It’s the perfect gift this Valentine’s Day!
Gift Certificates and online purchase are available.
Alan and I are still in business, even though we’re having to work elsewhere. Custom Comfort will take some time to build and we knew that going in, but we’ve since learned how hard it is to compete in an area full of us. We’re not giving up, just facing the reality that we need a steadier paycheck right now.
Please call us for an appointment. We’re still alive and kickin’.
Today and tomorrow only, using our new Google Checkout option (it’s like PayPal, but better) you’ll get 2 sessions for the price of 1!
Select a 30, 60, or 90 minute session* to the left and then click “Buy Now”.
It’s really a steal of a deal!
*Packages and Couples Massages excluded.
We now offer Gift Certificates for online purchase with debit or credit card. How exciting is that?!
If you’re still stumped on a great Christmas gift idea, here’s an unbeatable one!
You can access the purchasing options on this blog (on the left side of the screen) or on our Home page.
Take a look at our new brochure.
What do you think?
Outside.
Inside.
Do you have scars? I think almost everyone does, whether it be from a wound or a serious operation. I have a lot of little scars all over my arms and legs. I even have a long one on my head that starts an inch down onto my forehead to about four or five inches up onto the top of my head. It took 100 stitches to close it up. I am grateful that over the years it has blended in and is not so noticeable anymore.
After a wound has healed on the outside there is still damage under the scar. If you have a scar near or on a joint area you may have noticed that there are limits in your range of motion or some other discomfort. To “fix” or “cure” these limitations some people will have the scar tissue removed through another operation. That doesn’t make sense to me since all it is doing is creating more scar tissue.
As a Licensed Massage Therapist, I have learned how to rid a body of scar tissue without having to get an operation. Some of the benefits of coming to me are:
- I cost less, unless you have insurance that covers it for you.
- You don’t need to take any drugs to put you to sleep, though some of you may like the drugs.
- It is usually painless. I say “usually” because sometimes there may be a bit of discomfort if it is a deep scar (which requires deeper work) or if it is an immature scar, meaning a somewhat newer scar. The technique even works on old scars.
- There is no cutting open of the skin. You walk out with your whole body just as in tact as when you walked in.
-Once you learn the techniques you can do it yourself which is even cheaper. I can’t believe I’m saying that.
As a massage therapist, I always keep in mind that scar tissue may be at the root of your physical imbalance. Several years ago my wife experienced severe pain due to scar tissue build-up after a series of operations. It was pain that most likely could have been avoided had she known, after the first surgery, what we do now about massage. But it’s not too late to undo some of that damage. Not only can I minimize a scar’s appearance with bodywork, I can also therapeutically correct the cause of my client’s physical ailments.
Below is an article to give you more insight into your scar. If you are interested in treating your scar(s) please give me a call or email me.
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What is scar tissue?
by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.
Scars develop on the skin’s surface as the result of burns, deep lacerations or a variety of other injuries that penetrate or interrupt the skin’s integrity. Possessing an amazing capacity to heal and regenerate, the skin forms a scab over a wound within three to four days following an injury. By day ten the scab typically shrinks and sloughs off as the body focuses on laying down collagen fibers to strengthen the former site of injury. The damaged tissue can be in recovery between three months to over a year before it returns to full strength. Additionally, some diseases or skin disorders (such as acne) may also result in scar tissue formation. While scars can result from a variety of traumatic events to the skin, they share some common characteristics. As a general rule, the earlier and more consistently scar tissue is exercised, massaged and warmed, the less possibility of developing any long-term concerns.
Scar Traits
The degree of scar formation varies from person to person, there are some distinguishing characteristics:
· Becomes hard and non-pliable
· Bands of fibers on or below the surface
· Skin tightens or shortens. When crossing a joint, this contracture may limit range of motion, comprise function or cause deformity.
· Becomes dry and reopens to form a wound if not managed properly. This is especially true for skin grafts, which do not produce oil or sweat.
Long-Term Effects
The body’s formation of scar tissue is an awesome demonstration of self-preservation, the resulting fibrous mass can set the stage for problems down the road. Composed primarily of collagen, scar tissue’s fibrosity prohibits adequate circulation. In addition to the physical limitations of collagenous tissue, the lack of blood flow and lymph drainage occurring in scar tissue makes it vulnerable to dysfunction. The resulting abnormal stress on a scar’s surrounding structures may include:
· Nerve impingement
· Pain
· Numbness
· Limited range of motion and flexibility
· Postural misalignment
· Muscle atrophy
· Tissue hypoxia
· An increase in potential for future injury
In fact, some professionals believe that scar tissue is the root of a majority of physical imbalances. Bodyworkers addressing scar tissue early in its development can help minimize any of the preceding secondary scar tissue problems.
Two Phases
A scar’s healing progression consists of two phases, immature and mature.
· Immature – Immediately after a wound heals, the scar is immature. During this period it may be painful, itchy or sensitive as nerve endings within the tissue heal. While it is typically red in appearance, most scars fade to normal flesh color with maturation. Exercise, massage and heat application will have the greatest positive effect on an immature scar.
· Mature – Depending on the size and depth of the wound, scar tissue will cease production 3 to 18 months following wound healing. When scar tissue is no longer produced, the scar is considered mature. While techniques to reduce scar tissue in a mature scar are effective, a more disciplined and vigorous approach is necessary.
One of my favorite aspects of starting our own business has been networking. The last couple of weeks have brought some fun and interesting business connections.
Yesterday, Alan and I went to a health fair at OrangeSoda where we gave seated massages to 30 employees during a 3 1/2 hour period. OrangeSoda is an internet marketing company that is doing great things for small businesses.
Hansen Chiropracitc and their Health Fairs of Utah branch coordinates health fairs throughout the valley and invited us as well as a handful of others to educate people and market ourselves. There were demos for spine alignment, vision screening, diabetes/blood sugar checks, and Red Cross disaster prep info.
We gave a 5 minute massage to each client and made some happy people even happier. Corporate massage is really a great perk for employees, however it’s most beneficial with at least 15 minutes in the chair. Here are some ways it can help employees and their employers:
That last formula seems to be working for OrangeSoda. We found the company to be as effervescent as their slogan, “Online marketing with fizz.” I remarked to a few of the employees that they seemed to be a happy bunch. They all said something similar to, “Yeah, they really make it a fun place to work.” It most definitely says something about an employer’s appreciation for their hired help when they offer perks like health fairs, a ping-pong table to play on breaks, and regular performance incentives–all of which OrangeSoda has.
We had a great time with the employees at OrangeSoda and were pleased to see the line of people after all the other organizations had packed up and gone home. And, to add to our happiness, I worked on one of the employees today in our office and have another fantastic prospect in the wings. Great thing, networking!
We also had a great time with Hansen Chiropractic and others offering their services yesterday. We’re looking forward to working with them throughout next week for Teacher Appreciation week in Utah County.
The other day I was contacted by an awesome organization called Mesothelioma.com. They have asked Custom Comfort Massage Therapy, LLC to help promote awareness of malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that effects the lining of internal organs (called mesothelium), most often the lungs and abdomen.
For many years, massage therapy has been known to be a very effective complimentary form of treatment for cancer patients. In fact, one of my classmates at UCMT went into the field partially due to knowing the benefits of massage therapy during her own battle with leukemia as a child. The wonderful article below–sent to me by Mesothelioma.com–further illustrates the value of massage therapy for cancer patients.
Custom Comfort Massage Therapy, LLC is honored to help patients enduring any type of cancer by being an additional resource to their current treatment options. And we are thrilled to be included in the directory listing on Mesothelioma.com, a leading source of information on the web for those with mesothelioma.
Thank you, Mesothelioma.com, for connecting with us and for all you do!
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Therapeutic Massage and Palliative Cancer Therapy
Jack Bleeker
August 7, 2009
In recent years the role of alternative therapies in cancer care has transformed the way many patients cope with illness and related side of effects. Older paradigms suggest that cancer can only be effectively treated with traditional treatments such as surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Those who refuse this notion seek alternative therapies outside of their treatment regimen to experience relaxation as well as an ease in side-effects associated with traditional treatment regimens, including those caused by chemotherapy drugs.
Today, not only patients but also the medical establishment recognizes the importance of alternative therapies, and particularly the importance of massage therapy in comprehensive cancer care. Massage, like most alternative cancer therapies, is most effective when used in conjunction with traditional treatments. Many oncologists, such as Dr. David Sugarbaker recommend the utilizations of alternative therapies such as massage to complement traditional therapies.
Therapeutic massage is unique in that it remedies the feeling of isolation which is experienced by many people who battle a difficult disease. The human contact that massage therapy soothes the psychological stresses that cancer patients endure such as feelings of being overwhelmed by the nature of their diagnosis, family implications, and other difficulties associated with cancer treatments.
Often, the most valuable treatments to patients battling a difficult diagnosis are those that allow the patient to be as comfortable and relaxed as possible. Patients battling aggressive cancers, such as mesothelioma, often forgo traditional treatments which will put their body through a great deal of stress and discomfort in favor of those such as massage, which provide peace of mind and comfort. Patients undergoing traditional treatments such as chemotherapy often find that therapies that are able to relax their mind and body, will dramatically lessen side effects like nausea, restlessness, and fever.
As with any treatment, the benefits of massage therapy are to be determined on a case by case circumstance. However, given the positive experience many patients have experienced, it is certainly worth exploring. Maximizing your cancer therapies with cooperation between patient, family, and physician will encourage patients to live healthy and comfortably, which is the goal of all comprehensive therapies.
Visit Mesothelioma.com to learn more about the value of massage therapy as an emerging therapy in palliative cancer care for mesothelioma patients.
Our goal as Massage Therapists is to help our clients achieve a sense of wellness just after one visit, but really we want to encourage them to seek wellness after they walk out our door. That would include drinking enough water, getting enough rest, and exercising. Alan and I don’t want to just preach these things, but live them. For the past several months I, for one have been working harder at it. These things have been a way of life for Alan for many years, so it’s a no brainer and he’s a good example for me.
I enjoy exercise for all of its benefits, but it’s been a struggle to find something that I’ll stick with. I do really well with an exercise routine for a while and then other things come along and take priority. (Sound familiar?) I’ve decided to just accept that and no longer be surprised when the wheel turns, otherwise I get stuck in a rut of silly guilt.
My preferred method of exercise is walking, pilates, and hand weights. As much as I love my treadmill, it had to be forced into hibernation recently–at least until we no longer have neighbors living below us. I was in denial of that fact for many months; the treadmill was my trusted friend. I didn’t want to walk out in the elements and watch for cars while crossing the street. I enjoyed the ability to control my inclines and watch the number of burned calories climb, all while watching an episode of Gilmore Girls or part of a movie on DVD. It was a beautiful system that worked for several years!
I relinquished my hold on the treadmill, however, and discovered some things that I cannot know while pacing on the big rotating black belt. The new outdoor system has been surprisingly ideal and I’m enjoying the momentum (ask me how I’m doing in about 3 months).
Here is what I’ve learned:
1) My city’s street sweepers do an awesome job! I hadn’t thought much about that until recently. They’re awfully busy this time of year, gathering all those leaves blown into the street by the wind AFTER my neighbor’s landscaper blew them into mine.
2) The cold temperatures are easily adapted to as long as my ears are covered–but then again, Winter hasn’t started yet here in Utah.
3) It’s not such a good idea to make one of my walk days be on garbage day with the sun blazing and all the cans lined up along the curb. Pee-eew!
4) Walking to classical music does something to my brain that is really quite cool. That’s not a genre I usually pick to accompany my exercise, but it added variety to a routine To-Do. It didn’t even slow my pace.
5) The homes and yards of my neighborhood, as opposed to seeing a story played out on screen, is not as boring as I thought. I just go a different route every day to change things up.
6) Like anything I’ve done that is truly worthwhile, seeing a difference from my exercise takes a lot of patience. Today–after 3 weeks of getting back into a routine–as I put in my few minutes of jogging, I realized my legs were like a little motor. It felt amazing! I felt like a cartoon where the character is running and the legs are going around so fast that they look like a fan blowing on high. My legs were carrying the rest of my body and it didn’t feel like a chore. I finally get how it works: little by little, keep pushing.
7) And finally, for the hundredth time (I’d like to think I’ve been working at exercising for that long) I remembered how true Elle’s statement is from Legally Blonde. “Exercise gives you endorphins–endorphins make people happy and happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.” The only thing I was shooting my husband with were dirty looks (unintentionally, of course) because of the way I was feeling at times–tired and…tired, but those looks have disappeared. I think. At least I feel better. I’ll have to ask my husband if he’s missed my occasional daggers.
Did you know that the release of endrophins is one of the best benefits of massage therapy? Endorphins not only make people happy, they reduce the intensity of pain.
One thing I know for sure about exercise is that you have to figure out what works for you. And it’s okay that it changes from time to time. I thought my thing was the treadmill, but at the moment I’m enjoying the scenery.
The Hockey Tournament in West Valley City was, well… a learning experience, for sure.
With only three games to be played the first night, we discovered that players wanted to do two things: 1) get stoked for their game (ixnay the massage) and 2) go home right after they were done playing (ixnay the massage again).
The second day was a little better. Since we were more familiar with our set up from the first night, we revamped the signs showing where we were located and we had our trusty “manager” (our 10 year old daughter) pass around fliers. We got a few clients and the 4 hours we were there went by very quickly.
First the not-so-good news:
We’re guessing that community league sports players may not care to know about the importance of (even though we were OH SO cheap) sports massage.
The good news:
We helped our daughter learn to work and she did a great job. She had no qualms about walking up to strangers, handing them a flier and saying, “Come see us upstairs for a massage.”
The clients we did get were awesome. SO happy they get it! One of our clients even called Alan afterward to tell him he had “hands of gold” because they won their game after his massage. Those are the moments we aim for. Way to go Toques!!
And next time, we know what to do and how to do it better. Yes, there will be a next time for another sporting event.
© 2010 Custom Comfort Massage Therapy