December Deals!

It's time for December Deals!

 

Get $10 back for every full-price 60-minute or longer massage 

at Take 5 Bodywork before December 30, 2014!*  

Schedule a 60-minute session now!  See full menu.

Get $20 back for every gift certificate for a 60-minute or longer session

you purchase before December 30, 2014!*

Buy now!

Get a free gift certificate for a 60-minute massage ($80 value)

when you spend $400 on any combination of services, packages, and/or gift certificates in one day.

Call Suzanna at (805) 637-3586 to take advantage of this deal!

*You will be issued a voucher that may be applied toward any Take 5 Bodywork service between January 1 - March 1, 2015.  The above offers are not combinable with other promotional offers, discounts, or package deals.  Vouchers have no cash value and may not be exchanged for cash or merchandise.

 

Warm Up Before Stretching

BEFORE STRETCHING, experts say it is best to WARM UP.

In so doing, we can avoid serious injury by helping to increase the body's core temperature, as well as of the specific muscles we want to lengthen. This helps loosen the muscles and makes them more supple and pliable, and thus more easily stretched.


A good warm-up is one that gets our heart and respiratory rates up (e.g., a few minutes on the elliptical machine or a couple sets of jumping jacks). If you're breathing is a bit more labored, your pulse a little quicker, and you've broken a light sweat, you've probably given yourself a good warm-up. What this does is increase blood flow that in turn delivers more oxygen and nutrients to the working muscles--great for prepping for stretching.


Now that you've warmed up and stretched your muscles, go for the gold with your approved exercise regimen. But don't forget to stretch after as well as part of your regular cool-down practice!

Here are a few stretches I like... 
  http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1261

Thai Massage is a form of passive stretching, where another person (or apparatus) assists us.  Thai Massage can help us attain a greater range of mobility and serve as an effective part of a rehabilitation program or post-sports cool-down. 

 

  

Schedule your bodywork session, including Thai Massage, now!

Take 5 Bodywork in Santa Barbara, CA

 

Massage Reduces Pain, says new study

The Journal of Health Psychology (March 2014 vol. 19 no. 3 427-440) is one of many medical journals that has published yet another article on the benefits of massage for pain reduction.  Even a mere 15 minutes of massage proved beneficial!

This particular study, "Massage on experimental pain in healthy females: A randomized controlled trial," 

evaluated the effect of massage on affect, relaxation, and experimental pain induced by electrical stimulation. Participants were 96 healthy women (M age = 20.13 ± 5.93 years; 84.4% White) randomly assigned to a 15-minute no-treatment control, guided imagery, massage or massage plus guided imagery condition. Multilevel piecewise modeling revealed no group differences in pain intensity, threshold, or tolerance. The two massage conditions generally reported decreased pain unpleasantness, lower unpleasant affect, maintenance of pleasant affect, and increased relaxation compared to the no-treatment condition. The results suggest that massage may alter immediate affective qualities in the context of pain.

Why keep suffering from pain when the verdict is in?  

Schedule your pain-relief massage today!  

 

http://www.Take5Bodywork.com

Trigger Points, Posture Can Lead to Headaches

More research shows that trigger points, posture, and low pain threshold are linked to tension-type headaches.  What does this mean?

If you are a person who gets headaches, muscle-release techniques including massage, stretching, and hot baths or steam showers may be the answer to your prayers.  Check in with yourself to see if you feel any tension or "knots"--muscle contractions we call "trigger points."  How is your posture and your workplace ergonomics?  Have you been at the computer or reading with your neck crooked down for long periods of time?

Sometimes, despite my best efforts, I notice that my shoulders and neck simply will not, or at least do not feel comfortable, being in the "proper" postural positioning.  This is when I look to outside help, like chiropractic or massage therapy.

Massage therapy (see Take 5 Bodywork's Headache, Sinus, & TMJ Relief, Suzanna's Signature Massage, Sports Massage, or Deep Tissue) can address trigger points and muscle tension in the body, alleviating active and potential headaches and other dysfunction that can lead to greater pain and limited performance in your daily routine.

Additional Information and Steps to Take:

Read more about Headaches and Migraines...
Read about Upper-Cross Syndrome, the postural "hunchback," to which many of us are prone...
Read how to "Soothe Stress with Self-Massage"...
Here are some links about posture and workplace ergonomics...
      Improve Your Posture
      Brief Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Computer Related Disorders

 

Book your massage online now with Take 5 Bodywork!

 

www.take5bodywork.com

Home of Santa Barbara's Most Comfortable Table!