Holiday Massage Gift Cards

 

Like a lot of us, I’ve asked my body to keep up with me in ways it might not have expected. I’ve met what seems like every kind of doctor there is searching for answers. I wish my family had gotten me a massage gift card earlier!

Here’s what I was told by traditional medicine

1.      Stop what you’re doing, it’s stupid. (I’m a modern/contemporary dancer)

2.      Surgery is the only way to fix this. (surgery, small or large scale, is invasive and generally the most expensive and time consuming route to healing)

3.      Wear a hard cast on both feet (???) for two months to reset them….

BASICALLY, I WAS LEFT LIVING IN PAIN WITH NO WAYS OUT THAT WORKED FOR ME. I ACCEPTED THIS AS REALITY AND CONTINUED ONWARD. BY LETTING MY PAIN BECOME THE NORM.

This experience was shared among my college peers. We ignored our pain. My friends and I didn’t have the time to research our options or the finances to invest in our bodies. Money was tight and my shoulders were tighter. It didn’t cross my mind once to ask for help (typical college student, right??).

 

So I trucked along silently. If someone had just validated my pain and set me in the right direction it might have been a completely different story.

Ahem….a massage gift card would have been nice.

Benefits Of Massage For Parents: A Guest Post by Ryan Howard

 

Life as a new parent can be a lot of fun… it can also be really overwhelming!

In fact, the personal life that you may have cherished before all but vanishes as you take on the responsibility of parenthood. Having said that, while you might find yourself spending the majority of your time taking care of your little one, it’s important to carve out some time for yourself as well. Not only will this make you happier, there are many other benefits as well. In this article, I dive into some of the benefits of massage for new parents.

Take Some Of The Stress Out Of Your Life

Massage has often been thought of as a great form of stress relief. After all, it’s hard to think of many things that leave you feeling as relaxed and refreshed as getting a great massage.

Massage for parents, particularly new parents, is very important since they tend to have loads of stress.

For starters, new parents have a brand new person to take care of every moment of the day. This takes a lot of effort, believe me. Beyond that, kids are pretty expensive. There are hospital bills, clothes, cribs, reversible strollers, diapers, and all sorts of other baby stuff. For that reason, it’s not uncommon for money to be a little tight after kids arrive. Any way that you can relieve the stress is a big help. (Click here to check out our blog post on how to take the benefits of massage therapy home with you).

For More Information: Massage Therapy

Tag Team for Your Shoulder Pain: Massage Therapy and Physical Therapy

 

The newest medical information is now easy to find online and shows that the surgical boom of the 90’s didn’t actually produce better results for patients with shoulder pain. As a result, more patients are turning to alternative, more conservative treatments (ie non-surgical) for dealing with this. These alternative treatments often include massage therapy and physical therapy. 

Surgery frequently relies on images (i.e. MRI, X-Ray) to determine a course of action. However, studies have shown that surgically fixing the anomalies found in these images doesn’t always solve the pain. In fact, for many common pains including low back, neck, and shoulder pain, surgery had similar results to simply doing physical therapy. 

Pain medication is used to treat your symptoms, but usually won’t address the root cause. Massage and physical therapy look at the whole picture of your history, body alignment, posture, and movements. Both approach the problem from an integrative and comprehensive perspective. They seek to identify the underlying cause of your shoulder pain and give you the tools to move better without pain.

For More Information: Shoulder Pain Massage in Midtown