Appalachian Medical Massage Associates

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By Tony C Edwards

There are dozens of massage therapy types and techniques. Knowing what they are and what they do is sometimes confusing. It is hard to ask for a particular type of massage if you do not know what it is called or even what it will do for you. Here we will try to break the mystery into an understandable list of some commonly practiced massage types and what they do.

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By Brandon J. Thomas

Traumatic experiences such as war, assault, abuse or devastating loss, can cause post-traumatic stress. Post-traumatic stress affects those who are unable to relegate their traumatic experiences to the past. Trauma survivors often become acutely aware of humans’ inability to control their circumstances. A traumatic experience also reinforces the unsettling notion that life is delicate and can be taken away or permanently altered at any time.

Unfortunately, many who experience severe trauma develop recurring symptoms that have a negative impact on their spiritual, emotional and physical well-being. Many victims of trauma cease to be comfortable in their own bodies. The repeated negative effects that occur as a result of a past trauma can be defined as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. Although talking with a counselor or therapist can help to bring the traumatic experience into perspective, the physical manifestations of PTSD can remain. Therapeutic massage is now being used to help those with PTSD to feel more secure and comfortable in their bodies, and help to re-establish proper feelings of closeness and intimacy with others.

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Written by John Groth

We’ve all seen the TV documentary where the scurrying ants are carrying portions of leaves and other vegetation back to their nest. Many loads carried by the ants exceed the ant’s weight. An almost similar scene is repeated every day at schools all across the county, and kids weighted down with overloaded backpacks trudging back and forth to school. Many only have to trudge with the heavy backpack from home to the bus and from the bus into school but the strain on their backs are obvious and could be damaging.

So book reports, various projects and science exams aren’t the only pressures on your kids at school. Wearing and walking with heavy backpacks, especially when wearing them the wrong way can lead to back pain, muscle strain and overall poor posture. In a recent study, almost 60% of students reported chronic back pain related to them.

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By Laurie McKee

• Tags: acupuncture, Center for Wellness-Touch Healing, chronc fatigue, cranial sacral therapy, craniosacral therapy, CST, endorphins, fatigue, fibromyalgia, fms, Laurie McKee, ligaments, massage, massage therapy, muscles, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular therapy, NMT, pain, relaxation massage, sleep, soft tissues, tendons, Therapeutic Massage, tiredness 
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