1. For neck tension, let your head fall forward as you exhale. Inhale and very slowly roll your head to the right until your right ear is resting over your right shoulder. Exhale and roll your head to your chest. Inhale and roll your head to your left shoulder. Exhale and return to the chest. Continue these movements, slowly and easily, for one to five minutes. Important: never roll your head behind your shoulder.
2. To stretch your whole spine, raise your arms over your head. Stretch your right arm toward the ceiling, hold and relax. Then repeat with your left arm. Breathe slowly, exhaling completely as you stretch. Repeat several times. If you have high blood pressure, skip this one.
3. For joint mobility, sit on a chair and stretch one leg in front of you. Roll your ankle in circles, both directions. Repeat on the other side. Then, with your arms at your sides, roll your wrists one way, then the other.
4. As if you had a piece of tape stuck to your fingers, shake your arms and hands vigorously to get it off. Shake for 30 seconds and feel the energy move through your limbs.
5. For tension in your upper back, clasp your hands behind your head and stretch your elbows back. Exhale and very slowly twist your head and torso to the right. Hold for a moment, inhale and turn back to center. Then exhale, turn to the left, and return to center. Repeat 5 times each direction.
6. To ease back tension, push your chair away from the desk. Stretch both arms forward and rest your hands on the desk. Exhale and lower your head while arching your back. Relax for a moment with your head down, then inhale and raise your head and chest, curving your back in the other direction. Stretch several times this way, breathing slowly and completely.

Hints for Stretching

• Stretch to a place you feel pull, but not pain. Don't bounce.
• Hold the stretch for 10 seconds to increase circulation, 30-60 seconds to lengthen a muscle.
• Breathe easily while holding the stretch. Slow, full breaths can get more oxygen to your muscles and help prevent straining.
• If you have a recent injury or surgery, or if you feel a sharp pain when stretching, consult your primary health practitioner before continuing a stretching program.
  

What do back pain, stress and breast cancer have in common?

Recent research shows that massage therapy provides relief for people suffering from each of these conditions and that it is an effective complement to medical care.

Consumers have long suspected that massage helps promote a healthy and balanced lifestyle. As more research demonstrates the effectiveness of massage therapy for helping to treat common ailments like low back pain, more consumers are seeking massage to improve their overall wellness and health.

Consumers aren’t the only people recognizing the benefits of massage. Physicians and other healthcare providers are increasingly recommending massage therapy to their patients as a supplement to traditional health care. According to one national survey, 54 percent of primary care physicians and family practitioners would encourage their patients to pursue massage therapy as a treatment. Consumers surveyed over the last three years say that when they discuss therapeutic massage with their physicians, more than 70% responded favorably.

Massage Therapy:

An Effective Treatment for Low Back Pain

A study conducted by Beth Israel-Deaconess Center for Alternative Medicine Research and Education and the Center for Health Studies in Seattle concluded that therapeutic massage was an effective treatment for providing long-lasting benefits for patients suffering from chronic low back pain. In fact, researchers hypothesize that massage might be an effective alternative to conventional medical care for persistent low back pain. Researchers hope to continue their research to determine which components of the massage therapy experience contribute to its effectiveness.

Helping Breast Cancer Survivors Cope Emotionally and Physically

Research shows therapeutic massage is an effective complement to traditional medical care for women suffering from the trauma of undergoing a lumpectomy, mastectomy or breast reconstruction. Pre-surgery, massage relaxes muscle tissue and increases the flow of lymph. Post surgery, women who use specialized lymph drainage techniques from a well-trained massage therapist as part of their treatment for lymphedema may experience less pain and swelling, as massage helps disperse build-up of lymphatic fluid.

Although the physiological benefits are important, many women who’ve undergone breast cancer treatment report that the emotional benefits of massage are paramount. Women report that massage helps them reconnect with their bodies after this invasive surgery.

Easing Pain After Bypass Surgery

According to a pilot study conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, massage therapy reduces pain and muscle spasms in patients who have undergone heart bypass surgery when patients are treated at the hospital after their surgery. Because of its effectiveness, 60 percent of the massage group expressed a willingness to pay for massage therapy out-of-pocket.

Boosting Immune Function

During periods of stress, the effectiveness of the body’s immune system is reduced. Research indicates that massage can increase the immune system’s cytotoxic capacity (the activity level of the body’s natural "killer cells") and decrease the number of T-cells, which improves the body’s immune functioning overall.

A recent review of medical literature shows that massage may help infants aged under six months sleep better, cry less and be less stressed.

The team of researchers from Warwick Medical School and the Institute of Education at the University of Warwick, both in Coventry, United Kingdom, looked at nine studies of massage of young children covering a total of 598 infants younger than six months. They found the various studies showed a range of significant results, including indications that infants who were massaged cried less, slept better, and had lower levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol, compared to infants who did not receive massage.

One of the studies examined also claimed that massage could affect the release of the hormone melatonin, "which is important in aiding infants' sleeping patterns," lead researcher Angela Underdown said. "Given the apparent effect of infant massage on stress hormones, it is not surprising to find some evidence of an effect on sleep and crying."

One study also provided evidence that massage could help build better relationships between infants and mothers who had postnatal depression, although the reviewers said more research is needed to confirm this effect.

One other study indicated that massage, eye contact and talking had a significant effect on growth and a significant reduction in illnesses and clinic visits for infants receiving little tactile stimulation in an orphanage, but this was an unusual set of circumstances and the other studies, where infants were receiving normal levels of tactile stimulation, found no effect on growth.

The studies mainly involved infant massage by parents who were trained by health professionals in appropriate technique.

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