Healthful Tip # 1

Epsom Salt: Old Wives Tale, No, try basic Chemistry.

Soaking in Epsom salt is a truly effective way to relieve muscle aches and pains. In muscular chemistry, calcium is the mineral that the muscle fibers use to bind and contract. Magnesium, which is present in high amounts in Epsom salt, is the mineral necessary to 'unbind' muscle fibers. So a muscle spasm simply cannot stand up against Epsom salt. Actually, magnesium also performs nearly over five hundred additional functions. In terms of soreness though, the magnesium actually makes the tissue cell walls more permeable, toxicity and nutrients can exchange inside the tissue more easily, thus the lactic acid, which causes soreness, is expelled from the body more easily. So next time you know you have over done it, either before or after your massage, spend a good ten or twenty minutes in a nice hot bath tub of  Epsom salt  solution.

James Smith, LMT

Healthful Tip(s) #2

How to make the most of your massage before and after

1.

Be timely. Getting to your appointment on time (or even a little early) will avoid the feeling of being rushed and your body will relax faster once  your on the table, If you are late, don't get all stressed out , thats not why you visiting us.

2. Breathe. Throughout the massage, breathe slowly and deeply using your diaphragm. The easiest way to do this is to imagine you have a beach ball in your stomach. When you inhale the beach ball inflates, expanding your tummy, and when you exhale, the ball deflates. The chest and shoulders should move very little. This will help you relax and creates better oxygen exchange.

3. Communicate. Be sure to communicate with your therapist. Let her/him know how much pressure you like, when to use less and when to use more. Remember: its your massage so make sure you enjoy it.

4. Let go. Give yourself permission to let go of stress and tight areas. Allow yourself to soften more and more into the table with each exhale. Allow yourself to feel good.

5. Stay present. Yes, life and all its issues are still there. But try to distance yourself from it while your receiving your massage. When outside thoughts stray into your mind, acknowledge that they are there and that you will address them after the massage. Then refocus on the sensations in your body. In fact, when you can do this you'll find that when you get back to  everyday life, your even more capable of dealing with all there is to deal with.

6. Listen. Listen to your body by focusing on the area(s) being worked on and then scan your whole body for areas that may be holding tension. Once you find these areas, let them go.

7.Take your time. After your massage, take a walk outside, breathe some fresh air or sit down in a break room and clear your mind before going right back to the grind stone. Enjoy the way you are feeling.

8.  Drink water. When you get massaged, toxins are washed out of your muscles and into your blood stream. Drinking lots of water before and after your massage will help cleanse your body of those toxins. And NO, a soft drink does not count!

9.  Breathe.