Page 18 - Fashion issue

Transitions with Carol LeBeau

MASSAGE…Great for your Health!

I just made an for your next back tweak or a vacation getaway to book your next
appointment for a massage. New studies show massage has a variety of tangible
massage. And I health benefits.
don’t feel the least
bit guilty about Research over the past couple of years has found that massage
it. Truth is, I used therapy boosts immune function in women with breast cancer,
to think spending improves symptoms in children with asthma, and increase grip
money for a mas- strength in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. And get this!
sage was self- Giving massages to the littlest patients…premature babies…
indulgent and a helped in the crucial task of gaining weight!
waste of money.
The benefits go beyond feelings of relaxation and wellness many
Massage has a of us experience after a massage. The American College of
reputation for be- Physicians and the American Pain Society now include massage
ing no more than as one of their recommendations for treating low back pain.
a decadent treat…
only for those who New research is revealing what really happens in the body after a
can afford such massage. There have been many theories about how massage
luxury. For years, works…from releasing toxins to improving circulation. But these
I agreed. Though have been fairly nebulous, with little hard evidence.
there were a few
occasions for Now, one study, for example, found a single, 45-minute massage
which I justified led to a small reduction in the level of cortisol, a stress hormone,
the extravagance. in the blood…a decrease in cytokine proteins related to inflamma-
My first massage tion and allergic reactions…and a boost in white blood cells that
was at a resort in fight infection.
Sedona…where Tom and I were celebrating our tenth wedding an-
niversary. A couple’s massage was part of the weekend package. And it’s not just the alternative medicine community singing the
What the heck! After ten years, we could both use the creative praises of massage. Studies on the health benefits of massage
combination of pampering and romance! It was great. are so compelling the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is spend-
18 ing close to $3 million on massage research this year.
A year later, I decided to run the San Diego Rock ‘n Roll Mara- The NIH’s Jack Kline says, “There is emerging evidence that
thon. During a long training run, my left hamstring seized. I cried massage can make contributions in treating things like pain, where
like a baby as Wayne, a local sports massage therapist, drove his conventional medicine doesn’t have all the answers.”
elbow into my hip. Anything but relaxing, Wayne used trigger point
therapy…an effective, but intense, massage technique to help Wow! Could a medicinal massage be better than a pain pill?
relax the spasms in my muscle. Could insurance coverage be far behind? Stay tuned.

It seems for many of us, a massage is unnecessary or self-indul- For now, you can be sure the benefits of a relaxing rubdown go
gent unless it’s therapy or a special occasion. But if a growing beyond feelings of relaxation and wellness and may just be worth
body of research continues to pan out, you may not want to wait the extra time and money when it comes to your health.

Kickin' It Challenge

Soccer and breast cancer advocacy are coming together for the first time in San Diego. The Kickin’ It Challenge, a
two-day soccer tournament that will donate all proceeds to the San Diego Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the
Cure Breast Cancer Foundation, will be held June 23rd-June 24th at the Frances Ryan Park in Escondido,
California.
The tournament is the first of its kind in San Diego, hosted by the Poway Vaqueros, with fields provided by the City
of Escondido. More than 120 youth soccer teams are expected to "Unite in the Fight" against breast cancer. The
tournament hopes to raise at least $20,000 for the San Diego Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast
Cancer Foundation and to show young soccer players how to make a direct impact in their community while doing
something they love.
Visit their site at http://e7sports.us/orgs/poway/kickin/index.php or contact the Tournament Director Toni DeCarlo at
760-525-4213 or by email at tsoccertoni@aol.com