With the economy struggling, and public outrage at a peak over lavish corporate expenditures, some companies are still treating their employees well. They’re doing it cheaply, right from the office by hiring massage therapists to come to their businesses and provide employees with chair massage at or near their workstations.

”The massages we provide are not the type of luxury that you might find at a resort spa,” said Alana Eve Burman, president and founder of JoyLife Therapeutics, a provider of corporate massage across the U.S. and worldwide. “The cost is much lower, and employees get a significant stress relief and morale boost.”

And these are stressful times. With corporate revenue and earnings down sharply over this prolonged recession, times have rarely been worse for corporate expenditures on employees. However, companies are finding that office massage can be a cost-effective way to reward employees and de-stress the work environment.

“We need a way to reward our employees, to show them that they are worthwhile, even if the amount of money we can spend on them to do this has been reduced,” said Diana Cortijo with World Bank, the international financing and development institution and a recent recipient of office massage. “Chair massage offers us a low-price way to bring the luxury of massage to our employees.”

Office massage, in addition to being low-cost, is also low-maintenance for companies. Generally, therapists provide their own transportation to the business, and bring their own massage chair and supplies. They then perform massage on employees on-site, with the employees fully clothed in an ergonomically relaxed, seated position. Most on-site massage happens at an impromptu station, often setup in an unused meeting room in the office.

“It really takes the stress out,” said Helene Mangones of Graf Repetti & Co, LLP, another recent office massage recipient and New York based accounting firm. “All of a sudden bigger projects seem easier to tackle. And the stress that builds up during the day is relieved, allowing for an easier finish to the day, and even the current week and month.”

This stress reduction could ultimately lead to increases in productivity and a rise in profits. Stress is one of the leading causes of lowered productivity in the workplace. One estimate puts direct stress-related costs to businesses in the US at $300 billion annually. Studies by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami have shown stress reduction, mood and immune system benefits from massage therapy.

“We notice that things can get a little stressed, especially given the current economic environment,” Cortijo, of World Bank, said. “Office massage helps keep our workers’ minds and bodies fresh, and doesn’t stretch our budget to do it.”

By David Robbie Two BAs; work experience at a massage office

You or I may not agree with the approach mentioned in the following article (massage for sculpting the body), but the practitioner does take before and after pictures. At $1,795 per body zone (presumably upper body or lower body) this could clearly be a very lucrative additional service to offer in any massage practice. Certainly more so for the spa-type practice. You may not want to do something like this yourself, but it is good to be aware of what others are doing, isn’t it?

Lypossage can help erase excessive fat
BY MARIA HERNE
Staff Writer

Summer might be months away, but if the thought of donning a swimsuit makes you cringe in horror, take comfort in the fact you’re not alone.

Many women are plagued by cellulite, those fatty bulges that even diet and exercise don’t seem to erase.

But take heart: Massage therapist George “Jake” Koch says he has an answer to your swimsuit season problem - lypossage.

“If you exercise all the time, but still can’t seem to get rid of that excess fat, lypossage can help,” Koch said.

“Lypossage is an all-new, body contouring, anti-aging treatment that will help reshape your figure without invasive surgery. It’s a natural, noninvasive, low-cost alternative to liposuction.”

Lypossage is performed by hand on the lower body, including the buttocks, hips, thighs and lower abdomen, as well as the upper body, including the arms, face, neck and head.

“With lypossage therapy, you’ll start to see results by the eighth treatment,” Koch said. “I take before and after photos, and you can literally see the difference.”

Koch, Schuylkill Haven, a recent graduate of the massage therapy program at Schuylkill Institute of Business & Technology, Pottsville, recently traveled to Middletown, Conn., to learn this new technique from its founder, Charles Wiltsie III, a nationally recognized massage therapy educator and practitioner.

Wiltsie derived the idea for lypsossage from a combination of physical therapy treatments, including lymphatic drainage and deep tissue releases, after noticing the effectiveness of these techniques to reduce swelling in cancer patients suffering from lymphodema.

In a year-long study of 100 female subjects, he documented the effectiveness of the technique, noting most subjects achieved an average inch loss of almost 1 inches per thigh.

“Lypossage works by cleansing the body of stagnant, stalled lymphatic fluid that can create the lumps and bulges we know as figure imbalance,” Koch said. “It tones the muscles and retones and reshapes sagging tissue.”

The procedure is noninvasive and mostly painless, he said.

“Afterward, it’s natural to feel a little sore - like a good workout,” Koch said.

But lypossage won’t be effective if you’re not committed to a healthy regimen, he said.

“Lypossage won’t help you lose weight. It’s about body sculpting, not weight loss, ” Koch said. “You need to combine lypossage with diet and moderate exercise program. You have to be committed to making a change. I’m not interested in helping somebody who isn’t willing to help themselves.”

Koch operates his business out of the New Vision Fitness Center along Route 61, Orwigsburg, under the business name “Body by Jake.”

His lypossage program, for adult men and women, includes a one-on-one consultation and body measurement diary, followed by 18 30-minute lypossage treatments, over a six-week period. The cost is $1,795 per body zone.

Koch also offers other massage therapy services, such as chair massages, hot stone massage, and deep tissue massage.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.asp?brd=2626

Posted by Ralph at 04:01 PM
© 2009 Institute for Integrative HealthCare Studies. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Institute. www.Integrative-Healthcare.org

This first article is about comprehensive natural approaches to headaches. All of us have clients/patients who suffer from headaches of varying degrees of severity on a regular basis. Any information we can provide, in addition to the relief we can give with our hands, can be very helpful. It is also appreciated that we care enough to provide information that might be helpful. This article could help with that objective.

Carolyn Chambers Clark, RN, EdD
is BellaOnline’s Holistic Health Host

Headache Free

This article explores a holistic approach to headaches that really works!

There are many types of headaches and some of them work in concert. For example, a muscle-tension headaches can increase the frequency and intensity and duration of migraine and vice versa.

Searching for the ideal pain killer isn’t the answer. For one thing, they have negative side effects and can create additional (rebound) headaches themselves. They are also toxic, especially the non-steroidal antiflammatory drugs (NSAIDS like aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc.) And can cause major trauma to your digestive track, including hemorrhage. Finally, they don’t touch migraine and have only limited success in long-term cures for other types of headache.

Remember, headaches are just a signal your body is giving you that you need to eat better, rest more, get enough exercise, allow yourself pleasure, release anger and resentment and get a healthier lifestyle. Medication only masks pain and prevents you from addressing the underlying sources of your headache.

Conclusion? Like so many other diseases, a headache approach requires a multi-facted, holistic approach.

Set reasonable limits on the activities and responsibilities you can handle.
Ninety percent of headaches are due to stress or tension, according to Dr. Seymour Diamond, director of the National Headache Foundation. Tension headaches are just that—the result of too much tension. Are you just too nice? A pushover for others? If you can’t limit yourself, consider professional counseling to help you get a handle on limit setting. At the very least, set aside at least 5 minutes for you every day. Go out and smell the roses or just enjoy a sunset. Let beauty, peace and joy surround you.

Avoid foods that trigger headaches.
The most common are lunch meats that contain nitrites, fermented foods (e.g., bread, cheese, beer and wine), MSG, Nutrasweet, roasted nuts, chocolate, citrus juice, coffee and tea. You may have your own sensitivities. Start a food/headache diary, charting what you eat and your reaction to it. Eliminate the foods that precede your headaches.

Use seated massage for tension headaches.
Give yourself a neck and back of the head massage or find a friend or massage therapist. Go ahead—you deserve to be treated well. Or get your office to allow massage therapist in to help out with the stress.

Try cold for migraines.
Migraines are a result of a forceful rush of blood through dilated arteries. Hot won’t work, but soaking a towel in ice water, wringing it out and holding it to the back of your neck should provide some immediate relief. Ice cubes can work, too.

Try magnesium
This mineral is known to relax smooth muscle. Because of our depleted soils, we don’t get enough magnesium in our diets. Low ionized magnesium has been linked to migraine headaches in at least one study (Kahn, Jason, Medical Tribune, May 18, 1995, p. 7). Unless you’re eating organic vegetables, consider taking 300 mg of magnesium daily to build up your levels of magnesium (which is also good for your heart) as a preventive strategy. Older adults need 600 to 800 mg daily to help absorb calcium.

Try more B-vitamins.
In one study, people who took 400 mgms of riboflavin (a B-vitamin) decreased the severity of their migraines by 70 percent (Cephalagia, 14(5), 1994). You can take a lot of vitamins, or eat organically grown liver, chicken, peanuts, hickory nuts, soybeans, soy flour, wheat germ, whole wheat cereal/bread/pasta, fresh spinach, kale, peas, lima beans, sunflower seeds, and eggs. You can also find “stress vitamin” capsules in your health food store, pharmacy and grocery store. This is a combination of Vitamin C and B-complex vitamins.

Ingest more fish oil.
Another good reason to eat more oily fish in your meals is that fish oil has a platelet-stabilizing and antivasospastic action that has been shown to decrease migraine. If you don’t like or can’t eat fish, you can get fish oil capsules at your health food store.

Picture that headache going away.
Find a quiet and restful spot and use imagery to picture the color surrounding your headache and its location. Picture the headache turning into a soothing color. Then picture the headache turning into a liquid. Now let that liquid flow out of you and far, far away, someplace where it no longer has any effect on you.

Try biofeedback.
Children are especially good at controlling their headaches through biofeedback reports Lisa Scharff, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Learning to cool their hands by controlling blood flow results in half the children reducing their migraines to half the intensity. Check out biofeedback specialists in the yellow pages.

Check your posture and pillow situation.
Some headaches are due to poor posture, huddling over a computer screen, holding a telephone between your ear and shoulder, and sleeping with too many or too few pillows.

Try feverfew.
For over 200 years, feverfew has been used to treat migraines and has been shown effective in clinical trials (Murphy and others, Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of feverfew in migraine prevention, Lancet 2(8604):189-92). Feverfew appears to work by reducing the pain and swelling caused by the body’s release of histamine and prostaglandins. Two 125 mg capsules daily or 60-80 drops of standardized tincture are used to prevent migraines. Find it in your health food store and double check for a standardized version and suggested dose. Not to be used when pregnant or nursing and not to be given to children under two years old.

Exercise daily.
Exercise can acquaint your blood vessels to the normal sequence of dilation, rather than the inconsistent dilation and constriction that takes place with a migraine, says Dr. Seymour Diamond, director of the National Headache foundation. Physical activity also alleviates pain by increasing endorphins and enkephalins, your brain’s pain-blocking substances. Consider a daily walk, a light swim or easy bike ride as a regular hedge against headache pain. Vigorous exercise is not recommended as you can bring on an exertional headache. At the very least, stretch your neck every half hour by gently rotating your neck from side to side and shrugging your shoulders to break the tension you’re holding in your muscles.

Try aromatherapy.
A blend of peppermint and lavender essential oil may relieve stress and muscle spasms. Consult an aromatherapist or get an aromatherapy book.

Breathe deeply.
Pay attention to the way you breathe. Under pressure you’re apt to take short, shallow beaths that fail to send enough oxygen to your brain. Allow yourself time to sit quietly and let your abdomen expand and deflate as you breathe in and out deeply, breathing in peace and relaxation and breathing out whatever it’s time to let go of.

Try acupressure.
Acupressure is acupuncture without the needles. Instead, use the tips of your fingers to press on special “point” from which nerve messages fan out and relieve your pain. Press hard enough to make the point hurt a little bit. Press the points for 15 to 30 seconds. Use either steady pressure or an on-off method, slightly decreasing the pressure, but not completely removing your fingers, every few seconds. Find the bony point just behind your ear. Next, find the big muscular groove at midpoint in the back of your neck. Halfway between these two places, on each side of your neck, you will find a small groove between two large muscles. Run your thumb up it until you come to the base of your skull. Push inward and upward hard into the groove and against the bone. Another point to press is between the outer corner of your eye and the outer end of your eyebrow. Find the ridge of bone at the outer edge of your eye socket. Move a finger’s width toward your ear to a small hollow and press hard.

Homeopathic remedies may help.
Many people prefer homeopathic care because it is so safe. In one study reported in the British Homeopathic Journal, 93% of people taking an individualized homeopathic medicine experienced good results, while only 17 percent given a placebo (sugar pill) did. Try a “combination” remedy, get a self-care book on homeopathy to select the remedy most closely matching your symptoms, or seek professional homeopathic treatment.

Stop smoking.
If you’re still smoking, be aware of the detrimental effects on your circulation. Find a good stop smoking class or purchase a stop smoking program or book.
As always, be sure to share your self-care plans with your health care practitioner.

Posted by Ralph at 04:05 PM
© 2009 Institute for Integrative HealthCare Studies. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Institute. www.Integrative-Healthcare.org www.integrative-healthcare.org/>

Sitting in a chair for 8+ hours a day often leads to repetitive stress injury and pain. Learn a practical and easy stretch for clients that sit behind a desk all day.

Quick Relief for the Chair Potato
By Karen Voight
LOS ANGELES TIMES

Do you find yourself spending more and more of your day sitting in a chair? This position often contributes to that stiff back and sore neck you feel at the end of your day or after prolonged sitting. Here is a quick stretch that you can do in a chair with armrests. It helps loosen tight muscles and relieve tension stored in your upper back and neck.

1. Sit near the front of your chair seat. Make sure that your knees are directly over your ankles and that your feet are not tucked underneath the chair. Lift your heels and squeeze your inner thighs together. Cross your arms in front of you, reaching the opposite armrest with each hand.

2. On an exhale, pull your navel in toward the back of your chair. Round your entire back and spread your shoulder blades apart as much as you can. Drop your chin toward your chest. Relax while you breathe deeply for six to eight breaths. Repeat as often as possible throughout the day.

Posted by Nicole at 03:50 PM
© 2009 Institute for Integrative HealthCare Studies. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Institute. www.Integrative-Healthcare.org

Buying a massage chair can be tricky if this is your first time. Because comfort and massage functions are the primary functions the massage chair will serve, the most important thing you can do in your research is go to multiple stores and try out a variety of brands, models, and designs.

Massage chairs have built in rollers, nodes, and air bags that try to emulate the hands and fingers of a massage therapist. When you are at the store trying the chairs out, notice the different massage functions as well as the intensity of the massage. Some chairs offer more massage functions, some allow you to set combinations of functions as well as the intensity. Most chairs that allow you to adjust the intensity will come with removable cushions. Just use more cushions to lighten the massage intensity, or fewer cushions to increase the intensity.

Inanimate comfort of the massage chair is really about supporting and filling the contours of your body. It comes down to size, and density of the chair. Removable cushions give users flexibility when it comes to density. You can add more cushions if you prefer to lounge on something soft or, if you need more support, remove cushions if you want your chair to be more firm with less support in specific areas of the body.

Comfort of the massage itself is about fitting the rollers to the size of the user. Some chairs start the back massage high in the backrest and rolls downward. For some people the starting position of the roller is too high and needs to be adjusted to start at a lower position. Some high end chairs will recognize the user’s height and automatically adjust accordingly. Even fancier featured chairs can even sense the location of the user’s spine. Other chairs will let you choose the sequence of massages and save settings that you like best to be performed the next time you hop on. Some chairs work areas other than the back like the arms, hips, legs and feet using air bags that inflate and deflate. Whatever you decide on, it is crucial to make sure you find a chair that fits your height or is adjustable to your height and anyone else who will be sharing use of the chair with you on a consistent basis.

For many people, the massage chair is a bulky item that will serve dual purpose as lounge chairs too. This being the case, you want your massage chair to be something that you look forward to when you come home. And being home is all about comfort.

Massage Chairs Review is designed to help you learn everything you need to know about massage chairs. When buying a chair we want you to be able to select the right chair and be aware of the different types of massage chairs and feature available.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Will_Edison

What to do about HEADACHES
Are you one of the many people who experience recurring headaches?
Experts now believe that nearly all headaches are due to either the effects of muscle tension or dilated blood vessels in the head or to a combination of both.
About 90% of headaches are part of the body’s response to physiological and emotional stress, most of which you can help to control.
About 10 % of people suffer from headaches that are caused by organic troubles i.e. Infections, tumours, high blood pressure, Visit your GP to check any possible underlying medical disorders if you are suffering headaches which have not responded to self help.
Tension headaches; quite often start in the base of the skull or the back of the neck and spread all over the head
Posture problems usually set this type of headache off. Computer operators, book-keepers, draftsmen, factory worker, drivers etc who stare intently and bend over their work, staying in the same position for too long, this causes the neck and head muscles become rigid and go into spasm.
This can cause constriction of the blood vessels and their network of nerves, the decreased circulation then adds to the pain of the muscle spasm, you then have a headache.
Many of these problems can be eliminated by good posture and short breaks throughout the day, which will revive the body and get the circulation flowing.

Corporate massages, workplace or onsite massages are the best thing for staff as this helps them relax and when they relax more work can be done.
www.therapy4u.biz
Visit my free self help website www.click2revive.co.uk

© copyright 2008 Joyce hardy

Massage, Aromatherapy, Hypnotherapy, Flower remedies, Reiki, Life coaching, Holistic counselling, Yoga, Meditation and Tai-chi are just a few.

You all need small doses of stress in your lives to give you motivation and stimulation and to protect you from danger, but not 24/7 in this fast moving world your body simply cannot cope.

The opposite of tension is relaxation this is really natures own form of tranquillizer
It has been proved in trials that you cannot feel fear, anger, insecure or anxious as long as your muscles remain totally relaxed, when your muscles relax so does your mind and emotional state.
Once you have mastered the technique of relaxation, by learning to ignore the conditioned responses you will have the chance to find your inner sanctuary and master your stress.

Check out are webite for your corporate, events, sports, office, onsite massages

The www.click2revive.co.uk website is free and designed to help office workers and all computer operators’ combat problems such as RSI. Back, neck and shoulder pain, headaches, stress and many posture related problems at work or at home . It is full of useful health tips and timed exercise breaks.

Joyce Hardy Holistic practitioner. MICHT. Hol. Dip BTAA. IIAHS.
Bowen & Integrated Health clinic on 07781418456
© copyright 2008 Joyce Hardy

Self awareness
The following stress relief technique and tips are extracts from my self help website www.click2revive.com.uk

Discussing your problems with a GP or trained therapist will help.

1. Eat properly good nutrition is a must, extra vitamin C & B complex can help as these vitamins are used in greater quantities by the body when under stress. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water, cut down on coffee and soft drinks.
2. Get plenty of exercise, fresh air, laughter & fun
3. Avoid useless and needless stress learn relaxation or meditation
4. When away from work: practice letting the phone ring, go on with whatever you are doing, by refusing to respond to the phone call you are in fact breaking the response and learning how to relax. If at first you find it impossible to ignore the urge to respond, delay it by counting to ten before you act, this breaks up the automatic workings of conditioning allowing you to be in control.
5 Use the same method of counting to ten when you are tempted to become angry, by holding off emotions of fear, panic or anger you may be able to break the automatic reflex completely.
6 By turning off your mobile phone you will give your mind and body a rest you have programmed your mind, it is on constant alert to answer that call.
7. Find that quiet place within yourself to help distance you from the stress of the moment, practice in your mind sitting on a sunny beach and feeling the warmth of the sun on your face, you will soon find that it becomes easier to get away from stress.

Visit our website www.therapy4u.biz to book your next coporate massages, event massage, sport massages or onsite massages.

The www.click2revive.co.uk website is free and designed to help office workers and all computer operators’ combat problems such as RSI. Back, neck and shoulder pain, headaches, stress and many posture related problems at work or at home . It is full of useful health tips and timed exercise breaks.

Joyce Hardy Holistic practitioner. MICHT. Hol. Dip BTAA. IIAHS.
Bowen & Integrated Health clinic on 07781418456
© copyright 2008 Joyce Hardy

This page contains 10-minute exercise routines. Including these exercises in your lunch break or daily routine could help you improve your posture, feel more refreshed and less lethargic in the afternoon. You can print this page or use the timer. Drink water before and after exercise.

Onsite Massage is a great gift to give to your fellow staff, onsite massage also creates a great space for your staff to work in.

1. Stand with you feet slightly apart. Breathe normally Swing your right arm, as in back stroke. 10 times backwards. Then swing your arm forwards 10 times. Repeat with your left arm.

2. Breathe normally and stand straight. Take your left arm and reach behind your back as far as you can reach. Now take your right hand and reach over your right shoulder, reach your left hand up your back and try to touch or hold your fingers. Hold for the count of 5, now reverse hands. Repeat 3 times with each arm.

3. Breathe normally Sit on a sturdy chair with your back straight. (Breath in and out when you raise your knees.) Raise your knees and pull them up and towards you and then clasp around your knees with your arms. Your feet must not touch the chair and you must keep your back straight. Hold for a count of five, and then lowered your legs slowly to the floor. Repeat 3 times.

4. Stand with your legs apart, toes pointed to the sides. Keep your hips square to the front. Place your hands on your hips, keeping your legs straight; gently push your left hip over to the right. Feel the stretch on the inside of your left thigh, hold for the count of 10 then release. Repeat 5 times to both sides

5. Remove your shoes. Hold onto the wall or a chair for support. Stand on your left foot,lift your right leg with your knee bent and gently shake your right foot, let your ankle hang loose and floppy count to 10 as you shake. Then turn around and repeat with the left foot.

for all your onsite massages, corporate massages, event massages

http://www.click2revive.co.uk/timed_exercises.php?
mins=10

www.therapy4u.biz

This page contains 10-minute exercise routines. Including these exercises in your lunch break or daily routine could help you improve your posture, feel more refreshed and less lethargic in the afternoon. You can print this page or use the timer. Drink water before and after exercise.

Onsite Massage is a great gift to give to your fellow staff, onsite massage also creates a great space for your staff to work in.

1. Breathe normally. Lying on your back, with your arms out at about shoulder level, palms flat on the floor. Raise your left leg and then bend your knee. Then try taking your knee over your body to touch the floor on the opposite side. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat with the right leg.

2. Take a deep breath in. Place your hands on your chest elbows up and out to the side. Now open your arms and take them as far back as you can without straining. Breathe out as you bring your arms back to your chest. Repeat 5 times.

3. Stand with your legs apart, toes pointed to the sides. Keep your hips square to the front. Place your hands on your hips, keeping your legs straight; gently push your left hip over to the right. Feel the stretch on the inside of your left thigh, hold for the count of 10 then release. Repeat 5 times to both sides

4. Take a deep breath in, stretch your hands up above your head and stretch, come up on your toes if you can. Hold for a count of 4. Breathe out and relax your arms down to your sides and relax all muscles in your body. Repeat the stretch five times.

5. Remove your shoes. Try to wiggle your toes one by one, starting at the big toe and work to a little toe. For most people this is a difficult exercise to do, even if it means that you wiggle all toes together, you are still exercising the joints of your toes. Repeat this exercise five times with each foot.

for all your onsite massages, corporate massages, event massages

www.therapy4u.biz
http://www.click2revive.co.uk/timed_exercises.php?mins=10