One of the many health benefits you receive through massage is the elimination of toxins. A toxin is defined as any substance that causes harmful effects to our body. Normally, the immune system, liver and kidneys work together to remove toxins at the same rate as they are encountered. When toxin levels are in excess of our body’s capacity to remove them, they build up and are stored until they are removed. We can have toxins stored in our bodies for years without experiencing any negative symptoms, but once the burden of toxins becomes too high, we start to feel ill. We tend to think about toxins coming from environmental sources such as exhaust fumes, solvents and inhalants, but it is important to consider the other numerous, less apparent toxin-producing sources we are exposed to on a daily basis. These include toxins from our lifestyle, toxins created within our bodies (internal toxins) and toxins created from our emotions.

During a massage toxins are elimination through the movement of blood and lymph. Although the blood flow to the muscles slows during a massage, while the therapist is working on a specific muscle, blood flow is increased in the area of contact, and ultimately circulation does increase in the body after a massage. When blood circulation increases, it increases the oxygen to the cells and thus increases elimination of toxins. If you already get massages, have you ever noticed that during your massage your nose gets stuffy? This may seem to be because your head is face down in the face cradle, but it’s more than that. The congestion you feel is due to the toxins building up and looking for a way to get out of the body. That is why it is very important to drink a lot of water after a massage to flush out the built up toxins, especially if you receive a deep tissue massage.

The term Deep Tissue refers to a massage style that is directed towards the deeper tissue structures of the muscle and connective tissue. Typically provided at a medium or firm pressure.

If you choose Deep Tissue or any other type of massage you will gain amazing benefits.

Massage can also help specifically address a number of health issues. Bodywork can:

•Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
•Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.
•Ease medication dependence.
•Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body’s natural defense system.
•Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
•Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.
•Improve the condition of the body’s largest organ—the skin.
•Increase joint flexibility.
•Lessen depression and anxiety.
•Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.
•Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.
•Reduce postsurgery adhesions and swelling.
•Reduce spasms and cramping.
•Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.
•Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body’s natural painkiller.
•Relieve migraine pain.

Tennis elbow is a common term for a condition caused by overuse of arm, forearm, and hand muscles that results in elbow pain. You don’t have to play tennis to get this, but the term came into use because it can be a significant problem for some tennis players.

Tennis elbow is caused by either abrupt or subtle injury of the muscle and tendon area around the outside of the elbow. Tennis elbow specifically involves the area where the muscles and tendons of the forearm attach to the outside bony area (called the lateral epicondyle) of the elbow. Your doctor may call this condition lateral epicondylitis. Another common term, “golfer’s elbow,” refers to the same process occurring on the inside of the elbow — what your doctor may call medial epicondylitis. Overuse injury can also affect the back or posterior part of the elbow as well.

To reduce the pain and inflammation of tennis elbow, try:

•Rest and avoid any activity that causes pain.
•Apply ice to the affected area

The following stretch will help.

1.Extend your arm in front of you with your palm up.
2.Bend your wrist, pointing your hand toward the floor.
3.With your other hand, gently bend your wrist further until you feel a mild to moderate stretch in your forearm.
4.Hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 2 to 4 times.

Here are10 natural remedies for the flu:

1. Drink up. The flu can leave you dehydrated, especially if have vomiting or diarrhea. So be sure to get enough fluids. Water is fine. So are fruit juices and electrolyte beverages. You may want to stay away from caffeinated drinks, because caffeine is a diuretic. Herbal tea with honey can soothe a sore throat. If you feel nauseated, try taking small sips of liquids — gulps might cause you to throw up. How can you be sure you’re getting enough fluid? Your urine should be pale yellow, almost colorless.

2. Sip some soup. For generations, caring parents have been serving chicken soup to kids with colds and flu. But was mom right? Possibly. A study published in the journal Chest showed that chicken soup may help with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections like the flu.

3. Be a couch potato. Listen to your body. If it’s telling you not to exercise, don’t. If it’s urging you to spend all day in bed, do. Don’t press on with daily chores even in the face of severe cold or flu symptoms. Rest is another way of supporting the body’s ability to fight infection.

And don’t skimp on nighttime sleep. Good sleep cycles help the immune system work well, so it’s important to get your full eight hours of sleep each night.

4. Humidify. Breathing moist air helps ease nasal congestion and sore throat pain. One good strategy is to indulge in a steamy shower several times a day — or just turn on the shower and sit in the bathroom for a few minutes, inhaling the steam. Another is to use a humidifier. Clean it often to make sure it’s free of mold and mildew.

5. Make a tent. Need a quick way to open clogged airways? Bring a pot of water to a boil and remove it from the heat. Drape a towel over your head, close your eyes, and lean over the water under the “tent,” breathing deeply through your nose for 30 seconds.

6. Try a warm compress. On the forehead and nose, a warm cloth is a great way to relieve headache or sinus pain.

7. Be a sucker. Cough drops, throat lozenges, and hard candy can be surprisingly effective at easing a cough or sore throat. Some doctors swear by lozenges containing slippery elm. Others recommend zinc lozenges to help shorten cold symptoms.

8. Swish and spit. Gargling with salt water helps get rid of the thick mucus that can collect at the back of the throat, especially after you’ve been lying down. It can also help ease stuffy ears.

9. Try nasal irrigation. To ease stuffiness and post-nasal drip — and perhaps cut the risk of getting a sinus infection — some doctors recommend nasal irrigation. You can buy a neti pot in health food stores and drugstores, or opt for a saline squeeze bottle. You pour salt water into one nostril and let it run out the other, clearing out your nasal passages. You can buy pre-made saline solution or make it by mixing salt and lukewarm water.

10. Line up a caregiver. A caregiver can’t lower your temperature or cure a sore throat, but having someone to tuck you into bed and bring you fluids is very comforting. If a friend or family member offers to help, even if it’s only to stop by and check in on you, count your blessings — and take them up on it.

Too many times we look like this when coworkers walk by our work station.

The following stretches increase blood flow, productivity, and decrease in pain.

The 12 Best Stretching Exercises at Your Desk

1.Just stand up and sit down — no hands
•If you stand up and sit down (over and over) — without using your hands — it can be a challenge. Do it while you’re on the phone; no one will know.

2.Substitute exercise for sitting — while you work
•Get rid of your desk chair and substitute an exercise ball., All day you are engaging all the muscles in the back, legs, butt, everything, to stay balanced.
•Put a treadmill in his office and conducted all his business while walking.

3.Shrug your shoulders — to release the neck and shoulders
•Inhale deeply and shrug your shoulders, lifting them high up to your ears. Hold. Release and drop. Repeat three times.
•Shake your head slowly, yes and no. You might as well amuse yourself while you do it to relax even further. Ask yourself silly questions: “Is your boss an idiot?” Move your head up and down, “Yes, yes, yes.” Side to side: “No. No. No.” (Shedding tension is as much mental as physical.)

4.Loosen the hands with air circles
•Clench both fists, stretching both hands out in front of you.
•Make circles in the air, first in one direction, to the count of ten.
•Then reverse the circles.
•Shake out the hands.

5.Point your fingers — good for hands, wrist, and forearms
•Stretch your left hand out in front of you, pointing fingers toward the floor. Use your right hand to increase the stretch, pushing your fingers down and toward the body. Be gentle.
•Do the same with the other hand.
•Now stretch your left hand out straight in front, wrist bent, with fingers pointing skyward. Use your right hand to increase the stretch, pulling the fingers back toward your body.
•Do the same on the other side.

6.Release the upper body with a torso twist
•Inhale and as you exhale, turn to the right and grab the back of your chair with your right hand, and grab the arm of the chair with your left.
•With eyes level, use your grasp on the chair to help twist your torso around as far to the back of the room as possible. Hold the twist and let your eyes continue the stretch — see how far around the room you can peer.
•Slowly come back to facing forward.
•Repeat on the other side.

7.Do leg extensions — work the abs and legs
•Grab the seat of your chair to brace yourself and extend your legs straight out in front of you so they are parallel to the floor.
•Flex and point your toes five times. Release.
•Repeat.

8.Stretch your back with a “big hug”
•Hug your body, placing the right hand on your left shoulder and the left hand on your right shoulder.
•Breathe in and out, releasing the area between your shoulder blades.

9.Cross your arms — for the shoulders and upper back
•Extend one arm out straight in front of you. With the other hand, grab the elbow of the outstretched arm and pull it across your chest, stretching your shoulder and upper back muscles.
•Hold. Release.
•Stretch out the other arm in front of you — repeat.

10.Stretch your back and shoulders with a “leg hug”
•Sit on the edge of your chair (if it has wheels, wedge the chair against the desk or wall to make sure it does not roll). Put your feet together, flat on the floor.
•Lean over, chest to knees, letting your arms dangle loosely to the floor. Release your neck.
•Now bring your hands behind your legs, right hand grasping left wrist, forearm (or elbow if you can reach that far), left hand grasping the right. Feel the stretch in your back, shoulders and neck. Hold.
•Release your hands to the floor again.
•Repeat three times or as often as it feels good.

11.Look up to release upper body
•Sit up tall in your chair, or stand up. Stretch your arms overhead and interlock your fingers.
•Turn the palms to the ceiling as you lift your chin up, tilt your head back, and gaze up at the ceiling, too.
•Inhale, exhale, release.

12.Substitute walks for email — and don’t eat at your desk
•Instead of emailing a colleague, walk over to the colleague you really want to talk to.

Instead of a lunch meeting at your desk, walk together to a neighborhood sandwich shop. Talk while you walk — it’s more efficient and productive. You’re getting more oxygen to the brain, you have no distractions, and you’re more likely to remember what is said.

Autumn’s mild temperatures create perfect growing conditions for cool-season crops such as lettuce and spinach — so enjoy late-season treats by planting a fall vegetable garden.

Summer might be high season in the vegetable garden, but autumn also brings wonderful rewards. Fast-growing salad crops will revive the most bedraggled fall garden, and good care can keep sweet root crops and cabbage cousins growing for several weeks beyond the first frost. The tips below will help you extend your vegetable season long beyond the heat of summer.

The secret to having a great fall vegetable garden is getting the timing right. And that means thinking a little differently because you have to plan backward.

Start with your area’s average first fall frost date. Then look at the number of days to harvest for each vegetable you wish to plant. You should be able to find that number on the seed packet. Use that number to count back from the first frost date. Then add two weeks; many plants grow more slowly as days shorten in fall.

Want an example? If your first fall frost typically occurs around October 31 and you want to grow ‘French Breakfast’ radishes, which mature in about 25 days, you’d plant them around September 22.

Lyme disease is transmitted through a bite from a specific type of tick. The animals that most often carry these insects are white-footed field mice, deer, raccoons, opossums, skunks, weasels, foxes, shrews, moles, chipmunks, squirrels, and horses. The majority of these ticks have been found in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

In the early stages of Lyme disease, you may experience flu-like symptoms that can include a stiff neck, chills, fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, and joint pain. You also may experience a large, expanding skin rash around the area of the tick bite. In more advanced disease, nerve problems and arthritis, especially in the knees, may occur.

In its early stages, Lyme disease can be effectively treated with antibiotics. In general, the sooner such therapy is begun following infection, the quicker and more complete the recovery. Antibiotics, such as doxycycline or amoxicillin taken orally for two to four weeks, can speed the healing of the rash and can usually prevent subsequent symptoms such as arthritis or neurological problems.

Intravenous (IV) antibiotics may be used for more serious cases and for someone whose nervous system has been affected. Lyme disease with arthritis also can be treated with antibiotics. Most patients experience full recovery.

Thrush is a yeast infection that causes white patches in the mouth and on the tongue. Thrush is most common in babies and older adults, but it can occur at any age. Thrush in babies is usually not serious.

You get thrush when a yeast called Candida, normally found on the body, grows out of control.

Home remedies for thrush are aimed at decreasing risk factors for thrush as well as preventing overgrowth of Candida yeast.
*Brush the teeth with a soft toothbrush.
*Rinse the mouth with a diluted 3% hydrogen peroxide solution.
*Rinse the mouth with warm saltwater.
*Avoid mouthwash as it can alter the normal flora of the mouth.
*Keep dentures clean and see a dentist if they do not fit correctly.
*Eat unsweetened yogurt while taking antibiotics

1. No breakfast
2. Overeating
3. Smoking
4. High sugar consumption
5. Air pollution
6. Sleep deprivation
7. Head covered while sleeping
8. Working your brain during illness
9. Lacking in stimulation thoughts
10. Talking rarely

Study according to World Health Organization.

Minnesota Voluntary Credentialing Bill Fails

House File 1925 and Senate File 1792, the bills currently under consideration in the state legislature has had considerable legislative support but did not pass certain committees by deadline so the 2014 effort has failed. It is very likely that a new bill will be introduced next year. If passed, the bill would:
•Create a voluntary credential – practitioners voluntarily choosing to register would be allowed to the use the very specific title: Registered Massage and Bodywork Therapist, or RMBT.
•RMBTs would be exempted from multiple mandatory city licenses for individual therapists, which has become such a burden for so many in our field. There are well over 5,000 massage therapists in Minnesota and most practice in multiple cities and too often go through a lengthy, time-consuming and costly process in every city they wish to work in.

While the bill had tremendous support from lawmakers of all political stripes in both the House and Senate, the chair of the first House committee refused to grant HF 1925 a hearing.

ABMP recently asked our MN members to contact their state legislators to voice their support for a voluntary state massage therapist credential (Senate File 1792 and House File 1925) and to please consider adding their name as a co-author. This legislative effort is dependent on legislators hearing from their constituents