May 2012
Hello, and welcome to this month's article! It's nearly vacation time. Whether you plan on heading out of town this summer or just staying close to home, remember one of the main reasons for vacation time is to rest and recharge.
If you are planning on taking a trip, getting a massage before and/or after you travel can help you make the most of your trip. Spending hours sitting in a car or a plane and sleeping away from home in unfamiliar beds can physically stress your body. A massage can help you recover, while helping you to reduce stress levels (the ultimate reward of time off from work).
If you're staying close to home, then plan to dedicate some well-deserved personal time and let your massage serve as your mini-vacation.
This month's article has lots of new massage news for you to enjoy; learn more about how massage can help you to be happier and healthier.
See you soon for your next massage!
Stress-Inflammation-Disease Relationship Revealed
The need for stress relief and relaxation motivate many people to seek out massage therapy. New research indicates chronic psychological stress is associated with the body losing its ability to regulate the inflammatory response, which can in turn lead to the development of disease.
"Stress wreaks havoc on the mind and body," reads a press release form Carnegie Mellon University, whose researchers led the study. "For example, psychological stress is associated with greater risk for depression, heart disease and infectious diseases. But, until now, it has not been clear exactly how stress influences disease and health."
According to lead researcher Sheldon Cohen, "Inflammation is partly regulated by the hormone cortisol and when cortisol is not allowed to serve this function, inflammation can get out of control."
Previous, unrelated research studies have shown that massage therapy lowers cortisol levels, decreases feelings of depression, lowers blood pressure and boosts mood.
The current study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health funded this research.
Source: www.massagemag.com
This Just In ...
• Forty-four (44) percent of adult Americans who had a massage between July 2010 and July 2011 received it for medical or health reasons compared to 35 percent the previous year.
• Of the people who had at least one massage in the last five years, 40 percent reported they did so for health conditions such as pain management, injury rehabilitation, migraine control, or overall wellness.
• Ninety (90) percent agree that massage can be effective in reducing pain, up from 86 percent in the 2010 survey.
• Of those who have ever had a massage, fifty-three (53) percent say they have used massage therapy at least one time to relieve and/or manage stress.
• Twenty-nine percent of massage consumers had a massage for relaxation/stress reduction between July 2010 and July 2011.
Source: amtamassage.org
• Just 1 percent of Americans accounted for 22 percent of $1.26 trillion spent on health care in 2009, according to a new federal study. That's about $90,000 per person. The most expensive 5 percent of the population accounted for 50 percent of health-care costs.
Source: USA Today
New Research: Stress Reduction Inhibits Tumor Growth in Breast Cancer Patients
A groundbreaking study indicates that stress reduction inhibits tumor growth. The research was conducted by investigators at the University of Miami, with breast cancer patients.
The new study recently published in the journal Biological Psychiatry is one of the first to link psychological intervention with genetic expression in cancer patients.
According to the study, the group-based Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Management (CBSM) intervention designed by the researchers affects which genes in the cells of the immune system are turned on and off, in ways that may facilitate better recovery during treatment for breast cancer, explains Michael H. Antoni, professor of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, and program leader of Biobehavioral Oncology at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. ...
"For the women in the CBSM groups, there was better psychological adaptation to the whole process of going through treatment for breast cancer and there were physiological changes that indicated that the women were recovering better," Antoni says. "The results suggest that the stress management intervention mitigates the influence of the stress of cancer treatment and promotes recovery over the first year."
Source: www.massagemag.com
Beating Stress... Overall, 39 percent of U.S. adults reported their stress had increased over the past year, and 44 percent said their stress had increased over the past five years, according to the report, Stress in America, released by the American Psychological Association earlier this year.
Research studies have shown that massage therapy lowers cortisol levels, decreases feelings of depression, lowers blood pressure and boosts mood.
Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is
not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.
— William Jennings Bryan
The content of this article is not designed
to replace professional medical advice. If you’re ill, consult a physician.
© 2012 Massage Marketing. Used with permission; all rights reserved.
