Hello, and welcome to the August 2008 newsletter! The year is moving right along, and autumn is just around the corner. As the end of the year approaches, things usually grow more hectic. Remember that you can get away from it all—at least for an hour or so—by scheduling your next massage. A trip to tranquillity is just a phone call away!

In this issue, you’ll find another recent study on how massage can help improve health conditions. It’s so impressive to see the number of ways regular massage can improve your health! If you have any questions about massage and a particular condition, be sure to ask at your next appointment.

Below, you’ll find some entertaining body facts and a report on current dietary habits. Remember, massage can do more to support better health when you do your part—eating sensibly, getting some exercise, allowing for adequate rest, etc.

As always, if you have any questions about massage and your health, just ask! Your health is priority number one. Until your next appointment, take care.

Make someone’s day with a massage gift certificate
a great gift for any occasion!  Call today to order ...

What’s the Best Thing About Massage?

What do you enjoy most about getting a massage? There are so many things to appreciate from the benefits massage can offer you. The good news is no matter which of the many benefits you enjoy most from your massage sessions, you’re likely to experience most or all of the gains in the following list. So, improve the quality of your life with regular massage!

• Getting totally relaxed
• Helping your body to function more optimally
• Feeling the tension in your neck and shoulders just melt away
• Helping to boost the effectiveness of your immune system
• Melting away the stress
• Feeling better for days after each massage
• Helping your body to be more balanced
• Bringing relief to painful conditions, such as arthritis and headache pain
• Improving flexibility and range of motion in your joints
• Achieving better mental focus
• Sleeping better

Deep-Tissue Massage Shown to Reduce Blood Pressure and Heart Rate

One of the more common health concerns as we age is high blood pressure. It’s estimated that about one-third of adults have high blood pressure, a condition that when left untreated can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure. This is why high blood pressure is often called the “silent killer.”

As reported in the May 2008 Massage Magazine, a recent study monitored the change in blood pressure of 263 participants (average age: 48), after they each received a deep-tissue massage between 45 and 60 minutes in duration.

Prior to the massage, baseline blood pressure (diastolic, systolic and mean arterial) and heart rate were measured. Following the massage sessions, blood pressure and heart rate were measured again and compared with the baseline measures.

The results showed an average systolic pressure reduction of 10.4 millimeters of mercury, a diastolic pressure reduction of 5.3 millimeters of mercury, and a mean arterial pressure reduction of 7.0 millimeters of mercury. The average heart-rate reduction was 10.8 beats per minute.

The study’s authors said, “The present study demonstrates a high correlation between deep-tissue massage and reduction in blood pressure and heart rate.” This is more good news in the benefits you can get from your massages!

Blame the potato, not the couch —

As the obesity rate has continued to climb, scientists have launched hundreds of studies to figure out why we’re so fat. But it turns out, the answer isn’t terribly complex: We eat too much. Despite the frequent criticism of modern man’s sedentary lifestyle, an analysis by a team of international researchers has found that most people burn the same number of calories as their parents and grandparents did decades ago. “For average people, the daily physical activity hasn’t changed,” says biologist John Speakman of the University of Aberdeen in the U.K. “In the time we spend watching television today, people probably listened to radio in the 1950s and read books in the 1920s.” What’s really changed, he tells Science, is caloric intake: larger portion sizes, massive fat and sugar intake, and frequent snacking. — THE WEEK June 27, 2008

Fun Facts …

• In a lifetime, a person drinks about 16,000 gallons of water.
• The water we drink is 3 billion years old.
• The most sensitive cluster of nerves is at the base of the spine.
• One square inch of human skin contains 625 sweat glands.
• The average person opens the refrigerator 22 times a day.
• You’d have to walk 34 miles to melt away one pound of fat.
• In a lifetime, a person eats around 35 tons of food.
• The hardest bone in the body is the jawbone.

Source: This Book of More Perfectly Useless Information by Mitchell Symons

The future is not something we enter.
The future is something we create.
— Leonard I. Sweet

The content of this letter is not intended to replace professional medical advice.
If you’re ill, please consult a physician.
© 2008 Massage Marketing.   Used with permission; all rights reserved.