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Strategies for Staying Well

There are many important lifestyle choices we can make this winter to strengthen our immune system and reduce our risk of contacting winter infections. Among these are taking nutritional supplements, eating healthy foods, getting regular exercise, washing our hands well, giving up smoking, trying not to get chilled, and getting sufficient rest. Fortunately, one of the most effective and relaxing methods to boost our immune system is getting regular therapeutic massage. In fact, massage can be a good complement to other strategies for staying well: it helps reduce sore muscles and improve joint flexibility after exercise, it helps us sleep more soundly, and it can help flush out toxins so our nutritional uptake is also more efficient.

Regular massage can play an important role in helping keep our immune system running more efficiently. A healthy immune system can help us avoid many viral or bacterial infections and/or shorten the duration and lessen the symptoms of cold or flu should we contact it.

Known Benefits of Regular Massage on the Immune System

Getting massage on a regular basis while we are still healthy has been shown to help us stay that way. If we do manage to get sick, our body will likely be better prepared to fend off the illness more quickly. There is no better time than the present -- as the weather gets cold and damp and the holidays loom ahead -- to take action and make an investment in protecting your health. There are a number of ways regular massage is known to benefit our immune system, including:

• Increasing White Blood Cell Production, our body's main defenders,
• Improving Blood Circulation, which helps speed up our body's immune response to injury or invasion,
• Providing Greater Movement of Lymph in the Lymphatic System, which is the main filter of our immune system,
• Lowering Cortisol Levels, a stress hormone that hinders our immunity,
• Enhancing Relaxation and Sleep, which in turn allows our body to rest and repair itself, and
• Deepening Breathing, which increases the oxygen available to all the cells of our body.

Please give us a call today and let us help you lower your chances of becoming ill this cold and flu season while enjoying all the benefits of regular massage.

Get an Immune Boost with Lymphatic Drainage Therapy

Those looking for an extra boost to their immune system as we start the cold and flu season may be interested in learning about Lymphatic Drainage Therapy. This gentle, relaxing massage technique was developed in the 1930s to help manually stimulate the flow and drainage of lymph and to stimulate the immune system.

The lymph system is the main filter for our immune system. Increasing the flow of lymph helps the lymphatic system remove harmful substances from cells faster and improve nutritional uptake in cells, both of which can strength our immune function.

Unlike blood's circulatory system, which moves quickly around the body due to the powerful action of the heart, the lymph system has no central "pump" and relies on a combination of deep breathing and muscle contractions -- yet another benefit of regular exercise -- to move lymph fluid through the body. When the lymph system is sluggish and congested, our immune system is less effective at eliminating pathogens and toxins. As a result, we can be more susceptible to headaches, soreness in muscles and joints, fatigue, frequent cold or flu infections, acne outbreaks, and it can even affect our mood.

A massage therapist trained in Lymphatic Drainage Therapy techniques uses very-light-to-light pressure and soft "pumping" movements in the direction lymph flows to stimulate lymph movement and drainage, helping unblock nodes. Correctly applied, Lymphatic Drainage Therapy can increase the volume of lymph by as much as 20 times its normal rate of movement. As such, Lymphatic Drainage Therapy can also be helpful in:

• Reducing Edema (fluid retention),
• Managing the symptoms of Lymphadema (after removal of axillary lymph nodes during treatment of breast cancer),
• Speeding healing of sports-related injuries and scar healing (by bringing blood and plasma to the injury site),
• Boosting energy levels,
• Increasing the metabolism, and
• Enhancing immune response.

This technique is counter-indicated in the presence of acute inflammation, malignant tumors, thrombosis (blood clots), and major heart problems, which is why it is important to discuss all current health conditions with your massage therapist. As with all massage, it is helpful to increase water intake after a Lymphatic Drainage Therapy session to help flush toxins from the body.

To learn more or schedule a Lymphatic Drainage Therapy session with one of our licensed therapists, please contact International Therapeutic Massage at http://therapeuticmassage.biz or call 1.888.98-RELAX (1.888.987.3529) or 1.248.851.3700.

Sidebar: Lymph & the Lymph System

Lymph -- a clear-to-yellowish watery fluid -- is very similar to blood plasma and circulates throughout the body, carrying white blood cells (lymphocytes), oxygen, protein, and glucose to nourish and protect cells.

Lymph fluid passes through cell membranes in body tissue, bathing cells with needed nutrients and oxygen (picked up from our blood system) and removing unwanted substances (such as pathogens, metabolic waste, and toxins).

The lymph circulates through its own circulatory network (called the Lymphatic System) containing vessels and capillaries that are similar and lie near to the system blood flows through. These vessels and capillaries are linked via lymph nodes, which act as tiny filters to trap and remove unwanted substances carried in the lymph. They also produce more white blood cells to refresh lymph, and act as way stations to help destroy pathogens. Lymph collects at locations in the neck and abdomen where it is dumped into the blood system for further filtering and to pick up more oxygen and nutrients.

Unlike blood, which moves quickly around its circulatory system at a rate of 5 liters (5.3 quarts) / minute, lymph moves slowly (3 liters (3.2 quarts) / day) and in only one direction. This movement occurs thanks to a combination of muscle and lung movements. Lymphatic Drainage Therapy can also speed lymph flow, helping our immune system work more efficiently.

To learn more or schedule an appointment, call 1.888.98-RELAX (1.888.987.3529) or l.248.851.3700 or schedule online by clicking here and start the process of feeling healthy and pain-free again.