Massage Therapy – Page 5 – East Village Spa Blog

Why we call our hot stone massage “Heavenly.”

Just typing “Hot Stone Massage” makes me melt a bit. The lovely forecast calling for a high of -3 degrees tomorrow shall serve as my blog inspiration tonight!

A hot stone at East Village Spa is quite unlike the stock photography you see everywhere showing a row of stones sitting directly on a client’s back and no therapist in sight. All the photo below is missing is an orchid growing out of her ear.

NOT what a hot stone massage looks like! (Photo courtesy of wikimedia commons)

What clients CAN expect is for their massage therapist to work with his or her hands to assess the muscles and tissue and then massage primarily with heated stones as an extension of their hands. Our therapists can also do a hybrid of hands-on techniques to address trigger points or specific areas of pain and hot stone massage for general relaxation.

The stones are heated to between 120 and 130 degrees and the therapist is able to safely hold them with bare hands and should keep them moving until they have significantly cooled off before placing them directly on the skin and leaving them. The heat from the stones will help to boost circulation, relax tight muscles, and quiet the mind.

The therapist uses a variety of different shaped warm jade stones as an extension of their hands to relax tense muscles.

Still not convinced of how awesome a stone massage is? This video is a perfect little example of some of the techniques massage therapists can use with different shaped warm stones (note, this is not a company we endorse or have used, but their video provides a great example of just some of the many stone techniques a therapist might incorporate.)

As wonderful as hot stone massages are for most clients, there are a few times we don’t advise them including for clients who are pregnant, clients who have burns, skin conditions or are undergoing radiation. People with fragile thin skin or who are diabetic, paralyzed or otherwise unable to sense heat are also not good candidates for a hot stone massage and would benefit more from a traditional session.

A cold week like this one might be the perfect opportunity for you to change up your massage routine and try out a hot stone massage with one of our experienced therapists. Click here to book yours!

Planning your wedding spa service timeline

The holidays are one of the most popular times to get engaged and if you were part of a couple celebrating your recent engagement, CONGRATULATIONS! Hopefully you are able to enjoy planning a celebration with family and friends, but we know sometimes wedding planning can be stressful and confusing. Here are a few helpful hints for planning spa services to prepare for your wedding.

Waxing:

Whether it is a bride looking to schedule a first Brazilian or a groom wanting his first back wax, the worst time to experiment is the day or two before your wedding! For best results, we recommend getting the wax services you’re considering for your wedding and honeymoon at least 6 months out and then keeping up the routine until your wedding. The first wax is often the most painful and until you have a wax, you won’t know how your skin will react. With regular waxing, you’ll likely get a smoother result and less irritation for the big day.

If you are planning to wax your underarms or legs prior to your wedding, plan to have AT LEAST 6 weeks of growth for a smoother wax. Hair needs to be a minimum of 1/4 inch long and the longer the better in those areas. Brow and lip waxing should be planned at least 3-4 days in advance of the wedding.

Nails:

If you are a nail biter looking to grow your nails for your wedding, we recommend at least 3 months out getting at least a basic manicure every 2 weeks to help keep your cuticles and nails in shape and reduce your temptation to bite them. Applying a cuticle oil like CND Solar Oil and hand cream nightly will do wonders to get your hands and nails in shape for wedding photos.

Wearing a hard polish like Shellac is a great way to grow your nails because it makes it harder to bite your nails and easier to break the habit, especially with stressful wedding planning. Using REAL CND brand Shellac (as opposed to one of the imitation versions some salons call “Shellac”) with proper removal will not damage your nails.

Facials:

If you have skin concerns you’re looking to address before wedding photos, the best time to start working on them is at least 6 months out. A professional esthetician can help you determine the best products are for your skin needs (and your lifestyle). They can also help with clogged pores and clearing up your skin. Once a month is best for a facial, but taking care of your skin at home with the proper products for your skin type between facials is going to make the most difference!

Avoid booking a facial the day or two before your wedding or your engagement photos, especially if you are traveling and aren’t familiar with the esthetician or product lines in case your skin reacts or because deep pore cleansing can lead to break-outs while your skin is purging impurities. A facial with an esthetician you know well and products you are accustomed to should be fine the week of your wedding or photos, your esthetician can always go easy on extractions to avoid any redness.

An added benefit to facials is that they are super relaxing, with tons of massage on the face, scalp, neck, and arms. Any bride-to-be can use that nurturing stress relief!

Massage:

Sometimes during the wedding planning it can be easy to lose touch with your fiance! Booking a couple’s massage can be a great way to reconnect and relax together.

To book time to prepare for your wedding, give us a call at (515) 309-2904 or hop online to schedule when it is most convenient for you!

Tips to get the most benefit from each massage

There is nothing better than waking up on the day you have a massage scheduled and knowing you are about to get a big dose of much needed relaxation and TLC. I talked to long time massage therapist, Justin Behanish, for his tips on how to get the most benefit out of your massage before, during, and after your treatment.

Before:

Finish work or get any home projects or stressful tasks out of the way
Get in your workout
Drink plenty of water and eat a light meal, it is hard to relax with a full (or empty) stomach and your muscles will respond better to the work if they aren’t dehydrated.
Find a way to make things easy for after your treatment so the rest of your day can run on “cruise control.” For example, set up a healthy meal in the crock pot in the morning so you can get home after your massage and dinner is ready!

During:

Speak up! No massage therapist is a mind reader and our favorite clients are the ones who will honestly give us feedback when we ask if the pressure or temperature need adjusted.
Take some slow deep breaths and try to think of nothing but how your body is feeling. Take time to just enjoy how good the massage feels!

After:

Do things to help continue to relax your muscles and mind like light stretches, reading a book, or relaxing with a cozy blanket.
Relax in a hot bath with aromatherapy or bath salts from Kneipp, or try tiger balm on any areas your therapist worked deep before you go to bed to keep muscles loose and reduce the likelihood of soreness the next day.

A soak in a warm tub to keep muscles warm and loose is perfect to extend the benefits of your massage.

Proven benefits of massage therapy

In the nearly 10 years I’ve been a massage therapist, it has been really fun to see the shift in attitudes about massage therapy. It used to be viewed as more of a luxury, or something to do only for fun or a special occasion. While massage therapy is still an awesome way to celebrate an anniversary or birthday, more people are using it as a regular part of their health and wellness routines.

Groups like the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami have published great studies on the benefits of massage therapy. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is another great resource for good, solid FACTUAL information.

Findings from massage therapy research is well summarized on an article at MassageTherapy.com and highlights include the following benefits of massage:

alleviate low back pain
Shorten labor, reduce labor pains, and reduce hospital stays after delivery
Exercise and stretch weak, tight, atrophied muscles
Help people working to ease dependence on pain medications
Increase joint flexibility
Help after surgeries to reduce adhesions and swelling
Reduce scar tissue
Reduce anxiety and depression (there are great studies on the effects of massage on people undergoing cancer treatments and the effects of massage to reduce their anxiety about their diagnosis)
Reduce migraine pain and frequency

The Mayo Clinic lists other benefits including:

Help with digestive concerns
Help reduce insomnia related to stress (I can personally attest to this! A hot stone massage does the trick for me!)
Reduce pain from TMJ
Help recover from sports injuries
MORE!

Really, the best way to see if massage can help you is to book one. Not every kind of massage is beneficial for every condition. For relaxation, circulation, and stress reduction, a Swedish or Hot Stone massage might be the ticket. For recovery after a sprain or strain, a myofascial or sports massage is best. If you’re struggling with migraines, a cold stone massage, craniosacral massage, or other focused massage could help.

Also, because massage therapy can serve to help so many conditions, it is important to note that not every massage therapist specializes in every type of massage or in work with every type of injury. Our clients who are happiest and benefit most from their treatments have 2-3 therapists at the spa they see based on their needs. They might see Tiffany during their pregnancies and Justin for sports therapy. They might see Clair for deep tissue and stretching work, but Teresa for migraine help using Craniosacral techniques. All of our therapists are very flexible in their treatments, but they also are very familiar with what their colleagues specialize in so are always happy to make a referral. And NO! You aren’t cheating on your LMT if you try a different style of work!

We have a little quiz (not super scientific, more for fun and info) to help guide you in choosing the best spa massage for you to try for your first time, or you can call and ask Kelly at the front desk what she recommends based on your needs!

Gender Roles and Massage

I debated whether I should even discuss the topic of massage therapist gender on this blog, but I think we have enough questions and comments that it seems to at least warrant brief acknowledgement. As a therapist of over 9 years and a massage educator, I work with massage therapists who are men and women. Of course, a majority of licensed massage therapist ARE women, but that doesn’t mean that this isn’t an ideal profession for men as well.

Many industry leaders, authors, and pioneers are men. 50% of the 2015 Massage Therapy Hall of Fame Inductees are men. Men with a natural caring nature, or those who come from sports, engineering, science, or medical backgrounds are often drawn to massage as a profession or a career change. I know two male doctors in Des Moines who also have a massage therapy license! There are even men in the area who have created a niche as prenatal therapists because of their great respect for the pregnancy process.

That being said, discrimination goes both ways. While the vast majority of clients who have gender requests ask for a female therapist, we do have clients without a good understanding of massage techniques or body mechanics who don’t believe women can provide enough pressure (definitely false!) or who see men as more “scientific” or “medical” which drives our science-minded female therapists crazy!

It is quite rare we have someone request a therapist of a specific gender due to past history or religion (for example, I have taken courses with an Orthodox Jewish married couple who could only work with same-gendered classmates, clients, and instructors per their religious beliefs).

Mostly, I think people have body image issues or subscribe to outdated assumptions about gender and career roles, or aren’t 100% clear about the therapeutic nature of massage. We’re constantly told by society how we should act or look as men or women and it is hard to tune that out. I understand that no matter how many times your massage therapist works to assure you that he or she is not judging (or even noticing your “imperfections”) because your therapist is focused more on how well you and your muscles are relaxing, it is hard to believe if you aren’t a massage therapist. At one point or another, all of our massage therapists were massage clients with no understanding of massage therapy at all!

It also surprises people to learn that when a guest discriminates against a male colleagues for non-medical or non-religious reasons, that male therapist’s female colleagues feel sad, as though they were chosen not for their skill as therapists, but only because of their gender. A strongly stated gender preference (that is not attributed to religion or past history) also raises a therapists’ concern that perhaps a guest doesn’t fully understand that massage is strictly therapeutic and perhaps the guest is confused about the nature of their treatment.

All of this being said, we do respect our guest’s choices and certainly don’t require an explanation if you state a gender preference in your massage therapist, but I wanted to at least give you this post as “food for thought” because so often a client calls in desperate pain and we CAN help…but the therapist open is not the preferred gender so the client decides to wait a couple more days in pain until the therapist of their preferred gender is available. Or perhaps a client’s health issue could be better solved by a therapists with specialized training in that area, but the client would rather see a therapist who is less skilled with that particular condition (and therefore not get the desired result) solely on the basis of gender.

A client just sent this nice message to me the other day and I thought I’d pass it along:

“Never really thought much about a male LMT, but Justin is AMAZING! Really, I haven’t had a bad massage at your spa but Justin made a lot of aches and pains melt away and did a number of great stretches that really worked my hip. I’m so glad I made it in! Already made my recovery appointment as well! Thank you & big thanks to Justin as well.”

We have male clients that see male and female therapists and female clients that see male and female therapists. Most of our clients do not have a preference and trust that all of our therapists are highly skilled, ethical, and well-educated people who love their careers and are looking forward to helping you feel your best!

Justin and Mallory wowed the "Women who Wine" group with chair massages in 2014 — Justin and Mallory wowed the “Women who Wine” group with chair massages in 2014

Breast Cancer and Spa Services

According to the American Cancer Society’s 2013-2014 Breast Cancer Fact Sheet, a woman living in the United States has a 12.3% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer.

At East Village Spa, our trained and licensed providers have experience working with individuals undergoing cancer treatments and research has shown that massage therapy can be helpful in combating side effects of breast cancer treatments.

This study showed a statistically significant reduction in nausea and vomiting related to breast cancer treatments in people who received foot reflexology treatments.
2003 research from the University of Miami has showed massage therapy to be more beneficial than progressive muscle relaxation in combating depression among people undergoing breast cancer treatments and that massage was also effective in reducing treatment related anxiety and anger.
Lymphatic Drainage massage can be helpful in people who experience lymphedema after surgery (it should be used as a complement to lymphedema management done by a licensed lymphedema specialist like an Occupational or Physical Therapist).

Massage can be modified to help people relax during all phases of cancer treatment and most physicians are accepting of massage provided by experienced and knowledgeable practitioners during cancer treatments. The Mayo Clinic has even opened a spa in their hospital!

Some modifications need to be made to ensure that clients receiving spa services while receiving cancer treatments are safe and that the services are most beneficial.

Sidelying massage techniques (similar to those used in prenatal massage) may be necessary after surgery
Lighter to medium pressure may be needed as opposed to heavier pressure which could be contraindicated due to the treatments
Treatments with heat, like hot stone massages, are not advised for individuals undergoing treatments like radiation, which can cause inflammation and burns on the skin.
Facials are fine and a great way to relax and help skin feel soft and hydrated, so long as the products are gentle. Facial peels would not be advised.
Your esthetician and massage therapist will avoid ports or other areas of concern like burns
Waxing may be contraindicated due to changes in your skin from certain cancer treatment medications.

This is a great simple article from cancer.org about massage for people with breast cancer and I agree with all of their points.

If you are considering spa services as a way to de-stress and help reduce the negative side effects of cancer treatments, we’d love to visit with you. We always encourage people to share any complementary services they are receiving with their medical providers and we welcome any suggestions from your physician as well.

2014 World Reflexology Awareness Week

It is currently World Reflexology Week…who knew!? Well, actually I knew because I got a call from the nursing home where I served as Activity Director eons ago to do a program to residents, staff, and families on the benefits of Reflexology.

What is Reflexology?

According to the American Reflexology Certification Board, Reflexology is a scientific art based on the premise that there are zones and reflex areas in the feet and hands which correspond to all body parts. The physical act of applying specifric pressures using thumb, finger, and hand techniques result in stress reduction which causes a physiological change in the body.

Here is a really cool interactive hand and foot chart by the Barbara and Kevin Kunz.

Who developed Reflexology techniques?

Reflexology is ancient…so ancient that the first records of reflexology were pictures and statues dating back as far as 2500 B.C. when early Egyptian papyrus and wall paintings depicted medical practitioners treating the hands and feet of patients. Cultures in India, Japan, China, Egypt, and Europe have been working on feet since the beginning of time. (Karen Ball 215 Hour Reflexology Certification Program, 2002)

Who can benefit?

Anyone who is under stress or who loves a great hand or foot massage can benefit, but research has shown positive results with the following conditions:

Reduction of pain and stress when trained partners provide reflexology to individuals undergoing cancer treatments. (Read more here)

Reduction of constipation and improved digestion. One study of 20 women who had severe chronic constipation for an average of 24 years improved bowel movement frequency from once every 4 days on average to once every 1.8 days on average after 15 reflexology sessions over 7 weeks. (More information here.)

There have also been studies about Reflexology in pregnancy and labor and in migraine sufferers. (more here.)

Who can do Reflexology?

Basically, anyone. In Iowa, Reflexology is not licensed like Massage Therapy is. If you are seeking to hire a reflexologist, you will want to do your research and check on their training and experience to make sure you are receiving the most beneficial services possible. People who proclaim themselves to be reflexologists may run from self taught through books and videos to people who have taken an extensive training course to qualify for national certification. Many of our employees have about 50 hours, some more. The certification track program I took was 250 hours.

There is really no harm in providing simple reflexology techniques to a loved one as a caring gesture so long as you aren’t causing pain. Even the good intention of wanting to help someone feel better has physical and mental health benefits in itself, in my opinion!

Can I book a reflexology appointment at East Village Spa?

Yes! We offer a Therapeutic Foot Massage which is primarily reflexology, but may integrate some stretching and deep tissue foot massage based on your concern. Any therapist we open for that massage has specific training in foot reflexology. The focus can be entirely reflex point based or can be entirely deep tissue or any combination. If you book a longer body massage and your therapist is reflexology trained, she may incorporate some work on reflex points to enhance the overall benefits of the work. For example, I had a client with jaw pain and after some facial and neck massage, I ended the session with some work on her jaw reflex points on the foot which were incredibly tender. If a client complains of constipation, I’ll often blend abdominal massage with foot reflexology techniques. We think of this as the 1-2 punch!

Click here to schedule your reflexology or massage appointment at East Village Spa.

Common foot care questions and solutions for runners

After Dam to Dam, we started seeing more pedicure and massage clients in with black toenails, a curse of distance running! I’ve personally been upping my mileage for the first time training for a half marathon and can see the importance of good socks, great fitting shoes, blister management and keeping my toenails short.

Based on the experience of our team and friends, we’d like to share solutions to help runners address common foot issues.

Fleet Feet Des Moines Women's Running Group — Fleet Feet Women’s Running Group (photo by Andy Roat)

1. Black Toenails: Many experts recommend making sure your running shoes are about a half size bigger than you everyday shoes, especially in hot and humid weather when feet expand. Keeping toenails short can also help. Downhill and distance running are the biggest culprits in causing black toenails that will eventually fall off. Pedicures can help keep your nails properly trimmed, but start getting them early in your training, not the day before a big race. If you have black toenails, you can still get a pedicure and polish, but be sure the nail technician is properly trained and treats the nail gently.

2. Calluses: These are a GOOD thing! If you are training for a race, you need your calluses to prevent blisters. If you get a pedicure, be sure to tell the nail technician you want to keep your calluses and ask that the time she’d normally be spent softening them go toward lengthening the massage…which you really need! At our spa, the best choice for runners is a Wellness Pedicure. The EV Signature Pedicure features a callus softening heel treatment which you don’t want and the Eco Dry pedicure doesn’t include a massage which you need.

The Clarisonic Callus buffer is a gentle way to soften calluses and we use it for clients who want light callus work.

3. Blisters: If you have a blister, please tell your nail technician or massage therapist ahead of time so she knows to avoid the area. Good socks make a world of difference and our friends at Fleet Feet have socks meant to prevent blisters. I personally started getting blisters during triathlons this summer because of putting my shoes on with wet feet. I found that soaking my foot in a shallow dish of hot water, a handful of oats, and a few drops of tea tree or lavender essential oil (optional) zapped the pain and helped them heal quickly. You can cut a moleskin adhesive (found at any drugstore) to pad around the blister too. Just cut out a round or square piece and cut a hole out of the center so you aren’t sticking it to your blister. This works like a charm!

4. Foot pain: If you are experiencing foot pain from running, there could be many causes. First, make sure you are wearing the right shoes and visit a business that can do a professional evaluation and fitting. You can also try approaches like podiatry, massage therapy, or chiropractic (or a combination) if the pain is limiting your ability to run. Our therapists can help address issues in the foot, but also tense muscles in the hips and legs that can contribute to foot pain. If your foot pain is new or you just want to try a short service, book our Therapeutic Foot Massage. If your foot pain is accompanied by back, hip, leg, and knee pain, you’ll need a longer treatment and we recommend trying the 60 or 80 minute Athletic Edge Sports Massage.

Therapeutic Foot Massage is a deep massage focused on reflex points and areas of tension.

Our goal is to not only help you keep running, but to ENJOY the journey! If we can answer questions, offer treatments, or refer you to other health professionals like podiatrists, physical therapists, chiropractors, or experts at shoe fitting, don’t hesitate to ask!

When muscles throw a tantrum

One common client myth our therapists would love to bust is the belief that massage has to hurt to work. Despite over 1000 hours of training and continuing education and years of experience, we regularly have discussions that go kind of like this: “Well, I know you say it is best to NOT beat the snot out of my shoulders, but my cousin’s daycare provider says you are wrong so I want to feel like you just beat me up when I’m done!”

Many clients think hallmark of a good massage therapist is how much pressure they can use. I’d argue that the hallmark of a good massage therapist is how well they can assess and observe your tissue to determine the precise amount of pressure needed to create change. Anyone can use heavy pressure. It is not hard to place a bony elbow on a sensitive muscle group and lean in, or use the edge of a warm stone to strip a tender muscle. Sure those things can trigger a pain sensation, but that doesn’t mean they’ll do you any good. A gifted therapist knows WHEN to use heavy pressure and when a lighter touch is more beneficial.

What takes skill is finding source of the pain and paying close attention to how muscles respond to different techniques, speeds, and pressures to determine what to try for the best result. And a therapist who has lots of techniques to try if their first attempt isn’t working.

Think of a trigger point or “angry” spot in a muscle like a toddler who is throwing a tantrum. You can yell back all you want, but usually you’ll just exacerbate the tantrum. Same with “beating up” an already inflamed or tense muscle. Applying heavy pressure for the sake of applying heavy pressure may just further inflame the tissue which with most techniques, isn’t the goal. tantrum The best approach to a tantrum (or trigger point) is to stay calm. Instead of meeting aggression with aggression, a good therapist will calmly try to get to the root of the problem. It might take a bit of exploration from what seems obvious. For example, a tantrum in a grocery store might seem like it is about not getting a candy bar, but the root of the tantrum might be a missed nap. Just like a painful muscle in your calf might be caused by a tight muscle in your gluts.

You never know if your first approach to calm a tantrum will work. Your massage therapist needs to make an educated assumption at the speed, pressure, or technique to try to relax a muscle or trigger point. If the muscle isn’t responding to one approach, a therapist will use his or her “listening skills” to gauge if the muscle needs a firmer OR lighter touch, a different position, or even a heat or cold application to encourage the desired response. Sometimes a heavy pressure is the answer, but not always. One reason people feel like a really painful massage is helpful is because the pain sensation can trigger an endorphin release. This can mask the pain in the short term, but won’t get to the root of the problem and the pain will most likely return.

Like in a tantrum, sometimes moving away from the situation that has triggered the tantrum will help. In massage, sometimes moving the body to a new position on the table or incorporating a stretch or movement during treatment will coax the muscle into relaxing.

I took a course from massage therapy pioneer and hall-of-famer, Ralph Stephens and he nailed it with the saying “You cannot inflict relaxation on a muscle.” Muscles need coaxing, not bullying. If you have questions about why your massage therapist is using the pressure they are using or whether more or less would be beneficial, please do speak up! Your feedback is important to help us work with you for the best result, but do understand that if you allow your therapist to do what they are trained to do, really “listen” to the muscle to find the approach that will work best in each situation, you will most likely have a better, longer lasting result.

Memories lie in muscles

Off and on, I struggle with stiff feet and ankles when I run. I call them my “franken-ankles” because I feel like I’m running like Frankenstein’s monster. I often see Tiffany or Teresa for massage to help increase my ankle mobility and range of motion and with my last visit with Tiffany, a flood of memories surfaced.

She was working deeply on the muscles and ligaments of my foot as I was drifting when I was startled awake by a very vivid flashback of the time when I was 15 and one of the bones in my foot snapped in a freak accident on the day my mom was scheduled to have a major surgery. Because of the timing with my family, the doctors postponed casting me and my foot took a very long time to heal. It doesn’t consciously give me any issues now and I truthfully wouldn’t even remember to write that injury down on a health history, but the moment Tiffany worked around that area, I was instantly transformed 20 years back in time to that day like it was happening right then.

Our bodies hold on to tension and stress in ways we can’t consciously comprehend. Many times, a client has felt a rush of emotion as their shoulders loosened up or their jaw relaxed during a massage as the stress from from a tense argument at work, or the death of a loved one starts to escape. Clients might perk up with an “a-ha!” moment when a muscle releases, revealing an old sports injury or childhood fall. We have even experienced clients having an anxiety attack on the table as a muscle releases. Even if our minds aren’t consciously aware of all of your memories and emotions, you can be sure that your muscles are.

If you happen to experience an “emotional release” during a massage, don’t be embarrassed. Chances are, your therapist has witnessed several, and many therapists have received enough massage through their schooling and self-care that they may have even experienced one themselves. If you wish to have a moment alone, that is fine. Your therapist can also offer you a tissue and a safe space to talk, laugh, or cry while they continue with the massage. They will take their cues from you. If you remember an old injury, do share! It is certainly possible it could be contributing to new pain.

If you get massage all the time but never experience a rush of emotion, you are also perfectly normal! We have had clients over the years try to “force” a release, thinking hard on old traumas or forcibly breathing deeply during work because another therapist or a friend told them that it is the only way to heal, but that isn’t true! Your body knows what it needs and whatever your response to massage, you are a-ok!

The article “The Body Remembers” and the sources used in the article are good reads for anyone who is curious about this topic or who may have had their own instance of “remembering” a physical or emotional trauma that their body was holding on to.