November 2004 [Volume 3, Issue11]

To Your Health is brought to you by:

This issue features a number of articles you will want to share with your family, friends and co-workers. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to them via e-mail. If you have received this e-mail newsletter from someone else, you may subscribe free of charge and begin receiving your own copy by going to:

http://www.massagetoday.com/newsletter/TYH/subscribe.php

In this issue of To Your Health:

• Rubbing Away Pregnancy Stress
• Still Think Smoking Isn't Dangerous? Think Again!
• Answers to Your Massage Questions: Highlights From This Month's "Ask a Massage Therapist" Online Forum

There is little doubt that massage therapy is beneficial for pregnant women, but what about when the massage involves a woman's partner?

A study funded by Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute and conducted earlier this year by the Touch Research Institutes at the University of Miami School of Medicine and Duke University Medical School's Department of Pharmacology, found that pregnant women had reduced levels of stress hormones when they were massaged by their partners; a reduction in stress hormones helps reduce the risk of premature births.

Additionally, massage administered by a partner helped reduce a pregnant woman's overall stress level, as well as alleviated aches, pains and swelling associated with pregnancy, the study found. Massage also improved sleep and decreased depression. To learn more about the benefits of massage, visit www.massagetoday.com.

Reference: At your fingertips: pregnancy massage may reduce premature births--new study indicates massage by 'significant other' leads to lower stress hormones, better outlook for healthy pregnancy. HealthWorld Online. May 5, 2004. www.healthy.net/scr/news.asp?Id=9074.

Remember when smoking was chic? Think 1940s classic movie actor Humphrey Bogart in "Casablanca" or Bette Davis in "Now Voyager," and you get the picture: Silhouettes poised against the backdrop of an empty tarmack or train depot, cigarette smoke swirling around their heads in a moment of intense farewells. Those were the days...or were they?

According to the American Cancer Society, 440,000 Americans die from tobacco use every year, and cigarettes kill more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide and illegal drugs combined. And if that's not enough, a report issued by the U.S. Surgeon General earlier this year shows that smoking causes disease in nearly every organ of the body, with staggering economic implications: $75 billion worth of medical costs and $82 billion in lost productivity. Still not convinced? Additional findings released by the World Health Organization indicate that smokers under the age of 40 are five times as likely to suffer a heart attack as nonsmokers of the same age. And an experiment reported in Tobacco Control revealed that the air pollution emitted by cigarettes is 10 times greater than diesel car exhaust.

Bottom line: If you're a smoker, now is the time to quit! Talk to your doctor about methods of quitting. And remember, massage therapy not only helps relieve stress and tension, it helps rid the body of toxins. Incorporate massage into your strategy to rid yourself of this deadly habit forever. For more information on the benefits of massage, visit www.massagetoday.com.

References

1. American Cancer Society. www.cancer.org.
2. Surgeon general confirms smoking affects whole body. CHRF Newsfile 72. June 21, 2004.
3. Current smoking and the risk of non-fatal myocardial infarction in the WHO MONICA project populations. Tobacco Control 2004; 13:244-50.
4. Particulate matter from tobacco versus diesel car exhaust: an educational perspective. Tobacco Control 2004; 13:219-21.

Question: A friend told me massage can affect emotions and I was wondering if that was true. Can massage cause somebody to get depressed or happy?

Answer: Massage can help one feel less stressed. Massage can also release memories that are stored in the muscle, which can evoke certain feelings and emotions.

Question: When should someone use ice packs versus moist heat?

Answer: Application of cold is good for acute injuries because cold stops inflammation and slows tissue metabolism. Ice can also reduce muscle tightness because it breaks the pain/spasm/pain cycle. Application of heat is good because it is soothing, enhances relaxation, increases circulation and lymph, and decreases muscle tightness; however, heat is not good for acute injuries.

Note: Information provided in this Q&A section is drawn from the "Ask a Massage Therapist" online forum, in which massage therapists field questions relative to the massage profession. Readers are encouraged to post their questions at www.massagetoday.com/ask/.

This edition of To Your Health is co-sponsored by:

Thank you for subscribing to To Your Health. If you have received this newsletter in error or wish to unsubscribe, you may remove your name from our e-mail subscription list at http://www.massagetoday.com/newsletter/TYH/unsubscribe.php.

If you have any questions regarding your subscription, please complete this form at http://www.massagetoday.com/newsletterhelp/TYH.