• Introduction
• Massage - important as the Gym?
• Odd Bod Tidbits
• Healthy diet may prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Are you sleeping comfortably?




Introduction

Welcome to the latest edition of your massage newsletter and the last for 2005.

The www.maroubramassage.com.au website has undergone an overhaul recently to improve the flow of information and the quality of the display. Ordering massage gift vouchers on-line is even easier so if you can’t get into the clinic and you’re stuck for a Christmas present, don’t forget that Massage Gift Vouchers make a great idea!

A new therapist, Verity, has joined the team and she will be available on Tuesdays. We can now offer massages to you 6 days a week. She has specialised in deep tissue sports massage for the past 2 years. Prior to this Verity has worked at a number of day spas doing treatments such as Aromatherapy, Trigger Point Therapy & Lymphatic Drainage and will tailor a treatment program specifically to your needs.

We wish you a very merry and safe Christmas and hope you have a fantastic 2006.

Richard, Amanda and Verity

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Massage - important as the Gym?

Many people believe that they are only justified in treating themselves to a massage on special occasions or holidays or when they just feel that they need a little pampering.

However, researchers from the Miami Touch Institute have ranked massage as important as diet and exercise in creating a healthy life-style regime. Infrequent massages (whilst as wonderful as they can be) may defeat the purpose. Massage needs to be considered as an integral part of normal life to help us deal with everyday stress. Massage is as important as gym membership.

Many people have found that regular massage can release postural imbalances that have built up over a lifetime. If you suffer from lower back pain, stiff neck or headaches then frequent massage can assist in enabling the body to fall back into place. A one-off treatment can give temporary respite but only through a program of massages can the longer lasting benefits of massage be achieved.

In a US consumer report on effective treatment for back pain, the respondents indicated that massage helped more than standard medical practice and prescription drugs. One of the biggest challenges facing conventional medicine is the difficulty in treating chronic pain – painkillers are only a temporary solution. Until the problem is dealt with effectively, then chronic back pain will not go away.

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Odd Bod Tidbits

• Humans shed and regrow outer skin cells about every 27 days - almost 1,000 new skins in a lifetime.

• The longest one-syllable word in the English language is screeched.

• There are more chickens than people in the world.

• The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.

• Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.

• Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

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Healthy diet may help prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a painful and debilitating disease whose cause is believed to be a combination of genetic factors and environmental agents (with mystery variables). Diet has been implicated in the development of other diseases, but little is known about the effect of diet on the development and/or progression of RA.

A recent study looked at the link between fruit and vegetable consumption and dietary antioxidants, and the risk of developing RA. Researchers studied 23,654 men and women (ages 45-74), who completed seven-day diet diaries, providing comprehensive data on their consumption of fruits and vegetables and other foods high in dietary antioxidants. Participants were asked to estimate how much of food and drink they consumed each day.

Participants had developed RA during the study period (1993-2001) and were then referred by their physicians to a study designed to identify and follow up on cases of RA. For comparative purposes, each case of RA was matched for age and sex with two controls free of the disease. Seventy-four cases of RA were identified over the nine-year study period. Lower consumption of vitamin C, fruits and vegetables was associated with an increased risk of developing RA compared to subjects with higher consumption. Subjects with the lowest intake of vitamin C had three times the risk of developing RA compared to those with the highest intake.

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Are you sleeping comfortably?

Have you ever woken up in the morning feeling as though you’ve been hit by a bus? It’s possible that position that you sleep in may be the cause (either that or too much Christmas celebration …….). Considering that you spend one third of you life asleep, then you sleeping position can make a huge impact on the comfort of your nights and mornings (plus impact on your overall posture).

Most people assume that the mattress is the cause of their aching back. However, unless the mattress sags or is lumpy, it is not as important as the actual position in which you sleep. The critical factor is to keep your head level with your spine and often the solution is a simple as a few strategically placed pillows.

Sleeping on Your Side
This is a good position but creates the widest gap between your neck and the mattress. If you sleep on your side you need a firm pillow that provides support for the neck (nb foam pillows generally give more support than feather down ones). Your pillow needs to be wide enough to support your head and keep it level with your spine, but not so wide that it tilts your head towards the ceiling.

If you sleep on your side with your knees on top of one another, the weight of the tip thigh pulls on the joints in the hip socket and lower spine. It’s possible to reduce the pressure by placing a regular pillow between your knees and lower legs. If you roll to your other side during the night, you will soon learn to take the pillow along!

Sleeping on Your Back
If you sleep on your back then you should place a pillow (or bolster) under your lower legs to reduce pressure on the spinal joints of the lower back. When you lie down with your legs straight out, the pelvis tilts forward, creating a gap between the mattress and lower back. This put pressure on the joints, nerve and muscles.

To allow for correct alignment, you should sleep with one thin flat pillow under your head which keeps your neck in a neutral position, level with your spine. Too many thick pillows will lift your head in front of your shoulders causing daytime postural imbalance.

Sleeping on Your Stomach
Sleeping on your stomach is very hard on your neck and lower back and is generally not recommended. You have to turn your head to one side which puts pressure on the neck.

If you can only sleep on your stomach, then place small pillow or towel under your abdomen to prevent lower back from sagging down. Ensure the pillow under your head is as flat as possible to prevent your neck from arching as well as twisting.

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