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It's important to exfoliate your body regularly! Using a body scrub once a week will leave your skin soft and smooth. A body scrub has larger exfoliating particles than a facial scrub, and can be made with many household ingredients. What is a carrier oil? Carrier oils are pressed from the fatty portions of seeds, nuts and kernels. Carrier oils do not have a strong scent and are so named because they "carry" essential oils to the skin. Common Carrier Oils
Note: Be cautious when using any products with oil, they can make the tub and shower very slippery. It's best to have a textured bath mat. Lavender Salt Scrub  Ingredients: 1 cup sea salt 1/2 cup carrier oil 5-10 drops of Lavender essential oil 1/4 cup dried lavender, crushed (optional) Mix all ingredients and store in a glass jar for up to a month. Rub on skin while in the shower, massage, and rinse. Brown Sugar Coconut Vanilla Sugar Scrub  Ingredients 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup coconut oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Mix all ingredients and store in a glass jar for up to a month. Rub on skin while in the shower, massage, and rinse. Coffee and Brown Sugar Scrub  Ingredients 3/4 cup coffee grounds, dried out 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup coconut oil Mix all ingredients and store in a glass jar for up to a month. Rub on skin while in the shower, massage, and rinse. Oatmeal Brown Sugar Scrub Best for Sensitive Skin  Ingredients 1/4 cup carrier oil 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup oatmeal 5-10 drops of your favorite essential oil Mix all ingredients and store in a glass jar for up to a month. Rub on skin while in the shower, massage, and rinse. Lemon Olive Oil Sugar Scrub Best for Oily Skin  Ingredients 1/2 cup carrier oil 2 cups granulated sugar Juice of 1 lemon Zest from 1 lemon Mix all ingredients and store in a glass jar for up to a month. Rub on skin while in the shower, massage, and rinse. Peppermint Lavender Foot Scrub  Ingredients
1 cup salt 1/3 cup carrier oil 10 drops peppermint essential oil 5 drops lavender Mix all ingredients and store in a glass jar for up to a month. Rub on skin while in the shower, massage, and rinse. There are many different types of massage therapy and it seems like there's a new modality every month. Choosing a style of massage that benefits you can be confusing if you're not sure what it involves. Here are some of the most popular types of massage. Swedish Massage  Most massage textbooks written in the last 100 years credit Per Henrik Ling, who developed the Swedish Movement Cure, as the founder of Swedish massage. Although Ling deserves a great deal of credit for the techniques he developed, Dutch practitioner Johan Georg Mezger (1838-1909) is generally considered the “father” of Swedish Massage. Mezger was the first to adopt the French names for the basic strokes but more importantly he standardized Swedish massage as we know it today. It may seem strange for a man from Holland to choose French words, but the French words massage, masseuse, and masseur were already becoming popular across Europe. The term "Swedish" massage is only recognized in English and Dutch speaking countries and Hungary. Sweden and the rest of Europe call it Classic massage. Deep Tissue Massage  Deep tissue techniques were first developed by Canadian physicians in the mid-1800's. These techniques addressed specific problems like whiplash. In 1949, Canadian doctor Therese Phimmer established guidelines for deep tissue massage in her book "Muscles - Your Invisible Bonds." Phimmer used deep tissue massage to reverse her leg paralysis. These techniques were slowly integrated into sports medicine and physical therapy. Deep tissue massage uses deeper pressure and slower strokes. Focusing on the deeper layers of muscles and connective tissues, a combination of friction and pressure are used to break up scar tissue and adhesions that cause inflammation, pain, and reduced range of motion. The pressure will be more intense but should never exceed your pain tolerance. Deep tissue is generally integrated with other massage techniques and best for chronic pain and injuries. Trigger Point Therapy  Dr. Janet Travell, an American physician and medical researcher, was a leading pioneer in the diagnosis and treatment of myofascial pain and the concept of referred pain and trigger points. She was appointed personal Physician to the President by President Kennedy and also served in that post for President Johnson until 1965. In her autobiography she describes how her interest in myofascial pain started: “the Cardiac Consultation Service at Sea View, the city hospital for tuberculosis on Staten Island to which I was appointed in 1936, supplied the conditions that crystallized my emerging interest in muscular pain. Most patients there had life-threatening pulmonary disease, but some of them complained more about devastating pain in their shoulders and arms than about their major illness. When I examined them by systematic palpation of the scapula and chest muscles, I easily uncovered the presence of trigger areas.” Dr. Travell co-authored the two volume book "Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual" with colleague David Simons, also nicknamed the "red bible." Trigger points only form in muscles and usually lead to pain, tenderness and stiffness. They can cause pain in other parts of the body, called referral pain. There are varied causes which can include chronic muscle overuse, trauma to the region, or accidents (i.e. car crash, ski accident). Trigger point therapy focuses on compressing the trigger points, releasing the constricted muscle and alleviating pain. Hot Stone Massage  Stones have been used for thousands of years in many different cultures. The Ancient Chinese medical practitioners used heated stones to improve the function of internal organs. Native Americans placed warmed stones on the lower abdomen of women to relieve cramps. Hawaiians used heated lava stones to increase circulation. Heated stones were used in Ancient Egypt and Ayurvedic medicine. The use of hot stones in massage was reintroduced by Mary Nelson in 1993. She accidently discovered the benefits while using heated stones to massage her niece when they were in a sauna. She created her own massage technique called LaStone Therapy. Most therapists use smooth basalt stones, the high iron content helps the stones retain their heat. The heat is deeply relaxing ad helps to warm tense and tight muscles allowing for deeper work. Warm Bamboo Massage  A relatively new massage technique in the Western world, the use of bamboo canes in massage have been in use for many centuries in Southeast Asia. The most common story is that a therapist saw one monkey rubbing another's back with a bamboo stick. Nathalie Cecilia is credited with making bamboo massage popular in the United States. She started to use warm bamboo canes when her hands and wrists started to hurt while performing deep tissue work. She realized that the bamboo canes gave her more stamina and strength to apply deeper pressure. The canes are used in a rolling or kneading motion to release tension and trigger points. Varying lengths and diameters are used, the longer canes are used for sliding or kneading strokes while the shorter canes are used for working on trigger points and muscle adhesions. Thai Massage  Wikipedia Dating back more than 2,500 years, Thai massage is thought to have been developed by Buddhist monks. It combines elements of Chinese acupressure, Ayeurvedic medicine, and Hatha yoga, but has evolved into an entirely unique system. A Thai massage uses gently passive stretching while applying rhythmic pressure along the body's energy lines. Usually performed on a mat, this allows the therapist to get the leverage necessary for the stretches and postures used in Thai massage. There are many benefits to Thai massage including reducing anxiety, boosting energy, strengthening the immune system, and relieving pain. Rolfing  Referred to as structural integration, Dr. Ida Rolf created this form of deep tissue massage. Dr. Rolf designed a system to relieve patterns of physical misalignment by deeply manipulating and re-organizing connective tissue and fascia. Dr. Rolf received her Ph.D. in biochemistry. She becaug to study systems that focused on the effect of structure on function, including osteopathy, chiropractics and yoga. She combined her extensive research and scientific knowledge to develop the Rolfing system. The goal of the series of sessions is to reset the alignment patterns in the body, improve posture and movement and reduce stress and tension. Ashiatsu  "Ashi" means foot and "atsu" means pressure. Dating back over 3,000 years, it has evolved through the cultures of China, India, Tibet, Thailand, and Japan. Ah-Shiatsu focuses on the whole body and balancing the body's vital energy, "Chi". The therapist uses their bare feet to massage the body, using overhead rails to control pressure and depth. Working with gravity, the therapist is able to provide a very deep therapeutic massage without causing pain or discomfort.
When you're sick, you want the best, most advanced treatment available. Sometimes, those procedures are thousands of years old! Here's a look at some ancient medical practices still used today! Bloodletting Bloodletting is considered one of the oldest medical procedures. Thought to have originated in either ancient Egypt or Sumeria, it spread to Greece and Rome before moving to India and the Arab world were the practice flourished. Ancient physicians like Hippocrates and Galen believed that all illness stemmed from an overabundance of blood. While this practice could result in accidental death due to blood loss, bloodletting was a common medical practice well into the 19th century. Bloodletting is still used today, although now it's called therapeutic phlebotomy. It's primarily used in the treatment for conditions that cause an excess accumulation of iron in the body, such as hemochromatosis, porphyrias, and polycythemia. Bee Venom Therapy  Bee venom therapy or Apitherapy, was used medicinally in the ancient civilizations of China, India, Egypt, Babylon, and Greece. Hippocrates used pulverized bees and bee stings to treat arthritis and other joint problems. Hungarian physician Bodog Beck coined the term "bee venom therapy" and a beekeeper from Vermont, Charles Mrazis is credited with the recent popularity in Apitherapy. Promoted as having a range of health benefits, including treating multiple sclerosis, arthritis, fatigue, and gout. There is conflicting scientific evidence as to the effectiveness of bee venom therapy. Cauterization  Cauterization can be traced back to the Hippocratic Corpus in the 5th century. Early physicians would use a hot metallic instrument to burn tissue, either to remove a part of the body or to close off a wound. Cauterization was used to stop bleeding and infection or to remove cancerous tumors. Although this treatment will stop the bleeding, it also increased the patients risk of infection. Physicians today use two different types of cauterization; Chemical cauterization and electrocauterization. Chemical cauterization uses chemicals such as silver nitrate or liquid nitrogen to heat or cool the tissue. Electorcauterization heats the affected tissue with a small instrument that produces an electric current. Trepanation  The practice of boring or drilling a hole into the skull to treat brain injuries is called trepanation. One of the oldest forms of surgery, and probably the most gruesome, scientist have discovered trepanned skulls across the globe that date as far back as 7,000 years ago. The practice was used to treat a variety of ailments including brain swelling, mental disorders, epilepsy or to treat head wounds. Skulls that have been found with multiple holes show that many patients lived for years after the surgery. Some estimate the survival rate from 50 to 90 percent. Trepanation is still used today to treat epidural and subdural hematomas, and for surgical access for other neurosurgical procedures. Modern surgeons use the term craniotomy for this procedure. When the removed piece of skull is not replaced, this procedure is called a craniectomy. Inoculation  Inoculation is the introduction of a pathogen to stimulate an individual's immune system causing an immunity to a disease. It's known that the Chinese practiced inoculation for smallpox in the 10th century. An 8th century Indian book contains a chapter on smallpox inoculations and Buddhist monks would drink snake venom to build an immunity to snake bites. Inoculation spread from the Ottoman Empire to Europe and America. One way they may of inoculated a patient was by scratching material from a smallpox pustule into the skin of a healthy person. This generally produced a less severe infection than naturally acquired smallpox, but still built immunity. Maurice Hilleman was the most prolific vaccine inventor, developing vaccines for chickenpox, hepatitis A and B, measles, mumps, meningitis, pneumonia, and haemophilus influenzae. In modern times, the World Health Organization targeted smallpox for eradication, with the last naturally occurring case of smallpox occurring in 1977. Cesarean Section  The common myth is that the name was derived from the surgical birth of Julius Caesar. This is unlikely since his mother, Aurelia, is reputed to have been alive for her son's invasion of Britain. There are numerous references to cesarean sections in ancient writings from Egypt, Greece, Rome and Ancient China. There are rare references to the operation being performed on living women, but surgery was performed only when the mother was dead or dying, as an attempt to save the baby. Cesarean sections were not intended to preserve the mother's life. In 1794, Dr. Jesse Bennett was the first physician in America to successfully perform a cesarean section on his wife Elizabeth, she lived for 36 more years. In the US today, about one in three births happen by cesarean section, with about 23 million performed globally. Plastic Surgery  The first mention of reconstructive surgery for a broken nose can be found in the Edwin Smith Papyrus, an Ancient Egyptian medical text from 3000 BC to 2500 BC. The most well-known contribution to plastic surgery was the Sushruta Samhita written by the physician Sushruta. Commonly dated to the 6th century BC, the text contains a detailed description on reconstructing a nose. The ancient Greek and Roman physicians performed minor procedures, such as repairing damaged ears and scar removal. Sir Harold Gillies is considered the father of modern plastic surgery. During the First World War, he developed many of the techniques used for modern facial surgery. Sources Ethical aspects of Ottoman surgical practices Trepanning Cesarean part 1 Rhinoplasty History Cosmetic surgery You might also like:Be Smart About Timing Your Massage  We know that fitting a massage into your busy schedule can be difficult, and nothing ruins that peaceful, relaxed feeling more than walking back into the hectic environment like work, shopping, or the gym. It's best to organize your massage so you can go home and relax afterwards. Dress For Comfort What's the best way to feel relaxed after a massage? Bring comfortable clothes to change into. If you're coming straight from work in suits and heels, bring along comfortable clothes and shoes to change into after the massage, it's sure to make the relaxed feeling last longer! Drink Plenty Of Water  If there was a motto for massage therapist it would be "Drink more water!" You've heard this thousands of times, but it's SO IMPORTANT! Drinking enough water, especially in a dry climate like Colorado, is essential to good health. Water is vital for every function in our body, and necessary to maintain healthy, hydrated muscle tissue. Use Ice Or Heat As Recommended Ice is best on new injuries while heat is more effective for treating chronic muscle pain and tension. Any injury that is hot will not benefit from further heat and could cause more damage to the area, ice will help reduce inflammation and swelling. Heat will help relax tight and spasming muscles and is able to penetrate deeper than cold compresses. A combination of hot and cold can be used on chronic muscle pain or injuries. Do Your Stretching Homework!  Stretching increases stamina, flexibility and blood circulation. Daily stretching will decrease your chances of injury and keep you feeling relaxed longer! Try stretching when you wake up in the morning or before bed at night. Book Your Next Appointment  An occasional massage leaves you feeling amazing, but regular massage can do so much more. Regular massage gives your therapist the chance to work deeper muscles and problem areas before the superficial muscles tighten up again. With regular visits, habitual patterns of pain and tension can be relieved and your body will maintain its relaxed state. You Might Also Like
In addition to making your face feel clean and renewed, a good facial scrub can prevent breakouts and exfoliate dry skin. Next time you're ready for a facial, try making a scrub or mask at home: you'll save money, and with a little practice you can swap out ingredients and create a unique blend that suits your preferences. Chamomile and Oatmeal Scrub  Best for: Normal to Oily Skin types ¼ cup chamomile tea (brewed and cooled) ¼ cup oatmeal (lightly ground) 2 Tbsp honey 2 drops almond oil Combine all ingredients. Gently rub all face, leave on for a few minutes than wash off with warm water. Oatmeal Exfoliating Scrub  2 heaped tsp fine oatmeal 1 tsp baking soda. Combine with enough water to make a thick paste. Leave on for a few minutes than wash off with warm water. Egg White Mask  1 egg white 1 teaspoon of orange juice 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder Whisk egg white, orange juice and turmeric powder together. Leave mask on for 10 to 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water. Honey Lip Scrub  1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp honey 2 tsp white sugar A dash of lemon juice. Mix ingredients together to make a sugary paste. Gently sweep mixture back and forth over lips. Honey, Lemon and Oatmeal Facial Scrub  4 Tbls honey 1 tsp lemon juice ½ cup oatmeal ¼ cup buttermilk Grind oatmeal in blender or food processor. Combine honey, lemon and buttermilk in bowl with ground oatmeal. Mix until it becomes a paste. Use on face and neck for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Avocado Mask  1/2 ripe avocado 1 teaspoon plain yogurt 1 teaspoon of honey 1 teaspoon virgin olive oil Mash avocado until it's soft then mix in yogurt, honey, and olive oil until it forms a paste. Use on face and neck for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with warm water. What Is Plantar Fasciitis  Plantar fasciitis is a chronic inflammation of the "bowstring-like" plantar fascia ligament that stretches underneath the sole. The plantar fascia supports the arch in your foot, acting like a shock-absorber. If tension and stress become too great, small tears can develop in the fascia that become inflamed and irritated. The main symptoms are:
Pain is usually the worst right after awakening with the first few steps, after long periods of standing, or rising from sitting, and worse after exercise. What Causes Plantar Fasciitis
What You Can Do To Relieve The Pain
Several studies have been done the last few years focused on the proper time to stretch. What they’ve found is pretty amazing and completely opposite of how most of us stretch today. The Findings
What should you do instead?
What Is Carpal Tunnel SyndromeCarpal tunnel syndrome happens when the median nerve is compressed or pinched in the carpal tunnel.  The median nerve and 9 tendons run through the narrow, rigid carpal tunnel at the base of the wrist. The median nerve runs from the forearm to the hand and provides sensation to the palm side of the thumb, the first and second fingers and part of the ring finger (but not the little finger.) Swelling or thickening of the lining of irritated tendons narrows the space in the carpal tunnel and causes compression of the median nerve. The result may be weakness, numbness, tingling, or pain in hand or fingers (except the little finger). Some people may experience pain in their forearm or elbow. What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
What You Can Do To Relieve The Pain
You Might Also Like: Knife Massage Knife massage originated in China over 2,000 years ago. Legend says that monks in the Han and Tang Dynasties practiced a technique known as "knife treatments". These techniques were later introduced to Japan. A knife treatment session generally lasts 20-40 minutes, depending on the seriousness of the client's illness. It's important to remain perfectly still, making it unsuitable for children. The therapist starts by preparing the cleavers on a wet stone and rubbing iodine over the blade. The therapist can use the sharp edge, blunt edge, or side of the cleaver to perform the massage. The trick is to bring down the cleaver with just the right amount of force and to not push or pull once the cleaver has contacted the skin. Knife massage is said to release static energy, increase blood flow, and wash away harmful toxins, leading to self-cure. Bite Massage Developed by massage therapist Dorothy Stein, or Dr. Dot. The sessions start with Dorothy biting her clients backs and buttocks before rubbing lotion on the skin and moving to a more traditional massage. In Dorothy's own words: "I take big bites, obviously not firm enough to break skin, but firm and deep enough to grab and tenderize the back muscles, warming them up for the real rubdown that follows." She first started at the age of 5 when her mother asked her to massage her back. Her hands weren't strong enough so her mom encouraged her to bite her for deeper pressure. If you want to experience the bite massage, you might be out of luck. A disclaimer on Dr. Dot's website states: "No one on Dr. Dots whole team offers or does the Bite Massage. This is just a modality that Dr. Dot herself developed and does for close friends." Face Slapping and Massage Boxing Offered by Thai massage therapists Mawin and Tata New Series World located in San Francisco. Face slapping and massage boxing are not considered a part of traditional Thai massage. Less than 100 years old, this technique was developed by Kung Khemika Na Songkhla in Thailand. Mawin and Tata were 2 of 10 students to be taught this method of skincare slapping and boxing. The technique is said to increase circulation, unblock energy, and stimulate the anti-aging process. A 15 minute session costs $350 or 4 for $1,000. Face Slapping Natural Snake Massage Sure to make some people's skin crawl, this massage is offered in Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Israel, South Africa, Germany, and Russia. A combination of big and small snakes will slither across your body, squeezing your skin and muscles, hopefully to your relaxation. The snakes are washed and dried before each 15 minute session. Thankfully, the snakes have their mouths taped shut and are always well fed before going to work. The different sizes of snakes are able to achieve different intensities in pressure, in the same manner as your therapist would during a regular massage. Fire Therapy Fire therapy, also called "huo liao", originated in Tibet and has been practiced for hundreds of years. The therapy uses the same principles as acupuncture and fire cupping. It's believed to relieve stress, increase circulation and treat a range of medical conditions. The technique involves placing a "fire rope" made out of 20 different Chinese herbs on the client's body. This rope is then covered by plastic wrap and wet towels to protect against the heat. The therapist will then pour alcohol on top and set it alight. Your therapist will stay close by with a wet towel to extinguish the flame if it becomes too hot. This procedure must be performed three times. Fire therapy professionals stress the importance of the following safety procedures: 1. Fire must occur at the correct acupuncture point. 2. There must be a wet towel held by your therapist right next to the open fire. 3. Contact must be maintained with the client as all times. 4. Fire must be extinguished immediately if the client believes it's too hot. You Might Also Like: Most Common Story: In 1813, Per Henrik Ling (1776-1839) opened the Royal Gymnastic Central Institute in Stockholm. He developed a system that incorporated manual therapy, physical training, and gymnastic procedures with knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pathology. These techniques were called the Swedish Movements or the Swedish Movement Cure and became the foundation of Swedish massage. The Swedish Movement Cure Swedish movements; Ostrom, p. 76, 77 While traveling Europe, Ling learned to fence. He noticed the repetitive and one-sided motions were having negative effects on his body. To balance his physical activity, he started to incorporated gymnastics into his health regime. He was able to relieve his chronic elbow pain and began to study anatomy and physiology and developing Swedish Gymnastics. The Swedish Movement System included 3 classifications of movements: Active - Activities in which patients exercise or move their own body Passive - Movements required patients to be relaxed and have either their bodies moved by an attendant or received manipulation by the attendant. Duplicated - Requires work from both the patient and the attendant. The attendant will physically resist the patient's effort to move. Where It Gets MurkyThere is controversy around whether the Swedish Movement included massage as a therapy. We do know that Ling's techniques are the foundation for modern day physical therapists and he is known as the "Father of Physical Therapy". While there was a hands-on relationship between therapist and patient, the techniques had little resemblance to a modern day Swedish massage.  Pehr Henrik Ling Ling wrote that friction, kneading, stroking, cupping, and clapping were to be included within his exercise system, though he never referred to it as massage or rubbing. George Taylor, M.D., writing in 1885, used the terms "clappings, knockings, stroking, kneading, pullings, shakings and vibratings" to describe the passive movements used. However, translations of Ling's Notations to the General Principles of Gymnastics never used the French terms still in use today to describe the strokes of Swedish massage, implying that Ling's movements were not intended strictly as massage techniques. A Dutch physician and massuer, Dr Johan Georg Mezger, was the first to apply French names to the basic strokes used during a Swedish massage:
It seems strange for a man from Holland to choose French words, but the French words massage, masseuse, and masseur were already becoming popular across Europe. Dr. Mezger was the first to differentiate classic massage strokes from the techniques used in the Swedish Movement System.  Dr. Johann Georg Mezger In 1856, Johann became an apprentice at the Gymnastics institute in the Western Market of Amsterdam. During his studies, he received permission to test French friction methods with ankle sprains. A 1870 German newspaper reported on the successful healing through his hands of an elderly woman in Bonn. When the young future King Gustav V of Sweden became disabled after falling on his hip, Dr. Mezger told the future king that he would give him 2 massages a day and have him walking within three weeks. After 10 days he was walking again. Dr. Mezger rubbed, squeezed, and patted the limbs of his patients with his "golden thumbs." So Why Is It Called Swedish Massage?The term "Swedish" massage is only recognized in English and Dutch speaking countries and Hungary. Sweden and the rest of Europe call it Classic Massage.
It's hard to find a massage textbook written in the last 100 years that does not attribute Swedish massage to Ling. Sometime during the second half of the 19th century the term Swedish Movement System was transposed to Swedish Massage System. It's possible that when researching Ling's techniques in later years, researchers noticed similarities between descriptions of Ling's techniques and terms already defined by Dr. Mezger. This may be how Per Henrik Ling became incorrectly associated with Swedish massage. Ling deserves a great deal of credit for the methods and techniques he developed and promoted, however, Swedish massage is not one of them. |
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
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