honor to serve my clients.

I’d love to serve you, too. Contact me and let’s get you scheduled!

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Sometimes You Shouldn’t Get a Massage

We always talk about the benefits of getting a massage and why it is so important to have a regular massage, BUT there are times when one should opt out.

Avoid massage therapy in this situations:

  • Vigorous massage should be avoided by people with bleeding disorders, low blood platelet counts, and by people taking blood-thinning medications such as Warfarin.
  • Massage should not be done in any area of the body with blood clots, fractures, open or healing wounds, skin infections, weakened bones (such as from osteoporosis or cancer), or where there has been a recent surgery.
  • Although massage therapy appears to be generally safe for cancer patients, clients should consult their oncologists before having a massage that involves deep or intense pressure. Any direct pressure over a tumor is usually discouraged. Cancer patients should discuss any concerns about massage therapy with their oncologist.
  • Pregnant women should consult their healthcare provider before using massage therapy. However, after the first trimester, massage can be very beneficial to an expecting mother.  This topic will come up in another blog. 😊

General Contraindications

For certain medical conditions, massage therapy is generally contraindicated or should be avoided at the time. These include:

  • Systemic contagious or infectious diseases, including the common cold;
  • Acute conditions requiring first aid or medical attention;
  • Severe unstable hypertension; or
  • Significant fever

Local Contraindications

For the following conditions, massage therapy is locally contraindicated, or the affected areas are to be avoided:

  • An acute flare-up of inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
  • Deep vein thrombosis
  • An aneurysm
  • Frostbite
  • Local contagious or irritable skin conditions
  • Open sores or wounds
  • Recent surgery
  • Recent burn
  • Varicosities
  • Malignancy

Please avoid eating anything at least an hour prior to your massage.  Even though massage is extremely relaxing and feeling good, eating a meal just before your massage can cause the client to feel nauseated. It’s possible that there could be an onset of vomiting or the immediate need to move bowels—both of which you probably will not want to do at your massage therapists office 😊

If you have any questions about whether or not you ought to avoid getting a massage, contact me and ask!

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Why regular massage is best

Do you have those annoying knots in your neck?  A frequent pain in your lower back?  Tightness in your shoulders or hamstrings or wrists? Over time, this causes our muscles and/or fascia to be out of place, stretched out, pulled, or shortened.  This causes our muscles and/or fascia to get stuck or bunch up, causing what we call knots.

That’s because your muscles are bunched and scrunched up. In these modern times, we tend to sit for hours in front of our computers. Our necks are crooked as we stare into our cell phones.  We hold postures that are not ideal for our skeletal, muscular, or soft tissue structure.

How We Get Tied Into Knots

Over time, this causes our muscles and/or fascia to be out of place, stretched out, pulled, or shortened.  This causes our muscles and/or fascia to get stuck or bunch up, causing what we call knots.

Massage is not only a feel-good experience—although it really is amazing, right?—massage will also CORRECT our posture and over time diminish that everyday pain we endure

Reversing Poor Habits

If you get a massage once a year, it will be relaxing, but it can’t undo a lifetime of muscle tension. Typically, once every week or two is ideal for keeping your muscle tissue pliable and in good shape. If you are in chronic pain or have a special issue to address, you might benefit from a weekly massage (or even twice a week) until you feel better.

Once you’re feeling better, once a month is the recommended minimum for maintaining the health of your tissue. If you start stretching the massages out too far apart, then your muscles can revert to their old patterns, especially when you come under stress. If you wait too long, you’ll have to start all over again to restore their suppleness and pliancy.

Scheduling Regular Massages

MiraclePass is our monthly self-care routine which offers you a discounted price per session.  Every month, you’ll be delighted with a blissful massage, and at the same time, you will decrease stress, muscle tension, the everyday lower back pain you live with, and lower your blood pressure. Monthly massage will increase your feelings of well-being, promote relaxation, improve your posture, and increase your immunity.

Read more and grab your MiraclePass today.

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How Often Should You Get a Massage?

Massages feel great— and most people view them as a special treat. But the health benefits associated with massage are the real reason to get one regularly. Benefits such as:

  • Calming the central nervous system
  • Increasing circulation
  • Elongating tight muscles
  • Releasing toxins from muscle tissues
  • Boosting immunity

But I’m often asked, “How often should I get a massage?” It’s a great question, and the answer depends on what you want to achieve.

Keep in mind that the effects of regular massage are cumulative, and spacing them too far apart might leave you back at square one every time.

Wellness and Relaxation

If you’re looking to improve your overall health or want to reduce everyday stress, you ought to schedule a massage at least once a month, but twice monthly is optimal.

If you work in a high-stress environment or have daily activities that risk causing repetitive-motion injuries or postural issues, weekly sessions would give you the best results.

Improving Athletic Performance

Athletes typically have multiple goals they want to achieve from their massage. First is injury avoidance and increased flexibility. Massage lengthens and loosens tight muscles, so serious athletes ought to get a weekly massage. (Think about the Baltimore Ravens: they have a masseuse on staff for their players.)

For the average athlete, depending on your training schedule and chronic issues, it’s best for you to schedule one or two massages per month. As your workouts increase, so should your massages.

A side note is that you ought not to schedule a deep tissue massage less than five days before a big event. This type of massage can cause soreness and shift your body, which could throw you off your game. Instead, schedule a circulation-boosting Swedish massage as it flushes toxins, and speeds recovery.

Chronic Pain Relief

If you’re suffering from chronic pain such as migraines or sciatica, weekly massage sessions are recommended. If your pain returns only a couple of days after receiving a massage, it’s time to schedule another. Once you’ve graduated to being pain-free for a week or longer, you can stretch time between appointments.

Many people find they need more frequent appointments when they begin working with a massage therapist. As muscles loosen and relax, you can often decrease visit frequency. I can provide recommendations for stretches you can do at home to maintain muscle looseness between visits.

Post-Surgery Recovery

It’s important to always check with your doctor about when you can begin massage therapy post-surgery as some modalities are better suited at different times. For example, deep tissue work might be a bad idea for someone on blood thinners whereas someone else might benefit from a lymphatic drainage massage.

Here’s how you can be supported by massage post-surgery:

  • Reduces pain, minimizing the need for medication
  • Inhibits swelling by activating the lymphatic system
  • Breaks up scar tissue
  • Increase blood and oxygen flows, which hastens the healing process

Once you’ve got clearance, two sessions a week or more may be needed to start, with frequency decreasing as healing and recovery progress.

Making it Affordable

Investing in massage therapy can be costly. There are three ways to reduce the expense related to regular massage.

  1. Request from Miracles Massage a receipt, which you can submit to your health insurance plan or health savings account for reimbursement.
  2. Purchase a MiraclePass, our monthly membership which provides discounted fees for your massages.
  3. Pre-purchase massage packages at a discounted rate.

The mind and body benefits you receive from regular massage may save you from more costly medical expenses in the long run. Plus, they feel great! What are you waiting for? You deserve great health! Schedule your appointments today.

 

 

 

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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.

If you feel sad frequently, for two weeks or longer, you may be experiencing a type of clinical depression, of which there are 12 types, the most commonly known and experienced is major depressive disorder.

Hormones and Depression

For many sufferers of clinical depression, antidepressant medications combat the effects of their diagnosis. Some people experience adverse side effects of these pharmaceuticals or don’t want to take pills to counteract their body chemistry.

According to Harvard University, each person’s chemistry is unique. Here are a couple of the hormones affected by depression:

  • Serotonin. Research suggests that some depressed people have reduced serotonin levels.
  • Dopamine. Suppressed dopamine levels distort thinking and are thought to play a role in substance abuse.

Massage and Hormones

Luckily, massage has been scientifically proven to improve the lives of those who experience depression. Here are hormones positively impacted by massage:

  • Increases serotonin which suppresses irritability and cravings. Folks with low serotonin levels have difficulty sleeping and often exhibit obsessive-compulsive behaviors;
  • Increases dopamine which affects intuition, inspiration, joy, and enthusiasm; Lack of dopamine results in clumsiness, poor focus, and easy distraction;
  • Increases endorphins which suppresses pain and elevates feel-good feelings;
  • Increases in oxytocin support feelings of attachment;
  • Increases growth hormones which regenerates tissues and promotes healing;
  • Reduces adrenaline which results in feelings of relaxation and allows for deep sleep; and
  • Decreases cortisol which diminishes

Interestingly, adding hemp-based CBD oil to your massage further enhances the positive hormonal impacts of a massage, especially by increases serotonin and dopamine even more. Usage of CBD oil is legal in all fifty states and is growing in popularity because of its numerous health benefits, without the side effect of getting high.

Schedule your massage today and get to feeling groovy!

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Putting extra “AHHH” in Your Massage

At Miracles Massage, I love to bring new and cutting-edge tools to our massage practice. I’ve been beta-testing an all-natural CBD Massage Oil, and my clients are RAVING about it! I love hearing them sigh as they relax even more than usual. AHHH!

Unanimously, they’ve reported feeling a deeper and more effective massage. Tight muscles loosen and enable me to go deeper. They’ve all said it was much easier to relax and enjoy their massage (something that surprised most of them).

What is CBD Massage Oil?

I use a 99.9% pure CBD isolate that is naturally-derived from the hemp plant.  It is entirely legal and has no psychedelic side effects.

What is CBD?

CBD appears to be helpful for many health conditions, including many that are well-suited to regular massage, such as arthritis, anxiety, chronic pain, and more. And although research into the beneficial effects of CBD is still in early stages, most doctors are supportive of CBD, as it has very few, if any, side effects.

Most people are familiar with THC, the compound in marijuana responsible for the “high” that smoking, vaping, or eating marijuana is known for. CBD is the acronym, or nickname, for cannabidiol, the lesser known compound in marijuana. CBD is the compound in hemp that offers many health benefits without any high (which explains the lack of fame). CBD is non-psychoactive because it does not act on the same receptors as THC, called CB1 receptors. CB1 receptors are highly concentrated in the brain and are responsible for the mind-altering effects of THC.

What is the legal status of CBD?

CBD is legal in all 50 states. The most important factor that determines legality is whether the CBD is derived from marijuana or from hemp. Miracles Massage uses CBD derived from hemp. The good news is that it after extensive research, the conclusion is that in Columbia, MD, using CBD oil is legally a go.

What are the CBD science basics?

A 2013 study in Great Britain found that CBD has many therapeutic properties that can help with numerous disorders, although it works through molecular mechanisms that are yet to be completely identified. The researchers found that CBD is effective as:

  • an anti-inflammatory
  • an anticonvulsant
  • an anti-oxidant
  • an anti-emetic
  • an anxiolytic
  • an antipsychotic agent

This means CBD oil is potentially an effective medicine for treating many disorders, including conditions like neuroinflammation.

Want to experience CBD massage oil?

Just let me know either when booking your appointment or when you arrive if you’d like to experience a CBD oil massage.

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Get Your Pressure On: Four Massages You Need Now

Break out those passports, gang! This week we’re headed east. In this series on massage around the world, we are learning about different types of massage and how they will benefit your body, mind, and spirit. This week, we are going to explore four incredible Asian variations of massage. Each unique and exquisite in its own right. Let’s get started.

Our first stop takes us to ancient China. Traditional ancient Chinese massage works to keep energy in balance with the body, mind, and spirit. Energy that is rapidly flowing through the body is thought to combat illness and promote healing.

1. Tui Na
Chinese experts and practitioners believe that a person’s Qi, or energy flow, is essential to a person’s health. Tui Na uses strokes similar to a Swedish massage to release Qi from tension, poor health, and strain. A practitioner will use their hands to scan the body for blocked energy using a variety of stretches, joint rotations, and pressure points. Traditionally, Tui Na is performed on a massage table when clients are fully dressed in comfortable and breathable clothing.

2. Acupressure
You read that right, we’re talkin’ Acupressure not Acupuncture. During this massage, the therapist is looking for imbalances while applying pressure through their fingers to specific trigger points. The goal of this massage is to stimulate the body into self recovery mode so it will begin to heal itself and ward off illness.   

Don’t those massages sound incredible? We’re not done yet. Next, we’re on the move to Japan.

3. Shiatsu
The Japanese perfected a technique of massage called Shiatsu. In this treatment, most therapists use their fingers, palms, thumbs, elbows, knees, and feet to stimulate the nervous and circulatory systems. They are searching for imbalances or blocked energy and will use different pressure and weight distribution to help the energy flow. This massage is performed on the floor when the client is fully clothed.  

Our final destination is Thailand!

4. Thai Massage
A Thai massage is designed to help improve flexibility and relieve pain. This is a massage unlike the others. Clients are fully clothed and begin by lying on the floor. Therapists don’t just use their hands during this massage, they use their palms, elbows, feet, and hips to help them bend, stretch, and elongate their client’s bodies. The therapist will end the massage having the client seated as she works the shoulders and back.  Think of it like massage meets yoga.

I hope you have enjoyed this week’s adventure and are having just as much fun learning about different massage techniques from around the world as I am.

For more information on one for these incredible massages, contact us!

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Is a Shaman Massage Right For Me?

Get out your boarding pass, folks, this month we are going to travel around the world to learn more about different types of massage, their origin, and their healing potential. Get ready to unlock a broader view of the art and ancestry of massage.

Our first stop begins here, in the United States, with a Native American practice, the Shaman massage. This is a practice that has been around for centuries. Shaman healers, like their ancestors before them, call upon a variety of spirits to heal the sick through the laying of their hands. There are some who still use singing, chanting, drumming, or other noises to cast out negative energy and evoke spiritual, physical, and mental balance. Others, use a practice similar to Reiki, but with a twist.

Let’s explore together, what a Shaman massage is and if it is right for you.

First, let’s be clear about one thing. A Shaman massage isn’t for everyone. It is meant for someone who is dedicated to taking a deeper healing journey and through self-discovery will commit to:

1. listening to one’s own body,
2. taking responsibility for its treatment, and
3. thoughtfully responding to the daily needs of the body.

The Shaman healer is combining therapeutic massage with spiritual awareness. This can be a good tool for someone looking to grow more deeply in their self awareness, and the energy that surrounds them. It has the same healing benefits as a regular massage like relieving aches, pains, alleviating stress, and supporting healthy blood flow, but it also reaches beyond that for some.

What to Expect
Whether you recognize it or not, people have different energy at different times. Some negative energy can be gained by stressful situations and positive energy can be lost, stolen, or even given away. The Shaman experience is meant to help restore balance and harmony while empowering the participant through illumination of self discovery.

Conversation Happens
Unlike a regular massage when the therapist will occasionally ask, “is this pressure okay?” during a Shaman massage the therapist is actively listening for the flowing or blocked energy in your body. She’s looking for patterns and places where energy is trapped. Sometimes that requires guided meditation.

Shaman healers are believed to connect with spirits on your behalf and call upon them to serve as a go between, aiding in your realignment of mind, body, and spirit.

For more information to to determine is a Shaman massage is right for you, contact us.

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4 Types of People Who Benefit From Deep Tissue Massage

Under the umbrella of massage, there are a variety of techniques and styles that are used to help people feel great in their body. Massage is a holistic way to gaining better overall health, and finding relief from mental and physical pain. If you are new to massage, it can be difficult deciding which type like Swedish, cupping, or hot stone may benefit you the most. That’s why an expert therapist can help you determine what is best for you through an initial inventory of your needs, symptoms, and desired outcome.

Deep tissue massage is a special massage that laser focuses on specific issues within your body. It’s ideal for chronic aches and pains, muscle tightness, and injury rehabilitation. Let’s explore how it works and then who would benefit from a deep tissue massage.

The 411 on Deep Tissue Massage
First, let’s chat about the technique. Therapists use a lot of pressure in this massage to penetrate the muscle and tissue fiber deep down in your bod. They use their thumbs, knuckles, elbows, and forearms to release tension in your muscles and tissues. This promotes circulation, which will break up adhesions (aka knots). When circulation is constricted because of injury or strain, fluid becomes dormant or stagnant holding in toxins, causing pain and inflammation. Deep tissue massage will whack those knots, breaking them up and get things moving again allowing you to feel more at ease.

Who Benefits from Deep Tissue Massage?
The pressure of a deep tissue massage is not for everyone. If you are prone to blood clots, are currently in chemotherapy or radiation treatment, or have recently had surgery, talk to your therapist about other types of massage because this one isn’t the course of treatment you need now. Here are four types of people who would benefit from a deep tissue massage.

1. Athletes or Weekend Warriors
If you hit it a little too hard during your last workout or that over 30 softball league, you may have strained your hammies or glutes. This massage will help rehab your injuries and get you back at it.

2. The Sedentary Employee
Our bodies were not meant to sit in front of a computer for eight or more straight hours a day. This causes neck, shoulder, and back pain, among others. A deep tissue massage is perfect for getting your body realigned and releasing strain caused by repetitive action.

3. Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis Sufferers
Fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis can take a toll on a person’s overall being. The pain and discomfort associated with these diseases can be crippling. Deep tissue massage is an incredible holistic way to manage, slow progression, and alleviate symptoms of these diseases.

4. Everyday Jane
Whether you were in a car accident and experienced whiplash, have issues with sciatica, threw your back out lifting a laundry basket, or zigged when you should have zagged, deep tissue massage is right for you. This is a massage used for therapy and rehabilitation rather than relaxation. It repairs damaged muscles and tissues no matter how you got them.

To learn more about how a deep tissue massage will benefit you, contact us, today!