My family and I moved from Lowell to Pepperell, MA which proved to be a very long and time-consuming process.  Staging the house, selling, buying, and then a 30 day lag from closing on the old house to closing on the new house and moving in and unpacking! phew!!  I finally have a bit of time to get back to business.  It has been a great move, lots of trees, farms, great neighbors and quiet!  We are very thankful for the opportunity to buy in this market

Office Updates

With my move, I’ve had to make some adjustments to where and when I work.  The first change is that I reluctantly left Essential Bodywork and Massage in Lexington.  I really enjoyed my time there and everyone that I worked with and will miss them.  I will continue to practice out of my office in Chelmsford but only on Mondays and Wednesdays to coincide with my children’s school schedules.  I hope to add more days as business increases.  If you do need an appointment on a day other than those, please let me know and I will try my best to accomodate.

I have also begun to use a few online resources to make it easier to communicate with you, to schedule appointments and to grow.  The first is an email contact system. This system will allow you to opt in and out of emails with only a couple of clicks. You will also be able to easily forward my newsletters and coupons to others who may like to view them.  The second is an online scheduling system.  You may click on the “Schedule Now” button at the left.  I am hopeful that this will make scheduling appointments easier both for you and me.  Third, I am working with a company to develop a website that will allow for easier access to information about my services and things that I think will be helpful to my clients and friends.

Fall As A Time Of Renewal

As I sit at my kitchen table looking out at the leaves turning and falling and feeling the cool breeze through the window, I am reminded of how Fall can be a time of renewal.  We wind down from the excitement and busyness of the Summer-vacations, barbecues, time away from home.  I really look forward to Fall as a chance to come back home, to pull out my sweaters and blankets, have more time with Tom and the kids and enjoy routine.  It’s like a one big season of comfy and simple!  As the days get shorter, I am encouraged to snuggle up with a good book, some knitting, the family for a movie.  We are so close to local farms and that has given me a desire to do more cooking-soups are first on the list!  Here are  some resources for slowing down and renewing your spirit that I will be enjoying.  If you would like, share some of your own in the comments section.

Knitting:

Knittinghelp.com if you are just learning, features how to videos.

Glampyre.com is the ultra-cool knitting blog of my friend Stefanie Japel who has now written 2 books, Glam Knits and Fitted Knits.

Comfort Food:

Any cookbook by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette.  I heard Br. Victor-Antoine on a radio show and promptly looked up his books and can’t wait to try them!  Most are organized by season so you will always be able to find a recipe with in season ingredients.  They are the recipes he uses to feed the monks and fuel them through days of physical labor so they are sure to be great comfort food! I’ll post a recipe as soon as get the book and have tried one.

Movies:

The Sound of Music.  How can you resist singing the songs?  It’s such a sweet, charming story!  Perfect for popping some popcorn, grabbing tea or hot chocolate and having a sing along with the family!

Any old musical or movie with Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn…..ahhhh, when Hollywood made great movies that even my kids can watch…    For a little Halloween fun watch Arsenic and Old Lace (maybe not so good for the kiddos, but the grown-ups will surely enjoy Cary Grant’s humor).

And last, but certainly not least is massage! What better way to kick start this season of renewal either for you or someone you love?

Have a great October!

Jennifer Murphy, LMT

Active Isolated Stretching Workshop

October 25th and 26th I was able to get away to Rhode Island for a workshop in Active Isolated Stretching.  It was developed by kineseologist Aaron Mattes as a way to improve athletic performance and decrease recovery time from injury.  It has shown itself to be a technique with myriad applications, however.  The workshop was given by Marjorie Brook who trained and continues to work with Aaron Mattes.  She was very informative and I am still processing all of the information given to us!!

AIS uses assisted and self stretching to correct muscle imbalance, injury, and habits of incorrect muscle usage.  Let me explain what this means in practical terms.  Think about how you reach for an item in your cupboard.  Do you keep your shoulder relaxed and reach only with your arm or do you recruit your whole shoulder girdle?  Our bodies were designed to move each area independent of the one it is jointed to. So in this case, you should be able to reach up with your arm without lifting your shoulder.  When we continually use our body in a way that it was not designed to do, our movement patterns cause restriction in range of motion and recruit other muscles that weren’t designed for the job into that pattern.  Eventually, this manifests as poor posture, overuse injuries, or sets the stage for acute injury.  AIS seeks to retrain the muscle to remember it’s original purpose, movement and range of motion.

The process of AIS works through 2 avenues-therapist assisted stretching and self-stretching done by the client at home.  The homework is very important as it reinforces and deepens the work done in the office.  As you become more aware of how you are moving, your body becomes more efficient.  Some of the conditions that AIS has been helpful in are frozen shoulder, carpal tunnel syndrome, injury recovery, improved athletic performance, and it has even had positive effects on Fibromyalgia.

One of the most amazing parts of the workshop was actually not part of the curriculum.  Marjorie Brook showed us some techniques for scar tissue release.  Most of us have scars but few of us realize the impact that scar tissue has on our bodies and health.  One of the students in our class had an abdominal scar from a surgery at 18 months old.  This woman had had poor posture during the entire weekend with her whole body slouching to her right side complete with a head tilt to the right.  Marjorie began to work on her abdominal scar (which was on the right) and after about 20 minutes, she had the woman stand up.  She was standing straight with no head tilt and her abdomen had smoothed before our very eyes!!  The mechanics of damage and restriction that scar tissue can cause will probably be in a future newsletter, but I mention this because it is an overlooked cause of many postural and health problems.  I want you to know that there is something that can help.

I am very excited to be able to help people in such a concrete way that empowers them to be a part of their healing.  AIS is one of those rare additions to massage that allows the client to do this.  I will be taking the lower body training in the spring and hope to take more in depth training in scar tissue release.

If this is something that is of interest to you, please let me know.  We can add it to a massage therapy session or do a session with a complete upper body AIS protocol.

Comfort Food That’s Good For You!

These 2 recipes are from one of my favorite magazines, Clean Eating.  It provides healthy, delicious recipes and nutrition information and best of all, 4 weeks of menus complete with a shopping list!

Curried Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

(from Clean Eating Magazine, Winter 2008)

Ingredients

• 1medium butternut squash
• 1tbsp canola oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 cups water
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scrape the seeds and strings out from the center. Place the squash, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet.  Roast for 30-45 minutes or until the squash is softened. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool slightly.
3. When the squash can be safely handled, scrape the flesh into a bowl. discard the peel.
4. In a stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion;cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cinnamon; cook until fragrant. Add water, reserved squash and apple; cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let soup cool 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Using a blender, puree the soup until it’s smooth. For added smoothness, strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer.

Slow Cooker Chestnut Stew

(from Clean Eating Magazine, Winter 2008)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup amarnath flour or flour of your choice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp crumbled dried oregano
• 1 tbsp crumbled dried basil
• 3 lbs. lean, boneless bison or beef, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped finely
• 4 cloves garlic, passed through a garlic press
• 2 thick carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 cup steamed chestnuts, chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups water or beef or vegetable stock, low sodium (gluten-free)

Instructions

1. In a container with a lid, place flour, sea salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Put the lid on the container and shake. Now add bison or beef to the flour and shake again to coat cach piece. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in  a large skillet and set over medium heat. Remove the meat cubes from the flour mixture one at a time and place them in the skillet.  You may have to brown them in batches. Once the meat is nicely browned, remove from the skillet. Place the meat in the bowl of a slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, mix gently and set to high. Cooked, covered for 6 hours. Serve hot!
   

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Jennifer

Coupon For October

This month’s coupon is Book One Get One 1/2 off.

Book an appointment at regular price between October 15th and November 15th and your next appointment will be 1/2 off.  This works for gift certificates, too.  Book a massage for yourself and purchase a gift certificate for a friend or family member at half off.  The second massage can be scheduled anytime. You must mention this coupon when you book your appointment and it cannot be combined with any other offer.

Referral Discount

Anytime you refer someone and they book an appointment, you will receive $5 off your next massage!

Fibromyalgia: What is it and How does Massage Therapy help?

In a nutshell, Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition that is not fully understood by the medical community yet, but is characterized by widespread muscle pain, stiffness, fatigue, digestive disturbances, sleep disturbances and a host of other symptoms.  It can be very difficult to diagnose, even more difficult to treat, and no two Fibromyalgia cases present with exactly the same set of symptoms.  There are many theories as to the cause of Fibromyalgia, but so far, no one has been able to find a clear trigger for the onset of symptoms.

One theory behind the pain of Fibromyalgia is that a neurotransmitter, Substance P, is present in larger amounts in this population making any sensation of pain more strongly felt.  Lack of restorative sleep plays a role in FM as well.  Those with FM do not reach the regenerative state of sleep as often as those without.  This is a critical phase of sleep as it the time when the brain produces growth hormone and increases the body’s immune function.  Growth hormone is necessary for muscle repair which may play a role in the muscle pain of FM and lowered immune function can cause an increase in susceptibility to illness.

How does Massage Therapy help?  It has been shown in studies* that massage reduces the amount of Substance P in Patients with Fibromyalgia.  Massage has also been shown to help with sleep disturbances.  I have seen firsthand in my own clients the reduction in general pain and improved sleep with regular massage.  Excercise is another very helpful component of FM management. Massage is very effective at decreasing post excercise soreness and with the right techniques can aid in stretching  the muscles, thus enhancing the effects of excercise.

There is so much research being done right now on this condition.  My hope is that more knowledge will allow us to develop better, more consistent treatments.  I believe that massage will always be an important component of Fibromyalgia Management and I have found great satisfaction in seeing my FM clients improve and maintain their pain levels, functioning, and energy levels.

*http://www.massagemag.com/Magazine/2002/issue100/research100.2.php

Tips for Taking Care of Your Cold

Well, somehow I didn’t follow advice on how to avoid a cold, or I was just unlucky.  I am just getting over the worst cold I’ve had in years so I thought I would pass on some ideas to help you feel better should you face the same fate as me!

Baths

Herbal baths are great for relaxing muscles tired from coughing and the general aches of a cold.  Depending on the infusions used, they can also open up nasal passages and allow you to breathe for the first time in days.  Here are a couple of recipes:

Cold and Flu Bath: 5 drops eucalyptus * 5 drops peppermint * 4 drops lavender. Add 7 drops thyme for chest congestion.

Adding ground or sliced and boiled fresh ginger can add a detoxifying element to this bath.

An important caution: do not use peppermint if you are pregnant.

Steams

Steams are wonderful for opening up your sinuses.  They are relaxing as well!

Cold and Flu Steam: Boil about 5 cups of water and pour into a large bowl.  Add 5 drops of eucalyptus oil to the water.  Lean your head over the bowl with a towel covering your head to keep the steam in.  Breathe in through your nose for about 15 minutes.  If it gets to warm, take your head out of the towel for brief minute. Cautions are to not use this with small children, infants, in pregnancy or if you have congestive heart failure.

recipes adapted from:

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Sparta/5725/bath.html

http://www.wlnaturalhealth.com/aromatherapy-articles/aromatherapy-cold-flu-sinus-steam.htm

http://chetday.com/gingerbath.html

Quick Destressors

Who of us is not facing some kind of stress these days?  The current political and economic issues only add to our normal daily stress.  Here is one of my favorite ways to wind down…

Lie on your back and be sure that your lower back is comfortable.  Bend your knees and allow your knees to rest on each other with your hands relaxed, facing up, at your sides.  Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.  Start with 5 minutes and increase the time as you see fit.  You can deepen this relaxation with prayer, music, or visualization.

Have a great Month!

Jennifer