Tag Archives: massage therapist in rancho cucamonga

Nobody is perfect… On being hurt

Posted on by
Reply

One question no one ever asks when looking for a medical massage therapist. “Have you ever been seriously hurt yourself?”. It’s a great question and should be asked often. Who better to help you recover than someone experienced in all the obstacles to getting better.

As a young man, I felt invincible, and that any activity could be accomplished without consequence, but that turned out not to be true. At one point, through work exhaustion combined with a basketball injury to my back, I got laid out, big time. Standing upright was not possible; my right thigh spasmed severely. Because of stabbing low back pains, sitting  down was not possible, not even to go to the bathroom. Laying down helpless the thigh spasms would come and stay, locking me up so mercilessly that my whole body would shake and break out in a cold sweat. The pain was so intense I felt that I could pass out. I prayed to pass out!

Well, I ended up in a nursing home wearing a diaper. I will spare you all the indignities suffered during my stay.

Eventually, I recovered, fully. Although my Physical Therapist told me that I would not be able to play basketball again, I struggled for a different outcome. That prognosis turned out not to be true. Now, I still play at age 53. 

So when you tell me your story, you can bet I can relate at least to what your going through,           maybe even help you get back to health!

 

How to find a good massage therapist

Posted on by
Reply

Don’t be lazy. The effort you put into finding a good massage therapist will well be worth your time. Now think do I want to go to the big chain or find an independent?

For example, when you do a web search, to locate a therapist, don’t just read the first page or so listings. Dig deeper. Find a therapist who has his own web site, maybe he or she has a blog. This person is really interested in their profession, so much so they take time to explain it to the lay public. If they are a independent therapist with years of experience they can provide you with the kind of massage that rises above the mediocrity of the big massage chains. This is especially true if you want therapy vs just relaxation work.The skill level is different.

The experienced independent, just by virtue of there longevity, you can infer, has survived in a highly competitive market without the advantages of big advertising dollars. That means there work speaks for itself.

When I graduated the average therapist lasted 3 years. Now days it’s less. We do it largely by referrals, so ask your friends who they see. But don’t stop there your work has just begun.

Do your want a male or female therapist? Let me answer for you, because the answer to that question is well known in the massage community. You feel more comfortable with a female. Over 85% of the Masseurs are that gender. So the men who survive in this profession are among the best. They have to be. Interestingly, when you poll massage recipients who receive massage regularly they express no preference in the therapists gender. They just want the best massage. 

How to stretch and improve your flexibility!

Posted on by
Reply

abes trial run 014abes trial run 015When I say Larry is one of the most flexible people I know, it’s no wild stretch of the imagination.I’m not just talking about physical flexibility, but in every sense of the word. A long term client, Larry touts the benefits of both massage and being flexible. ”Regular stretching may extend your life”, surely your athletic life.  He believes massage makes stretching easier to accomplish with less discomfort.

As Larry explains, one  keys to learning how to stretch is to “concentrate past the pain”. Ironically, to really be abes trial run 016Gumby you have to develop an iron will. While holding your stretch you might concentrate on your breath. While breathing, during your stretch, notice your body sensations  are almost always more uncomfortable when your inhaling. Pain in the body often reduces during the exhalation phase of breathing. Another key, do your stretching for at least 15 minutes a session, otherwise your wasting your time.

Larry does some exercise coaching, if your serious about getting more out of your body. His understanding of stretching is unique. This  is not a”Yoga” approach. To inquire about Larry’s unique training and what he can do for you drop him a line at …..lrryhurley@yahoo.com

Staying healthy naturally during the “cold” season

Posted on by
1

For years I have been fortunate  not been ill from cold or flu. Here are a few things that I did to prevent or shorten the duration of the common cold and flu.

When you are just beginning to feel under the weather is the time to go on the offensive.  Most bacteria and viruses don’t do well in an alkaline environment (the way your body chemistry is supposed to be). Unfortunately, many among us are too “acidic”; this actually promotes or encourages  these entities to find a home sweet home in your body. Let’s make them a bit more uncomfortable, shall we? 

Start drinking plenty of water,  adding just a spritz or two of juice from fresh lemons in each cup. Drink water at least once an hour while you’re feeling under the weather.  If you never drink water, don’t over do it. Onces of H2O is what your body needs, on average, say, 64 onces a day (8-80z. glasses). If you have a medical condition involving your kidneys, you need to consult your doctor as to how much water is appropriate. The water and lemon juice can begin to change your body more towards alkalinity, which makes you stronger and the germs weaker.

Also, this is  time to take your vitamins, like Vit-C, and minerals like zinc; both are stimulating to, and support  your immune system. The herb echinacea also stimulates the immune system to gear up. Your whole strategy early on is to prevent these pathogens from getting a grab hold. If you can hold them at bay for at least 3 days while your immune system gears up, the chances are you will beat your cold or flu before it really gets started.

If all that does not do the trick, I add some herbs and supplements that will directly attack these invaders. The list is long: I like garlic; high quality organic honey; oil of oregano; olive leaf extract;  cinnamon.

If you or a loved one are running a high fever  or  having difficulty breathing, please do consult your doctor.

Top performing companies and massage therapy

Posted on by
7

Successful companies like Google don’t get that way by accident. Even in these difficult times, the company thrives. Why? They think outside of the box. They throw  most  conventional thinking out the window. They always ask how they can improve what they are doing.  Of course, unlike most companies, their employees are highly motivated and very creative. Fortune magazine ranked them as the number 1 company to work for. It was no surprise to hear that all their employees can receive massage as a job benefit, right at their  facilities.

 Google’s Massage therapists are treated with the kind of respect not often afforded in the “real” world, working no more than 12 hours a week. Contrast  that with Massage Envy’s sweatshop- like conditions and meager wages that take advantage of under-trained and undereducated recent “graduates”. I bring this up because Massage Envy does a lot of the “massage” business  but they don’t really provide  much steak, just the sizzle. So, it is not really massage you receive and, therefore, it is more a luxury then a real benefit to your health. Don’t take my word for it…….here is what others think! The Massage Envy ?  or this spa site.

 At Google, the therapists are well trained and represent what massage is really all about. Does the company you work for provide massage for employees?  No? Well maybe they ought to think about it, think outside the box!

Crow’s feet… a good thing?Your muscles never lie!

Posted on by
Reply

As far as facial features go I really enjoy crows feet. Tell you why later.!

Perhaps you’ve heard the expression “stone faced”. If you’ve ever known  a person possessing such rigid facial features, the chances are it’s not only their face that is rigid. Probably, along with the face comes a stiff body and a person who has trouble being  expressive or animated. Underneath the facial skin and fascia lie the muscles which give shape to the facial features above. Those taut muscles tell a story of emotions trapped inside, becoming toxic.

As a massage therapist, I do “face lifts” all the time. Unlike the plastic surgeon, I don’t force a permanent look on your face. If you come in with a “long face”, I massage you in an upward direction, pulling the cheeks upward, relaxing your jaw muscles, removing that stress from around your eyes, and when I complete the massage, your “baby face”, that youthful appearance, has returned. You feel good, in an honestly healthy way. Instead, you could go the “plastic” way and construct a smile that lasts long after you have shed your mortal coil. What kind of “smile” are you going to opt for?

A few years back, Duke University Medical Center conducted  a study of men who had already had heart attacks. The researchers were monitoring  the patients’ hearts with a special imaging technique, asking questions, all while  videotaping facial expressions.

The scientist predicted that when they asked the patients questions that angered them (angry facial expression) it would have a negative effect on the heart. They did. Many patients experienced silent ischemic episodes; the left ventricle of their hearts partly collapsed which caused blood to be restricted to the heart. This could  easily precipitate another heart attack.

What surprised these researchers while correlating facial expressions, questions and heart monitoring, was that only one other facial expression gave rise to this silent ischemic episode- when the patient smiled! Not just any kind of smiles, but those fake smiles, the ones with no real enjoyment behind them.

When you smile you use the zygomaticus major muscles; it is what raises up the corners of your lips.  For the smile to be genuine, another muscle, orbicularis oculi, must also be engaged. This muscle, which circles around the eyes,  lifts our cheeks and creates the crow’s feet effect.

So when you smile, smile from the heart, so to speak. Make it real, not painted on. Now for my most favorite expressive guy……Marcel Marceau!