Stessed Out? Massage Can Help?

As I was helping to put together a web page on Stress and Massage this week, I was blown away by the latest statistics on Stress! Stress is recognized as the NUMBER 1 killer today, and the NUMBER 1 Health Problem according to the World Health Organization.

The American Medical Association stated that stress was the underlying cause of 80 - 85% of ALL human illness and disease!! It is estimated that American businesses lose an estimated $200-300 Billion dollars each year due to stress related productivity loss and other costs. Businesses that set up Corporate Chair Massage Wellness Programs in the workplace have the right idea!

What exactly is Stress? The best definition that I could find was from Angela Morrow, an RN, who said that stress is the body's reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental, or emotional adjustment or response. She goes on to say that stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or anxious. Divorce, Loss of a job, or a loved one, are a few examples of changes that can cause stress.

Currently, each week, 95 million American's suffer some kind of stress related symptom for which they take medication.

Massage Therapy is one of the best antidotes for stress and managing anxiety! The massage setting in itself, is geared for relaxation with soothing music, a quiet environment, dimmed lights, and often a water feature. Massage boosts the body's immune system, which can become compromised after long periods of stress. Tension builds up in the muscles, causing a decrease in circulation and nutrients delivered to tissues.

Manipulation of the soft tissue by a Massage Therapist decreases muscular tension, and promotes nutrient delivery to the tissues. By reducing your stress level, you will find that you have more energy and your outlook on life will increase.

Stress is Reversible!! Massage is a great way to take care of your stress level which basically affects your overall health level. As we head into the Christmas season where stress can increase, especially for those out there unemployed, or alone, take care of yourself and book an appointment with me! Consider giving the Gift of Relaxation and the Gift of De-Stressing to your friends and family this year for Christmas, with a Massage By Brie Gift Certificate!

Check out my new Stress and Massage web page for additional information and lots of links to articles about stress and how Massage can help!

Brie

Massage By Brie is Now Sponsoring Midtown Ultimate!@

Massage By Brie is now the Proud Sponsor of Midtown Ultimate! Located in Midtown, Sacramento, they put on Ultimate Frisbee games which look like Awesome Fun! They are a co-ed group and all skill levels are welcome! They also play competitively with SUPA (Sacramento Ultimate Players Association). It is Free to Join and Play at Midtown Ultimate! In addition to their website, they can be found on the Midtown Ultimate Facebook Page and you can Follow Midtown Ultimate on Twitter!

All Midtown Ultimate Members will receive Special Discounts from Massage By Brie, that can be viewed on my Sponsorship Page of my Website.

You can join Midtown Ultimate from their website, and Facebook Event Invites are sent around for pick-up games, so Join their Group Now and have a Blast and get a great workout at the same time!

Massage By Brie is available to Sponsor other Local Midtown/Downtown Sacramento Sports Groups and Clubs! Please contact me at brie@massagebybrie.com if you are interested!

Brie

What I Learned in My Recent Labor Massage Therapy Class...

I recently took a Labor Massage Therapy class at the Healing Arts Institute, in Citrus Heights, California. Even though it was only a six hour class, it was packed with so many tips and I learned a lot. I'm already Certified in Prenatal Massage and have over four years of experience providing Prenatal Massage, including Prenatal Massage in the Delivery Room. This class expanded my knowledge about the entire birthing process from start to finish.

I learned all about the acupressure points which have numerous benefits such as:

* promoting natural labor induction
* relieving labor pains
* aiding with labor contractions
* helping relieve nervousness, fatigue, and tension

In the class, we also touched on the benefits of essential oils for labor and birth which have many unbelievable effects. I recently purchased a small table water fountain, and downloaded a bunch of relaxing massage music, so I plan to purchase some essential oils as well, so that I can create a soothing and calming atmosphere in the delivery room for my clients.

Learning about home birthing, and hospital birthing gave me an idea of the different ways that a woman can plan their birth. I recommend watching, "The Business of Being Born", to get an idea of how you want your birthing process to go. Seeing this movie, made me really excited about starting the Certified Massage Doula course that I just signed up for, so I can be there to help a woman with positioning, relaxing, setting the right energy, helping with the pain, and just overall being there for her during the whole dilation, labor, and birth! How exciting!

I Love My Moms!

Brie