By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT BCTMB It’s a season. We’re all stuck at home, trying to not be sick. Getting bored?? Here’s a list of things you can do while staying home! (Compiled by yours truly, so hang in there, it may get… interesting). (And I …
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT BCTMB Winter is definitely in full swing! And I am feeling it, especially my hands. They are constantly dry, irritated, and almost cracked. Mind you, as a massage therapist, I wash my hands… a lot. Even if you aren’t washing your …
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT BCTMB
If you did not know, this month is breast cancer awareness month. I am sure that you know that there is alot of weird stuff that goes around this month. That it isn’t about saving boobies, it’s about saving lives. That it’s not about wearing pink, or posting strange comments on your facebook post.
But, we’ve all heard this stuff, right?
But what do we know about breast cancer? Did you know that:
Did you also know that there are different types of breast cancer? To name a few of the more common types:
Yes, there are more subdivisions of the types of breast cancers, but I’m not going to get into that at this point. This information can always be found online.
And did you know that men can also get to breast cancer? There is a 1 in 833 chance of men getting breast cancer within their lifetime. (1)
Check yourself
It is always good for you to check for changes monthly (yes, men too). Check to see if there are changes to the shape of your breasts. If there are puckering, swelling, redness or discharge, as well as if you feel a lump where there used to be none, you should talk to your doctor. It is always better to be cautious about possible cancer than it is to let it go. Early detection will increase the chances of recovery.
Treatment
Treatment of breast cancer will be different for everyone. Some types of breast cancer grow through hormones (estrogen and progesterone). In this case, doctors can give you drugs to block those hormone receptors so that they will not feed the cancers.
Some types of cancer will not respond to hormone therapy, and will have to be treated with either radiation, chemotherapy or both.
Surgery may also be used in conjuction with one of these other methods, which will remove the tumor from the body. It may or may not mean removal of extra breast tissue, depending on how large the tumor is.
Bibliography
US Breast Cancer Statistics, breastcancer.org https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics
Types of breast cancer, breastcancer.org https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/types
Breast Cancer in Men, American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer-in-men (1)
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT, BCTMB Last week I talked a bit about how posture throughout the day can affect your muscles. What if I told you that doing something as simple as stretching can really make a difference in how your muscles feel at the …
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT BCTMB I start each of my client sessions telling each and every client (each and every time they come in) that they need to talk to me. Now, I know what you’re probably thinking. But it’s my session, and I don’t …
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT, BCTMB
Each day, we go through our lives without thinking about all of the ways we use our bodies. Walking, chores, cooking, working at our desks. And then, at the end of the day, our bodies are sore, stiff, and we have no real idea why.
Let me ask you… Do you notice your posture when you are at your desk? When you are sweeping your floor, washing your dishes? How about when you are prepping and cooking your food? Many people today don’t have the greatest of posture. Even now, as I am sitting here writing this blog, my head is a bit more forward than it should be, my shoulders are curved inward, not squared back in a more neutral position.
Neutral position you say?? Wha… ???
Your body is an amazing thing. There is a natural curve to your spine (I’m sure you knew that, though). Your muscles also work together to keep your body not only moving, but to keep your posture (and body) in a very neutral position so that not one thing is overstretched. For example: Your pectoralis (pec) muscles and the smaller muscles of your back (traps, rhomboids, etc) are neutral when your shoulders are squared up. When shoulders get rounded, the muscles in your back can become overstretched and sore. Which can be quite unpleasant. Which is why watching your posture when you are sitting working on your computer is so important. Or why you shouldn’t keep your head down all the time to look at your phone (or read your paper/book, whatever).
Which is why checking in with your body every once in a while through the day can be important. Notice where you are starting to get a bit sore, and then notice how you are sitting, or standing, or moving. What position is setting off the soreness. If you are having a tough time figuring it out, talk to someone to see if they can help see what is happening, or to make suggestions as to help your posture so that your body starts to become once again balanced.
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT, BCTMB Over and over again, I talk about self care. Here on my blogs, on my personal and business facebook pages. On LinkedIn. On Instagram. Why do you keep telling us about it? you may ask. So, let me tell you …
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT, BCTMB We all hear about how water is important. About things like heat stroke, heat exhaustion, dehydration. But what exactly are some of these things? Why is water so darn important? I mean, things like coffee and pop have water in …
By: Jeanette Rupar LMT, BCTMB
Massage can be a most wonderful thing. They feel great and can make a person feel both physically and mentally better. But, there are times when you should probably not get massage. How do you know?? If you aren’t sure, always talk to your therapist… They will let you know if they feel comfortable working with you or have you rescheduled.
There are some general guidelines, however. Call to reschedule your appointment if you are suffering from:
There are other considerations that may limit a massage, but doesn’t necessarily mean that the massage has to be cancelled. What would limit a massage, you ask?? Things that are at a specific point, and would probably not be comfortable if touched….
There are also other medical conditions that each therapist may or may not feel comfortable working with. Things like:
What your massage therapist is comfortable with is very personal to them. There are things that require extra knowledge before the therapist can work with a specific thing. Yes, there are specialties within the massage therapy field. Some therapists are comfortable working with pregnant women, while others specialize in Oncology Massage for those people who are living with a cancer diagnosis. What this means is that each thing has considerations to take into account for when the therapist is working on them. If you have osteoporosis, you probably don’t want your therapist to do very hard pressure so that your bones don’t break.
Talk to your massage therapist. They may have you talk to your doctor to get a script, especially if you are under their care for a specific thing. We want to make sure that everyone is on the same page. We do not want to cause more harm than may already be there.
Though we can not diagnose (and please don’t ask them to) or prescribe medicine, we are a great part of the healthcare team and can be beneficial to overall health.
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT BCTMB Massage therapy is not supposed to be scary, however it can be quite intimidating to someone who has never received massage before. there are many reasons that you may not want to get a massage. It may be because you …