“Joints don’t break down with age alone, but rather with disuse, misuse, or no use. It just so happens as we get older we have more and more opportunity to do less and less”. Murray Allen, M.D.

Despite medicine’s best efforts, degenerative joint disease, also known as osteoarthritis, continues to be one of our society’s most common – and tragic – degenerative diseases. By age 30, about one third of the population will show osteoarthritic changes on spinal x-ray, and by 70 years of age degenerative joint disease is almost universal.

The prevalence of osteoarthritis has lead to two widespread misconceptions. Many people attribute back or neck pain to the presence of spinal degeneration. Similarly, many believe spinal degeneration is a normal and inevitable aging process. Both these traditional beliefs are now starting to be questioned as more, and better, research is expanding our knowledge of this condition.

Although recent medical research has identified a possible genetic component to certain forms of osteoarthritis in certain individuals, spinal degeneration is still considered largely a “wear and tear” condition. In the simplest terms, the spine is comprised of vertebra separated from one another by discs (analogous to cushions or sponges). As we age, these discs undergo subtle biochemical changes resulting in a loss of thickness and cushioning ability. Evidence now suggests these biochemical alterations in the disc may be a product of chronic undernourishment due to faulty spinal mechanics, rather than an inevitable part of the aging phenomenon. Faulty spinal mechanics is primarily the result of accidents, microtrauma and postural distortions. Trauma and abnormal posture produces malalignment of the spine, further contributing to spinal wear and tear.

The major significance of spinal osteoarthritis, however, lies in its effect on the nervous system. Studies show even minor changes in spinal configuration – the beginning stages of the degeneration process – result in compromise of the spinal cord and associated nerve function. As the arthritic changes progress in severity so does nervous system compromise. The potential implications of this are enormous, as science confirms the nervous system controls every tissue, organ and system in the body. For example, evidence shows there is a direct connection between the nervous and immune systems.

The process of spinal degeneration may not be an inevitable part of aging. This is evident from the fact many older people have healthy, well-preserved discs and no sign of disc or joint degeneration. Yet severe degenerative change can be seen in young adults if there has been trauma or prolonged, abnormal spinal stress, such as the result of postural distortion and malalignment.

Chiropractic care can significantly benefit osteoarthritis sufferers by gradually improving movement in dysfunctional joints and through restoring normal spinal curves and alignment. In addition to relieving pain, chiropractic may also assist in preventing further degeneration from occurring. The most important contribution chiropractic care can have to spinal health, however, may lie in prevention. Through maintaining optimum joint movement and spinal alignment, regular chiropractic care can help prevent spinal degeneration from starting in the first place.

If you started to massage your teen as a child, you can continue to do so as long as you both are comfortable with it. If you have never massaged your child, your teen may prefer you taking him or her to a certified massage therapist. (With teens who have never been given a massage as a child, this is pretty much a guarantee.)

Your teen has a lot of stress in his or her life. He/she is busy with school and homework, may be into sports or other after school curricular activities, hold a job, help around the house, etc. He or she may be worried about getting his/her driver’s license. Learning how to drive and knowing you could fail your driver’s test is a huge stress maker!

Your teen can benefit from massages. It is a good idea to set three to five times a week aside to give your teenager a massage. You can have the massages be as little as fifteen minutes if you so choose.

Find a comfortable and quiet place to perform the massage on your teen. Make this your special quiet time together. You may use essential oils to give the best massage as possible. Plus, the oils will seep into the skin helping your teen benefit even more.

When you give your child the gift of a routine massage you are benefiting his/her health not only mentally but physically as well. When your child is under stress, the stress hormones kick in making it hard for the body to stay healthy. Your child may become sick as the good cells are being taken over and making your child ill.

Your child will be able to focus on schoolwork, his/her job, homework, etc., when he/she is relaxed. You may see your child’s grades improve after you start to give him/her a massage a few times per week.

You may decide to give your child a sports massage, deep tissue massage, Trager massage, hot stone massage, etc.

The hot stone massage is extremely relaxing. Specific hot stones are used for different key parts of the body. The hot stones are made out of basalt which is a rock that is rich in iron. Due to the iron, the hot stones retain heat. Since the hot stones are so smooth due to being smoothed over by the river’s current, you can also take the hot stones and use them to massage parts of your teen’s body during massage time.

To heat the stones you will need to immerse them in water. You will then heat the stones in an electric heating device. Once your teen’s muscles are very relaxed, you can apply much deeper pressure if your teen needs it. Your teen will benefit from the warmth of the hot stones as they will improve his or her circulation and calm his/her nervous system.

Have peace of mind knowing you are helping your child in a loving and caring manner. You will feel very proud when your child is a happier and healthier person.

There are so many ways Massage Therapy can benefit you. A healthy body relies on the happy co-operation of the body’s skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, lymphatic, nervous, respiratory, digestive and urinary systems – and this type of bodywork benefits all of these. In addition, the tone and condition of the skin improves.
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Massage affects you physically, emotionally and physiologically. It is very relaxing and helps to dissipate fatigue and muscle strain. It can also improve your immunity to disease, by increasing the white blood cells. Improved oxygenation helps the tissues to receive the nourishment they need and elimination improves, often with accompanying reduction in water retention.

Relief from headaches, anxiety and insomnia can also occur. Scar tissue is sometimes seen to reduce and regular healing bodywork can help you recover after an operation. By improving muscle tone and balance, the physical stress placed on bones and joints is improved.

If your work involves long hours of standing on hard floors, lifting heavy objects or having to sit for lengthy periods, you may end up with back pain, tense shoulders and other uncomfortable symptoms. Repetitive strain can result from remaining in the same position for unnatural amounts of time.

If your joints tend to be stiff from too much or too little exercise and you suffer from various aches and pains, regular massage could be very helpful. Massage is very useful for dancers, sports people and others who rely on their body being in tip top condition for their work.

Even babies can derive great benefit from a massage. In ancient cultures, such as in India, it was common practice to gently rub oil into an infant’s limbs, to assist its health and benefit the joints and skin. Research conducted on children who had been massaged daily by their parents showed a marked increase in their health.

Some of the more difficult effects of aging can be ameliorated by good physical therapy. Sessions are often a welcome addition to the care provision in hospices, because of its deeply calming effects.

Psychological difficulties like depression can be alleviated. The beneficial effects on the body’s system help to promote positive and healthy mental states, partly because of hormones (endorphins) released by the process.

The word in Arabic which means ‘to knead bread’ is the origin of our word ‘massage.’ Sessions include applying kneading movements to the muscles as well and more direct pressure to the deeper tissues.
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During a session, the therapist will rub and knead muscles to dissolve the tension and soreness stored in them. Traditional strokes have names like ‘effleurage’ (a gentle stroking, sweeping motion), ‘petrissage’ which deeply kneads and squeezes the underlying muscles and ‘tapotement’, or ‘hacking’ which applies rhythmic percussive movements, using the sides of the hands, the fingertips or cupped hands which stimulate the body.

Preventative care is crucial to maintain good health. A regular physical therapy session will calm and revitalise you, so improving the function of your whole system. If you need a bit of time just to relax or need advice and help with a health problem, massage could help you in building a more naturally healthy and productive lifestyle.