There was an extremely fascinating piece on the “Morning Edition” of NPR today.  The item was about Julie Treible, a woman who contracted a common cold and then lost her ability to speak for an entire six weeks.  Every time she tried to speak, she would get dizzy.  She took to communicating with her family by writing on a whiteboard and she felt so left out of her daily activities because no one could hear her or understand her. 

Treible’s issue, called functional dysphonia, is apparently fairly common.  Functional dysphonia is caused when the muscles that control the vocal cords tighten up and lock.  In the case of Treible, her vocal cords were stuck in an open position so when air passed from her lungs, it passed over but not across the vocal cords so no sound could be made.  There are cases of people going without the ability to talk for 2-3 years!

Treible makes a visit to Claudio Milstein, a voice specialist.  Milstein performs a series of soft tissue manipulations in order to loosen up the muscles in her throat around the voice box, as well as in the neck and shoulders.  Milstein also has Treible move her head in certain directions and instructs her to make certain noises like “eeeee” and “ooooo”.  Amazingly within only 7 minutes of massaging Treible’s throat, Milstein is able to release the vocal cords and allow Treible to speak again.  While Treible’s voice is still a bit raspy, the difference is remarkable.  Milstein gives her a set of vocal exercises to do several times a day for the next week to strengthen her vocal cords and to help them stay relaxed.  He says that while Treible’s voice is still a bit raspy now, most of his patients have a full and permanent recovery.

 To listen to this extremely fascinating item, please visit NPR Throat Massage. 

When the body is no longer able to cool itself through sweating, heat stress or heat exhaustion can occur and, in more extreme instances, heat stroke.  Some factors contributing to heat exhaustion are direct exposure to sun, limited air movement, physical exertion often combined with poor physical shape, and an inability to tolerate warm climates.

Knowing the signs of heat exhaustion is very important.  If you feel faint or dizzy, experience weakness, have an upset stomach or are vomiting, or are irritable and foggy-headed, you may be suffering from heat exhaustion.  If your skin is dry and you are not sweating, you feel like you are losing consciousness, or are having seizures or convulsions, you may be suffering from heat stroke and should seek immediate medical attention. 

The best way to prevent heat-related illnesses is to block out direct sunlight, use fans or air conditioners, rest regularly, wear lightweight clothing, avoid alcohol and caffeine, and drink water regularly.  In the recent hot temperatures, be sure you are taking care of yourself.  For more information, visit OSHA Reference Card.

Congratulations to Caitlin M., Karen C., Walter F., Justin G., Dan H., Peter R., Malinda G., Tim G., and Brian H.!  You all had very impressive times and we are very proud of you!

A very fascinating article in Monday’s New York Times Health Section discussed a number of studies done in the past several years about the communicative power of touch.  Researchers have found that physical contact can often communicate just as much, if not more, than a gesture, word, or expression.

One of the studies that I found to be most interesting was the one led by Michael Kraus.  Kraus and his co-researchers conducted a study on professional basketball teams.  With only a few exceptions, the team of researchers found that the most successful NBA teams were also the touchiest ones.  At the top of the touchy list were the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers and at the bottom were the Sacramento Kings and Charlotte Bobcats.  The touchiest player was Kevin Garnett who was found to touch 4 guys within 600 milliseconds of shooting a free throw!

Another interesting study made a link between success in a relationship and the amount of touch given between the partners.  This article is extremely fascinating and definitely worth a read!

NY Times Article on NBA

I am very excited to welcome Adam Parrett to Massage Therapy of Boston.  Adam will be taking clients at Massage Therapy of Boston on Tuesday and Friday mornings/afternoons as well as Thursday evenings and occasional Saturday afternoons.

Adam Parrett comes to Massage Therapy of Boston with over 10 years’ experience as a Licensed Massage Therapist.  He is a 1998 graduate of the Muscular Therapy Institute in Cambridge, an intensive certification program of over 700 hours.  Adam’s training has been in a multitude of modalities, including Deep Tissue, Sports Massage, Myofascial Release, Structural Integration, Lymphatic Drainage, and Medical Side-Lying.  Since his graduation in 1998, Adam has expanded his understanding of the body in an impressive field of practice. 

During his four years as lead Massage Therapist for the New England Revolution, Adam assisted the Athletic Trainer in all aspects of injury treatment and learned the most effective techniques in Sports Massage first hand.  Adam furthered his experience working with injuries when he worked in an out-patient physical therapy clinic, where he saw a wide variety of injuries and soft tissue dysfunction and drew on his experience to assist in healing and recovery.

Adam’s experience does not rest solely in working with athletes.  He has also worked in settings that have exposed him to repetitive stress injuries associated with computer use and work-related stress, such as carpal tunnel, thoracic outlet syndrome, and neck and shoulder tension.  He understands the toll repetitive actions can take on the body and works with you to address muscular imbalances and postural dysfunctions.

Whether he is working with the athlete, computer-user, or anyone experiencing stress and tension, Adam is just as excited now about being a Massage Therapist as he was 12 years ago.  He enjoys drawing from all his experiences to address each client’s individual needs and to develop a personalized treatment plan to bring about relief as quickly as possible.

A native of Quincy, Massachusetts, Adam enjoys playing basketball and indoor and outdoor soccer. He and his wife recently welcomed their first child into the world and Adam is also enjoying the world of fatherhood.

Did anyone see this article yesterday in the Globe?  Very fascinating and made me think of the New York Times article I referenced in a past blog about humans outrunning horses in a marathon.  This one is also very interesting and talks about the biomechanics of the foot during running and how our highly-cushioned shoes might be hindering our natural ability to run.

NY Times Shoeless Running

As most of you know, I am originally from Connecticut but have not lived on the East Coast for quite a number of years.  This is my first New England winter in a very long time.

I had the unfortunate experience of hurting my back on Monday while shoveling that extremely heavy snowfall!  I had forgotten how heavy snow can get when it’s very wet!  Being a massage therapist, I thought I was shoveling ergonomically.  I was sure to lift with my legs and keep my core strong.  However, by the end of the day which included shoveling in the morning and seeing clients during the day, I could hardly bend over!

After researching how to shovel snow properly, I realized my mistakes and will be doing things a lot differently next time.  I thought I would post these pointers to my blog readers in the hopes that you, too, can avoid snow shoveling-related injuries!  You can read directly from the source by visiting: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/24/health/healthy_living/main676316.shtml

I’ve highlighted some of the key pointers below.

-Lift the snow with the legs, not the back.  Keep your back as straight as possible and your legs bent so that the lifting comes from the strength of your legs not your back muscles.

-Do not bend at the waist.

-Avoid twisting!  Turn your whole body in the direction you are throwing the snow.  Step your body in that direction as you throw the snow.

-Shovel small loads of snow rather than big loads at one time.

-Push the snow as much as possible rather than lifting it.

-Keep distance between your two hands on the shovel so you can lift the snow easier.

-Invest in an ergonomic shovel.

-If you do not exercise regularly, considering hiring someone to shovel your snow.

-Take regular breaks every 15 minutes.

-Know the warning signs of heart attack.  If you feel chest pain, shoulder, neck or arm pain, experience dizziness, fainting, sweating or nausea, or shortness of breath, seek medical help immediately.

BPA, or bisphenol A, is a compound in plastic that is used to line cans to prevent corrosion and contamination.  The dangers of BPA are debated, but studies have shown that exposure to it promotes breast cancer cell growth, among other ill effects.  Due to its durability and affordability and the fact that no solid evidence has been found to prove it has adverse affects, we continue to produce it.  BPA has been found in 90% of urine samples, proof of our regular exposure to it.  http://www.mnn.com/eco-glossary/bpa

I gave up my BPA water bottle a long time ago and replaced it with an aluminum one instead.  I was proud of myself, knowing that I was doing something good for the environment while also helping to limit my exposure to BPA.

You can imagine how upset I was to read this article that my fiance’s sister forwarded me discussing how both SIGG and Gaiam are admitting that their aluminum water bottles contain BPA.  http://www.mnn.com/family/baby/blogs/aluminum-bottle-manufacturer-admits-bottles-leach-bpa I never would have thought that the liner in those bottles would contain BPA!  Didn’t the manufacturers of those bottles realize that most people who were drinking out of them were doing so to avoid exposure to BPA?!  I’m very confused and unsure as to where to go from here.  Does anyone know of any healthier alternatives?

Massage Therapy of Boston will be closed starting Wednesday December 23rd and reopening on Monday December 28th.  We will also be closed starting Thursday December 31st and reopening on Monday January 4th.

Happy Holidays!

I’ve definitely noticed a trend among my clients that they are becoming more and more stressed as the holiday season progresses.  With money being tighter than usual but still feeling the need to cross everyone off their holiday gift list, people seem to be feeling stretched thin.  Some have also expressed anxiety at wanting to be able to see everyone in theirs and their partner’s family, but are worried about the stress of holiday travel.

If your family has a tendency to go overboard on gift-giving, perhaps suggest a budget that everyone subscribes to.  You might also propose the notion of a “Secret Santa” type format where each person buys for only one person.  That way everyone still receives a present, but you don’t have to break the bank.

However you decide to handle the gift-giving side of the holidays, remember to always give from your heart and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with spending only within your means.  If your sister who goes overboard every year on presents is truly in the holiday spirit, she should have no problem accepting gifts that are less expensive than the ones she is giving.

Most importantly, remember to make time for yourself this holiday season.  I know it is the season of giving, but remember to give love to yourself.  Step away from the consumerism of it all and do something peaceful for yourself.  Sit by the fire and read a book, go for a brisk walk in the cool weather, and at that Buy-One-Get-One-Free Sale, give that free sweater to yourself!