Tuesday, March 11, 2003

Boosting Immune Function During periods of stress, the effectiveness of the body’s immune system is reduced. Research indicates that massage can increase the immune system’s cytotoxic capacity (the activity level of the body’s natural "killer cells") and decrease the number of T-cells, which improves the body’s immune functioning overall. 6:48:47 PM       Easing Pain After Bypass Surgery According to a pilot study conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, massage therapy reduces pain and muscle spasms in patients who have undergone heart bypass surgery when patients are treated at the hospital after their surgery. Because of its effectiveness, 60 percent of the massage group expressed a willingness to pay for massage therapy out-of-pocket. 6:46:41 PM       Helping Breast Cancer Survivors Cope Emotionally & Physically Research shows therapeutic massage is an effective complement to traditional medical care for women suffering from the trauma of undergoing a lumpectomy, mastectomy or breast reconstruction. Pre-surgery, massage relaxes muscle tissue and increases the flow of lymph. Post surgery, women who use specialized lymph drainage techniques from a well-trained massage therapist as part of their treatment for lymphedema may experience less pain and swelling, as massage helps disperse build-up of lymphatic fluid. Although the physiological benefits are important, many women who’ve undergone breast cancer treatment report that the emotional benefits of massage are paramount. Women report that massage helps them reconnect with their bodies after this invasive surgery. 6:46:04 PM       An Effective Treatment for Lower Back Pain A study conducted by Beth Israel-Deaconess Center for Alternative Medicine Research and Education and the Center for Health Studies in Seattle concluded that therapeutic massage was an effective treatment for providing long-lasting benefits for patients suffering from chronic low back pain. In fact, researchers hypothesize that massage might be an effective alternative to conventional medical care for persistent low back pain. Researchers hope to continue their research to determine which components of the massage therapy experience contribute to its effectiveness. 6:45:34 PM       Use & Acceptance of Massage Therapy Increasing According to a recent report by the American Massage Therapy Association®, the massage therapy profession and the public's use of massage continue to grow in quantity as well as quantity. The most significant growth is in medical practitioners' and consumers' interest in and appreciation for massage therapy as an effective integrative and complementary modality. Mainstream acceptance of massage therapy continues its strong trend. Since 1997, the number of adult Americans who say they had a massage from a massage therapist in the previous 12 months jumped from 8% to 18%…Among people who had experienced severe back, neck or shoulder pain, the rate of use of massage therapy increased from 14.6% in 1996 to 19.4% in 1999. The massage explosion can be attributed partly to the growing population of tired, aging, not-quite-as-limber-as-they-once-were baby boomers, partly to an increased awareness of the effects of stress and of the physiological benefits of "pressing the flesh." Doctors and consumers are turning more and more to massage as an adjunct to regular health practices. More working-class professionals are using massage therapy to relieve stress and treat sore muscles. Massage therapists that once served only elite professionals or athletes see a wider range of clientele…[In addition,] an increasing number of corporations, small businesses and municipalities have found on-site massage to be a low-cost benefit with high payoff...By including 15 minutes of free massage therapy once each week, the Calvert Group, an investment firm in Bethesda, Maryland, reduced its turnover rate to 5% in an industry where the norm is 20%. Among emergency room patients, 31% report they have used massage in the past for painful conditions...Of the 14% of adults who spoke to their doctors or other healthcare providers in the past 12 months about massage therapy, 76% report that the conversation was favorable about massage…With this increasing demand, the number of massage therapists in the United States, including students, is [now] between 260,000 and 290,000. For the full report, including sources, visit the www.amtamassage.org news room. 6:43:27 PM       DC Mugger Late one night in the Washington, D.C. area a mugger wearing a ski mask jumped into the path of a well-dressed man and stuck a gun in his ribs. "Give me your money," he demanded. Indignant, the affluent man replied, "You can't do this - I'm a US Congressman!" "In that case," replied the robber, "give me MY money!" 12:44:44 PM

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