Karen Smyth, CMT

06/08/2021

Rain samples from Cleveland, Chicago and the Sleeping Bear Dunes show surprisingly high chemical concentrations.

06/04/2020

Soon dear clients . . . soon! Hope everyone is well.

12/11/2019

Massage: Get in touch with its many benefits
Massage can be a powerful tool to help you take charge of your health and well-being. See if it's right for you.

There are many different types of massage, including these common types:

Swedish massage. This is a gentle form of massage that uses long strokes, kneading, deep circular movements, vibration and tapping to help relax and energize you.
Deep massage. This massage technique uses slower, more-forceful strokes to target the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue, commonly to help with muscle damage from injuries.
Sports massage. This is similar to Swedish massage, but it's geared toward people involved in sport activities to help prevent or treat injuries.
Trigger point massage. This massage focuses on areas of tight muscle fibers that can form in your muscles after injuries or overuse.
Benefits of massage
Massage is generally considered part of complementary and integrative medicine. It's increasingly being offered along with standard treatment for a wide range of medical conditions and situations.

Studies of the benefits of massage demonstrate that it is an effective treatment for reducing stress, pain and muscle tension.

While more research is needed to confirm the benefits of massage, some studies have found massage may also be helpful for:

Anxiety
Digestive disorders
Fibromyalgia
Headaches
Insomnia related to stress
Myofascial pain syndrome
Soft tissue strains or injuries
Sports injuries
Temporomandibular joint pain
Beyond the benefits for specific conditions or diseases, some people enjoy massage because it often produces feelings of caring, comfort and connection.

11/18/2019

Massage And Your Immune System

Did you know that a growing body of research indicates massage therapy can benefit the immune system, especially important during winter months?

People looking to fend off cold and flu as the winter months arrive should speak to a massage therapist about prevention strategies. Regular massages have been shown to make the immune system stronger, according to studies.

“Researchers working with patients with compromised immune systems have found massage therapy can improve how the immune system functions,” said Jeff Smoot, 2015 President of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). “Those same benefits can translate to people seeking to fight off the common cold, flu and other seasonal illnesses.”

Massage therapy increases the activity level of the body’s white blood cells that work to combat viruses. According to research from Cedars-Sinai, participants in a Swedish massage group experienced significant changes in lymphocytes, which play a large role in defending the body from disease. A lymphocyte is one of the three subtypes of white blood cells in the immune system

11/13/2019

Massage And Your Immune System

Did you know that a growing body of research indicates massage therapy can benefit the immune system, especially important during winter months?

People looking to fend off cold and flu as the winter months arrive should speak to a massage therapist about prevention strategies. Regular massages have been shown to make the immune system stronger, according to studies.

“Researchers working with patients with compromised immune systems have found massage therapy can improve how the immune system functions,” said Jeff Smoot, 2015 President of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). “Those same benefits can translate to people seeking to fight off the common cold, flu and other seasonal illnesses.”

Massage therapy increases the activity level of the body’s white blood cells that work to combat viruses. According to research from Cedars-Sinai, participants in a Swedish massage group experienced significant changes in lymphocytes, which play a large role in defending the body from disease. A lymphocyte is one of the three subtypes of white blood cells in the immune system.

06/12/2019

Stretching makes all the difference and it is so ignored.

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06/05/2019

Is all that yard work you've been doing getting to you? I can help!

06/05/2019

Is all that yard work you've been doing catching up with you? I can help!

Back and neck pain are very common. Many people opt for non-drug therapies such as massage to ease the pain, find out if it really helps.

06/05/2019

Stretching is key!

Range of motion is a measure of your joints' abilities to move from flexion to extension. Your muscles must work together with the tendons and ligaments that make up joints to ensure full range of motion, and if your range of motion is compromised, you might find yourself clutching your aching back....

06/05/2019

Hip flexor pain is manageable - I can help!

Tight hip flexors and extensors put the brakes on a steady exercise routine. Strained front thighs, pelvis and hamstring muscles may even cause your back to ache. Regardless of the cause -- poor posture or a sedentary lifestyle -- seeing a massage therapist for manual stretching exercises can help.....

06/05/2019

Hip Flexor pain is manageable. I can help!

Tight hip flexors and extensors put the brakes on a steady exercise routine. Strained front thighs, pelvis and hamstring muscles may even cause your back to ache. Regardless of the cause -- poor posture or a sedentary lifestyle -- seeing a massage therapist for manual stretching exercises can help.....