1. Reading in the dark will hurt your eyes. When reading in dim light your eye muscles receive mixed signals: Relax to collect the most light and at the same time, contract to maintain a focused image. Your eye muscles are working harder which may result in strain. This can cause headaches, back and neck aches, blurred vision, or sore eyeballs. So although you may strain your eyes you will not weaken them. 2. Knuckle Cracking Causes Arthritis As a rule, painless cracking of joints is not harmful. The “cracking” sound that you hear is usually from negative pressure pulling gas temporarily into the joint. If you feel pain from cracking your knuckles there could be an underlying abnormality of the joint structure, such as an injured ligament or loose cartilage. You should consult your Doctor if you have pain while cracking your knuckles. 3. You will catch a cold if you go out in the freezing weather with wet hair “You cannot catch a cold from being cold; you catch a cold from germs and being cold has nothing to do with it. Plenty of tests have been conducted proving this.” – Bill Nye Where did this common refrain come from? Many think that French chemist Louis Pasteur is partly to blame. In 1878, he noticed that chickens where immune to anthrax and postulated that it was because of their high body temperature. He began his experiment by exposing chickens to anthrax and then dipping their feet into icy cold water to see if this affected their odds of catching the disease. All of the chickens developed anthrax and died. He then repeated his experiment, but this time he wrapped the exposed chickens in a warm blanket. All the chickens survived. Amazingly, this experiment and others are what led Louis Pasteur to discover vaccines. 4. You Only Have Five Senses Researchers at Harvard Medicine believe there are at least 9 senses and most researchers believe there are at least 21 senses!
5. Eating carrots improves your vision One of my favorite WWII myths! This myth was developed as a cover story for the new British Radar system. Not wanting to alert the Nazi’s to their new technology, they released various pieces of propaganda. They stated that the new detection method was a result of pilots eating more carrots and being able see better and more clearly in the dark. Their propaganda campaign was so successful that many British people grew and ate more vegetables at this time. This isn't a complete myth; carrots contain Vitamin A, which is very important for eye health. 6. Urinating on a Jellyfish Sting will Soothe the Pain Urine and freshwater are not recommended to soothe a jellyfish sting. Any change in the salts of the cnidocyte can cause the nematocysts to release more venom, causing more pain. It is recommend to wash the area with saltwater which will deactivate the nematocysts. 7. You Can Cure a Snake Bite by Sucking Out the Poison This does not work and can actually cause more harm to the affected area. In recent studies, suction did not remove a significant quantity of poison and caused necrosis (death of cells) in the suctioned area. You can also cause further poisoning in the mouth’s mucous tissue if you use your mouth to suction. You can also introduce new bacteria from the mouth to the wound, further complicating the problem. What to do instead:
1. If you don’t feel comfortable removing all your clothing, discuss it with your therapist. You can both come up with a plan so you can remain comfortable and the therapist will still be able to focus on your problem areas. If you would prefer to remain completely clothed, you can try chair massage and still receive the beneficial effects of massage! 2. Don't eat just before a massage session. After eating, our blood rushes to the stomach to aid in digestion. When you receive a massage the blood is drawn away from the stomach to the areas being massaged. If you've eaten just before a massage, this can cause indigestion. 3. To talk or not to talk? Some people enjoy talking during their session while others enjoy silence. You should do whatever feels comfortable and your therapist will follow your lead. 4. Good communication is key for both you and your therapist. Before the session, let your therapist know of any new health information and what you are looking for in the session. During the session, speak up and give feedback on speed, pressure, music or anything else that would make you feel more comfortable. 5. If you feel like you are tightening up during your massage, let your therapist know. Your therapist can adjust technique, speed and depth of their stroke to help relax the area. 6. During the session, if your therapist hits a “knot” or Trigger Point, very often people will stop breathing if the pressure is too deep. Breathing helps facilitate relaxation, so this is the opposite of what we want. You want to be able to breathe through the pain and we want the pain to “hurt so good.” 7. It can be hard to quiet the mind during a massage. One way to bring your focus back to your body and quiet your mind is to follow the hands of the massage therapist. 8. Drink extra water after your massage. This is very important! After a massage, it’s important to flush all the toxins out of your system. It also helps to release “knots” hours after the massage! If you get a headache or feel nauseous after a massage, this is your first sign you’re not drinking enough water. 9. It’s not uncommon to feel dizzy or light headed after a massage. Take a few minutes to relax before getting off the table slowly. 10. The therapeutic effects of massage are cumulative, so the more often you receive a massage, your body will respond quicker and you will feel better. If you are getting massage for chronic muscular tension or recover from an injury, more than one session is usually needed, so be prepared to schedule several sessions. ***If anything happens during the massage that you dislike or seems improper, you have the right to ask the massage therapist to stop. If necessary, you also have the right to end the session.***
The Myokinesthetic System is a unique, non-invasive technique that offers real pain relief and lasting results. This is not a massage technique and no lotion or oils are used. You remain fully clothed and each session can last between 15-45 minutes. By addressing a specific problem within the body, you can clear the muscle memory and re-educate the muscle. This is done by stretching with stimulation to each muscle along the nerve root causing the problem. When I first took the class I was a bit skeptic of how fast results could be seen. It was about 2 months after I took the class that my right shoulder started to act up. I woke up one day and I could not put on a shirt or reach behind me without extreme pain. Given my occupation (massage therapist), this was not okay and needed to be fixed very soon. My husband preformed the treatment on me, as I walked him through it. That night I didn’t notice much change, but the next morning I was completely pain-free!!! To say the least I was pretty amazed and convinced in the Myokinesthetic System. Now I must point out that I was able to see lasting results so soon only because I acted quickly. But by no means am I saying you won’t see results from an injury you’ve had for 5 years, it just may take 5-8 sessions. If you’re interested in the Myokinesthetic System, you can get more information HERE |
Heather McNay
I've been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 2006. In my free time I enjoy hiking with my husband and dog. I also have a passion for cooking, baking and gardening. Archives
January 2021
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