Massage provides relief to people of all ages—from infants to seniors—and from all walks of life—the weekend or competitive athlete to the home gardener or overstressed, overworked executive. Here is a minimized list of ailments that massage can benefit.

• Arthritis
• Bursitis
• Carpal Tunnel
• Fibromyalgia/Myofascial Pain Syndrome
• Frozen Shoulder Syndrome
• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Plantar Fasciitis
• Postural Distortions
• Restricted Joints
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Sciatica
• Scoliosis
• Shin Splints
• Sore Muscles | Tension
• Strains/Sprains
• Stress
• Tendinitis/Tenosynovitis
• Tennis/Golf Elbow
• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
• Whiplash

WORKING MOTHER
Whether she works outside of the home or stays home full time, mom has incredible stress on her physically and mentally. They deserve the highest level of care, yet they are constantly caring for the needs of others. They rarely get the proper care and attention they need to maintain a healthy body and mind.

They do the grocery planning and shopping. They cook and do the dishes. They clean the house and clean the laundry. They care for the children, which is no easy task, not to mention all the other responsibilities she has.

The physical demands alone warrant the benefits of massage therapy. Beyond the physical benefits, researchers have shown great mental benefits from massage therapy on a consistent basis.

COMPUTER USERS
Ergonomics is a term that has become well known within the workplace. It means: The applied science of equipment design, as for the workplace, intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort.

However, despite the scientific advances, the fact remains, computer users experience neck, shoulder and head stress. Simply put, muscles put into one position for an extended period of time are subject to tightness and 'knots'. Moreover, if not treated, problems could become more severe. More severe conditions include muscle spasms, shooting pains, numbess and headache. All of these conditions lead to a tired and inefficient computer user.

Massage therapy focuses in on the effected muscles to relieve the strains put there by the intense demands of using the computer. Depending on the severity of your condition, you may require several massages in a short period of time to 'gang up on' the stressed muscles. Afterwhich, massage should be part of your health and fitness regimine keeping a consistent and regular schedule with your massage therapist.

ATHLETES
Whether professional, seasonal or self-proclaimed athlete, the muscles of those who play sports risk injury in a number of different ways each time they participate.

Obviously a football player is subject to different injuries than someone who plays golf. Yet both have the potential to inflict great injury to a huge variety of muscles and muscle groups.

It is important that each athlete, no matter what their sport, pay particular attention to their bodies. Listen to warning signs. Pain and discomfort is the greatest indicator of injury. It isn't to be ignored.

Massage should be part of your health and fitness regimine keeping a consistent and regular schedule with your massage therapist. The massage therapists at A Caring Touch are educated to realize the difference between something massage can treat and injuries that warrant a different type of treatment.

ON THE JOB
Your job may include physical responsibilities. When you accepted this position, hopefully you were trained on safe lifting or carrying. Here are some tips on ways to carry safely.

- Always bend at the knees to pick something off the ground. Never bend at the waist and yank it up. That puts incredible stress on your low back.
- Use the equipment that is available to you. Even if it takes a bit longer, be smart. Use the hand truck or ask a co-worker to assist you.
- Keep your muscles in the best possible condition. Regular exercise is a must to avoid injury.
- Listen to your body. If you have pain or discomfort, report it and seek medical attention.

Utilizing massage therapy as part of your fitness regimine can greatly decrease your potential for injury on the job.

WEEKEND WARRIORS
How many out there have tackled projects over the weekend and ened up paying for it the next morning. It's kind of hard to get up Monday morning and face the week!

Whether you painted the house, worked on your car, mowed the lawn, and other various weekend chores, these projects can irritate unused muscles.

Sometimes, minor injury can occur and it is written off as sore muscles from your weekend tasks. If pain or discomfort continues or increases for more than 2-3 days, call or contact A Caring Touch Massage Therapists to find out if what you have is something that can be treated with massage or if you have a more serious injury.