How to Work in the Yard Without Killing Yourself...

... Too Much.

(This is the first of many posts to come by massage therapist, Bill Bryan... adapted from his radio show, Massage Moment, which used to air on WCOJ, within Ben Briggs' show, Health Focus.

Health Focus, by the way can now be heard on Brandywineradio.com..)

"This week I had several clients come to me with low back pain from yard work. So I says to myself, 'Self, you should do a show on that.' (Plus, Ben told me to...!)

Okay - let's start with mulch. First of all, from what I've seen, people don't hurt themselves too much spreading mulch, as much as lifting the bags out of the trunk!

Mulch bags are usually around 40 pounds each. So, when you're lifting a 40 lb. bag out of your trunk, think of your body mechanics. Do not lift the bag by leaning forward and bending at the waist! That is an injury just waiting to happen! Whenever you use low back muscles to lift weight that is out in front of you, you are putting an extreme amount of force on muscles that are not intended for that kind of load. *(Remember our talk about unhealthy physical stress? Well... here ya go...)

Rather than lifting with your low back muscles, keep your back straight, and bend at the knees. This way you can lift the bag with your quadriceps, which is the largest and most powerful muscle group in your body! Located on the front upper half of the legs, they can much more readily handle the workload. By keeping the back straight, grasping firmly with your hands, and not lifting with your back but with your legs, you are at less risk of injuring your low back.

Weed pulling...

Another low back hazard, but also a knee hazard. Many people say that pulling weeds hurts not only their low backs for their knees as well. These are folks that work while standing and stooping over, to save their knees, until their low back starts to hurt. Then they kneel to give their back a break, until their knees hurt so bad, they're forced to stand up again.

Let me make two suggestions: 1) Get your spouse to do it. 2) Bring a short little step stool to sit on. Sitting on a low step stool places you closer to the ground, which means you don't have to keep bending over and all the way back up again. You only have to bend a short distance. And it also alleviates the pressure to your knees.

Another quick tip: when raking or shoveling, alternate between right and left. In other words, don't keep using the same muscle groups to do all the same work.

And for everything else... there's massage!

This is Bill Bryan, reminding you that you are 'fearfully and wonderfully' made!"

Bill can be reached for appointments by phone: 484-798-8029, or by email: triscale@verizon.net

The Essentials of Essential Oils

(This post is courtesy of massage therapist, Hilary Sohn, who uses essential oils in her massage sessions when appropriate.) 

If you’ve ever walked into a spa or healing center and wondered what incredible smells were wafting from the inner sanctum, it’s a good bet that one of the practitioners was using aromatherapy in their treatments. 

Aromatherapy, more than just smelling nice, is the use of essential oils extracted from plants to promote healing and balance in the body. Essential oils can aid in relaxation, improve circulation, increase learning and concentration, change pain perception and help the healing of wounds.  

Each oil has its own unique phytochemical signature, characteristics and benefits. 

The oil aromas are perceived by the nerve endings at the back of the nose and relayed to the amygdalae  which perform primary roles in the processing and storage of emotional reactions and learning; these signals are passed to the limbic system in the brain and impulses are sent to various areas such as the hypothalamus which governs the pituitary gland controlling hormone release throughout the body. 

These hormones affect organ function, digestion, mood, blood pressure and more.  Smells can trigger production of different neurochemicals that affect moods; for example, serotonin which calms, or endorphin which gives a natural "high" and relieves pain. In addition to being received in the body via the olfactory sense, essential oils can have a variety of effects such as reduction of inflammation, pain relief or wound healing when applied topically to the skin. 

Essential Peppermint 

As we enter into the season of planting and working in our gardens, you may find yourself feeling aches and pains in various muscles that had taken a holiday over the winter.  Digging, mulching, bending, carrying all take their toll on the body.  What better way to address our tired and aching muscles than with the essential oil of one of the very plants that we are planting this Spring!

The Peppermint plant gives us aromatic leaves for our summer drinks and essential oil that works wonders on the body. 

Besides its characteristic fragrance that seems to clear the sinuses, Peppermint essential oil has a number of beneficial effects including treating spasming of the bowel, gastrointestinal distress, nausea, relieving headaches, reducing itching, calming cough, relieving chest congestion. 

Most commonly, Peppermint oil is used for temporary relief of muscle and joint pain.  In fact, the main chemical component Menthol that is found in Peppermint oil is used in many topical sports creams.

Peppermint’s characteristic cooling sensation (remember the old York Peppermint Patty commercials?  ( “… I get the sensation of being on top of a cold mountain, and all I want to do is yodel . . .”) is one of the factors in reducing pain.   Acting as a counterirritant, the menthol in Peppermint stimulates thermoreceptors (temperature sensors) in the skin cells causing a signal to be sent that the brain interprets as cold.  This cold signal overrides the pain signal because the conduction velocity of a cold thermoreceptor is faster than that of a pain-perceiving nociceptor.

Additionally, Peppermint’s cooling sensation also triggers a process called vasodilation in which blood vessels increase in diameter and increase blood flow to the affected area. 

This process increases oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and increases the rate at which cellular waste is carried away, helpful in situations where a muscle is experiencing ischemia (dysfunction or damage due to a restriction in blood supply). With more nutrients available, healing is able to occur more quickly and pain lessens.

Peppermint also has local mildly anesthetic properties when applied topically, causing a numbing sensation of the surface and consequent relief from pain.  Not only pain, but itching and the pain of sunburn is affected by this action.  So, if your muscles are sore from gardening, and you’re a bit sunburnt, Peppermint is the oil for you.

Using Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil is fairly irritating to the skin used at full strength, so the best way to apply Peppermint oil to the skin is to dilute 2 to 3 drops of the essential oil in approximately 1 teaspoon of a carrier oil like olive oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil or coconut oil. 

Happy Gardening!

*Very high intake of peppermint oil can also cause nausea, loss of appetite, heart problems, loss of balance, and other nervous system problems. Excessive doses of peppermint oil can be toxic, causing kidney failure and even death.  Peppermint oil should not be used internally or on or near the face in infants and young children because of its potential to cause bronchospasm, tongue spasms, and, possibly, respiratory arrest.*



Meet William M. Bryan!

With the intention of allowing our readers to get better acquainted with our wonderful and diverse assortment of practitioners, we'll be featuring each one monthly, both here and in the newsletter.

First up is Bill Bryan, whom I'll let introduce himself here.

I'm William M. Bryan, massage therapist, owner of Tri-scale Massage & Bodywork, and Director of the Lionville Holistic Health Center.

Bill, how long have you been involved in massage therapy, and had a practice at the Holistic Center?

I graduated from the East/West School of Massage Therapy in 2002, received my National Certification later that same year, and have had my practice at the LHHC since 2006.

What drew you to learning massage therapy?

I've had many jobs, from 'chef-ing' to cabinetry, but never felt that any of them were what I was 'supposed' to be doing.  While I became interested in alternative health at the age of 16, I only considered a career with this when I was 39.

I attended a massage school to learn anatomy and physiology, and to gain an introduction to alternative health modalities. But, at that time, I truly had no interest in becoming a massage therapist per se. But after realizing that conditions like sciatica and plantar fasciitis could be relieved by therapeutic massage, I knew I had found my calling.

What's your superpower? In other words, what unique gifts, experiences and insights do you bring to your practice?

My background in construction and design allows me to appreciate structure and the forces at work therein - most importantly, the ability to troubleshoot and assess structural imbalances.

Interestingly, a lot of the previous jobs I had held, while seemingly unrelated, turned out to bring relevance to my understanding of how the body works. I also bring a unique philosophical slant, drawing primarily from Scriptural and scientific principles as I understand them.

What kinds of people seek out your services?

The bulk of my client base is comprised of people with chronic injuries that are seeking to avoid the use of pharmaceuticals and surgeries. Some just want massage to relax and unwind, but most come seeking reparative work.

What do you find most rewarding about this work?

When I've been able to help someone avoid surgery, or come off pain medications, that's when I am sure I am where I'm supposed to be, and doing what I'm supposed to be doing. My world comes together at that point. If I was a millionaire (which isn't likely to happen anytime soon :), I would still do what I do.

What's next for you? What's your vision?

I would like to one day start a healing arts school dedicated to alternative therapies based on sound science along with Biblical principles of healing.

What else brings joy to your life?

Music (both playing and listening), art, poetry, gardening, political & philosophical discussions, sitting by the ocean, studying and teaching Scripture.

I often say that I'll have to live to 103 to pursue everything I want to do!

What would you like people to come away with from your sessions together?

Pain relief, primarily. But more than that, an increased appreciation of their own sense of self-worth. I want them to know that they have been fearfully and wonderfully made.

So, there you have it.  To get in touch with Bill for a session, just call 484-798-8029, or email him at triscale@verizon.net

Comments? Questions? We'd love to hear from you in the comments section below!