FAQ: When Not to Get a Massage

January 29th, 2010 .
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When Not To Get a MassageMassage is a great way to relax and heal the body from the stress of everyday life. But when is it best to avoid a session?

Although we can treat most sports injuries, if you have any kind of serious inflammation, getting a massage may do more harm than healing. Inflammation is easy to spot when you, let’s say, sprain your ankle. Initially it’s swollen, red, hot, and you can’t really move nor put weight on that foot. After visiting your doctor, give it a couple weeks of rest, ice  and elevation before you visit your massage therapist.

Illness, nausea and fever are also a good reason to avoid massage, as they may point to a potentially serious problem like a viral infection. Massage affects metabolic processes in the body and  may hurt you more than help you. This is a good time to stay at home and rest!  If you have a fever, especially one that lasts for more than a day, seek medical attention.

Any kind of communicable skin condition, such as a rash, should throw up red flags as well. Getting a massage could spread the infection, both on your body and onto your therapist. I’ll also mention that sunburn, covering a larger portion of your body, is a reason to stay home and hydrate, rather that get a massage, which can be painful on sensitive skin.

Injuries and surgical procedures are always delicate matters in bodywork. If you have an injury that is causing you pain and you haven’t seen a doctor, please do so first before calling for a massage session. Surgery, no matter what the type, is something that your therapist needs to know about—and if you haven’t given your body enough time to recover, the best thing to do is stay at home to recuperate from your procedure.

If you want a massage session but you’re not sure if you should, a good rule of thumb is to always consult with your doctor first. Your health and wellbeing is very important to us! If you ever have a question, we’ll be happy to discuss if massage is an appropriate treatment.

FAQ: What Kind of Massage Oil do you use?

January 24th, 2010 .
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Massage OilWinter is a great time of the year. But the dryness and the low temps aren’t welcome guests, especially for our skin. Just because the weather outside is frightful doesn’t mean your skin needs to be. We use specialized massage oils designed to protect your skin from the harsh weather. Choose from  our unscented Moisturizing Grapeseed Oil; and Sweet Almond & Lavender, blended especially for us by Brooklyn Flavors.

We feel that it is important to avoid products which use harsh chemicals and preservatives such as Parabens, in favor of using natural oils. “I feel safer using natural products” says Rachel Beider, Owner of Massage Williamsburg. “Our Massage Staff works for several hours each day, and I wouldn’t want them to use something that would endanger their health or the health of our clients”.

Sweet almond oil is an emollient, which is a great substance for softening the skin and leaving it hydrated. It also has vitamin B1, and it is used to improve one’s complexion. Infused with lavender—which relieves stress and anxiety—Brooklyn Flavors’ wonderful oil will leave your skin feeling smooth and supple in the harsh winter months ahead. Massage Oil

Our unscented grapeseed oil is moisturizing and has protective properties. Recent medical studies have found that grapeseed oil contains antioxidants and can reverse the effects of damage to the skin (such as stretch marks or age lines around the eyes). Many organic cosmetic brands use both sweet almond oil and grape seed oil as a base for lotions, creams and soaps.

We love our massage oils, and hope you will too!

Where’s Rachel? (Jan 16-24)

January 15th, 2010 .

Yoga in TulumYou may notice that Rachel, Massage Therapist and Owner of Massage Williamsburg,  is absent this week. In the belief of taking care of her mind, body and spirit, she has left Brooklyn for warmer climes, going on a Yoga Retreat in Tulum, Mexico. Massage Williamsburg is still open, and there are other fantastic therapists waiting to give you a relaxing massage! Look for a blog update of her trip when she returns!

How to Give a Back Rub like a Pro

January 14th, 2010 .
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Back RubKnowing how to give an awesome back rub is a skill that everyone should have! Here are some of the biggest mistakes to avoid, and some tips to do it right!

Talk to Your Partner: Ask them where they have pain or tension. In your back rub, make sure to focus on those spots in particular.

Set the mood: Choose a quiet room, light a candle, play some relaxing music and get comfortable. If your partner prefers to be seated, put a pillow in their lap for support.

Go slow! Usually people move their hands WAY too quickly! Going slow allows your partner to adjust to the depth of pressure and allows you to  actually feel what may be going on in terms of adhesions, or “knots”. Also a very fast paced massage is likely more stressful than relaxing.

Use kneading strokes on the shoulders and neck, and apply a moderate amount of pressure on areas that feel stiff or hard, avoiding the spine and any bones. When you are applying pressure, try to really feel what’s going on underneath your fingers, rather than just doing the action of the movement. It’s like the difference between looking at a page of text and actually reading the words. Listen to your partner’s muscles, and watch for signs of tension or relaxation. Adjust as needed.

Ask for Feedback: Say “how’s my pressure?” and really listen to your partner and try to adjust accordingly. If you need to apply more pressure, try stepping back a couple steps and leaning into your movement instead of muscling it with your arms. For a lot of pressure, you can carefully place an elbow, forearm or closed fist and proceed very slowly. This is especially nice on areas between the spine and scapula (shoulder blade).

Take Your Time on each area and work methodically so as to not miss anything. Try starting with the shoulders, working down the back slowly, applying pressure to the middle and lower back, and finish with the neck and scalp. I like to leave the neck and head for last, because these areas are sensitive and will be easier to work on if the rest of the body is feeling relaxed.

Advanced Tip: If you really want your massage to be awesome, Learn some Anatomy! You can do it online at Get Body Smart, or try the Anatomy Coloring Book, or Trail Guide to the Body. This way when you’re working, you can follow along the length of muscles.

In the News: A Swab test for Progression of Scoliosis

January 11th, 2010 .
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S Curve Scoliosis

S Curve Scoliosis

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, or AIS, is a spine deformity that affects 3% of U.S. children. We all remember the tests in school, where nurses, not professionally trained in detecting scoliosis in the first place, would have us line up and stand against the wall to see if our backs were straight. Then we would do the familiar ‘bend from the waist’–and that was when every other student was told about scoliosis. But what then? Would the curve get better, stay the same, or worsen?

That was the real question for many patients, who found that curves that get progressively worse (i.e., go from a “C” curve to an “S” curve) can cause problems such as restricted breathing and could eventually lead to rods being inserted surgically. Some patients are treated with an external brace, but the brace itself does nothing to correct the spine curvature: It only keeps it static while the patient is still maturing. What has been developed is a oral test that can tell us not just an initial diagnosis of scoliosis, but whether or not the progression will necessitate surgical intervention.
Axial Biotech, a research facility based in Salt Lake City specializing in spine health, started to develop SCOLISCORE–their name for the swab test–while studying degenerative disc disease. They stumbled upon 53 genetic markers that pointed to AIS and its progressive stages. Axial’s discovery is being released on the market by Johnson & Johnson.

The process is spelled out in Axial’s patent. According to their research, SCOLISCORE should be able to detect “at least one of a scoliosis existence condition, a scoliosis development condition, and a scoliosis curve progression condition”. This is done by the use of SNPs. SNP stands for Single Nucleotide Polymorphism, and these are found in our DNA. SNPs mark points of transition in our genetic code, much like a semicolon is used in punctuation to separate two different phrases. At times the sequences that follow an SMP may be considered complex—this means the sequences are for something out of the ordinary, like a mutation or an illness. Particular SNPs have been identified as being placeholders for scoliosis genes. The swab test that is being distributed detects the presence, number, and location of the SNPs associated with scoliosis.

The test is intended for adolescents with mild AIS, meaning that they have a Cobb angle of 10-25 degrees. SCOLISCORE cannot detect risk factors of scoliosis, nor can it detect predisposition to the spinal deformity. SCOLISCORE is not designed for at-home use; rather, it is being distributed to spine disease and injury specialists around the country.

For more information about SCOLISCORE, visit Axial Biotech’s website at http://www.axialbiotech.com/

Ways to De-Stress on a Budget!

January 7th, 2010 .
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wellness on a budgetWe love seeing you at Massage Williamsburg, and want you to feel the best in between your sessions! This is definitely a time where we have to make the most of our money. Here are some quick things you can do to balance yourself without breaking the bank:

Sleep. Early to bed and early to rise, as the saying goes. But sleep yields more than a lift to tired eyes. Sleep helps the body regulate hormones, including cortizol, which is the hormone that controls stress levels. Try to get at least six to seven hours every night.

Exercise. Exercise is known to be a great natural way to relieve stress. The goal is to get your heart rate to around 100-120 beats per minute. This way you are getting a good workout, and slowing the pace of your thoughts at the same time! Don’t have time for the gym? Do a few laps up and down the stairs of your apartment building, or try jumping rope in your living room. We love the track at McCarren Park too!

Breathe. Most people aren’t aware that they are holding their breath—especially when final exams are coming around, the rent is due, the room mate is being obnoxious again, and holiday shopping isn’t going as planned. Remember also to breathe from your diaphragm and not your chest. Look down at your stomach and make sure it moves in and out every time your lungs fill up and empty out..

Take a bath. Heat relaxes and soothes tired muscles. Besides, it’s nice to indulge yourself every once in a while. Make it luxurious by adding bubbles, or a little lavender aromatherapy – we love local brand SkinnySkinny’s Lavender Bath Salts. Turn off your cellphone, shut down the laptop, and treat yourself to a nice long sit in the tub.  A hot shower works well, too!

Friends. Having them is more than just having a support system. We all need social interaction outside of Facebook messages and funny Tweets. Go to lunch with a friend (or two), or enjoy a few hours doing something together. Here’s a list of foods that reduce stress.

Take Care of Yourself and Feel Good!

Now Open Until 8pm!

January 5th, 2010 .

8pmTo accomodate for more after-work massages, I’m so pleased to announce that we are now staying open until 8pm on weekdays! Our hours are now Mon – Fri from 10AM to 8PM, and Sat -Sun Noon to 7pm.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

- Rachel Beider, LMT

What is a Deep Tissue Massage? All your Questions Answered

January 4th, 2010 .
People are often intimidated by the phrase ‘deep tissue’. But what exactly happens during a session?
During a deep tissue massage, your therapist will use hands, forearms, and fingertips to locate and loosen adhesions, which are points of tension or “knots” in your muscles.  Deep tissue work is usually administered to those with chronic muscle pain or tension, to aid in injury recovery, reduce scar tissue in muscles, or improve postural conditions. This sounds a lot like Swedish massage, and there are similarities in technique but deep tissue massage is more focused and the pressure can address deeper tissues and structures. Some people perceive deeper work as more intense, and so it’s important to feel comfortable vocalizing how you feel about the  pressure feels  during a deep tissue session. If your therapist warms you up properly, you shouldn’t feel any soreness or discomfort after your session.
Deep tissue massage can be very rewarding in terms of relief from chronic pain and injury. Here’s what you can do to prepare for your session:

  • Drink plenty of water before and after your massage to flush any waste products from your muscles.
  • It’s best not to be too full or hungry during a session – don’t go in on an empty stomach, and maybe eat something healthy but not too heavy before a session.
  • Arrive ten minutes before your scheduled appointment,  so you can time relax and discuss with your therapist any goals you have for the session (for example, greater flexibility, less tension, headache relief) and specify areas you’d like to focus on.
  • Please let your therapist know about any medical conditions, or anything you feel is important to the session, and feel free to ask questions.

If you are not sure that deep tissue massage is right for you, don’t be afraid to talk to your therapist before your session.

It’s Our One Year Anniversary!

December 30th, 2009 .
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Staff of Massage Williamsburg

Staff of Massage Williamsburg

I am so pleased to announce that we have been in our new office at 169 Wythe Ave for One Year! In the past year, we’ve worked on over 600 Clients, growing from a very small practice to a lovely space with 3 treatment rooms!

I could not have built this practice without the support of all of our wonderful clients and my amazing massage therapists!

I’d like to take a moment to say thank you to the following individuals who have made such a difference for us this year: Acupuncturist Gretchen Sampsen, Dr. Hoffman of Keller Chiropractic, Larry Betz of Maxim Gym, Paul Kostas – Personal Trainer, John Fewell of Imagine Visibility,  Danny Ho – Web Designer, Benjamin Black - Web Developer, Kimber Gillus – blog writer and intern extraordinaire, Adriane Kruer – Yoga Instructor, Sophia of Brooklyn Flavors, Jack Forster and Diana Crum – my amazing mentors, Carole Osbourne Sheets – Prenatal Massage Instructor, ALACE for Doula Training, the Swedish Institute for our fantastic education and alumni support, and of course my family and friends who’ve provided many hours of business advice, support  and assistance.

Thank you for making 2009 a fantastic year!

Warmly,

Rachel Beider, LMT, Doula

Owner, Massage Williamsburg

Meet Robert, LMT at Massage Williamsburg

December 28th, 2009 .
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Robert Seiwert, LMT at Massage Williamsburg

Robert, LMT at Massage Williamsburg

Meet our newest LMT, Robert! Robert specializes in the use of pressure points and swedish massage to address tension in the back, neck, and shoulders.  A graduate of the Swedish Institute and Ohio Wesleyan University, Robert has worked with the Martha Graham dance company, New York City Triathlon, Saint Vincent’s Cancer Center and Mount Sinai hospital. Prior to joining Massage Williamsburg, Robert worked as a staff therapist for Aveda and at a physical therapy practice in Manhattan.  He is licensed in New York, a member of the American Massage Therapy Association, and certified in Reiki.

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