Traditional Swedish Massage uses five main strokes, and many variations, to achieve its relaxing and healing effects. Many therapists use a variety of techniques.
Effleurage
This consists of long, gliding strokes from the neck down to the base of the spine or from the shoulder down to the fingertips. When done on the limbs, all strokes are toward the heart to aid blood and lymphatic flow. It is done with the whole hand or the thumb pads. Effleurage is designed to acquaint the therapist with his or her subject’s body and vice versa.
Petrissage
This involves gently lifting muscles up and away from the bones, then rolling and squeezing them, again with a gentle pressure. It generally involves kneading and compression motions - rolling, squeezing, or pressing the muscles to enhance deeper circulation. Petrissage attempts to increase circulation with clearing out toxins from muscle and nerve tissue.
Friction
This is the most penetrating of the strokes, and consists of deep circular or transverse movements made with the thumb pads or fingertips. The therapist applies deep, circular movement near joints and other bony areas (such as the sides of the spine). Friction breaks down adhesions, which are knots that result when muscle fibers bind together during the healing process, thus contributing to more flexible muscles and joints.
Tapotement
This consists of a series of briskly applied percussive movements, using the hands alternately to strike or tap the muscles for an invigorating effect. There are many variations on this stroke. It may be applied with the edge of the hand, with the tips of the fingers, or with a closed fist. Tapotement attempts to release tension and cramping from muscles in spasm.
Vibration or Shaking
This involves the therapist pressing his or her hands on the back or limbs, and rapidly shaking for a few seconds. It boosts circulation and increase the power of the muscles to contact. Vibration is particularly helpful to people suffering from low-back pain.
Source: Holisticonline.com
Anyone out there an expert in Swedish massage? Please leave you comment and share with us what you thought of this article. We want to hear from you!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Top 7 Ways To Attract Clients And Keep Them
By Reiner & Elisabeth Schuhle
Respect, Compassion and Patience
Provide personalised service; know your clients: birthdays, some events in their life, family members, remember last personal topics raised, concerns and problems conquered.In other words, be FOCUSED!
Take time to listen to your client; listen carefully - do not let your mind wander during the listening process. Take time to find out the real motives and emotions, perceived and real problems.
Provide advice as a professional to a professional even if the person opposite you does not appear to be a professional at all. Any such advice will be taken more to heart this way and will sow the seeds for business success.Therefore, be UNIQUE!
Follow up, follow up, follow up. The secret of keeping clients is to show interest, show that you care, that you have their business at heart, that their success is your success.
Always establish and keep deadlines; and if they cannot be kept, ring up, explain how and why circumstances have changed, advise on your new approach and re-establish the new deadlines necessary. Do not promise what you cannot keep - ever.
Provide progress reports, communicate, write, telephone, talk. Do not keep your clients in the dark. Let them partake in the progress of their business from your own angle. Be an integral part of their business life.
Don’t argue, but persuade by showing examples of successful approaches to obstacles. Don’t preach, but explain why you advise to go about their affairs in a particular way. Tell your clients front up that you are not interested in ulterior motives, ‘political’ games and ‘funny’ business, be it legally, financially or any other way; tell them that you may come across from time to time in a very blunt way, but that this originates in you caring for their ultimate success.
Reiner & Elisabeth Schuhle AAA Office Management - Support for Small Business and Investors.
http://www.aaaom.com
Source: http://Top7Business.com/?expert=Reiner-|-Elisabeth-Schuhle
Respect, Compassion and Patience
Provide personalised service; know your clients: birthdays, some events in their life, family members, remember last personal topics raised, concerns and problems conquered.In other words, be FOCUSED!
Take time to listen to your client; listen carefully - do not let your mind wander during the listening process. Take time to find out the real motives and emotions, perceived and real problems.
Provide advice as a professional to a professional even if the person opposite you does not appear to be a professional at all. Any such advice will be taken more to heart this way and will sow the seeds for business success.Therefore, be UNIQUE!
Follow up, follow up, follow up. The secret of keeping clients is to show interest, show that you care, that you have their business at heart, that their success is your success.
Always establish and keep deadlines; and if they cannot be kept, ring up, explain how and why circumstances have changed, advise on your new approach and re-establish the new deadlines necessary. Do not promise what you cannot keep - ever.
Provide progress reports, communicate, write, telephone, talk. Do not keep your clients in the dark. Let them partake in the progress of their business from your own angle. Be an integral part of their business life.
Don’t argue, but persuade by showing examples of successful approaches to obstacles. Don’t preach, but explain why you advise to go about their affairs in a particular way. Tell your clients front up that you are not interested in ulterior motives, ‘political’ games and ‘funny’ business, be it legally, financially or any other way; tell them that you may come across from time to time in a very blunt way, but that this originates in you caring for their ultimate success.
Reiner & Elisabeth Schuhle AAA Office Management - Support for Small Business and Investors.
http://www.aaaom.com
Source: http://Top7Business.com/?expert=Reiner-|-Elisabeth-Schuhle
Monday, February 1, 2010
Massage for Hip Pain
by Karri Koivula
Sometimes hip pain is just muscular and caused by trigger point in the muscles.
And you can get relief to your hip pain just by massaging the muscles that are responsible of harboring the trigger points.
This is how you do it.
You search for tender spots from muscles near your hip joint, and massage them trough out the day in small sessions.
If you find a spot that amplifies or reproduces the pain symptom that’s troubling you when pressed, great you are on the right track, give that spot extra attention. But don’t neglect other spots entirely for the sake of that special one.
The results you are after along with the pain relief is for the spots to become less tender.
You want to give the massage a few days to kick in before you make any judgment for its effectives.
Within a week or so you should be able to tell if it helps or not, and if it’s worth pursuing any further.
For the massage you probably want to use tennis ball against a floor because it allows you to reach and self massage virtually any muscle in you body effectively.
Here is a list of muscles that are generally attributed to hip pain.
It’s not complete list but helps you to get started.
If you don’t have an anatomy book you can do a picture search with your favorite search engine, that should help you get going.
Gluteus minimus
Gluteus maximus
Quadratus lumborum
tensor latae fasciae
piriformis
vastus lateralis
vastus intermedialis
Good luck
ZZZZZZ
Sometimes hip pain is just muscular and caused by trigger point in the muscles.
And you can get relief to your hip pain just by massaging the muscles that are responsible of harboring the trigger points.
This is how you do it.
You search for tender spots from muscles near your hip joint, and massage them trough out the day in small sessions.
If you find a spot that amplifies or reproduces the pain symptom that’s troubling you when pressed, great you are on the right track, give that spot extra attention. But don’t neglect other spots entirely for the sake of that special one.
The results you are after along with the pain relief is for the spots to become less tender.
You want to give the massage a few days to kick in before you make any judgment for its effectives.
Within a week or so you should be able to tell if it helps or not, and if it’s worth pursuing any further.
For the massage you probably want to use tennis ball against a floor because it allows you to reach and self massage virtually any muscle in you body effectively.
Here is a list of muscles that are generally attributed to hip pain.
It’s not complete list but helps you to get started.
If you don’t have an anatomy book you can do a picture search with your favorite search engine, that should help you get going.
Gluteus minimus
Gluteus maximus
Quadratus lumborum
tensor latae fasciae
piriformis
vastus lateralis
vastus intermedialis
Good luck
ZZZZZZ
Friday, January 22, 2010
Questionairre
I am interested in hearing from all you therapists and bodyworkers out there. It would be great to share thoughts about different massage philosophies. Please leave your comment!
What type of bodywork do you do?
What are the defining philosophies of this type of bodywork?
How long did it take you to train?
Do you run your own business or work for someone else?
What type of bodywork do you do?
What are the defining philosophies of this type of bodywork?
How long did it take you to train?
Do you run your own business or work for someone else?
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is the method of using water at different temperatures treat diseases and to revitalize, maintain, and restore health. The water can be swallowed, injected into body cavities, or applied to the outside of the body. The three most important properties of water from a treatment standpoint are: 1. Water is non-irritating, non-allergic, and totally compatible with human physiology both inside and outside of the body. 2. Water is heat conducting and at the same time greatly heat storing in capacity so that it is the ideal agent for manipulating body temperature. 3. Water is totally conformable to the body surfaces. The physiological aspects of hydrotherapy are well known and are common knowledge to just about everyone. Cold water is stimulating, and causes the superficial blood vessels to constrict, which causes blood to be shunted to the internal organs. Hot water is relaxing, and causes the superficial blood vessels to dilate, which removes wastes from body tissues. Alternating hot can cold water also improves elimination, decreases inflammation and stimulates circulation. In addition to all this, moving water has a hydrostatic effect which creates a very gentle massage that stimulates touch receptors on the skin which boost blood circulation and helps to release tightened muscles.
Hydrotherapy treatments are often given at health spas or recommended as home self-care treatments. Some of the more commonly known forms of hydrotherapy are: sitz bath, warm water baths, sauna, steam bath or Turkish bath, application of hot and cold compresses, hot fomentation and foot baths (hot and cold).
Hydrotherapy treatments are often given at health spas or recommended as home self-care treatments. Some of the more commonly known forms of hydrotherapy are: sitz bath, warm water baths, sauna, steam bath or Turkish bath, application of hot and cold compresses, hot fomentation and foot baths (hot and cold).
Thursday, January 21, 2010
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