Health Benefits of Laughing

BENEFITS OF LAUGHING

Why did the chicken cross the road? 
To help you gain the health benefits of laughing!  

Laughter is good for the soul, it releases those feel good endorphins. Not only is it enjoyable to have a good laugh, but it reaps amazing benefits for your body, mentally, emotionally, and physically. This is no joke!

Listed below are some reasons why it is good to laugh, and the benefits you will endure after a comical situation.

LAUGHTER CAN:

DECREASE STRESS: As a broad statement, stress can cause numerous health problems ranging from anxiety, nervous breakdown, depression, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, etc. Laughing can help alleviate stress, which then decreases your chances of developing potential health problems.

BETTER CONCENTRATION: Laughing can help you concentrate, think more clear, become more creative and definitely make you more attentive to details. Got a big speech coming up?Just turn on a comedy show or movie and enjoy! Afterwards, prepare your speech. You will be able to recollect things that you studied more easily and correctly, with less stress!

INCREASE MENTAL & EMOTIONAL HEALTH: Laughing contributes towards your mental and emotional health. Laughter has been proved to keep your mind and emotions healthy, and makes you a better person to be around. It helps you become more confident, much more positive, assertive and easily adaptive to deal with difficult situations and changes in life.

IMPROVE CORE MUSCLE STRENGTH: Laughing can keep you fit. If you thought that this was just a joke to make you laugh; think again. When you laugh you give a wonderful workout to your belly muscles. You also use up a huge muscle in your abdomen called the diaphragm. Laughing once in a blue moon is not going to give you any obvious benefit; you certainly have to engage in vigorous laughing sessions multiple times daily. But it does help!

NATURAL DETOX: Laughing is the best natural way to detox both mentally and physically. Exerting pressure on the abdominal muscles while laughing helps you in getting a free detox session done. This is because the pressure on the muscles squeezes the lymphatic vessels and thus it boosts your lymphatic circulation. Lymphatic circulation is the body’s natural method of detoxifying the intracellular wastes and toxins, and flushing them out of the body. Laughing also helps you get a mental and emotional detox. When you laugh you are literally flushing out all the toxic negative thoughts and concerns that poison your mind.

HEART HEALTH: A good laugh keeps your heart healthy. Research has proved that people who are less likely to enjoy a spontaneous laugh or even find humor in a humorous situation are more likely to suffer from a heart attack.

BEST OF ALL....Laughing is free and contagious! So spread the benefits of laughing to promote good health to others! 

Meet Claudette: NIS Demo at Mission Vitamin Store

Claudette Varley will be demonstrating NIS therapy at the Mission Vitamin Store on Tuesday, September 18, 2012 from 10 AM - 2 PM. 

Call 604-820-8560 to set up your free 30 minute NIS demo now! She will also be handing out 2 for 1 NIS vouchers. What a great opportunity!


Mission Vitamin Store 

33139 1st Ave, Mission, BC

V2V 1G5
Phone: 604-820-8560 

PATIENT APPRECIATION BBQ

TO OUR VALUED PATIENTS!

New Leaf Massage & Wellness would like to
invite you and your family to join our staff for a BBQ.

We will be hosting our annual Patient Appreciation BBQ on

Saturday, September 15th, 2012 from 12 PM-3 PM.

There will be fun activities, games, and prizes for the children.

For the adults, there will be a 50/50 raffle, and door prizes!

All proceeds will go to Canuck Place Children's Hospice.

Come spend some time getting to know the New Leaf Staff.

We will be serving hotdogs, burgers, snacks, and beverages.

Please RSVP if you plan on joining, so that we have a head count for food & prizes.

You can contact us by email, phone, or at your next appointment.

We will be here to answer any questions you have,

and want to remind you that we appreciate you.

Thank YOU for being a part of our clinic!

http://www.newleafwellness.net/
604-850-2511

Massage Techniques

What is Massage Therapy?

Massage therapy is the assessment of the body’s soft tissues and joints, and the treatment and prevention of dysfunction, injury, pain and physical disorders of the soft tissues and joints.

There are many different techniques used in massage therapy. All of our therapists are Registered through the College of Massage Therapy of British Columbia (CMTBC), and have met or exceeded the mandatory requirements. CMTBC is the regulatory body for registered massage therapists in the province of British Columbia.  It acts on the behalf of all British Columbians to ensure that registered massage therapists always deliver safe and effective treatments.

Here is a list that describes techniques and modalities used in our clinic, which are, but are not limited to:

Craniosacral  Therapy (CST) - (Also known as cranial sacral therapy) CST is used to treat mental stress, neck and back pain, migranes, TMJD, and for chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia. CST is a non-invasive, gentle form of massage that addresses the bones of the head, spinal column and sacrum.

Muscle Energy Technique  - Muscle energy technique is used in osteopathic medicine and physical therapy to treat somatic dysfunction presenting as loss of range of motion secondary to muscular inhibition. There are several distinct techniques which may be called muscle energy techniques including reciprocal inhibition, and post-isometric relaxation.

Muscle Energy is an Active (requires patient utilization of force) Direct (engages the barrier) technique that promotes muscle relaxation by activating the golgi tendon reflex. It has also been proposed that temporary muscle fatigue blocks reflex-contraction thus allowing for an increase of range of motion to beyond the barrier.

Purpose is to gain motion that is limited by restrictions of neuromuscular structures.

Reciprocal inhibition - Reciprocal inhibition uses the body’s antagonist-inhibition reflex to induce relaxation of a “tight” muscle. For example, when the biceps (in this case the agonist) is flexed, a reflexive inhibition of the triceps (here the antagonist) is induced. Thus loss of range of motion in the triceps can be incrementally restored by flexion of the biceps.

Post-Isometric relaxation - Immediately after isometric contraction, the neuro-muscular apparatus becomes briefly refractory, or unable to respond to further excitation. Thus, stretching a muscle immediately following its isometric contraction may incrementally restore range of motion.

Pre- and Post-Natal Care - See our blogs about massage, acupuncture and chiropractic care in regards to pregnancies. 

• Are you pregnant or trying to conceive?
• Pregnancy and Massage Therapy Q & A
• Acupuncture and Fertility
• Chiropractic Care and Pregnancy

Temple Mandibular Joint Disorder (TMJD) - TMJD and other TMJ associated pain can be addressed by massage therapy, especially relaxation, trigger point therapy and focused work on the muscles of the mastication. Hydrotherapy (heat applied to the affected muscles, and cold gel packs if inflammation is present) is often used in treatment plans for TMJD.

Myofascial Trigger Point Release - A trigger point is a way to describe muscles that are tight or taut and are typically painful. The massage therapist may treat using a variety of techniques such as skin rolling, repetitive muscle stripping, ischemic compression, percussion and stretch, and post-isometric relaxation, etc. to the trigger points, and muscles related to the affected trigger point location.

Soft Tissue Release - Soft tissue release is a dynamic, highly effective technique that has an immediate and powerful effect on muscle and connective tissue. It is a combination of techniques such as myofascial release, therapuetic massage and active assisted stretching. The technique involves

Soft Tissue Release (STR) is a dynamic, highly effective technique that has an immediate and powerful effect on muscle and connective tissue. STR is a combination of Myofascial Release, Therapeutic Massage, and Active Assisted Stretching. The technique involves applying precise pressure during a specific stretch performed in multiple planes of movement. The goal is to appeal to the autonomic nervous system in a way that leads to spontaneous release of the injured muscle, thus regaining the original resting length of that muscle. The result: fast and permanent reorganization of scar tissue, the targeted muscle(s) return to the proper resting length, muscle imbalances are corrected, associated pain is decreased or eliminated altogether, and muscle performance is improved. Results are often obtained quickly and permanently. These techniques can be applied to soft tissue injuries in both acute and chronic situations. 

Active Release Techniques (ART)

ART is a patented, soft tissue system that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved with ART. Visit this website to learn more about ART: 

http://www.activerelease.com/what_patients.asp

Deep Tissue - The purpose of a deep tissue massage is to relieve sever tension in the muscles and the connective tissue of fascia, and focuses on the muscles located below the surface of the top muscles. This type of massage is often recommended for those who experience frequent and consistent pain, those who endure a heavy physical exertion (such an hard labourers, and athletes) and patients who have sustained a physical injury. Some patients just prefer a 'deeper' or heavy pressure massage.

Swedish Massage - The term "Swedish massage" is a variety of massage techniques used to relax muscles and increase oxygen flow in the blood to release toxins from the muscles such as lactic acid, uric acid, and other metabolic waste. Swedish massage relaxes muscles by applying pressure to them against deeper muscles and bones, and by rubbing in long gliding strokes in the direction of the blood returning to the heart.  There are 6 main components to Swedish massage:

1. Effleurage: Gliding strokes with the palms, thumbs, and/or fingertips.
2. Petrissage:  Kneading movements with the hands, thumbs, and/or fingers.
3. Friction: Circular pressures with the palms of hands, thumbs, and/or fingers.
4. Vibration:  Oscillatory movements that shake or vibrate the body.
5. Percussion: Brisk hacking or tapping.
6. Passive and Active movements: Bending and stretching.

Cryotherapy - Cryotherapy comes from the greek word cryo-meaning cold, and therapy- meaning cure.  In massage therapy, cryotherapy is applied by using ice and/or cold gel packs to a local or general area to decrease inflammation, pain and spasms, and to promote vasoconstriction.

Neuromuscular Therapy - From Wikipedia:

"Neuromuscular therapy (NMT) is a form of soft tissue manual therapy. It is distinguished from other types of massage in that a quasi-static pressure is applied to the skin with the aim of stimulating specific areas of skeletal muscle. Often these areas of muscle are myofascial trigger points. NMT is a comprehensive program of soft tissue manipulation techniques that balance the central nervous system (brain, spinal column and nerves) with the structure and form of the musculoskeletal system. NMT is based on neurological laws that explain how the central nervous system maintains homeostatic balance.

The application of NMT is dependent on several key factors:

• The location of myofascial trigger points
• Force has to be applied perpendicular to the skin surface if muscle is to be stimulated.^[1]"

You can also view our website for other definitions of terms used in our clinic and on our website:

http://www.newleafwellness.net/services/definitions/

We are pleased to welcome a new therapist to the team!

New Leaf is pleased to welcome Dave Reichelt, RMT to our team!

Dave will begin booking appointments August 15, 2012 at our clinic. Dave will be available Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays by appointment only. Please call now to book!

Dave H. Reichelt RM.T /A.T.(dip.)


Registered Massage Therapist











In my twenty years working as an Athletic Therapist, I have always emphasized that Massage Therapy should be an integral part of a treatment program. I have worked as an Athletic Therapist with professional football teams (Ottawa Roughriders, Calgary Stampeders, B.C. Lions), as well as semi-professional hockey and university level teams and athletes (Carleton University). My preference has always been for a more hands-on approach with my clients, which made Massage Therapy the natural way to go. I am a graduate of Kine-Concept Massage Institute-Ottawa (2005) and Sheridan College-Athletic Therapy-Oakville (1983). I have found, and still find, Massage Therapy both challenging and rewarding. I enjoy keeping my clients healthy and on the road to recovery, from problems caused by injuries or daily stresses. I also maintain specific and personal treatment/rehab programs suited to each client’s needs and future goals. I prefer to use a variety of different massage techniques that is tailored to each client’s treatment program, and depending on the situation/condition presented to me.


In my spare time, I like to go on long hikes with my boston terrier, Murphy. I  am an avid cyclist, and have many projects on the go on the home front. I also like to de-stress and relax by swimming, playing tennis, squash, volleyball, and the occasional work-out.

I am also very happy to be back on the West Coast. 

Massage Fee Adjustment: Effective September 1, 2012

Just a friendly reminder, effective September 1, 2012 our fee schedule will be as follows:

30 minute massage- $55.00
45 minute massage- $75.00
60 minute massage- $95.00

HST is included in our prices. We accept Interac, Visa and MasterCard, cheque and exact cash.
Please call now to book your appointments before we are fully booked! 604-850-2511