ARTICLES
published in the Haleakala Times

written by Linda Sola,
Founder of the Maui School of Therapeutic Massage

Managing Stress

Things change. It’s the nature of life. And change can be stressful - even welcomed change. So it’s not surprising that we often resist change, although resisting makes it even more stressful.

Life offers an infinite variety of stressors; and the challenges of life keep coming. Whether it’s a true tragedy or minor humiliation, preventable or otherwise, there is no shortage of life events that put us through changes. Not to mention the chronic overwhelm of day-to-day responsibilities.

Stress impacts our health - evidence of the body-mind connection. The secretion of many hormones is affected by our state of mind, depressing our immune system and our response to infection, and causing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart and blood vessel diseases, impaired cognitive function, digestive problems, and many other conditions. So learning the skills to manage stress is a good investment and will come in handy for the rest of your life.

In the midst of crisis, it’s easy to tell ourselves that our life is unmanageable. But what would you tell a good friend in a similar situation? Befriend yourself. Tell yourself you’re OK. Remind yourself of the things that are not falling apart, the things that are even going reasonably well. There must be something to appreciate, even at a time like this. Building on those things will help get you through this.

Talk with a good, loving listener: a counselor, spiritual teacher or trusted friend. The more severe your problem, the more important it is to get professional help. Your friends, by definition, won’t likely be so objective and agreement may not be what you most need. Think of this as a time of accelerated learning about yourself and about life. Personal growth is often elusive when our lives are going smoothly and predictably. So while the boat is rocking, take advantage of the opportunity for personal evolution and insight that’s available during times of change by finding appropriate counsel.

Seek spiritual connection. Learn about who you are beyond your body, mind, emotions, and memories. Cultivate an awareness of your connection to something greater than yourself. Discovering and deepening the purpose and meaning of your life gives you the strength to endure the inevitable tragedies along the way.

Discover what soothes your soul: good company, good music, a quiet spot, the outdoors. Smell the roses. Enjoy your relationships. You might create a ritual of your own, perhaps a designated day of the week for family or a special holiday spot. Find a way to be of service to others – it will enrich your own life too.

Learn about the relaxation response. Prayer, mantra, meditation, yoga, massage, biofeedback, relaxation techniques like imagery and progressive muscle relaxation are some examples of ways to induce relaxation. Find something that works for you.

Here’s a simple relaxation technique: Five times a day take a moment to close your eyes, relax your body, and take 30 seconds to detach from your concerns. Invoke your inner wisdom and connection to your higher power.

Strive for a healthy lifestyle: get good nutrition, a good night’s sleep and avoid self-medicating with alcohol, drugs, caffeine, sugar, tobacco or other substances in an attempt to relax. Though they may seem to relieve your stress in the short term, they’ll prolong your suffering.

Find the time to exercise; it releases endorphins, nature’s mood elevators. The effects of a regular fitness program have been shown to be similar to taking anti-depressants and anti-anxiety pills. To sustain an exercise program over time, you’ll need to find something you really enjoy doing.

If you have trouble sleeping, try a relaxation exercise or create a soothing ritual such as a bath by candlelight. Avoid stirring up too many thoughts or worries before bedtime. A ritual from ancient Greece to prepare for sleep was to call upon your inner wisdom to provide enriching dreams to give you guidance for the next day or the next phase of life.

We all have some bad habits when it comes to stress. We may tell ourself stories to dramatize an otherwise neutral situation. We may rediscover some stuck, emotional reactiveness like anger, depression, and hopelessness that we thought we’d overcome. We may look for someone to blame. Anger, a common stress response, can be devastating to our relationships, our health, and can even threaten our liberty. “Just say NO” to going over the edge. Decide to forgive yourself and forgive others.

It’s not the stressful event that causes stress, but our reaction to the event. We all suffer losses, disappointments, failures, setbacks, and loss of self-esteem at times; but our responses to these events are many times more powerful and harmful. While there may be no way to avoid stressors, there is much we can do to manage, reduce and prevent stress.

Massage Your Baby

Most animals lick their wounds, groom themselves and each other - and they nuzzle and lick their newborn young. We humans do a lot less licking. But still, we can’t help thinking our baby smells delicious, and we can’t stop stroking that soft, soft skin. It’s a good thing, too. Babies who are touched are more likely to survive and thrive. Plenty of studies have proven it. They’re more likely to grow and develop into healthy adults, both physically and emotionally.

There are many good reasons for massaging your baby: massage enhances bonding; soothes tension, colic, and general fussiness; improves digestion, respiration, and circulation; and stimulates the nervous system. Later on, massage helps alleviate growing pains.

Instinct can teach you everything you need to know about massaging your baby. But until then, here are some ideas to get you started:

Make sure the room is warm and not drafty. It’s a good idea to have lots of toys close by and keep extra diapers or towels handy. Your surface should be waterproof, soft and (if he’s old enough to roll) on the floor. Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting oily. Take off your jewelry, especially earrings, or wear baby-friendly jewelry like colorful, dangly bracelets.

Your oil should be edible and natural like almond or coconut, which are light and easily absorbed. Pour a little oil into your hand and rub your hands together to warm it before spreading it on the baby.

Whatever position the baby is most comfortable in is a good place to start. You can try laying the baby on her back so she can see what you’re up to; or you can start with the baby held in your (or someone else’s) arms, against the chest. If the baby is colicky, you could try side-lying with one hand on the baby’s tummy while your other hand massages her back.

Begin with some general introductory strokes, to spread the oil and signal “massage time” to your baby. Use your palms and flat fingers in light, smooth effleurage strokes toward the heart.

Wringing can be done on the abdomen, arms and legs. Mold your hands to the contours of the body, moving them in opposite directions, side to side. On his arms and legs, your thumb will be on one side and your fingers on the other in a corkscrew action with you’re your hands moving in opposite directions.

Next use palmar kneading on the buttocks and the back, one handed with a flat palm alternately compressing and releasing in rhythm. Alternate thumb kneading is a circular motion you do with both your thumbs, alternating one thumb and then the other. Fingertip kneading is usually done one handed, with the palm raised up off his skin and your fingertips massaging in a circular motion.

Leg pumping is especially helpful for colic. Take one of her legs and flex it at the knee and hip so it gently presses into her abdomen. Alternate one leg and then the other. You can also pump both legs together and then rotate her hips in a circle. Never push a baby’s joints when she’s resisting. Work with her.

Finish up with some more effleurage and then light strokes from his head to toe. After the massage, it may be a good time for his bath or a nap. 

Your baby’s attention span for receiving a massage is unpredictable; so if there is a problem area, start there. If she has colic, leg pumping and massage to her hips, pelvis and abdomen is especially helpful. Massage the abdomen gently in a clockwise direction. If her belly is tense and distended, try using vibrations over the abdomen with little or no pressure. Don’t do abdominal work right after the baby has eaten.

If the baby has respiratory congestion, put him in a postural drainage position, with his hips higher than his shoulders. Laying him face down across your lap with one of your knees higher than the other can accomplish this easily. Stroke along his ribs and use light compressions and shaking over the ribs. Cupping helps to loosen congestion. Form a cup with your hands and use gentle, slow percussion over his chest and back.

Babies teach us how to go with the flow. You’ll need to be innovative and flexible, and be prepared to turn on a dime when your baby cues you that she needs to change positions. Don’t expect to keep her in the position that’s convenient for you, or follow a routine, or finish what you started.

If you want to learn more, there are several books and videos on how to massage your baby. You can come see the ones we have at the school, and even watch our video. Ask about our free baby massage practice sessions held a few times each year. Bring your baby and we’ll gladly show you how.

Telephone Neck Syndrome

By Linda Sola and Raphiell Nolin

Is it just me or are we all spending a lot more time on the phone these days? To add to that, I’m a multi-tasker and often need both hands while I talk. So I “scrunch” the phone between my ear and shoulder - just for a minute, I’m thinking. But before I know it…Oww! My neck hurts. And awhile later, I wonder why I have a headache. Sound familiar?

Telephone neck syndrome is an irritation of muscles due to chronic contraction on the side bent (scrunched) side of the neck, leading to muscle spasm and inflammation. Spasm-pain-spasm is a vicious cycle that can perpetuate itself indefinitely and can cause trigger points that refer pain down the arm or up into the head, giving us those familiar headaches. Meanwhile, on the other side of the neck, the muscles lengthen and stretch. Though it’s less common, some people experience pain on the overstretched side.

In severe cases (among chronic scrunchers) there may be compression between the vertebrae that squeezes the discs. This can wedge a disc till it bulges toward the opposite side where it presses against spinal nerves causing pain (or numbness and tingling) down the arm on the other (UNscrunched) side. Nerve pain down the arm on the scrunched side is also possible as in the case of thoracic outlet syndrome. But that’s another topic.

The good news is that telephone neck syndrome is easy to prevent. If you sometimes just can’t help using your hands while on the phone, get a headset. It will change your life. It’s a lot cheaper than having a microchip imbedded in your head that makes telephones obsolete. It’s cheaper that surgery for a herniated disc, cheaper than taking a sick day when you have a headache, it’s even cheaper than a massage. In fact, get a headset for your office phone, home phone and cell phone. The combination of a cordless phone and a lightweight or wireless headset will give you the freedom to shuffle through files looking for that document you’re discussing, enter data on the computer while you’re gathering it, answer the phone when you’re stir frying, and talk with your mom while you’re weeding the garden. All of this without contorting your neck.

If you tend to have neck pain, here are a few other things to consider: Don’t sleep on your stomach. This is terrible for your low back as well as your neck. If you go to the theater, get seats in the center, not on the side, especially not up close on the side. If you’re having a conversation with someone, sit so you are facing each other, not beside each other. If you have a computer, your monitor should be directly ahead of you, not in the corner of your desk. Whatever you’re working on, keep your work in front of you, not to the side. And take a few seconds to use your headset once you get one. Don’t think a shoulder cradle will do the trick. They’re not even close. But in a pinch (pun intended) you could use a speaker phone.

If you think you already have telephone neck syndrome, you’ll find that massage therapy to the spasmed or contracted muscles will give you a lot of relief. You may be able to reach most of the involved muscles yourself to massage them. If you go to someone else, your therapist may choose triggerpoint therapy or neuromuscular therapy to the sternocleidomastoid, scalenes, trapezius, levator scapula, and suboccipitals.

You may also want to see a chiropractor, especially if you’re experiencing nerve pain down the opposite arm. A chiropractic adjustment will help realign the vertebrae and reduce pressure on the spinal nerves. A combination of massage therapy to relieve muscular tension and chiropractic to correct alignment of the spine is often a very effective approach.

You may want to use a heat pack to help reduce muscle tension if there is no inflammation present. When a muscle is inflamed or spasmed, as in the early acute stage, a cold pack or ice is a more effective treatment. When in doubt, use cold so you avoid exacerbating any inflammation that may be present. 

Stretches to the neck and shoulders are very helpful for relieving muscle tension. Shoulder rolls, neck rolls, especially forward and to the unscrunched side, should feel good. Don’t do it till it hurts or if it hurts, especially if it causes nerve pain down the opposite arm. As with all stretches, go slow, hold and allow the muscle to release gradually. No bouncing or forcing.

Though ibuprofen, acetaminophen or aspirin may help in the short term with pain and inflammation, pain meds may not be so good over the long term. If your symptoms are severe and don’t go away, make an appointment with your healthcare professional to get an expert opinion.

I hope this helps to keep you chatting away comfortably for hours on end.

Linda Sola is the director of, and Raphiell Nolin is an instructor at, the Maui School of Therapeutic Massage in Makawao: www.massagemaui.com

Mousitis: Wrist Pain for Geeks

You don’t have to be a computer nerd to get mousitis - any more that you have to play tennis to get tennis elbow (hammering will do nicely). But many a nerd knows that searing pain over the shoulder blade that radiates up the neck and down the arm. Many describe a variation of carpal tunnel syndrome, with pain in the wrist, and tingling and weakness in the hand. The condition results from your shoulder remaining in a slightly elevated position over a long period of time with your hand gripping the mouse - a constant state of tension that fatigues the muscles and causes a build-up of metabolic waste, and often tendonitis at the wrist. This condition is easier to prevent than to relieve once it has gotten a grip (so to speak). But relief is within reach...

As with any repetitive strain injury, rest is the most important (but most resisted) part of the remedy. Avoid non-essential computer time, like games. Limit the most damaging activities like “dragging” and freehand drawing with the mouse. Invest some time in learning to mouse with your non-dominant hand. Use keyboard shortcuts for things like “copy” and “paste”. You’ll be amazed at how many keyboard shortcuts there are - and how much quicker and easier they are to use than mouse pointing, clicking and dragging. You can even program new shortcuts for your commonly used keystroke sequences.

There are many mouse alternatives you can try: graphic tablets allow you to draw, point, click and drag with a stylus on a special pad. Numerous ergonomic mice and trackballs are available. Voice recognition software has become more affordable and more accurate lately. Be aware that, regardless of what ‘they’ say, no solution works for everyone. I use an ergonomic mouse (bigger and taller then most mice) for most work, and a graphics tablet for, well, graphics. Then I bought a trackball on the advice of a friend who swears by it, and I developed pain in my hand. Whatever you use, try not to grip it so tightly. After all, it’s only called a mouse, it won’t actually run away.

Proper ergonomics will both prevent and help relieve mousitis. Set up your desk, chair, screen, keyboard, and mouse to be as user friendly as possible. Your chair should provide low back support and arm rests at the right height. When your arms are hanging naturally at your sides, the arm rest should come up slightly higher than your elbow, so you are neither leaning forward nor hunching up to meet the arm rest. Many prefer to sit on a ball or ergochair because it helps you sit up straight. Try to keep your ears over your shoulders to curb that tendency to press your nose against your monitor. To avoid neck problems, your monitor should be directly in front of you, about arms length away; and the top of the screen should be at or below eye level.

Wrist support is essential: raise the wrist so it’s level with your hand - no bending. Anything from a low tech rolled up towel to a gel-filled wrist rest on your mouse pad helps keep your wrist straight. With your elbows at your sides, your forearms should be level with the floor, so you may need to lower your keyboard and mouse onto a keyboard drawer and/or raise your chair. If you choose the latter, get yourself a foot rest if your feet aren’t flat on the floor. Take your wallet out of your back pocket when sitting for prolonged periods, especially if you’re prone to low back pain.

Set a timer to remind you to take frequent mini-breaks: a 5 minute break every hour will do wonders. Get up and stretch, walk, get a glass of water… Stretch the forearm flexors and extensors by bending your wrist with the opposite hand in both directions, keeping your elbow straight. Stretch the pectorals by standing in a doorway with your hands holding the doorjambs and step slowing forward. The ‘fencers lunge’ stretches your hip flexors, like the psoas, that get tight from all that sitting.

Massage treatment to the shoulder and arm is very effective. Triggerpoint therapy followed by heat to the shoulder muscles, such as trapezius and levator scapula, often helps with those radiating pains. Cross-fiber frictions to the tendons at the wrist (followed by ice) is helpful for tendonitis. The latter you can do for yourself, just don’t overdo it - more is not always better. You can try rubbing a bit of tiger balm into the tendons at the wrist too.

Contrast bathing is easy to do for the forearms and hands and helps your circulation. Fill one side of a double sink with hot (but tolerable) water and the other side with iced water. First soak your arms in the hot water for three minutes and then immerse them in cold water for one minute. Repeat for three cycles, ending with cold.

I hope these guidelines help you avoid mousitis and similar repetitive strain injuries - but don’t forget to use common sense. Remember the old vaudeville doctor joke: If it hurts when you go like that, don’t go like that.

Cold Remedies for the Do-it-Yourselfer

From the Haleakala Times, December 26, 2005

Cold and flu season is upon us. While many reach for the aspirin, decongestants and cough suppressants, some of us are more inclined to help Nature find her own balance. Though no one can claim a cure, there has never been any shortage of suggestions: Grandma swore by her chicken soup; researchers point to zinc and frequent hand washing; plenty-of-rest and plenty-of-fluids are oldies but goodies.

So, in the spirit of the season, let me suggest finding a free evening, a friend, and a few ingredients for this older-than-dirt remedy that really seems to help. You can do all or part of this:

Make a gallon of herb tea. Boil a gallon of water in a pot. Take it off the heat and stir in a total of one cup of dried herbs to steep. Include as many of the following as you’ve got: yarrow, echinacea, finely grated ginger, crushed garlic, mullein, chamomile, black walnut, and (here’s an easy one) spearmint. This won’t taste good, mainly because of the yarrow. (I bet you thought it would be the garlic.) Start drinking the tea and continue drinking it throughout the rest of this process.

Lay a big warm blanket over your bed. Wool is nice. Cover it with a dry cotton sheet. Now get your biggest cotton sheet and put it into a bucket filled with ice water. Leave it there for now. Add more ice as needed.

Prepare a mustard plaster. This is an old-fashioned remedy for congestion in your chest. (If you don’t have congestion, don’t bother with this part.) Mix 1 tablespoon dry mustard powder and 3 tablespoons flour with enough warm water to make a paste. If you have sensitive skin, use less mustard and more flour. Fold a paper towel into thirds. Spread the mustard mix over the middle third of the paper towel and fold the two sides over it. Cut a piece of plastic wrap (or plastic bag) big enough to cover the paper towel with a few inches to spare on all sides. Set the plastic beside the bed for now with the paper towel on top of it.

Take a hot bath. Make it comfortably hot, about 100 to 105 F. You can add some grated ginger in the bath. In the absence of a tub, a hot shower will do - but don’t get your hair wet. Soak in the tub awhile and drink your hot tea. Reduce the temperature and time for children, or if you’re pregnant, have high blood pressure, a high fever, or any condition where heat is contraindicated.

When you’re ready to get out of the bath, you’ll need your friend to first wring out the sheet that’s in the ice water so it’s not too drippy, and then lay it over the bed on top of the other layers. This next part needs to happen very quickly: While the sheet is still very cold, and you’re still very hot, get out of the tub and lay down on the sheet. The top edge of the sheet should come up to the top of your neck.

Your friend now quickly wraps you in the cold sheet. One side of the sheet goes under your arms and between your legs. The other side goes over your arms and legs and tucks in under you and close in around your shoulders. Wrap it tightly and tuck it in well to eliminate air pockets. You want as much skin as possible to be in contact with the cold sheet. I know this part sounds like a shock and it is - but only for a minute, I promise. The purpose of the cold sheet wrap is to raise your body temperature so you can sweat the toxins out of your body. That’s why this works for detoxifying in general. Your blood makes a hasty retreat away from your cold skin and into your internal organs, but quickly rushes back to the surface of your skin. Soon that wet sheet will get hot and even dry out.

Immediately after wrapping the wet sheet, continue wrapping with the next layers: the dry sheet, then the blanket. Add more blankets on top as needed.

Slide the folded paper towel (with mustard plaster inside) under the wet sheet and lay it on the skin, across the chest. Cover it with the piece of plastic, then rewrap the cold sheet over the chest and wrap the other layers over that. If at any point the mustard plaster feels too hot, remove it immediately.

The feet can be wrapped too or you can leave them out and massage them. Some like to spread a paste of crushed garlic in a couple of tablespoons of oil or lotion onto the soles of the feet. You can also put a hot water bottle across the bottoms of the feet to speed the heating process.

Put a large pillow under the knees to ease the low back. You’ll want to stay wrapped 60 to 90 minutes, then shower and sleep afterwards. Or just fall asleep, that’s OK too – as long as somebody keeps an eye on you. Don’t leave anyone alone while they’re wrapped.

Here’s a variation if you’re weak, debilitated, squeamish, or you just don’t have a friend handy to help you: try a cold sock treatment instead. Wring out a pair of cotton socks in very cold water and put them on. Then put on a pair of dry wool socks over them and go to bed.

This treatment can be surprisingly effective and I hope it helps you; but if you’re very sick, have a high fever, or aren’t getting better, see a doctor.