March 2005 [Volume 4, Issue 3]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• Warning: Chronic Back Pain May Shrink the Brain
• Is Your Money Going Up in Smoke?
• Answers to Your Massage Questions: Highlights From This Month's "Ask a Massage Therapist" Online Forum

If you suffer from chronic back pain, take note: A recent study has revealed that those who suffer from chronic back pain (CBP) for one year may experience a reduction in the brain's gray matter equivalent to the amount lost by the average person in 10 to 20 years of normal aging. Gray matter refers to the darker-colored tissue of the brain composed of the bodies of neurons; it is the "thinking" center of the brain, which is responsible for memory and information processing.

Researchers compared 26 CBP patients with 26 matched healthy volunteers. The CBP patients had experienced pain for one year and were diagnosed with musculoskeletal disorders; "pure" radiculopathy (pain, numbness, or tingling of the extremeties caused by the nerve roots); and a combination of musculoskeletal and radiculopathic pain. The normal decrease in gray matter was found to be 0.5 percent per year in both groups; however, after adjusting for age and gender, the investigators found that the gray matter in CBP patients decreased by 11 percent. In addition, the longer someone experienced chronic back pain, the more gray matter they lost.

The researchers concluded "that CBP (sustained for six months) is accompanied by abnormal brain chemistry...implying neuronal loss or dysfunction in this region and reduced cognitive abilities on a task that implies abnormal prefrontal processing."

While additional research is warranted, the information from this study should serve as a warning to those with back pain to seek care as soon as possible in order to prevent the condition from becoming chronic. If you suffer from pain, massage therapy can help! Visit a massage therapist today and ask about a treatment plan to help manage your pain and preserve your gray matter! For more information about massage therapy, visit www.massagetoday.com.

For more about this study, read "Chronic Back Pain May Shrink the Brain" at www.chiroweb.com/archives/23/03/08.html.

Reference: Apkarian AV, Sosa Y, Sonty S, et al. Chronic back pain is associated with decreased prefrontal and thalamic gray matter density. The Journal of Neuroscience, Nov. 17, 2004 24(46):10410-10475.

Attention smokers: If the health implications haven't motivated you to give up smoking, perhaps the wealth implications will! A new study shows that a person's net worth decreases by $410, or about four percent, for each year he or she continues smoking.

Researchers surveyed approximately 8,900 people born between 1957 and 1964 in 1985, 1992, 1994 and 1998 about several issues, including smoking habits and wealth. Wealth was assessed based on home values, savings, stocks, bonds and other assets. Smokers were labeled "heavy" if they smoked more than one pack of cigarettes a day and "light" if they smoked less than one pack a day.

Results: By 1998, the final year of the study, participants identified as smokers averaged a net worth of about $50,000. According to the researchers, smokers tend to come from lower socioeconomic classes; taking this into consideration, other factors that influence wealth were studied, including education, race and income. After taking these factors into account, researchers still found that the net worth of heavy smokers was approximately $8,300 less than nonsmokers, while light smokers' net worth was roughly $2,000 less than nonsmokers.

"While a casual relation cannot be proven, smokers appear to pay for tobacco expenditures out of income that is saved by nonsmokers. Hence, reductions in smoking will boost wealth, especially among the poor," the researchers said.

The moral of the story is clear: Smoking not only negatively affects your health, it negatively affects your weatlh, too. Rather than spend your cash on unhealthy cigarettes, try investing in a smoking cessation program. And why not try massage therapy to assist you in your efforts? Studies have shown that massage is effective in reducing stress and promoting whole-body wellness. For more information on the benefits of massage therapy, visit www.massagetoday.com/aboutmt.

References:

1. Zagorsky JL. The wealth effects of smoking. Tobacco Journal 2004;13: 370-74.
2. Newswise. Smoking hurts wealth as well as health. Feb 2, 2005. www.newswise.com.

Question: I was given a one-hour massage as a gift and the RN/LMT works in a chiropractor's office. I read that if the massage therapist is in a doctor's office you should not tip. Is that correct?

Answer: Yes. Massage therapists working in medical environments should not be tipped; conversely, tipping is acceptable in other settings, such as spas.

Question: I went for a massage yesterday, and today I feel horrible. I am sick to my stomach, my body feels flu-like, tingly, shaky, and I am crying for no reason at all. The practitioner said she used shiatsu and Swedish massage. Is this normal for my body to react this way?

Answer: It is not uncommon for clients to feel the way you do after receiving massage. Massage releases cellular waste and toxic substances from the tissues into the bloodstream. This is one reason why it is important to drink several glasses of water before and after a massage session.

Massage also releases stress the muscles of the body have been holding, which may explain why you feel like crying. Muscle has memory. For example, say you walk down the steps from your house and slip on a patch of ice. Your body will remember, and you may tense up every time you walk down the same steps although the ice is gone. If your symptoms continue, you may have contracted the flu or something before you received the massage and should see your doctor.

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/.

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