Thankfulness List

               A Thankfulness List: 

     To celebrate Thanksgiving I figured I'd write up a little list of things I am Thankful for. 

       1. Family and friends - They are group of people with amazing talents. Artists, musicians, scholars, writers, and so on. They are all a little crazy in their own ways. They are people who support me and keep me from driving myself completely insane. They put up with all my little (and not so little) quirks. My husband appreciates my nerdy sense of humor and my growing collection of books. 

       2. My dog. She is essentially my child. There is something about a being that loves you without reserve. Her excitement at seeing me when I've been gone for a few days - it is downright adorable. 

     

        3. Music. Music is a huge part of my life. A favorite thing to do at home, usually before bedtime, was to put on a record and dance around the living room. One of our most favorite albums was Herbie Mann at the Village Gate. (Tried to post a link, but I couldn't get it to work for some reason)

 

        4. Reading. My parents read to us almost every night. I loved diving into different worlds. I fell in love with the Odyssey in second grade (as stated, I have quirks). An author's ability to spin a tale that transforms the way you view things is a mighty ability. Books became indispensable friends. My way to escape the daily grind is to open a book and read. Give me a good book and a cup of tea and I am a happy camper. 

            

        5. Eating delicious food. Kansas City has some mighty tasty places to eat.

Eden Alley, Sama Zama, McCoy's, Spin Pizza, The Mixx... mmm I am making myself hungry thinking about them. Also, I just haven't had breakfast yet so that doesn't help.  

    

          Those are a few things I am grateful for. To me, Thanksgiving is about spending time with the people who matter. It is about being together as a community to share in good food, conversation, and stories. May blessings abound this year. I hope soon, that everyone will have a place at someone's table. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

      

A Little Anatomy

         
           Despite the fact that our bodies are our constant companions for life, how much do we really bother to learn about them? We are fairly demanding to our bodies. They haul us around, putting up with our terrible posture (slouchers unite!) and we hardly thank them for all their hard work. We get used to the little aches and pains and carry on our day. Society almost considers self-care to be akin to an act of self-indulgence that is unnecessary. Let's be honest with ourselves, we are mean to our bodies.

           What does my rambling about self-care have to do with anatomy? To my way of thinking, if we really want to live a healthy, well balanced life, we need a fundamental understanding of these bodies we live in. If we don't understand how they fit together and how they work we are missing a large piece of the puzzle. We also tend to think of the body in separate parts on a flat plane. We think of the body in terms of a flat image. Anatomy shows how everything is connected and how the feet can affect the shoulders or the neck can play havoc on the wrists

           Muscles and bones are usually named for a few reasons: where they are in relation to the trunk (torso) of the body or each other, what actions they perform, their appearance, or their shape.
             When discussing anatomy, the body is always in "Anatomical Position".

           This is anatomical position: Facing forward with palms out. I found this particular picture floating about the internet and thought it quite cute (Yoshis are always cute). From this position the body is cut into different planes.

Sagittal Plane - down the mid-line to split the body into right and left.

Coronal or Frontal Plane - splits the body into front and back.

Transverse Plane - splits the body between top and bottom halves.

           From this point we have more fun terms:

Medial - Towards the mid-line of the body (the bellybutton or spine are great landmarks).

Lateral - Away from the mid-line of the body.

Proximal - Closer to the trunk (torso).

Distal - Farther from the trunk.
         
Posterior - The back side of something, or located on the back of the body.

Anterior - The front side of something, or located on the front of the body.

Superior - Above a structure.

Inferior - Below a structure.

           You might notice that most of these terms are opposites of each other. This is helpful in the sense that it helps you to know where muscles attach and the structures that they effect.

For example: I know that the Subscapularis muscle is on the anterior side of the scapula, posterior to the serratus anterior and ribs, attaches along the subscapular fossa (fossa is a shallow depression) to the proximal anterior lesser tubercal (tubercal is a knobby part of a bone) of the humerus.

Translation, (Keep in mind that this is if you are looking at the body face to face). Subscapularis is under the shoulder blade (sub means under), between the shoulder blade, another muscle and ribs. It originates in the shallow part on the front of the scapula and attaches to the front part of the humerus (big arm bone) that is closest to the trunk of the body.

          Confused yet?

         In short, anatomy is about opposites and balance. If there is a superior, there is an inferior, if there is an anterior there is a posterior,  and so on.
         As a therapist I feel that I can better help people by knowing the structures of the body and how they work, what they do, and what problems they can cause when tight or restricted.
Also, learning where muscles begin (origin) and end (insertion) and where they are located helps you see the body as a 3D structure.

       
           Happy Monday!
         
         

Stress: the Good, Bad, and Dangerous

Why is stress such a big deal?

We all have stress. Jobs, family, friends... money. We all have the big stresses and the little stresses. There are even the good and happy stresses. Personality, psychological issues, hormone imbalances, and numerous other factors also play a role in how we become stressed and deal with stress.  

First off, what causes stress?
Stress can be caused by internal or external forces. Internal stressors can be from illness, emotions, worry etc. External are from physical exertion, pain, a bad work environment, etc.
Stress can be acute or chronic. Acute happens in a short burst like being super hungry and not able to eat at that time. Chronic is something that happens over an extended period of time such as family issues, work, or finances.

So what does stress actually DO to the body?
Stress creates a cascade of biological responses in the brain. Most people know of the "fight or flight" response. The brain prepares the body to fight or run away. Hormones that control your blood flow, breathing, memory, emotions, and even your immune system are released.
Increase in blood flow means higher blood pressure. The body also diverts blood to the deeper vessels to provide more oxygen to the deeper muscle tissue and reduce the potential of superficial injury.
Breathing is shallow and rapid to draw in more oxygen.
The immune system reorganizes in order to best combat potential injury and infection. The body increases production of red and white blood cells.
Non-essential body functions (digestion) are reduced.
Saliva production is reduced. Out mouths become dry. Swallowing and talking can become more difficult.
Short and long term memory are affected. Times of high stress and emotion are stored away in long-term memory.
You become more alert, a sort of heightened senses occurs.

Normally once the event is over the body resets. Systems go back to normal functions.
What happens when the system does not reset? This is what happens with chronic stress. The brain keeps reading stimuli as a threat and keeps the body in the fight or flight response.
Eventually the system breaks down. Your body was not meant to maintain that level of awareness and hyper activity.
High blood pressure, stomach and digestive issues, insomnia, heart disease, easily getting sick or slow recovery from illness or infection, these are all possible results of chronic stress.

So what do you do to combat this cycle?
Sometimes the most simple option is to breathe. Focus on breathing deeply and slowly. This can help you calm your heart rate.
Exercise can be very cathartic. It can help people focus on something other than what is stressing them out.
Petting an animal. Seriously. Some studies have shown it helps reduce blood pressure.
Get a massage. Massage can help people reset. It calms the brain, releases tension in the muscle tissue, It helps break the cycle of constant stimuli by changing the kind stimuli the brain is reading. The body can store emotional stress and manifests it as physical pain or restriction. At times by addressing the physical aspect of pain, the emotional side can release as well.

In short, do not just accept stress as something to just live with. Find something you enjoy doing that helps you focus on something good. Stress can have a huge impact on your health. Taking care of yourself mentally and physically is vitally important. We tend to put our own wellness low on the list of "Life's Important Things". It is not selfish to take time for yourself and do something good for you.  

What should I Blog about Today?

             I'm currently sitting at my computer trying to figure out what topic I should choose for today's blog.

I think the problem is I have too many random topics rattling around in the vacuous space of my brain. 

            So I'll just babble a little about things that I enjoy doing. 

            1. Being a massage therapist. I truly love my work. Granted there are days where I wonder if I've lost my head. I certainly have days where I realize I haven't the slightest clue what I'm doing running my own business. However, once the panic subsides and I calm down I remember just how fortunate I have been. It is a wonderful gift helping people realize that they don't have to just live with the discomfort or pain, helping them understand the physical structures involved, and educating them on ways to improve form and function. There is never a lack of things to learn. I am constantly challenged to improve. 

           2. Reading. Reading to me is probably my most favored form of escape. I can leave my world behind for a while and just plunge into a different world. As a small child my parents read to us every night. This instilled in me and my sister a love of reading, of discovering new worlds and viewpoints. In second grade my favorite book was The Odyssey (I was a slightly odd child). I've been on a mystery kick lately. I just finished Collin Cotterill's The Coroner's Lunch and am currently reading Ben Arronovitch's Midnight Riot.  

            

               3. Cleaning. Yes, I admit I'm a bit of a freak on this one. For some reason I find cleaning to be cathartic. This is either because my jobs growing up always involved a lot of cleaning and keeping things very organized, or I'm just odd. I tend to terrify my dog while cleaning.  She has a love/hate relationship with the vacuum. I should add cooking to this section. It makes me happy when people like what I cook. I'm no gourmet by any stretch, but it's nice to have a good meal and good company.    

              4. Being outside. There is something so peaceful and healing about hearing the breeze through the trees and feeling the sun on your face. It is refreshing to leave the phone at home, disconnect and just be. We as a human race are not very good at that. We have become so hyper-stimulated we have a difficult time decompressing. Life intrudes in the form of phone calls, emails, Facebook notices, etc. Being outside gives your mind other things to enjoy. A bubbling brook, creek, or river (and a book) is an added bonus. 

I hope everyone is having wonderful summer adventures!

        

The Tipping Question

Should you tip a Massage Therapist? If so, why and how much?

So let's be honest. Massage can be pricey. Depending on where you go you can figure to pay anywhere from $50- $100 or more for an hour long massage. Why should you tip on top of that? Also, why is massage so expensive?

The answer is: it depends. Not very helpful I know. But here are a few reasons for the whys and hows of paying and tipping for massage. 

There are three major ways of working as a Massage Therapist. 

1. Self-employed/ sole owner

        100% of the massage price goes to the therapist.

       However, this means that all expenses are the therapist/owners responsibility. Rent, equipment, supplies, continuing education, etc. are all part of what dictates the price charged for the massage. The type of bodywork being done and level of experience of the therapist can also affect the price. 

2. Independent Contractor 

        Therapists are paid on commission. Typical rate is 50% of the massage rate. The therapists responsibilities can vary. Sometimes all equipment and supplies are supplied. Sometimes linens, oils, and marketing are the therapists responsibility. Unless it is a Therapist owned office, or large franchise the therapists are most likely IC.  

3. Franchise/ Employee status

        Therapists are paid an hourly rate for each massage performed. The typical rate is $15 for each hour long massage. If the therapist has a day with no massages they are paid minimum wage (kind of like how wait staff are paid). The therapist does not have to provide any supplies or equipment.

         Massage rates are partially dictated by the type of business in which the therapist works. The larger business can afford to charge less but that means the therapists earn less. The single therapists offices may take home the full 100% but have greater overhead. There is a level of variation in all of these options. There are also some situations, such as Doctor's offices, where tips cannot be accepted. If you are unsure of the tipping policy, just ask.  

          If you decide to tip how much should you leave? The general rule of thumb is to tip 20% of the total cost. (For discounts would tip according to the non-discounted rate.) 

While tipping is not expected, it is lovely and encouraging for the therapist. It lets them know their abilities and time are appreciated and valued.   

Places I love (and would kind of like to be at right now)

The Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis are absolutely lovely. I could spend hours just wandering around or finding a nice quite place to sit and enjoy. 

Next is Ha Ha Tonka. It's a small state park near Lake of the Ozarks. The hiking trails are peaceful and it's a good way to get away for a day. 

Oh, and it's the park where we got our dog. She was a little six week old, four pound puppy. We couldn't say no. She is no longer four pounds... but still really cute. 

The Badlands. Pictures cannot capture the full impact. 

The Rockies. Because they are breathtaking and beautiful!

Lake Superior - North Shore of Minnesota. This particular shot it taken from Split Rock Lighthouse. There are many state parks, hiking trails and beauteous areas up there.  

There are many more places I love visiting but that would take way more than just one blog post. Perhaps I'll do a second part soon. 

Safe travels to anyone setting out on summer excursions. Perhaps one of these places will make your list.

Snow Day!

     Over this past weekend I decided to bite the bullet and paint my office. I was putting it off because... well it's kind of a pain. But, I did it and I think my office looks pretty nice. I don't have any pictures from the before. It didn't look "bad" per say, but not exactly nice. My office was used as a storage room for some time before I came in. Basically the walls were a rather bland cream-ish color that I think is universal for rental agencies. There were scuff marks, scratches, and places where the coat underneath (possibly a dark blue) showed through. It just didn't feel very... put together. Saturday I cleaned the walls, taped around the trim, etc. You know, all the fun pre-painting set up. I vainly hoped one coat would do, but no such luck. Monday I painted the second coat and cleaned up. 

       I was supposed to work today (not at my office but another job) but, I got a call around 9 saying they would be closing at noon due to the rather unpleasant weather. Thus, SNOW DAY! So I decided I would go and put my office back together. 

       As with painting it, it took longer than I planned. 

       I walked to my office, which according to googlemaps, is a whopping .8 miles from our home. The neighborhoods looks quite picturesque with all the snow. Note the difference between my walk TO my office and my walk FROM my office. 

         Footprints in freshly fallen snow always seem a little forlorn to me. 

     Here is my office after the paint job, but before being set up. My prep work pretty much meant shoving as much furniture and gear into the closet as would possibly fit. 

     I have to say I'm impressed with myself. I am not known as a tidy painter. So the fact the carpet and trim made in through the process unscathed was a miracle. I can't say the same for my clothes though. 

                                                 

  But here is the (mostly) finished product!

      Now for the walk home. 

                    39th Street was pretty much shut down. 

                          A random little tree. 

  The weather really doesn't stop the mail. He seemed happy enough to be whistling so I guess that's good.

      So that was my snow day. Nothing terribly exciting, but it was nice to get things a bit more finished. I hope you all had a chance to have a safe and warm day!