Take 5 Bodywork Blog & Articles

Post-Exercise Massage Benefits

2012-02-21T11:58:00.000-08:00

Study works out kinks in understanding of massage

By Eryn Brown • Wed Feb 1 2012 10:34 PM • Extracted from LA Times

Everyone knows that it can feel really good to get a massage.

Now scientists may have figured out why, by identifying how massage switches genes on and off, thus reducing inflammation and coaxing muscle adaptation to exercise.

The discovery provides strong evidence that massage merits further study as a treatment for injuries and chronic disorders, said Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, a researcher at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, and lead author of a study about the research released Wednesday.

Tarnopolsky, who has studied the cellular effects of exercise for decades, performed muscle biopsies in both legs of healthy young men before and after they'd undergone strenuous exercise, and then a third time after massaging just one leg in each individual.

Comparing tissues from each subject's massaged leg with tissues from his unmassaged leg, Tarnopolsky and his team found that massage therapy reduced exercise-related inflammation by dampening activity of a protein called NF-kB.

Massage also seemed to help cells recover by boosting amounts of another protein called PGC-1alpha, which spurs production of new mitochondria — tiny organelles inside cells that are crucial for muscle energy generation and adaptation to endurance exercise.

Other proteins with similar roles were influenced by massage as well.

Read the full article as published in the LA Times here.

Valentine's Day Special Deal!

2012-02-05T16:26:00.000-08:00

2012-01-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

As a subscriber to Take 5 Bodywork's email list,

you'll be in the loop on all the latest promotions, health tips, articles,

and even complimentary issues of Body Sense Magazine,

which you can view by clicking here now.

To become a subscriber to the email list, please email Suzanna@Take5Bodywork.com.

SCHEDULE A MASSAGE | LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

Heavenly Holiday Sale!

2011-12-09T14:52:00.000-08:00

Click here to view as html

Just in time for the holidays...

The Heavenly Holiday Sale

Purchase four (4) gift certificates for
60- or 90-minute massages,
get a Hands & Feet Sole-utions
treatment (a $65 value)
for only $15!

Purchase five (5) gift certificates for
60- or 90-minute massages, get a
Hands & Feet Sole-utions treatment
(a $65 value) for FREE!

HURRY! This offer expires 12/31/11
but the gift certificates never expire!

To take advantage of this deal,
please call or email Suzanna at
Take 5 Bodywork
(805) 637-3586
Suzanna@Take5Bodywork.com
www.Take5Bodywork.com

Try these new menu items designed to rejuvenate and nurture your oft-abused hands and feet!

Hands & Feet Sole-utions

The ultimate way to soothe, revitalize, re-mineralize, and restore your hands and feet.

Read more about it here.

Reflexology

Learn how this unique hand and foot massage helps the body heal and restore balance.

Every Body Deserves to Take 5 Every Now & Then!

Massage Beats Meds for Low Back Pain

2011-11-27T12:45:00.000-08:00

A study by Seattle researchers of 401 patients with chronic low back pain showed that those receiving a series of either Swedish massage (which aims to promote full-body relaxation) or structural massage (which manipulates specific pain-related back muscles and ligaments) were better able to work and be active for up to a year than those getting “usual medical care,” which included painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, etc.

Both types of massage proved highly beneficial. This means those who don’t like deep pressure can ease their back pain even with a gentler relaxation massage.

At 10 weeks, more than one-third of those who received either type of massage said their back pain was much better or gone, compared to only one in 25 patients who received usual care, the study said. Those in the massage groups were also twice as likely in that period to have spent fewer days in bed, used less anti-inflammatory medication and engaged in more activity than the standard care group.

Book your pain-relief massage today with Take 5 Bodywork by clicking here.

Read the full article by USA Today, 7/6/2011.

The study, funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, is published in the July 5 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

Massage Eases Fibromyalgia

2011-11-21T14:22:00.000-08:00

Massage & Bodywork magazine posted this blurb in their November/December 2011 issue:

Massage Eases Fibromyalgia

A Spanish study found that patients severely affected by fibromyalgia showed improvement in activity levels, grip strength, social functioning, and vitality after an eight-week program that included massage therapy, aerobic exercise, ischemic pressure on tender points [Trigger Point Therapy], and thermal therapy [heat]. In addition to the regular medical treatment that the control group also received, the multidisciplinary treatment program produced an improvement of more than 30 percent above the control group in a quarter of the patients studied, with benefits lasting for at least one month after treatment. The results will be published in an upcoming volume of Rheumatology International and are available at www.springerlink.com/content/u31k188v302387n7/abstract.

Do you suffer from Fibromyalgia?

Schedule a 60- or 90-minute

Suzanna's Signature Massage today!

Call Suzanna at Take 5 Bodywork at (805) 637-3586

or Book Online Now!

Massage Improves Health & Quality of Life for Older Adults

2011-11-10T11:54:00.000-08:00

Preserving the quality of life for older adults is a high priority. Regular massage from Take 5 Bodywork can help achieve this goal! It's clinically proven!

Massage has been clinically proven to enhance the quality of life and promote significantly better health for older adults.

Two recent studies have examined massage therapy usage for older adults (age 60+).

"Relationship between massage therapy usage and health outcomes in older adults" (J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2011 Apr;15(2):177-85. Epub 2010 Feb 20.) examined the potential of massage therapy as an intervention for physical and emotional pain in older adults. Older adults who reported massage therapy usage in the past year had significantly better health outcome scores in the following domains: 1) emotional well-being, 2) limitations due to physical issues, and 3) limitations due to emotional issues.

Another study, "Massage therapy usage and reported health in older adults experiencing persistent pain" (J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Jul;17(7):609-16. Epub 2011 Jun 13.), examined the potential impact of massage therapy in older adults with persistent pain, by comparing self-reported health outcome scores among those who have and have not utilized massage therapy in the past year. The current study demonstrated that for older adults experiencing persistent pain, massage is associated with self-report of less limitation due to physical or emotional issues, better emotional health, more energy/less fatigue, better social functioning, and better overall health.

The authors of these studies point out:

"Physical and emotional decline in older adults is a serious issue affecting not only quality of life but also susceptibility to injury. Non-pharmacological interventions addressing the needs of older adults are important for reducing medication burden and possible drug interactions.

"Persistent pain is a frequent complaint among older adults and can greatly decrease quality of life while also contributing to other negative outcomes such as poor health, increased pharmaceutical medication usage, increased rates of depression, and cognitive decline."

Schedule your massage appointment today by visiting www.take5bodywork.com and clicking on the BOOK NOW link, or call us at (805) 637-3586.

Introducing ONLINE SCHEDULING!

2011-10-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

Now Take 5 Bodywork, home of Santa Barbara's Most Comfortable Table, has made it even easier to schedule and remember your massage appointments!

At www.Take5Bodywork.com you can easily schedule your session online in less than 30 seconds, at your convenience, 24/7.

Here’s how it works:

1. BOOK NOW!

Visit my website at www.Take5Bodywork.com and click on the "BOOK NOW" tab. You will see a menu of services listed. Click on the desired service.

For menu descriptions, visit the "MENU" tab, or click continue after selecting a service to see its description.
*Note: If you wish to schedule your massage in your home, please select "Outcall."

2. SCHEDULE A TIME

Next you'll see the dates and times available for your treatment. Select the date and time of your preference.

You can book for as early as 4 hours, or as late as 3 months, in advance!

3. CONTACT INFO

Enter your basic contact information (for my eyes only).

You have the option of including any pertinent information about your upcoming session, including any allergies, health/skin conditions, preferences, or feel free to ask a question regarding your session. If you choose to create an account, you'll be able to see all your booked appointments at any time and quickly and easily modify, cancel, or book more sessions. It's hassle-free and saves you from having to re-enter all your info each time you book.

4. CONFIRMATION

You will see a confirmation screen that your session has been scheduled.
No payment is required at this time. However, you will have the option of using PayPal, if you wish, to pre-pay for your session. This is a safe, secure, and easy way to pay with a credit card or debit directly from your checking account! (See www.PayPal.com for more details.)

You will then receive an email confirming your appointment and containing a link that will allow you to modify or cancel your appointment if needed (given 24-hours advanced notice). Additionally the email will contain a link that will allow you to instantly add your appointment to your computerized calendar (e.g., iCal, Outlook...)! You'll even receive an email reminder the day before your session!

Every Body
Needs to

Take 5

Every Now
& Then!

New Blog!

2011-09-17T11:42:00.001-07:00

Keep up on the latest about massage therapy and Take 5 Bodywork, including tips and articles related to health and orthopedic conditions; new services offered by Take 5 Bodywork; and upcoming promotions and events!

Wishing you well,

Suzanna Young, LMT

Owner and State-Certified Massage Therapist

Take 5 Bodywork