A Healing TouchFall 2011

Continued on page 2

Invest in Your HealthMassage Offers Excellent Return on Investment

Massage in a health investment, helping to manage stress, support wellness, and boost immunity.

Looking aftermy healthtoday gives mea better hopefor tomorrow.-Anne WilsonSchaef

Office Hours and Contact

A Healing Touch Therapeutic MassageRachael Schrader LMBT704-577-4775turtlegurl_76@yahoo.comBy Appointment Onlyrachaelshands.massagetherapy.com

In this Issue

Invest in Your HealthOn the RocksShea Butter

"Invest for the long term" is greatfinancial advice, but it's also greathealthcare advice. Never is investing forthe long term more important thanwhen you are making day-to-daydecisions about your health. There areshort-term gains from taking care ofyour health, to be sure, but thelong-term benefits are not to beunderestimated.

You already know the value of bodywork.For all the short-term stress and painrelief you get from massage today, thereare lasting rewards you'll thank yourselffor down the road. Massage therapy as apreventive measure and part of anongoing care regimen can mean fewervisits to the doctor, as well as fewer

co-pays, prescriptions, andover-the-counter medications.Ultimately, it means a healthier andhappier you.

An Excellent ValueAs you plan the family budget, ponderhow massage therapy impacts your abilityto make good decisions, cope with extraresponsibilities, stay on an even keel

emotionally and spiritually, andmaintain harmonious relationships withcoworkers, family, and friends.

Research supports the value of massage.Massage provides many benefits,including improved concentration,energy, circulation, and self-esteem, aswell as reduced stress, fatigue, and pain.It's helpful with more acute healthconditions, also. If you, or a loved one,are already dealing with a healthcondition, massage is an even moreimportant part of your healthcareplanning.

Research shows:-- Alzheimer's patients exhibit reducedirritability, pacing, and restlessness after

neck and shoulder massage.-- Deep-tissue massage is effective intreating arthritis, back pain,fibromyalgia, and osteoarthritis.-- Fibromyalgia patients receivingmassage have fewer sleep problems andless anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain,and stiffness.

The value of bodywork runs deep, for nothing is more valuable than good health.

Continued from page 1

-- Massage during labor appears to helpblock pain, reduce stress and anxiety,and relax muscles. Some medicalprofessionals say massage shortens labor.-- Massage can reduce sports-relatedsoreness and improve circulation, and isbeneficial in reducing symptomsassociated with arthritis, asthma, burns,high blood pressure, and premenstrualsyndrome.-- Oncology patients show less anxiety,depression, fatigue, nausea, and painfollowing massage therapy.-- Preterm babies receiving massagetherapy gain more weight and haveshorter hospital stays.-- Massage therapy is effective inreducing post-surgical pain and caneven reduce the time required forpost-operative hospital stays.

You may be trimming some extras out ofyour budget, as many Americans are.When weighing what goes and what stays,consider what an excellent value massageis, especially in relation to things thatmay be less valuable, but still cost youplenty. The price of massage hasremained stable in recent years, whilethe cost of movies, dining out, andsports events have risen. Which of theseactivities has the power to improve yourhealth and which has a better return oninvestment?

Get CreativeThere are many ways to keep massage inyour life if you use your imagination.While vacations are definitely neededright now by just about everybody, moreand more Americans are staying closerto home and taking "staycations." Howabout planning a healthy, home-basedvacation and including massage as partof your relaxation?

When it comes to gift-giving occasions,why not give and ask for massage giftcertificates? Massage makes a wonderfulreplacement for flowers that wilt,sweaters that don't fit, or another box offattening candy. Some folks buy spapackages or put together their ownoutings with a massage, a museumexcursion, or lunch at a favoriterestaurant. Mothers, daughters, aunts,and grandmothers are enjoying spastogether and massage is a key part of thepackage. These events create bondingexperiences that launch new traditionsand reinforce a healthy lifestyle.

Gift certificates for chair massage atairports are an option for wearytravelers, as is chair massage at malls forpackage-laden shoppers. If you are anemployer, consider gifting your staffwith on-site chair massage, which hasbeen shown to reduce stress andimprove performance. Just think of it asthe ultimate pat on the back for staff andone that pays you back.

Maintain Well-BeingYou may be tempted to trim yourwellness budget when economic timesare tough. Yet, a recent nationalconsumer survey showed mostmassage-minded Americans are stillcommitted to maintaining the healthbenefits they experience with massage. Itonly makes sense. The better you feel,the better job you can do of caring foryourself and your loved ones. Massagetherapy will also help families understress create healthier households, and

more focused and relaxed moms anddads. Children are sensitive and oftenpick up on tension in a household;parents who are taking care ofthemselves are more likely to provide asense of calm to their kids. This goes forcaregivers of aging parents, too.

Now, more than ever, massage shouldplay a role in reducing your stress andstrengthening your health. When peoplefeel their best, they are more able to facethe challenges difficult times present.With greater health and peace of mind,you can face difficulties with poise,clarity of purpose, and strengthenedemotional reserves.

Truly, massage is more than aluxury--it's a vital part of self-care thathas a positive ripple effect on you as youwork, play, and care for others.Investing in your health is oneinvestment that's sure to pay off.

Stone massage is both calming and energizing.

On the RocksStone Massage Provides Tension Relief and Grounding

Shea ButterFor Your Complexion and MoreShelley Burns, N.D.

It's a practice as old as time, but one thathas been recently rediscovered. LaStoneMassage Therapy, generically known ashot stone massage, is the updatedversion of a technique employed byNative Americans, using gently warmedrocks to massage the body. Thetechnique provides a deeply relaxing,healing, detoxifying, and, some say,spiritual experience.

Typically, the stones are smooth, blackrounds of basalt in varying sizes heatedin water to temperatures between 125and 140 degrees. Warm stonesencourage the exchange of blood andlymph and provide soothing heat fordeep-tissue work. Cold stones are alsoused to aide with inflammation, movingblood out of the area, and balancingmale/female energies. The alternatingheat and cold of thermotherapy bringsthe entire body into the healing process,with a rapid exchange of blood andoxygen and alternating rise and fall ofrespiration rate as the body seekshomeostasis.

During treatment hot stones are placedon energy pathways. Some are coveredwith a towel and positioned to applysteady warmth and pressure along thespine and neck. Others are placedbetween fingers and toes and on thestomach and forehead -- key spots whereenergy flow can get blocked. Still othersare used almost as an extension of thepractitioner's hands to help go deeperinto resistant muscle tissue. Thisrequires less effort from thepractitioner's own body and delivershealing warmth to the hands, benefittingthe therapist, as well as the client.

In addition to the physical effects, hotstone massage is also considered a kindof energy work, calming and energizingthe body but with an extra elementthrown into the mix to make it morethan just a sensory delight. The theory isthat incorporating something fromnature -- the stones -- adds a symbolicdimension to this therapy, creating aprimal connection to the elements for agrounding experience.

Shea butter comes from the nut of theshea tree (pronounced shay) found inthe tropics of Africa, primarily WestAfrica. It offers many benefits as atopical moisturizer for skin and hair,and improves other skin problems andappearance.

As well as providing relief from minordermatological conditions like eczema,lesser burns, and acne, shea butter canbe used as a natural sunscreen and forstretch-mark prevention duringpregnancy. Other benefits include theevening out of skin tone, reducingblemishes, and restoring skin elasticity.

Shea butter easily penetrates the skin,allowing skin to breathe withoutclogging pores. It contains high

concentrations of linoleic acid, whichprovide skin protection at a cellularlevel, as well as vitamins A, E, and F,which protect against prematurewrinkles. Vitamin F in shea butter alsosoothes rough, dry, or chapped skin.

Healing though it may be, shea butterundergoes a rigorous path in its journeyfrom overseas to the faces and bodies ofyour clients. The fruit from the sheatree is cultivated, cracked, grilled,pounded, and boiled. The shea butter isthen scooped out of the nut and left tocool.

Properties of shea butter includeunsaponifiables--substances that cannotdecompose into acids, salts, or alcohol.For that reason, shea butter is extremely

absorbable, even more so than soybeanand avocado oils.

There are three types of shea butterextraction and just two of the three endproducts of these extractions should beused. Unrefined shea butter in its pureform is yellow. Refined shea butter isprocessed but still contains many of itsnatural components. Either is fine touse. Highly refined shea butter may wellhave lost its healing properties and caninclude such solvents as hexane, whichmay cause nerve damage. It is pure whiteand should be avoided. Another note ofcaution: shea butter is notrecommended for people with nut andlatex allergies, and some experts alsodiscourage its use by people withchocolate allergies.

When it isobvious that thegoals cannot bereached, don'tadjust the goals,adjust the actionsteps.-Confucius

A HEALING TOUCH THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE Where the stresses of your day melt away!

!!!Autumn is Here!!!

As we welcome in the cooler weather and we send the kidsoff to school, it's time to start taking care of you again. Ifinished my continuing education for this year and it is allabout sports massage! Myofascial Sports Massage is greatfor those nagging, aching joints and muscles. I use sheabutter for the right amount of resistance to get into thosedeep knotted muscles that have been bothering you allsummer. I also offer Hot Stone Therapy for a deeper state ofrelaxation. Listen to soft music and transcend into bliss aswarm stones are used to heat up the muscles and thenmassaged to take all their tension away! I want to thank you for helping to make my business asuccess! You are appreciated and I look forward to yournext session! Call and make your appointment today! (704) 577-4775 For the person who has everything give the gift of touch. Gift Certificates are available!

A Healing Touch Therapeutic Massage

8001 Raintree Lane Suite 100Charlotte, NC 28277