Workplace Massage Reduces Stress and Improves Performance

dreamclinic massage seattle workplace massageOur work habits are producing an increase in work-related injuries and stress. Computer use, poor ergonomics and extended sitting contribute to painful neck, shoulder and back tension, as well as repetitive stress conditions such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This leads to a loss of productivity, increased absenteeism, and higher healthcare costs.

Research from Microsoft shows that repetitive stress injuries are on the rise due to increasing use of laptops.  “The research, which polled over 1,000 office workers, HR managers and office managers, reveals that 68% of office workers suffered from aches and pains, with the most common symptoms including back ache, shoulder pain and wrist/ hand pain as a result of working [while] in transit in cramped or awkward positions.”

Workplace massage reduces stress and improves performance.   It is becoming mainstream as companies recognize its therapeutic benefits, logistical feasibility, and positive impact on their bottom line.

When employees feel less stressed, they take less sick days, are more productive, and show an increase in job satisfaction. As a result, business output increases, turnover decreases, morale improves, and healthcare expenditures are reduced. When massage becomes an important part of a comprehensive workplace wellness program, everyone benefits.

If you believe your company may be interested in offering workplace massage please let us know.  Once service is established, we will thank you with a 1-hr massage gift card to use at any of our clinics.

CONTACT DREAMCLINIC WORKPLACE DIVISION

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/19014.php

This article has been brought to you by Dreamclinic – offering quality therapeutic massage and acupuncture in the greater Seattle area as well as corporate massage nationwide.

Dreamclinic Massage Sponsors Team Group Health Competitive Cycling for the 13th Year in a Row

teamgrouphealthseattledreamclinicpartnershipDreamclinic is delighted to announce a landmark thirteen-year sponsorship with Group Health.  Every year Team Group Health strives to promote and develop the sport of competitive cycling among women in the Pacific Northwest. This sponsorship is part of Dreamclinic’s ongoing commitment to promote healthy and active living within our community.

Team Group Health is a great example of competitive spirit and an emphasis on women’s health. They’re passionate about investing time to educate and train their members, as well as the community at large about the sport of cycling.

Dreamclinic founder and CEO Larisa Goldin says:

““We’re delighted to continue our ongoing relationship with Team Group Health and are extremely proud of the team.  They have grown each year, have competed fiercely and have also been an active and positive influence in our community.  they exemplify the fact that people can be multi-dimensional and work and play hard in a healthy way.”

Dreamclinic sponsors Team Group Health to assist in the common goal to raise public awareness of the health benefits of an active lifestyle.  Did you know 1-in-3 Washington residents own a bicycle?  Cycling is already a way for many of us to have an active, healthy lifestyle.  A focus on cycling, with event sponsorship and promotion of cycle safety, is a natural part of Group Health’s long-standing commitment to the well-being of the community. Founded in 1947, Group Health Cooperative is a consumer-governed, non-profit health care system that coordinates care and coverage.

With approximately 70 members, Team Group Health is a veritable force whenever the rubber meets the road, the track and the dirt.

To learn more about Team Group Health visit: http://soundvelocycling.com.

The Real Meaning of Arch Support

Medial-Longitudinal-Archby Dr. Ray McClanahan, D.P.M.

Originally published on
https://nwfootankle.com/foot-health/drill/2-articles/113-arch-support

In order to understand the treatment of rendering an arch support, one must understand the architectural principle of an arch, and liken that principle to the multitude of arches that naturally occur in the human foot. When you study the structure of the foot and the shapes of the bones of the foot, you quickly realize that most of the weightbearing bones of the foot, are indeed arches themselves by being shaped to have support ends at either end of the bone and an open space or boney arch in between the support ends of the bones.

For the purposes of the current discussion, we will concentrate on what might be considered one of the primary arches of the foot, sometimes called the medial (inside of the foot) longitudinal arch, the arch that spans between the rearfoot or heel bone and the forefoot or ball of the foot and toes.

Webster’s dictionary defines an arch as “a curved structure that supports the weight of material over an open space.” Said another way, an arch is a structure that is able to support weight over an open space, by providing support on either end of that open space.

Applying this logical definition to the arches of the foot necessitates support on either end of the arch, and is exactly the opposite of the type of “arch support” that is available to consumers, either over the counter (i.e. Dr. Scholl’s or similar product), or from their healthcare professional (footbed, arch support, orthotic). These products attempt to “support” the arch, not by supporting the ends of the foot arch, but rather by lifting up under the open space of the foot arch. This does not make sense.

True support of the arches of the foot would suggest that the ends of the arches, on either end of the foot’s open space are the structures to be supported. This would mean that the heel and the forefoot joints (metatarsophalangeal joints and interphalangeal joints) are the structures that should be supported, and not the structures in between the ends of the arch.

Current footwear available to consumers is improperly positioning the support ends of the arch, by elevating the heel, which is one end of the arch, and unnaturally pinching the toes and holding them above the ball of the foot (metatarsophalangeal joints), which is the other end of the foot arch.

True support of the foot arch would then necessitate getting the heel bone (calcaneus) flat on the ground to provide support for the rearfoot support end, as well as getting the toes flat on the ground as well, so that the toes can help the ball of the foot to provide support for the other end of the foot arch in the forefoot.

Individuals who grow up barefoot, naturally have the support they need for both ends of their foot arch, and this is likely part of the reason why their foot arches function perfectly throughout their lifetimes, and their feet do not break down, unlike 80% of Americans who by nature of their habitual shoe wearing and compromised arches, will suffer some form of foot problem at some point in their lives.

This is not to suggest that we should all ditch our shoes and begin walking around barefoot, but it does suggest that our shoes are made improperly and are the cause of the arch problems and the associated deformities that many Americans experience. Read more

Dreamclinic is a Health and Wellness company committed to sharing information about commonly experienced health conditions and how they may be impacted through the use of bodywork and other natural approaches. Dreamclinic offers massage, acupuncture, and Reiki sessions at its Greenlake and Queen Anne clinics, as well as onsite massage at workplaces around Puget Sound. Contact us to learn more about how Dreamclinic can help you, your family or your workplace experience greater health.

Original article:
https://nwfootankle.com/foot-health/drill/2-articles/113-arch-support
Reposted with permission of the author.

Image: www.posturologyblog.com

Massage Improves Seniors Health

Nurturing touch has been correlated with positive social and physical development in infants. As one ages, touch continues to play an integral role in human social interactions. Throughout a lifetime, healthy touch remains important to help a person to grow and thrive. In fact, senior citizens – just like babies – still need touch in order to stay healthy and maintain a positive quality of life.

Many seniors can experience isolation and depression due to retirement, widowhood or disability. Massage offers them an emotional lifeline – a connection to and compassion from another human being. On a physical level, massage gives seniors a path to pain reduction, improved circulation and increased mobility.

senior

Caring touch is an accessible, therapeutic remedy for staving off age-related illness. In fact, recent evidence points to improved health outcomes for seniors receiving body-based therapies such as massage1 in conjunction with a conventional medical treatment plan.

The National Center for Health Statistics predicts that the population of seniors in the U.S. will double by 2030.2 Hence, the need to prevent and manage age-related disease and disability will be greater than ever. Massage has the potential to lessen the health burden on seniors personally, and on our healthcare system as a whole. Seniors who receive massage on a regular basis experience improved overall health, greater mobility and independence, and a reclaimed quality of life.

As our population ages, seniors Health, and the need for compassionate interaction between human beings grows more important than ever. Indeed, as infants need touch in order to survive, the same can be said for the elderly. And on the receiving end, seniors can be reassured of massage’s capacity to improve their well-being, help maintain independence and provide them with a better quality of life for many years to come.

This is an original article from Dreamclinic, Inc. Dreamclinic is a Health and Wellness company committed to sharing information about commonly experienced health conditions and how they may be impacted through the use of bodywork and other natural approaches. Dreamclinic offers massage, acupuncture, and Reiki sessions at its Greenlake and Queen Anne clinics, as well as onsite massage at workplaces around Puget Sound. Contact us to learn more about how Dreamclinic can help you, your family or your workplace experience greater health.

References:
1. http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/070810.htm
2. http://www.amtamassage.org/articles/4/eTouch/detail/2356

Image: http://massage1sttherapy.ca

Other Resources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2865952/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140402105744.htm

Anatomy: The Enteric Nervous System

by Diana Khoury

Scientists have recently identified a “second brain” in the body, known as the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is a large collection of neurons located in the walls of the digestive tract, along the alimentary canal spanning from the esophagus to the anus. It is estimated that the “gut brain” contains anywhere from 200-600 million nerve cells1, significantly more than are found in either the spinal cord or the peripheral nervous system. The enteric nervous system, part of the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system, operates independently of, yet sends signals directly to, the central nervous system to regulate and communicate the status of gastrointestinal functions.

In response to the discovery of the “gut brain”, neuro- gastroenterology has emerged as a new field of scientific research. Leading scientists at Columbia University and UCLA describe the enteric nervous system as complex and responsible for many important bodily functions beyond that of merely digestion.

The enteric nervous system controls local functions of the entericgastrointestinal tract (fluid exchange, blood flow, digestive processes), regulates levels of neurotransmitters and hormones, and plays an important role in immune function.1 “Cutting-edge research is currently investigating how the second brain mediates the body’s immune response; after all, at least 70 percent of our immune system is aimed at the gut to expel and kill foreign invaders.”2 “The gastrointestinal tract also harbors an extensive endocrine signaling system, and many gastrointestinal functions are under dual neuronal and endocrine control.”1

Dysfunction of the enteric nervous system correlates with digestive as well as neurological disorders.2 Since 95% of the body’s serotonin is produced and stored in the digestive tract, gastrointestinal imbalance is often accompanied by mood disorders such as depression. This gut-brain connection may explain why antidepressants are commonly prescribed to address digestive disorders3. Alternately, some research suggests that antidepressants cause digestive disorders because they elevate serotonin levels2. Currently pharmaceutical companies are providing most of the funding for neurogastroenterology research because they see a large market opportunity in the potential findings.

Neurogastroenterology research has found a direct relationship between the body’s nervous and digestive systems. Therefore it is essential that a treatment plan addresses the nervous system in order to effectively treat digestive issues. Pharmaceuticals prescribed to treat the symptoms of gastrointestinal or mood disorders often have side effects, and are not the only treatment option. Research validates the efficacy of acupuncture5 and therapeutic massage6 as alternate approaches to balancing the nervous system and restoring proper digestive function. The objective of a treatment plan is to reduce or eliminate symptoms, restore the integrity of the gastrointestinal tract, and relieve stress in the nervous system to encourage greater body-mind health.

This is an original article from Dreamclinic, Inc. Dreamclinic is a Health and Wellness company committed to sharing information about commonly experienced health conditions and how they may be impacted through the use of bodywork and other natural approaches. Dreamclinic offers massage, acupuncture, and Reiki sessions at its Greenlake and Queen Anne clinics, as well as onsite massage at workplaces around Puget Sound. Contact us to learn more about how Dreamclinic can help you, your family or your workplace experience greater health.

References:
1. http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Enteric_nervous_system#Regulation_of_gastrointestinal_endocrine_cells
2. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gut-second-brain/
3. http://www.touchpoint.dk/xdoc/wss/74/docs/285/Your_Gut_is_Wiser_than_You_Think.pdf
4. http://www.nature.com/nrgastro/collection/enteric/index.html
5. http://cim.ucsd.edu/clinical-care/acupuncture.shtml
6. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/integrative_medicine_digestive_center/services/therapeutic_massage.html
Image: http://www.mayo.edu/research/discoverys-edge/ibd-exploring-role-neurons-gut-motility

Other Resources:
http://www.utexas.edu/research/asrec/neuron.html
http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/gsas/anatomy/Faculty/Gershon/

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

by Diana Khoury

Plantar fasciitis (pronounced “plantar fash-ee-itis”) is an inflammation of the plantar fascia – the long, flat ligament that runs along the sole of the foot. The plantar fascia extends from the five toes, down through the arch and attaches to the heel. Symptoms of plantar fasciitis include pain in the heel and/or arches and tightness of the calves. Plantar fasciitis causes pain while walking or exercising and can significantly impact one’s daily functioning if left untreated.

plantar-fasciitis

Causes

Plantar fasciitis occurrence may be classified as an acute strain or a repetitive stress injury.1 Factors which can contribute to plantar fasciitis are:

  • Abnormal step (sinking towards the inner or outer edge of arches)
  • Tight calves and feet
  • Improper athletic training
  • High, low, or flat arches
  • Foot weakness
  • Shoes that fit incorrectly
  • Prolonged walking, standing, or athletics

“Plantar fasciitis is basically caused by chronic irritation of the arch of the foot due to excessive strain. If the arch of your foot is like a bow, think of the plantar fascia as the bow’s string. The plantar fascia, along with several muscles both in the foot and in the leg, supports the arch and makes it springy. Too springy, and the foot flattens out, overstretching the plantar fascia. Not springy enough, and the plantar fascia absorbs too much weight too suddenly.”2

Treatment
Plantar fasciitis should be diagnosed by a medical professional. After proper evaluation (of patient’s foot structure, shoes, activity level), a treatment plan often includes rest, ice, ibuprofen, stretching exercises, new shoes, arch supports, or more expensive options such as orthotics, night splints, or cortisone injections. Surgery is recommended only in the worst cases where conventional treatments are unsuccessful.

If you experience pain in your heel(s) or arches, or have been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, regular stretching can help. According to one study, 83% of patients in a stretching program were successfully treated for plantar fasciitis, and 29% of study participants cited stretching as the most helpful treatment.3

The objective of a plantar fasciitis treatment plan is to reduce pain and prevent reoccurrence, so the patient can resume a normal activity level. Treatment may last from 6-18 months for pain to be significantly reduced or eliminated. Consistency in following treatment protocols is essential for successful healing and pain reduction.

Acupuncture and Massage


Research has proven acupuncture to be successful at reducing the pain and inflammation of plantar fasciitis when paired with conventional treatment. A PubMed abstract says, “acupuncture coupled with conventional treatments provided a success rate of 80% in chronic plantar fasciitis which was more effective than conventional treatments alone. The effects lasted for at least six weeks.”4

Massage is another complementary method for relieving the pain of plantar fasciitis. “Deep tissue massage loosens muscle tissue, removes muscle toxins, and ensures proper circulation of blood and oxygen to the injured area. Deep tissue massage works because it physically breaks down the adhesions that are formed by tissues in the muscles caused by over exertion or strain.”5 As a result, the patient experiences less pain and increased ease when walking, standing, and participating in daily activities. Although lasting treatment takes time, patients have reported feeling partial to full relief from the pain of plantar fasciitis after a series of massage sessions.

This is an original article from Dreamclinic, Inc. Dreamclinic is a Health and Wellness company committed to sharing information about commonly experienced health conditions and how they may be impacted through the use of bodywork and other natural approaches. Dreamclinic offers massage, acupuncture, and Reiki sessions at its Greenlake and Queen Anne clinics, as well as onsite massage at workplaces around Puget Sound. Contact us to learn more about how Dreamclinic can help you, your family or your workplace experience greater health.

References:
1. http://www.jadeinstitute.com/jade/plantar-fasciitis-acupuncture-treatment-heel-pain.php
2. http://saveyourself.ca/tutorials/plantar-fasciitis.php
3. http://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/0201/p467.html
4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23227789
5. https://www.pacificcollege.edu/acupuncture-massage-news/press-releases/842-.html
Image: http://www.heel-that-pain.com/plantar_fasciitis/index.php

Other Resources:
1. http://www.heel-that-pain.com/plantar_fasciitis/index.php 

2. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/86143-overview#showall
3. “Plantar Fasciitis is a Common Cause of Heel Pain,” Healthlink/Medical College of Wisconsin. April 12, 2001. http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/987116429.html

Now accepting First Choice Health Insurance

First Choice Health Insurance, Insurance paid massage and Acupuncture at Dreamclinic Massage Seattle and RedmondWe are very pleased to announce that we have added a number of therapists as in-network providers for First Choice Health Insurance. This means that we now have the ability to accept this insurance at both our Greenlake and our Queen Anne locations!

Did you know that many medical conditions can be helped by regular massage sessions?

Did you know a large number of health insurance plans cover this service?  Does yours?
We would be happy to help you to find out if medical massage is a covered benefit in your health insurance plan.

This link will walk you through the process of finding out what is covered in your plan, and how to schedule your medical massage visits.
We are happy to answer any questions you may have about having medical massage covered by your insurance and to check the status of your available benefits.

Please give us a call at (206) 267-0863 or email [email protected] to get this process started.