Massage therapy can greatly benefit those who suffer with Fibromyalgia. Massage can release tension in your muscles and joints. By working your muscles, there is increased circulation and oxygen into the muscle tissue and connective tissue (which affect your joints). Massage can also release pain causing chemicals, which get stuck in your muscles.

Massage therapy can also help you with other ailments that usually accompany Fibromyalgia, such as stress, migraines, headaches and TMJ disorder.

There are quite a few types or modalities that can alleviate your Fibromyalgia symptoms; Deep Tissue Massage, Lymphatic, Reiki, Reflexology, Shiatsu, Swedish, and Trigger Point can be done.

However, certain modalities like deep tissue work or trigger point should be avoided when your symptoms are acute. They can cause further discomfort by increasing inflammation in your body.

Massage will make you feel better, whether your symptoms are acute or chronic. Continually getting massage will help alleviate your symptoms over a longer period of time.

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What is a Reiki?

Reiki is a gentle, non-invasive healing technique. It was founded by Buddhist Monk Mikao Usui in 1922. Reiki means “Universal Life Force Energy”. It is based upon that everything in your body is made of energy.

When there is a blockage of energy in your body, there can be dis-ease and discomfort. The Reiki practitioner can remove those blockages with little to no touch by directing healing energy into your body.

Reiki can be used to treat many ailments where massage can’t be used. This includes cancer, severe heart conditions, infectious disease, fever, and broken bones. Massage can worsen these ailments by spreading toxins further into the body.

Reiki can also be used in combination with massage. It can help promote the results and goals of a massage. It can be used with ailments where massage can be used, especially in the areas of acute and chronic pain.

Reiki can be used to clear your mind if you are feeling stuck, lethargic, or just when you can’t put your finger on what’s bothering you. Stress, negative thoughts, and illness can cause a “road block” to feeling better and optimal function.

A 30-minute Reiki session can help you relax and escape while the practitioner clears the “road blocks”. Close your eyes, take some deep breaths, and relax.

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It’s baaaaack! TriUtah has been around longer than any other triathlon company in Utah and is bringing back one of Utah’s most popular triathlon events! Back by popular demand, the Ogden Valley Triathlon, presented by Snowbasin will be the culminating triathlon event for TriUtah in 2012! The Ogden Valley Triathlon is the perfect open-water event for everyone!  This single distance event will leave you hungry for the 2013 season in more ways than one. The autumn mountain leaves and scenery this time of year are breath-taking, the bike course is simply beautiful and easy to follow around the reservoir, and the run course is one that you will want to do again and again just for the sheer pleasure!

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The Community Foundation of Ogden Valley is thrilled to present The Ogden Valley Amazing Raise. This half-marathon and other events for charity begins at the best little resort in northern Utah, Wolf Mountain. The race will take you past green fields and horse pastures. The course begins a gentle climb into the south entrance of North Fork Park, crown jewel of Weber County. Your route winds through alpine meadows and riparian areas rich in wild ferns, flowing streams and wildlife. You exit the park and return via country roads to the HUB where the party begins. There will be a celebration of Ogden Valley non-profits with food, music, prizes and free fun activities for kids.

Kaley Tallman, L.M.T. working on an athlete at The Amazing Raise for Ogden Valley

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Client Appreciation Day!

September 14, 2012
10:00 am – 4:00 pm

1140 East 36th Street Ste. 145, Ogden, UT 84403 

FREE Paraffin Treatments FREE Hand, Foot, and Neck Massages	Yummy Food Drawing for Prizes
	Call to reserve your spot! 801.917.4744 Make sure to LIKE us on Facebook because on September 9th thru September 14th, we will have Games and Giveaways.

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This twilight off-road duathlon consists of a twisting run course through the trees, over logs and through water of the Weber River bottoms and a spaghetti bowl mountain bike course through the sand, mud and dirt that surround the fort. 

Hurt in the Dirt 2012
August 25, 2012
Fort Buenaventura
2450 A Ave Ogden, UT 84401

Four (4) Events to choose from:

- Skirt in the Dirt – Ladies only 10k/5k
- Hurt in the Dirt Duathlon
- Nighttime 10K Offroad Adventure Trail Run
- Nighttime Cyclocross

Here are some pictures of the event we did last August 25, 2012 at Hurt In The Dirt.

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The Tribal Run is a Team Relay event in which teams – or TRIBES compete to finish as many laps or “loops” of 2 to 5 different courses as possible. [Read more about Tribal Run]

TRIBAL RUN – MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK 
Tooele, Utah
August 3 – 4, 2012

Here are some pictures of the Tribal Run event we did on Friday night (August 3, 2012).

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Sherrie Nipko is the winner of the FREE Massage  from
our Drawing at the Ogden Marathon 2012.

Ogden Marathon — Utah’s Spring Run Off

2012 Annual Ogden Marathon
Ogden, UT  •  Saturday, May 19, 2012

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The trigger point massage is something that is debated in many massage circles because there are people who argue that trigger points on the body do not even exist. Obviously the people who give these massages disagree with that statement, and they use their customers as the basis for their argument. Whether the trigger points on the body really exist does not matter because these type of massages are still a great source of relaxation and stress relief states Ogden Massage.

The Advantages of TPT (Trigger Point Therapy)

• Resolution of the source of pain from its root, rather than just the symptomatic relief provided by allopathic medicines.
• Enhanced circulation and blood flow throughout the body.
• Decreased stiffness in the muscles.
• Decreased pain.
• Improved posture with patient education and continued assessment.
• Provision of relief from tension and muscle pain.

Instead of just treating the surface pain of inflammation, this therapy focuses on eliminating the painful area by finding, and relieving the pressure points. The continuous pain and discomfort that we feel in our body like muscle tension, numbness, joint stiffness, hypersensitivity, muscle weakness are usually cause by the trigger points. So we need to find these trigger points and deactivate them in order to relieve the pain.

Those who are not used to this kind of therapy may experience soreness for a few days. Remember to stretch out the muscles often to prevent them from tightening up again. There are several types of tools which you can use for this therapy. Ogden Massage is going to go through some of them here.

1. Thera Cane – Thera Cane is one of the most popular tools for trigger point massaging. It is made of fiber glass and can’t be broken or bent. This tool will make it easier for you to locate and massage the more tender areas which you cannot reach by hand. However, one downside of this tool is that it is usually come in one piece and can’t be taken apart.
2. Backnobber Tool – The backnobber works very similar like the Thera Cane. One advantage of the backnobber is that it usually can be taken apart so it is easy for you to store and carry around. This tool is perfect for those who travel a lot.
3. Lacrosse Balls – Yup you read that right. Lacrosse balls can be very useful for massaging your back muscles. You can use these by leaning them against the wall with your back. They can penetrate the trigger points at the back of your body.

History of Trigger Point Therapy

Trigger point therapy, also called Myofascial trigger point therapy, was first introduced to the world by the American doctor, Dr. Janet G. Travell. Invented in the 1940′s, trigger point therapy can be considered to be a fairly young area of alternative medicine, but the positive results that have been experienced by patients all over the world have led to some encouraging growth and an increasing amount of interest in this field.

Dr. Janet Travell divided trigger points into two types: active and latent trigger points. Pressure is applied on the trigger points in order to relieve the pain which is associated with debilitation and illness.

Trigger point therapy, like many other types of alternative medicine, has not found universal acceptability, especially with the physicians who practice allopathic medicine. However, Dr. Travell has published well over forty well researched papers on the subject, and the results show for themselves how successful this therapy is.

J F K

The main idea behind the trigger point massage is that there are certain points on the body where calcium buildup occurs and that calcium makes the nerves and muscles in that region act rather strange. This theory is still being researched by various people around the globe, so you should not take it to be straight fact. One of the top researchers from many years ago was actually former President John F. Kennedy who suffered from severe back pain for much of his life.

There are people like John F. Kennedy and his doctor who think trigger point massages are very beneficial for the body and then there are people who think it is all a bunch of pseudoscience. You have to carefully examine the body to find certain trigger points, so don’t expect this type of massage to happen too easily. One of the main problems with trigger points is that they are usually located in regions filled with deep pain.

Specks

You will sometimes notice when you are preparing for a trigger point massage that some parts of your body actually refer pain. This means that when you press down on a certain part of the body you will actually feel the pain in a completely separate region. This may seem like quite a strange phenomenon but it definitely happens to many people around the world on a daily basis.

Massages that involve trigger points are not something that is talked about in most schools and there are definitely a large group of people who do not agree with the treatment. That is why this type of massage is usually categorized as a type of alternative therapy. You don’t have to follow the rest of the crowd if you think there may be something to these trigger point massages, so don’t feel embarrassed to try something new.

Research

There are plenty of researchers looking into the viability of alternative treatments such as the trigger point massage, so you could always wait until the research is done until you make your decision. The only problem with this train of thought is that you may end up missing a few years of massages that could have had endless benefits says Ogden Massage. For this reason and others, it may be best to try the massage out for yourself and see if it works for you. It likely won’t work for everyone, so you may want to find out if you can get some positive results from it for now.

Ultimately Trigger Point Therapy has the Following Goals:

1. Eliminate protective muscular tension in the muscles that harbor active trigger points.
2. Eliminate condition of the hyperirritability of the peripheral receptors, especially pain receptors.
3. Block the pain-analyzing system of the patient.
4. Produce reflex vasodilation.
5. Eliminate local ischemia.

Several Equally Important Components:

1. Detect location of the active trigger point.
2. Detect the pathway of pain radiation and examine tissues along this pathway in case satellite trigger points are formed.
3. Place finger in the trigger point. Slowly apply vertical compression of the tissues until the patient feels the first sign of pain. As soon as he or she reports it stop increasing pressure but maintain it at that same level. After 10 seconds of pressure application, the pain that the patient initially felt will disappear. The patient should immediately report to you as soon as he or she feels the pain cease. During the next 20 seconds the practitioner will be able to get to the “bottom” of the trigger point without unwanted activation of the pain analyzing system and generating protective muscular tension in the affected muscle or muscles in the region.
4. To accomplish the first three goals apply effleurage and kneading techniques on the affected muscles in the inhibitory regime for 5-7 minutes (comfortable gradual increase of pressure, in the same direction of the strokes).
5. Exit the trigger point as fast as possible to produce quick and effective vasodilation and elimination of the local ischemia.

The correct protocol of trigger point therapy does not have pitfalls explains Ogden Massage. This protocol is equally effective for the motor trigger points, as well as for other trigger points. The applied pressure is never strong enough to go over the patient’s threshold of pain, causing the pain and injury of motor nerve endings. Peripheral vasodilation restores local pH to normal, increases oxygenation of the tissues in the area of the trigger point, and gradually eliminates the trigger point.

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Having a spa experience on your own can be a relaxing activity that can take away a lot of stress from your life. This kind of wonderful experience is something that you should want to share with your loved ones and friends. A massage for couples is a great way for you to enjoy the relaxation that comes with a massage while you’re in the company of someone you care about dearly states Ogden Massage. It can be a wonderful experience for both parties and a great way for you to share something new together.

What is it?

Couples massage refers to a massage session in which a couple (this can range from husband and wife to mom and daughter) experience deep-tissue massage by two different therapists simultaneously. The massage can be performed with either a lighter or stronger hand, depending on your preference, and is generally conducted with the couple laying side by side or face to face, on separate massage tables. Couples massage can also be presented with an heir of sensuality (don’t get it twisted, it’s not like on late night Cinemax, it’s still just a massage) or it can easily strip away the facade of romantic pleasure if you’re getting couples massage with a friend or perhaps a business associate.

However, the main selling point of couples massage is that it’s intended to be romantic, as many spas advertising this type of massage also include pictures of dimly lit rooms with flutes of champagne resting on fine oak. In fact, O Spa in Brooklyn offers several different couples spa packages, all of them with the option of paying twenty dollars extra for a bottle of champagne. This of course will leave you wondering if you’re getting a really good deal on expensive champagne or if you’re, more likely, drinking twenty dollar champagne from Duane Reade. It is also unclear as to how easy it is to drink from a champagne glass while lying completely flat on your stomach.

Obviously, the more money you pay, the more “romantic” it will seem states Ogden Massage. Some of the larger hotel and resort spas offer couples suites, with amenities ranging from steam showers and whirlpools to fireplaces and bubbles. That’s right, bubbles. Along with the pricier spa packages for couples massage are more obscure massage techniques, such as warmed riverbed stone massage, Red Rose Petals Foot Ritual, Mandarin Oriental Signature body scrub, and Oriental Scalp Massage.

Who needs it?

It is important to remember that these are simply massages, though with the right amount of coin they can easily spiral out of control into weekend getaways with mud-baths and cucumber facials. So if you and your partner are both fairly comfortable with massage therapy, then it might be a nice way to relax together. That being said, it’s not wise to plan a surprise spa weekend getaway for your husband or wife if he or she (or both of you) are new to massage therapy. You may first want to individually get massages to know if you enjoy them enough and are comfortable enough to enjoy them with someone else.

Though the primary reason of massage is to release tension, especially if you’ve been stressed-out or over-worked, couples massage can sometimes backfire if you’re used to being alone during your massages. For instance, you may find that your husband likes to talk nonstop when he’s getting a massage, whereas you like to space out or even read a book during yours.

Rekindle Your Romance

Choosing a couples massage is a great way to put a little romance back into your relationship. These massages can be designed to produce an intimate and romantic experience that will bring you much closer to your partner. Think about how close you’ll feel to your partner as you both enjoy the relaxation and comfort that comes with a good massage. If you and your partner are feeling tense, this could have a negative effect on your relationship. Going through a couples massage together is a great way to relieve this tension and help get you back on track. When you’re feeling relaxed and healthy, this will have a positive effect on your relationship.

Bond with a Family Member

Having a massage together is not something that works just for couples. It’s also an experience that you can have with another loved one, such as a family member or a close friend. Seeing a massage therapist together is often a great mother-daughter experience to have, and it will give you a great chance to bond over a new activity says Ogden Massage. Being in such a relaxed environment can make it a lot easier for you to openly communicate with your loved ones, and this is something that will definitely bring you closer together than ever before.

Experience Increased Comfort Levels

Massage therapy is not something that everyone is comfortable with. If you have a partner or loved one who has always wanted to try a massage but is nervous about it, taking him or her for a couples massage is a great way to ease this anxiety. It may be a lot less stressful for your loved one to deal with this new experience if you are right there, too. Your partner or loved one will see that massage therapy is a great thing that can really take away some of the stress of daily life.

Learn how to Massage Your Partner!

• Have you always wanted to learn how to massage your partner?
• Or wished that they knew how to give you a good massage?

Maybe you searched and found some classes online, but didn’t want to be in a room with a lot of other couples. There are a couple of options for you! The first is to take a massage class for couples, which is private one on one instruction with you and your partner. If you don’t have a partner, bring a good friend!

What you will learn in a massage class for couples:

• How to give a relaxing, nurturing full body massage.
• Massage strokes for the different areas of the body.
• How to stretch your partner and use range of motion for increased flexibility.
• Tips for body alignment when giving massage so that you are comfortable also.
• Techniques for getting rid of headaches.
• What types of lotions and/or oils to use.
• Where to purchase massage supplies.
• How to prepare an area in your home for massage if you don’t have a massage table.
• How to use bolsters or pillows for more comfortable positioning.

We have a lot of experience with massage therapy for couples, when they share massage as part of their connecting to each other. One of the realizations we had years ago, in relation to touch, added to the importance of massage as a means of communication for a couple. We read in an article how rarely do we, as a society, experience touch that is without expectation. We have people tap us to move aside, we have people position us for pictures, or appearance, we have people guide us in a direction, but rarely do we receive touch, just for the sake of connection to another person. Massage CAN be touch, just for the connection. When a couple uses massage as a means of expanding their communication, it opens up a deeper level of safety and connection.

Participants in Couples Massage classes often share that when they slow down, just for that short time they are exchanging massage with their partner, they reconnect from their crazy weeks. We’ve heard that they feel like they were able to begin speaking a different language with their partner, because they were picking up on cues from their partner, often non-verbal. Often a Couples Massage class is the first time that a partner was given permission and tools to give non-judgmental feedback to their partner about the quality of the touch they received. Many times we are told that giving their partner a massage was the first time they were able to be comfortable in the silent, peaceful space together, and just BE. We’ve also been told that they learned a lot about their partner by simply observing them through a massage, as well as learning more about their body, and what their partner really likes in relation to the quality of touch.

The health benefits of massage address many of our modern ills. Ogden Massage helps by assisting in circulation, deepening and slowing respiration, reducing heart rate and blood pressure, as well as reducing secretion of stress hormones and increasing those feel-good hormones, endorphins. Massage Therapy for Couples brings a lot of connection and health benefits with it…so, learn a new way to communicate today!

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