ACN Massage

 What is a massage? Massage involves working and acting on the body with pressure – structured, unstructured, stationary, or moving – tension, motion, or vibration, done manually or with mechanical aids. Massage can be applied with the hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearm, feet, or a massage device. Massage can promote relaxation and well-being, and can relieve pain from injury or chronic disease, lessen anxiety and eliminate depression. It can also be used to treat neck and back pain, headaches and migraines, carpal tunnel, numbness and tingling, fibromyalgia, and a host of other maladies.

The word massage is believed to come from the root word “massa” (found in the French, Arabic, Latin and Greek languages) meaning "friction or kneading, to touch, feel or handle". Archaeological evidence of massage has been found in many ancient civilizations including China, India, Japan, Korea, Egypt, Rome, Greece, and Mesopotamia. There are many different types of massage: Acupressure, Shiatsu, Balinese, Cranial-sacral, Lymphatic drainage, Reflexology, Stone massage, Tuina, etc and many different methods of practicing these types of massage.

Tuina is a form of Chinese manipulative therapy practiced by ACNWellness massage therapists and often used in conjunction with acupuncture, moxibustion (a dried root used to warm the body), fire cupping (a local suction is created on the skin using heat and a small cup), Chinese herbalism, t'ai chi (an internal Chinese martial art practiced for both its defense training and its health benefits), and qigong (a practice of aligning body, breath, and mind for health, meditation, and martial arts training).  Tuina is a hands-on body treatment that uses Chinese taoist and martial arts principles in an effort to bring the eight principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) into balance. The practitioner may brush, knead, roll/press, and rub the areas between each of the joints, known as the eight gates, to attempt to open the body's defensive chi and get the energy moving in the meridians and the muscles. Techniques may be gentle or quite firm. The name comes from two of the actions: tui means "to push" and na means "to lift and squeeze." Other strokes include shaking and tapotement (to tap with the fingers in a thrumming motion). The practitioner can then use range of motion, traction, with the stimulation of acupressure points. These techniques are used to aid in the treatment of both acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, as well as many non-musculoskeletal conditions.

In professional settings, massage involves the client being treated while lying on a massage table, sitting in a massage chair, or lying on a mat on the floor. The massage subject may be fully or partially clothed or unclothed. Sessions may last 30 minutes up to 90 minutes and are performed by a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT). Be sure that your LMT is licensed and insured, that the facility providing the massages is also licensed by the state (we are), the massages are overseen by a physician, you are comfortable with the therapist you are working with, and your LMT is current in continuing education (CE) credits.

Spinal Decompression Therapy & Back Pain

Low back pain has become an epidemic in the United States. Lifting incorrectly, carrying small children, injuries at work: low back pain is responsible for a vast majority of emergency room visits every year, many of which are due to bulging or herniated discs.

To alleviate chronic, severe, low back pain, usually caused by bulging/herniated discs, the majority of patients try all forms of conventional therapies: heavy medication, physical therapy, traditional chiropractic care, acupuncture, home therapies, and as a last resort, surgery---with little to no effect. But there is something else in the arsenal of healing: Spinal Decompression Therapy.

In performing Spinal Decompression Therapy, specialized equipment is used that is designed to gently and effectively reduce disc bulges and herniations, and to increase spinal mobility. A targeted “pull” is applied to the spine with specific angles and calculated weight, tailored to the patient’s needs and body, and hence, a 1-2mm opening of the involved disc immediately occurs. This new opening allows for a natural, vacuum-like action to take place in the bulging area and effectively pulls the disc back away from the irritated nerve, which in turn, leads to pain relief.

Spinal Decompression Therapy differs markedly from traditional traction therapies in that a computerized traction head on the decompression table is used. That is the key to the therapy’s effectiveness. Instead of human hands (or a pulley system with weights) tugging on a patient’s head, a pre-programmed pattern is instituted by the computerized table, ramping up and down the amount of pull. This random and ever-so-slight shift in pressure, distracts the patient just enough so that there is no muscle guarding nor preparatory tensing in the affected area which allows for decompression to occur at the disc level. When Spinal Decompression Therapy is practiced regularly, blood and vital nutrients are finally able to flood the area of the injured disc, which speeds the healing process. Thus, leading to effective and long-lasting pain relief, no scalpels required.

    

If you or someone you know suffers from spinal pain due to:

* Disc bulging/herniation

* Sciatica

* Spinal stenosis

* Degenerative disc disease

* Radicular arm pain

and have not had success with other treatments, Spinal Decompression Therapy may be the key to recovery.