Posts Tagged ‘massage’
June 30th, 2010 by Matvey Kipershtein
Dream
Your own business is all about what you want. There are no boundaries. So why don’t you imagine your ideal business? Dreaming is a time well spent. Many studies have suggested that daydreaming puts you in a state where you can relax and rejuvenate. Besides, this will help you to create new ideas for your business and come up with solutions on how to overcome current obstacles.
Tags: business, massage, stress management, wellness
Posted in Health | 1 Comment »
June 23rd, 2010 by Matvey Kipershtein
Do you think that the stress of running your business kills all the fun in your life? It doesn’t have to.
The idea of having your own business is to have the freedom to do what you like, enjoy life and prosper.
Many clients that come to my Toronto office for massage therapy complain of stress in their lives. They say that it increases their anxiety and affects their health. Indeed, stress is considered to be one of the causes in such conditions as depression, heart diseases, ulcers, and possibly even cancer.
To some, stress is a vicious cycle. I often hear: “Running my own business is so stressful. It drains me. I can’t concentrate on my immediate work tasks. I try harder, but then it causes even more anxiety. I stop only when some sickness like the flu puts me to bed for a few days. Only then I allow myself to relax.”
This doesn’t sound like fun, prosperous or free life at all. Following will be a series of posts describing simple steps you can take to avoid this possible high stress nightmare.
Tags: business, massage, stress management, wellness
Posted in Health | 1 Comment »
November 12th, 2009 by Matvey Kipershtein
A good posture is sign of physical health and emotional wellbeing.
So, what is a good posture?
Have you ever looked at a person with slouched shoulders and thought that he must be upset? Do you notice that your chest lifts up when you feel proud after accomplishing something important? Does your back get tired after sitting at your desk for a long time and you start feeling lethargic?
Body’s posture shows obvious connection with the state of mind. On the other hand, there is an immediate physical impact that a bad posture has on the rest of the body. Collapsed chest impedes breathing and functioning of heart. Head shifted forward can restrict the nerves controlling the arms, and shortened muscles at the back of the neck may cause tension headaches.
We spend too much time sitting while driving a car, watching TV, or at work. But there are very simple steps we can take to start changing those bad habits.
The following article explains in more detail why it can be difficult sometimes to maintain a good posture, and what simple steps we can take to improve and shed away bad habits.
Click here to read this article
Tags: massage, Physical exercise, posture, stretch, wellness
Posted in Health | 2 Comments »
October 21st, 2009 by Matvey Kipershtein
I strongly believe that as a health-care practitioner it essential to receive the treatments to enhance your own skills.
Just two days ago I did a morning run and probably had pushed myself a bit too hard.
I felt that something was wrong with my arm for the whole day and the next morning I woke up with intensely stiff and painful neck. The pain also traveled down my right arm and shoulder blade. I knew which neck segment needed to be treated. But I couldn’t do it myself.
I contacted a very good friend. He is a physiotherapist and successfully applies a variety of manual therapy techniques in his practice. He performed very detailed assessment of my body and executed perfect treatment plan. So one day later my necks moves freely and the pain is almost gone.
But what I’ve learned is not the techniques that he used, but how to understand my own patients better. Strangely, during the assessment I felt that I don’t really need the treatment. I am perfect. “I am a massage therapist myself; I am not supposed to get aches and pains.” There was some sort of inner resistance.
This made me realize that when I am treating patients in my clinic, I have to listen more deeply to the whole story that their body is telling me. There are so many layers to reality. And the key is to take my ego out of the picture.
I put myself in my friend’s place. If I were to pay attention to that “inner resistance” I would probably give up and say to myself: “You feel perfect? No need for the treatment even though you came for my help? So be it. You’re fine, go home and suffer in silence”.
To be a good therapist is to learn the humility that allows you to be truly helpful to the people. Sometimes it’s not the technique, but the practitioner’s presence, just listening, simply being there.
One more lesson learned. So next time when my patient tells me that they are fine, but that nagging pain just won’t go away, I will know what to do. There’s no me, there’s no pain. Just the person in front of me doing the best he or she can to get better.
Tags: massage, Physical exercise, wellness
Posted in Health, Massage Therapy | 1 Comment »
October 14th, 2009 by Matvey Kipershtein
Muscles that help you grip an object in your hand or flex your wrist are located on the inside of the forearm. Most of them are attached at the bone that is on the inner side of the elbow, very close to the “funny bone”. Because of this shared attachment it is very common to develop pain at this spot if your job or sport activity demands prolonged strenuous gripping. It happens a lot with golf players, hence the term “golfer’s elbow”, or with manual labourers who need to use a tool such as a screwdriver.
Very often this pain is diagnosed as tendonitis, and anti-inflammatory is prescribed to kill the pain. It is common that this pain is caused by the increased muscle tension of the wrist flexors that is not met by adequate strength at the attachment sight at the elbow. Taking the medicine will only mask the symptoms and from my experience will make the problem worse when the painkiller wears out. This happens because the person will not feel the pain which is the warning sign and will continue with the activity that further irritates the painful spot.
Apart from receiving professional advice and going for a therapy, there is a very simple stretch that a patient can do. I know it works, because a few months ago my father called me complaining of this type of pain and weakness of his grip after assembling a table. I emailed him the stretch instructions with pictures, and after a few days of stretching and icing he was pain free, and the strength of his grip came back.
So here’s the stretch
Wrist flexors stretch
Pull your wrist down very gently until you feel a mild resistance at your forearm. I know that you can probably go a few inches further, but stop here and breathe for a few moments. Feel your forearm relaxing till you can pull a little bit more without increasing the resistance.
Most people tend to overdo their stretches and pull really hard. This is a very common mistake. The muscle will recognize this pull as a threat, and will contract to protect itself. This is a reflex, the same thing happens when you get your knee tapped with a hammer at the doctor’s office and your leg jerks up. We can’t control it, and a contracting muscle can not be stretched. If you pull too hard, you will damage the painful spot even more.
So the best thing is to take it easy and allow your body to relax. Hold the stretch for at least a minute progressively pulling down more bit by bit and repeat it a few times a day
Tags: massage, muscle, Physical exercise, stretch, wellness
Posted in Health, Massage Therapy | 3 Comments »
September 30th, 2009 by Matvey Kipershtein
Many people I talk to complain that they have started to experience general body stiffness after the age of 30. I used to brush these remarks off until I started to experience it myself.
Morning stiffness if accompanied by sharp joint pains and lasts more than 45 minutes can be a sign of arthritis or fibromyalgia. However, from my personal experience and from taking many health histories of my patients I realized that in most cases there is nothing to be worried about. There are few simple steps you can take to alleviate these discomforts.
Typically, a very simple physical activity will take care of it. I have been doing yoga for many years, and right now I find it very helpful for my morning stiffness.
Usually a few rounds of sun salutation will get my body limber and mind fully awake.
Take a look at this website for instructions on how to perform this routine. http://www.santosha.com/asanas/suryanamaskar.html
As with any physical activity keep in mind your limitations. Don’t push it, especially if you are new to yoga. Besides, it is your first warm up for the day. It should never hurt. Feel the nice, comfortable tension with every stretch. A sharp pain tells you that you went too far. Your yoga postures don’t have to look exactly like the pictures you see on the website. Nobody is judging you; you are doing it for yourself. If you can’t reach the floor with your forward bends, use a stool or a table to support your arms.
On the last note… Some people do have arthritis or another inflammatory condition that makes their mornings the worst time of the day. If you are worried about it, don’t wait till it goes away by itself. Book an appointment with your massage therapist; see someone with an expertise in the field to get a professional opinion.
Tags: massage, muscle, Physical exercise, stretch, wellness
Posted in Health, Massage Therapy | 1 Comment »
September 20th, 2009 by Matvey Kipershtein
I have been practicing massage therapy for a few years and have seen a variety of patients. One issue has stricken me over and over again. It is my habit to explain to my patients the importance of what they do after they leave my clinic, of how to take care of themselves after the treatment is over. I noticed that only a few would follow my advice. And then I realized why. My patients come from all walks of life; everybody is very smart and intelligent. But they just don’t know what I know about how body works, what harms it and what benefits it. That is why I am dedicating this blog to sharing the information on how people can help themselves by doing simple things like stretches and physical activity.
Tags: massage, Physical exercise, stretch, wellness
Posted in Health, Massage Therapy | No Comments »