With our economic woes adding to the hustle and bustle of the season, it’s no wonder three quarters of Americans say they are “stressed-out” during the month of December.  According to the American Psychological Association, stress levels often exceed what they define as healthy.  Most families are cutting back and doing more with less.  They are reevaluating priorities and putting things into real prospective.  Materialism isn’t the real spirit of the season.  Recognizing that your faith, family and health, are the most important things is truly what this season is all about.

Here are some triggers that help you recognize stress

Stress attacks the weakest part of the body first and you may exhibit symptoms such as: teeth grinding/ jaw clenching, headaches, back pain, anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia just to name a few.  Feeling stressed can cause you to inhibit effective breathing.  Atypical breathing contributes to hypertonicity of the respiratory muscles of the neck, the scalenes and SCM muscles.  Shortness of breath or an asthma attack can result.  Stress suppresses the immune system and causes these symptoms: constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel, upset stomach, weight gain or loss, skin eruptions such as eczema, acne, or herpes simplex.

Understanding how stress causes illness

The General Adaptation sysndrome describes stages the body goes through depending on the duration of the stressor:

• Alarm – the initial exposure of the body to a stressor.  The body’s cortisol levels are high and no one organ system predominates.
• Resistance/Adaption – this stage follows if exposure to stress continues.  Cortisol levels decrease and the body’s resistance response rises.  the body does not have unlimited ability to adapt to stress.  Poor habits like working long hours and not sleeping enough can lead to sickness.  The body will respond to stress with short-term responses like increased heart rate first, and long-term responses like hypertrophy of the heart’s ventricle after sustained stress.
• Exhaustion – this happens when the body’s adaptive energy is exhausted.  After long exposure to the same stressor, other systems of the body are affected by stress.

However, once you recognize these feelings put down the tinsel and stop wrapping the presents and take care of yourself

Take time for yourself.  In a nutshell, “self care” … slow down, breathe and get a massage.  It doesn’t have to be a full hour .  Save time and money and schedule a half hour.  It will give you that sense of well being that will help you continue on and cope.

When all is said and done, the consumer knows that the massage is only as good as the therapist who provides it. Massage-goers like yourself gain an appreciation for, and seek out, those with great skills, knowledge and the caring spirit.  This speaks to all DMTC therapists;  whether still working for DMTC or gone; we’ve treated hundreds or even thousands successfully in the New Castle County in the past 15 years of service.

Simple Anatomy with Rachelle Parker

January 14th & 15th, April 21st & 22nd, June 16th & 17th

Simple Anatomy is a basic course that helps a student palpate anatomical structures.  Seems basic enough but critical to every massage.   This course takes you on a tour of the major muscle groups.  It shows the student how to access each individual muscle through simple muscle palpation techniques.  Simple Anatomy breaks it down; showing location, how to palpate origin to insertion and landmarks with confidence.  Approved for 12 DE CEUs.

Cost: $225.00

Clinical Trigger Point Massage with Debbie Jedlicka

February 18th & 19th, May 19th & 20th, July 21st & 22nd

Assessing and palpating myofascial trigger points in your massage is the basis of this 12 hour class.  Use this information as a treatment approach to clients with pain.  A review of over 25 major muscles to include origin and insertion, trigger point pain patterns, symptoms, activation and identifying perpetuation factors that cause trigger points.  As a clinical modality, trigger point massage can be used to treat specific conditions or be part of a full body treatment.  We will focus in class on a full body treatment protocol.  What you learn will be reflected in what you teach your clients about their pain.  Approved for 12 DE CEUs.

Cost: $225.00

2-Year CPR presented by ‘In a Heartbeat’

Dates: 03/17/12  &  08/11/12                                                                                              Location: Deep Muscle Therapy Center                                                                                Time: 4pm - 6pm

To be certified or licensed in State of DE a current CPR certification is required.  Cost of class does not include the textbook which is optional.  The instructor will have tests available for purchase.  Instructor, Arlene or Ed Burke, will provide proof of completion of the workshop.

Cost: $45.00 per person

Ear Candling is an ancient form of ear wax removal called “ear coning”. Ear candling uses disposable hollow candles made from unbleached cotton dipped in paraffin or beeswax. The burning candle creates a vacuum that creates a  gentle flow of warmth.   The vacuum softens the ear wax and travels towards the flame in the cone.  Sometimes you see the wax streaming upwards and sometimes you see it drip back down.  Either way when it’s done the therapist will show you the result.  First of all it stinks; and you can see the hard formed wax and the soft flakes that the beeswax candle creates.  The therapist will ask the client to walk around, feel how different their ears feel and then it is decided whether to do another ear candle or not.  Too much ear candling or doing it for no reason may cause problems.

The process is completely non-invasive and the client is covered with a flame retardant cloth and aluminum foil for their hair and clothing to be protected.  The whole process takes approximately 20 minutes per candle. Some notable conditions that ear candling helps with is swimmer’s ear, ear infections, sinus trouble, and hearing impairment due to impacted earwax.   People who have chosen to use ear candling have reported having issues like waking up with their ears feeling clogged, popping or clicking sounds as well as having developed pain in the soft tissue under the ear.  People who fly have also experienced trouble with their ears and this treatment has been known to help.  Ear candling will also drain and alleviate pressure in the sinuses.

This holistic approach has been frowned upon but we know that there are people who swear by it and continue to come back when in need of it.

  2 Candle Treatment – $30
  4 Candle Treatment – $50

Couples may be able to enhance one another’s health by being more physically affectionate with one another, new research in Psychosomatic Medicine shows.

Couples who underwent training in “warm touch enhancement” and practiced the technique at home had higher levels of oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone” and the “cuddle chemical,” while their levels of alpha amylase, a stress indicator, were reduced, Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad of Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City, Utah, and her colleagues found.

Emotional and social support is key to both mental and physical health, Holt-Lunstad and her team note, while support between spouses may be particularly vital. One important but littlestudied way that people express this support, they add, is through “non-sexual, caring physical touch, such as hand-holding, hugs, and sitting or lying ‘cuddled up.’”

To investigate how this caring touch might affect stress levels, the researchers 36 married couples who were assigned to a Couple Contact Enhancement group or to a “monitoring only” comparison group.

The contact-enhancement subjects received training in “listening touch” — which involves increasing awareness of the partner’s mood by touching his or her neck, shoulders, and hands — and training in neck and shoulder massage. Couples were instructed to practice the techniques together for 30 minutes three times a week for four weeks.

The people in the control group kept a record of their physical affection and mood, but were asked not to change their normal behavior.

All study participants had their blood pressure, amylase and oxytocin levels checked before, during and after the intervention. The researchers also tested their blood levels of cortisol, a hormone key to the body’s stress response.

During the first week, the researchers found, the couples in the warm touch group had more oxytocin in their saliva than the control couples, and their levels remained significantly higher in the last week of the study. The men and women in the intervention group also had significantly lower levels of salivary amylase than those in the control group by the end of the study.

Among men in the intervention group, blood pressure was reduced after the four weeks. There were no differences between the two groups in cortisol levels.

“Our data suggest that warm partner contact may be particularly cardioprotective for men,” the
researchers write. They conclude: “These findings may help us better understand the protective
mechanisms of positive marital interactions in the prevention of stress-related diseases.”

SOURCE: Psychosomatic Medicine, November/December 2008.

Each class costs $225 per couple/pair of friends. When registering please let us know if you’d like to use our signature aromatherapy oils at $12.00 a bottle. Visit our Products Page to view our selection.

What are Some of the Reasons Why Couples Takes This Class?

Backed by Research “Touching helps couples reduce stress”. This research explains that couples who engaged in “non-sexual, caring physical touch” (a good description of what I teach in this class) “had higher levels of oxytocin, also known as the ‘love hormone’ and the ‘cuddle chemical,’ while their levels of alpha amylase, a stress indicator, were reduced.” Read more about this research at : See Reuters “touching helps couples”

• Working on each other allows the couple to strengthen their relationships by taking pleasure in something together.
• It can also be a great way to spend quality time with your partner especially since its
  enjoyable and healing all in one.
• Sharing massage allows couples to help each other and connect in a different way.
• Cultivate a closeness with someone you care about. Go deeper within the relationship with a deliberate caring attitude through touch.
• Use proper techniques to eliminate the guilt when men say their women aren’t deep enough and
  or for women who complain that men are too rough.

Lecture will be minimal and massage techniques will be emphasized. The massage skills you learn can be used right away. Class size is no more than seven couples to ensure that each couple/pair gets personal attention.

In the 3 hour-long session, the therapist teaches one partner techniques while the other partner receives, then the student’s trade places. These techniques can continue to be practiced at home; ask to rent a massage table for the weekend for $35.

This class is open to everyone and no prior experience is necessary.

Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing for the class. A bathing suit is best to wear under your clothes and we’ll provide good privacy-and modesty-protecting practices. Bring a set of twin sheets, one large towel, and one hand size towel.

When and Where is the Class?

Classes are offered at DMTC at 5700 Kirkwood Highway. Pre-registration is required. If you have any questions, e-mail me at dibsonmassages@aol.com or call 302-397-8131

Classes run every Sunday, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm and 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.

This big ropey muscle (SCM for short) runs from behind the ear down to the collarbones and breast bone of the chest. No other muscle causes as many bizarre and frightening symptoms. SCM is commonly strained by:

• Sleeping with neck flexed or head propped forward
• Overhead work (such as painting or hanging curtains)
• Breathing with chest (rather than diaphragm)
• Chronic coughing
• Hauling or weight lifting
• Tight collars and ties
• Word processing / keyboarding
• Infections (i.e., sinusitis, abscesses, or herpes simplex)

Symptoms range from dizziness and car-sickness to problems with swallowing, mysteriously teary eyes (“but I’m not crying!”), visual disturbances, chronic sore throat, earaches and (reversible) hearing loss. It also causes brutal forehead pain (which is usually interpreted as “sinus headache”). This typically appears when working with the head turned to one side, as when typing from materials placed to one side of desk or keyboard.

Trapezius

The trapezius muscle runs from base of skull to mid-back and out to the bony points of the shoulders (see diagram above left). It pulls back neck and head, shrugs the shoulders, and helps raise the arms upward. It’s a big muscle with a big job and of all the muscles in the body, in both adults and children, it is the most likely to have trigger points. Despite its size and strength (or possibly because of it) the trapezius is easily damaged by:

• Holding arms up for long periods, or hunching shoulders forward
• Tight bra straps and heavy purses
• Missing or low sitting arm rests on furniture or in your vehicle
• Typing / keyboarding (overstretching trapezius)

Trapezius produces a “fish-hook” headache often with nausea (commonly diagnosed as “migraine”). It also causes grinding pain at the base of the skull and pain between the shoulder blades. Trapezius pain is common in people who spend long hours at a keyboard, computer or piano; in barbers, beauticians, and others who spend hours working with arms held upwards.

Pectoralis

Pectoralis major is the “major muscle of the chest.” The shoulder, arm, and chest pain of this muscle suggest serious disease. In women, breast pain is feared to be due to breast cancer and patients may be sent for repeated mammograms (ironically, exposing them to additional radiation). Tight pectorals can also cause shoulder and chest pain extending down the arm to below the elbow. In both men and women, this pattern (especially when on the left side) can be terrifyingly similar to the pain of angina and heart attack. Conversely, pectoralis major can develop painful TrPs following a heart attack.  Pain reflexes can shrink blood vessels, further starving the heart of blood. There is even a pectoralis TrP that causes irregular heartbeat. Pectoralis major is strained or shortened by:

• Hunching your shoulders forward
• Sitting or sleeping with your arms across your chest
• Typing / keyboarding (shortening pectorals)

Always check chest pain with your physician! This is important because of the seriousness of heart disease and cancer. It is also critical because angina pain (a warning sign of heart attack) can be relieved by treating this muscle. In other words, it is possible to turn off the fire alarm without putting out the fire. Be sure that there are no heart problems. See your doctor.  If there are no signs of heart disease? Check muscles!

Subscapularis

Subscapularis is one of the rotator cuff muscles. It pulls the arm toward the body and also rotates it inwardly. TrPs in subscapularis cause pain behind the shoulder possibly as far down the arm as the elbow. There may also be an odd bracelet-like band of pain around the wrist. Tenderness at back of wrist and hand may be so severe that the wristwatch must be moved to the other wrist.

Subscapularis is commonly strained by:

• Ball pitching, swimming, or forceful overhead lifting
• Stopping a fall by reaching backward
• Immobilizing the arm close to the body when sleeping, injured, or pressing a purse or child close to the chest.

When tight, subscapularis can prevent the arm from rising. If you find it difficult or painful to reach up and behind your head to comb your hair or throw a ball, this muscle is likely to be involved. If left untreated other shoulder muscles (including the pectoralis major) will tighten and shorten causing even more pain. The result is commonly known as “frozen shoulder.”

Scalenes

These powerful neck muscles entrap nerves which supply the upper back, arms, and hands. The numbness and tingling of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is far more likely to be due to scalenes (or a separate muscle in the chest) than the carpal tunnel itself. They are strained by:

• Lifting and tugging, especially with hands held below waist
• Severe coughing or straining for breath as commonly occursin pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, or extreme athletics
• Lifting or carrying large or heavy packages with arms extended in front of the body

As for other neck muscles, problems can begin with a habit of holding phones with neck and shoulder. But scalenes don’t merely cause pain. They can pinch nerves so severely that the arm weakens to the point of withering. Scalenes raise the upper ribs allowing room for lungs have room to expand; they are very active during hard breathing. When tight and not working properly, they may be responsible for the feeling of being “short of breath.” “First, Do No Harm”

One of the beauties of bodywork work is that it does no harm yet often resolves the actual source of pain and dysfunction without drugs or their potentially dangerous side effects. Our therapists will work with you to eliminate the sources of your pain and teach you to treat and relieve pain at home.

Do you think that massage and body work are self-indulgent? Absolutely they are! They are also a wise and sensible investment in your health and well being for many years to come.