Believe it or not, the terminology you use to refer to your massage therapist really does matter.  The inspiration for this article was  borrowed from Massage Magazine, March 2015 issue, which inspired us to educate you about the various titles that have been used historically to refer to individuals who practice in the massage therapy profession, as well as share with you our professional thoughts on the matter. 

With it's vast history, massage therapist's have been referred to as "masseuse", "masseur", "massage practitioner", "massage therapist", and depending upon the country of reference, various other titles.  Having been officially introduced as a healing profession in the United States during the mid-19th century the massage therapy profession has grown tremendously.  Initially in the profession it was common-place to hear the French terms "masseuse" and "masseur" as a reference for massage therapists, but during the 1950's the terms became negatively associated with prostitution and from then until now the terms still carry the negative connotation of what is an illegal and unprofessional practice.  It was in the 1970's that the clinical efficacy of massage therapy became more well-known, having been put into practice in the field of medicine by nurses and doctors.  However, we still hear the outdated terms "masseuse" and "masseur" respectively today, and in an effort to continue to draw a line of clear distinction between ourselves and the prostitution industry, state and national licensure boards have legally adopted titles such as "massage therapist" and "massage practitioner" to help solidify this very important delineation. Additionally, most states now require that massage therapists have professional training, pass a national competency examination, as well as obtain a professional license to practice; hence, many massage therapists now carry the nationally recognized credentials LMT (Licensed Massage Therapist), CMT (Certified Massage Therapist), CMP (Certified Massage Practitioner), or LMP (Licensed Massage Practitioner).

So what does this mean for you?  Well, not a lot really, unless you still find yourself using the terms "masseuse" or "masseur" when referring to your next massage therapy session.  If you do happen to be a creature of old habits, we would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to adopt the new more appropriate and more respectful terminology, "massage therapist," and help us and other massage therapists around the country maintain our integrity as professional wellness practitioners.  We heartily thank you!

We understand!  It's the pits to feel miserable, and body aches and pains associated with seasonal sickness are no fun to go through, but did you know that receiving massage therapy when you have active symptoms of cold or flu (or any other communicable illness like shingles, TB, etc.) can be detrimental to your health?  There are many conditions during which receiving massage therapy is contraindicated. In fact, there are many illnesses that can actually become worse should you, the client, receive massage before your body has had adequate time to recover.  Additionally, visiting any establishment while suffering from active symptoms of cold/flu etc. also increases risk of transmission from you to your therapist, as well as to any other clients that may visit the same establishment in the same time period that you do. 

Experts agree that it is important to be sure that your symptoms (such as fever, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, rash, shingles blisters, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.) be absent for a minimum of 72 hours before you receive a massage to ensure that you do not risk making your illness worse, and that the likelihood of transmission between yourself and others will be greatly reduced.

Let's help keep each other healthy this year by rescheduling your massage therapy session after you have been symptom free for at least 72 hours.  And please be considerate of your massage therapist's time constraints and cancel as far in advance as you are able, they'll greatly thank you for it!

TIPS  
Here are a few tips for fighting off cold or flu naturally:

• Contrast showers
  
• Lemon and ginger tea
• Thyme tea
  
• Rest (a minimum of 8 hours each night; preferably as early as 8pm to facilitate faster healing)
  

This month we hope you'll join us in celebrating the 19th annual National Massage Therapy Awareness Week coming October 25-31, 2015.  We love being a part of this amazing wellness practice because we realize every day the numerous benefits massage therapy can have towards promoting health and happiness in the lives of those who receive it. Won't you join us in spreading the word?

$15-20 Off for NEW Customers
Never had a massage from The Great Escape? This month, all new customers enjoy $15 off your choice of a 30 or 60 minute session. Better still, schedule a friend and you'll both receive $20 off your session! Schedule today, offer good October 26-30 only. Select from:

• Warrior's Refuge Massage (Deep Tissue/Trigger Point)
• Swedish Relaxation Massage
• Grecian Prego Massage

Tuscan Rose Aromatherapy Massage  $50/hr
This massage is a wonderful relaxing aromatherapy treatment which combines the muscle soothing oils of rose and other choice botanicals for a deeper more relaxing experience. Schedule while supplies last.  (Reg. $75)

In recent weeks, social media and news feeds alike have been bubbling over with the benefits of baking soda.  With all the hypnotizing hype, I felt it was time to share a word of caution about this wonderful little "bicarb". 

A familiar kitchen staple, baking soda (aka: sodium bicarbonate) has benefited humanity with unnumbered applications over the past century - external, internal and industrial alike.  However, the latest and most concerning topic (the reason I am writing this post to begin with) revolves around the idea that baking soda (whether alone or mixed with some other natural "miracle" ingredient) can cure cancer.  Now, just to clear things up a bit, I'm not a doctor, nor do I pretend to be; however, I feel I have been fairly well educated in regards to natural and alternative health and wellness topics of many kinds over the past several decades - at least compared to the average Joe. And so, the reason I am disturbed by such claims over baking soda and cancer is not because I believe that they are untrue, but because I believe that the information is being skewed a bit - sometimes a lot - and could cause potential harm to individuals who are ignorant of the methodology used.  So please take a moment to read on  if you are someone you love has been raving about this new miracle cure involving baking soda and cancer treatment, it might just save your life.

The History Behind the Craze
Tullio Simoncini was a practicing Italian physician before his license to practice medicine was revoked in 2006 after having a patient die following his "unorthodox" practices of treating cancer (although he apparently had saved many other lives using the same procedure!).  My understanding is that his method utilized the internal application of sodium bicarbonate solution (a highly alkalizing agent) by port-a-cath into cancerous tumors and that this approach would effectively alkalize the tumor (tumors being acidic in nature) with the after-effect being "spontaneous regression/remission/apoptosis" of the cancer.  So, the main principle behind Simoncini's work was that he believed cancer was caused by Candida albicans, that it is a very "acidic" disease, and therefore the application of a highly alkaline substance would stop and even reverse the progression of the disease.  All of this theory appears to hold water.  So then, what's the big deal about baking soda?

The Insidious Illusion
Most of the posts and related articles that have claimed cancer can be cured with baking soda have been written with the implication that the sodium bicarbonate should be consumed or applied internally to treat the cancer.  Although most people generally don't take in large amounts of baking soda internally, and thus the accounts of acute toxicity from baking soda ingestion are rare, those who might be facing stage-four cancer could theoretically be in a position where they might be led to believe that more is better and this could potentially be a terrible mistake.  Ingesting moderate amounts of baking soda (a high sodium compound) can pose potential threats to the health and wellbeing of healthy persons, but especially for those who suffer from high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, edema or those who are pregnant.  Ingestion of larger amounts of sodium bicarbonate have been shown to result in "metabolic alkalosis, hypernatremia, hypertension, gastric rupture, hyporeninemia, hypokalemia, hypochloremia, intravascular volume depletion, and urinary alkalinization (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8285975)." 

The Appetizing Alternative
While baking soda does not seem to be the best option due to its potential negative effects on the body, the GREAT NEWS is that there is an alternative option for alkalizing the body and thereby causing a similar regression affect on cancer. There is a great deal of information from experts like Dr. T. Baroody, Max Gersen, T. Collin Cambell, and others which indicate that the BEST WAY TO ALKALIZE OUR BODIES IS THROUGH A WHOLE-FOOD PLANT-BASED DIET and regular exercise. If you'd like more information, we'd be happy to visit with you and share information on further resources.