Is there anything more stressful than living with a diagnosis of cancer? The only thing more difficult may be dealing with the nasty side effects of the medical treatments. The American Cancer Society says that studies of massage for cancer patients suggest a real decrease in stress, anxiety, depression, pain and fatigue.

Oncology massage is a specialized form of massage therapy requiring a licensed massage therapist with training in oncology massage in order to provide safe massage for those during and after cancer treatments. Oncology massage therapists are trained to support and provide comfort to cancer patients with a unique treatment plan suited just to them. An oncology therapist like Traci Hardin will adapt the treatment plan for fatigue and peripheral neuropathy, low blood cell counts, blood clots, radiation treatment, bone metastases, medication side effects, and more. Other reported massage benefits to cancer patients include decrease in nausea, improved immune function, improved sleep, ease of isolation and enhanced body image. What nearly all sources agree upon is that massage therapy can improve the quality of life for cancer sufferers.

A growing number of health care professionals are incorporating massage into their conventional treatment plans. In a 1999 publication, the National Cancer Institute found that approximately 50 percent of their cancer centers offered massage as optional therapy for cancer treatment.

Family members may not even realize that those living with cancer feel isolated therefore need and crave the close support and especially the touch of their loved ones. So forget the health benefits of massage therapy, to someone with a life-threatening disease it may simply be the relaxing touch that improves their day or week.

Traci welcomes clients who are currently undergoing cancer treatment as well as those with cancer in their past. She will want an in-depth intake form to be completed and a consultation prior to the session to tailor the treatment plan around any side effects or symptoms the client may be experiencing.

“You can be a victim of cancer, or a survivor of cancer. It’s a mindset.” ~Dave Pelzer

(Dave Pelzer is an American author of several autobiographical and self-help books.)

At times when you’re juggling so many activities, it’s easy to create a lot of the mental stress yourself just by dwelling on how much you still have to accomplish. One tip that may give you some needed mental relief is to put all those activities on your calendar so you can see exactly what you have to do (and when). You may find this helps you to unburden your mental load, especially if you can now concentrate on just getting through the next thing on your list.

While you’re working on your schedule, see where you can work in your next massage session. It can go such a long way to help you cope with everything else in your life!

Here are a few of the more important health benefits your regular massage sessions offer you:

Stress relief— Much more is happening within your body than you may realize when it comes to stress. All those worries and concerns result in hormonal changes that throw your body’s chemicals out of balance and can play havoc with your health. (You can see why eighty percent of illness is stress-related!) One of the main reasons you feel more relaxed after a massage is that stress-causing hormones consistently are reduced by massage.

Better sleep— In the National Sleep Foundation’s “Sleep in America” poll, it’s reported that as many as 47 million adults aren’t meeting their minimum sleep needs. Bodies need adequate rest to remain healthy and to function properly. Studies show that regular massage promotes better sleep patterns.

Overall improved body functions— Virtually every area of the body has been shown to be improved by regular massage. These many life-improving benefits can include:

• stimulating nerve function that produces changes throughout the body
• boosting the immune system • contributing to the detoxification process • reducing blood pressure
• improving muscle function and joint mobility

Each massage can help you in so many ways! No matter how hectic your life is, maintaining your health is vital to your future. Please be sure to make time for your massage sessions, so you can feel your best every day and be there for those who need you!

A Good Way to Start the Day

Before you bolt out of bed tomorrow morning, consider taking just a few minutes to get your “operating system” … well, operating. You’ve just spent the night (hopefully) resting soundly, with very limited body movement. This can allow your muscles to tighten, as well as blood flow and nerve signals to decrease. Just like you want your car to warm up when it’s cold, give your body the same advantage.

We’ve all seen a pet get up from sleep and make that long, slow stretch. Once you’re awake and still reclining in bed, take a few moments to slowly stretch from head to toe, accompanied with some slow, deep breaths. See how much better you feel when your feet finally hit the floor!

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No gift offers a greater reward than the gift of health and well-being…

This year choose the gift of health and peaceful relaxation with a gift certificate for a massage session.

An exceptional gift; no crowds to fight; more time for your holiday pleasure!
Call today…

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If you wish to receive promotions and newsletters by e-mail go to the contact page of my website and e-mail me your address. (This will cut down costs of mailing out by regular mail.) I will not sell my e-mail list to anyone.

“But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads.” —Albert Camus

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The content of this letter is not intended to replace professional medical advice. If you’re ill, please consult a physician.

© 2009 Massage Marketing. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

I have many clients that come from All over Jefferson County to see me for all their needs.

If you want a Great Massage and live in these areas:

Festus

Crystal City

Hillsboro

DeSoto

Arnold

Imperial

Herculaneum

or any other cities that are in close vicinity!

Call Traci Hardin’s Massage Clinic!

Thank you for letting me take care of you!

The typical initiation to massage is motivated by a stressful or painful condition. But massage’s magical ministrations go deeper and offer you far more than you may have ever suspected. Regular massage can greatly benefit your overall health and well-being. Read on to learn some of the wonderful health aspects available to you through massage.

The more you learn about massage, the more you’ll benefit from each of your sessions. This overview touches on some of the basic massage benefits available to you. Massage:

• alleviates stress • relieves tight or sore muscles • improves circulation

• aids digestion • aids detoxification • improves range of motion

and much more …

The most obvious benefit shared by virtually everyone is that a full body massage makes you feel great! The stress-relieving, soothing results are enough for many to include massage as a regular part of their lives. But what of the less obvious benefits?

The first sense to develop is your sense of touch. It’s not surprising when you consider that each square inch of your skin contains roughly 50 nerve endings. With as many as five million total touch receptors in your skin relaying messages on to your brain, your body’s initial response to massage is to relax and de-stimulate. Even a simple touch has been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce the heart rate. Touch can also signal the brain to produce endorphins, your body’s natural pain suppressors.

Going deeper, massage can restore suppleness and strength to your muscles, improving their overall function. It’s the ideal treatment for releasing tension or muscles in spasm and helps to release toxins such as lactic acid (produced by muscle tissue during exercise), as well.

Proper circulation is vital to continued health. Your blood and lymph carry nourishment to the trillions of cells throughout your body and then carry away the waste to be eliminated from the cells. Massage encourages a better exchange of nutrients at the cellular level and more thorough detoxification. Remember, the future “you” is determined by how well your army of cells regenerate themselves, so this is indeed a critical part of remaining healthy.

The nervous system is your communication network, sending messages constantly that determine proper functioning throughout your body. Stress can affect the ability of the nervous system to do its job. The many nerve endings found in the skin and muscles are soothed by massage, and this contributes to keeping your internal lines of communication open and operational.

Massage also aids in maintaining flexibility in your joints, such as the knee, hip, spine, shoulder, and neck. These joints are thoroughfares for nerves, veins and arteries, so their freedom of movement allows energy and blood to flow unimpeded.

So, you can see massage does quite a bit more than just relax you and work out the kinks in a sore back. Since massage has been practiced for thousands of years and is one of the earliest known health treatments known to man, why don’t you hear more about it in today’s society?

In fact, massage today is rapidly growing in popularity and reputation. Besides being misunderstood, massage has had to overcome the reluctance many people have regarding physical contact. Of course, once they experience a therapeutic massage for themselves, most people are hooked.

A Life magazine article explored some of the research underway regarding the benefits of massage. Undertaken by the Touch Research Institute in Miami, ongoing studies are showing amazing results, as the following quotes indicate: “… More than 50 TRI studies have shown massage to have positive effects on conditions from colic to hyperactivity to diabetes to migraines—in fact, on every malady TRI has studied thus far. Massage, it seems, helps asthmatics breathe easier, boosts immune function in HIV-positive patients, improves autistic children’s ability to concentrate, lowers anxiety in depressed adolescents …

“… Massage can increase the lymph flow rate. It enhances immune function and lowers levels of (two) stress hormones  …  Field (the director of TRI) worries that Americans aren’t getting enough touch … At the TRI preschool, teachers encourage ‘positive touch.’ They dole out unlimited hugs, backrubs and shoulder pats … Most of the 40 children, from six months to five years in age, get a daily 15-minute rubdown, which leaves them according to TRI research, more alert, more responsive, able to sleep more deeply …”

As you can see, massage offers more benefits than you may have imagined. Isn’t it good to know that something that feels so great can contribute to your long-term health as well? Let’s work together to help you get the most from your massages—see you at your next appointment!

Schedule your appointment with Traci Hardin, Licensed Massage Therapist in Festus/Crystal City

Traci Hardin’s Massage Clinic

1330 YMCA Dr.  Suite 800

Festus, MO 63028

Office: 636-931-4898

Cell: 636-633-1155

© 2009 Massage Marketing. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

If you want a Great Massage and live in these areas:

Festus

Crystal City

Hillsboro

DeSoto

Arnold

Imperial

Herculaneum

or any other cities that are in close vicinity!

Call Traci Hardin’s Massage Clinic!

Thank you for letting me take care of you!

Hello — Have you been planning some life-style improvements to enhance your health and happiness? This is a good time to look ahead and decide what steps to take to make the most of your life.

Before you get caught up in your day-to-day living, take a few moments to review your life-style and make sure your priorities enhance the quality of your life.

As for my goals … I plan to do whatever I can to help you feel and be your best. Part of this will be sharing information that you may find useful, such as in this letter. I want you to have the best health and happiness possible. If there is anything I can do to help you, please ask me. I’ll do what I can.

When you set your health goals, be sure to make your regular massage sessions part of your plan. This is a form of health maintenance that can pay you big benefits in the way you feel and can contribute to improved body function in the future. Let me help you make the most out of your health program—see you soon! 

From time to time we all take stock of just where we’ll be heading in the coming months. It’s interesting that so many of us will set our sights on better health, losing weight, or giving up any number of questionable habits, foods, drinks, etc. If you look deeper into these goals, you might find that the common denominator behind them is to look and feel better, and ultimately, to lead a happier life. As you undergo this periodic ritual, consider this: 

Most of the actions your body takes are to maintain a state of balance. If you overheat, your body attempts to bring your temperature back to normal through perspiring, etc. When you ingest something your body doesn’t like, it tries to eliminate it as quickly as possible. As cells die, your body replaces them. This state of balance is what could be considered the optimum condition, when all systems are functioning at close to an ideal level. 

The closer you come to reaching this state of balance at a physical level, the better you’re likely to feel. In turn, it’s much harder to be joyous mentally and/or spiritually if you are burdened with a body that’s out of balance and imposing aches, pain, lethargy, etc. 

In expanding this concept of balance further into your life, consider following your body’s example. If you set your health goal to maintain things within certain boundaries, you can hope to reach your expectations more easily. 

It follows that the more you focus on the pluses and limit the minuses, the more likely your body is to operate at its best. And to the degree you aim toward these ideals, you can expect to feel better. At the very least, limit or eliminate the excesses that can take their toll on your health and happiness.  

We all know we need to concentrate on areas that include improving diet, avoiding certain substances, and getting adequate regular exercise and rest. Be sure to drink plenty of pure water (especially after your massage) to flush your body of wastes and toxins. Also, try to avoid stressful situations that can take their toll on your health.  

Massage is all about helping your body to maintain this state of balance. Think about your body’s many functions and you can see how massage assists in maintaining this critical balance that sustains life. And regular massages, like consistency in exercise and diet, can increase your rewards many times over.    

One last hint: Make your health choices a priority! There are many reasons why you could put off implementing a healthier life-style. Focus on the reward of greater health and happiness, start now, and stick with your program. In the long run, you’ll be glad you did! 

Keep Your Eye on the Prize 

Before you launch yourself into your new health regimen, improve your likelihood of success. 

• Remember to feed your mind— A daily diet of good health information can keep you focused on your health goals. It only takes a few minutes a day to learn something new about your long-term rewards and help keep you on track. You can subscribe to a health magazine that you like or get books from the library or the health food store. Start by reading about things in which you have a strong interest, and watch your area of interest naturally expand. 

• Moderation is key— If you are implementing a new exercise program, go slowly. It’s better to build your stamina over several weeks or months than to be sidelined by a strain or injury. Similarly, using moderation in dietary changes can help you to ease away from bad eating habits and gradually substitute with better selections. 

• Tie it all together with regular massage sessions— Massage can help your body operate more efficiently, lower stress levels, improve digestion, help to eliminate cellular waste, increase circulation, and so much more. It should be a regular part of any health program, so be sure to include your next massage in your schedule! 

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 Create a beautiful memory!

A gift certificate for a massage session is a gift of health and happiness.

To order, call today!  

Cell: 636-633-1155  Office: 636-931-4898

1330 YMCA Dr.  Suite 800   Festus, MO 63028

Massage gift certificates are ideal gifts for special occasions—birthdays, anniversaries, or just to let someone know how much you care.

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“My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.”

—Charles F. Kettering

 “Life is the sum of all your choices.”  —Albert Camus

The content of this letter is not intended to replace professional medical advice. If you’re ill, please consult a physician.© 2009 Massage Marketing. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

I have many clients that come from All over Jefferson County to see me for all their needs.

If you want a Great Massage and live in these areas:

Festus

Crystal City

Hillsboro

DeSoto

Arnold

Imperial

Herculaneum

or any other cities that are in close vicinity!

Call Traci Hardin’s Massage Clinic!

Thank you for letting me take care of you!

Almost everyone is familiar with the phrase detoxification—or detoxing—but many don’t really understand how vital this process is to your health. Here are some basic points you should know:

To simplify, detoxification is the process of your body cleaning out any substances that aren’t needed or shouldn’t be in your body. And in today’s world, the incidence of exposure to unneeded or unwanted substances is substantial. Air and water pollution; pervasive chemical use; insecticides, pesticides, and antibiotics in our food; excessive use of sugar, caffeine, alcohol, various drugs and medicines—there is little doubt that we are all exposed to many things that are to some degree toxic to our bodies. 

So what takes place within your body that makes this such an important health issue? Physically, you maintain a healthy condition when your system gets adequate exercise, fresh water and nourishment. When unnecessary substances “invade” the body, they must be collected and removed. If the volume of toxins is too high (more than your body can handle), these substances will be stored in your body. This opens the door to illness and degenerative diseases. 

Signs of toxicity include headaches, constipation, bloating, fatigue, and skin conditions (rashes, etc.), to name a few. To cleanse your body of toxins and wastes requires more than regular bathroom visits—your body relies on the liver, kidneys, skin, lymphatic and circulation systems working in harmony to keep your system clean and functioning properly. For instance, your skin disposes of many toxins through perspiration, and your liver removes wastes from the blood. If your digestive system is sluggish, the waste putrefies and creates toxins that can be recirculated within your body. 

One of massage’s greatest benefits is its contribution to the detoxification process. While massage is improving your circulation, increasing your flow of lymph, and encouraging all your various systems into more efficient operation, it is helping your body toward more effective elimination of toxins and waste. 

In her book Purify Your Body, Nina L. Diamond has this to say about massage: “Research has shown that bodywork treatments strengthen your body’s immune system, enabling you to resist and combat disease… By directly stimulating your body’s systems, all forms of massage and bodywork are valuable tools for literally helping your body clear its toxins and toxic accumulation of your body’s natural substances.” 

 So while you’re enjoying your next massage session, you can appreciate this added health benefit!  

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Did you know? … that “toxic” comes from the Latin word meaning “poison” and has its roots in the Greek language for the poison used on arrows!  

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The content of this letter is not intended to replace professional medical advice. If you’re ill, please consult a physician.© 2009 Massage Marketing. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

I have many clients that come from All over Jefferson County to see me for all their needs.

If you want a Great Massage and live in these areas:

Festus

Crystal City

Hillsboro

DeSoto

Arnold

Imperial

Herculaneum

or any other cities that are in close vicinity!

Call Traci Hardin’s Massage Clinic!

Thank you for letting me take care of you!

Water is a vital ingredient to good health. Unfortunately, far too many people just don’t drink enough water.

In her book Your Natural Health Makeover, naturopathic physician Dr. Lauri Aesoph gives the following reasons to include adequate pure water in your daily diet:  

1) Water, (not soda or juice) makes up 70% of the adult body

2) Water helps clear the body of waste material

3) Water helps fight constipation and aids digestion

4) Water helps lubricate joints

5) Water aids cell function and is an important solvent in the body

6) Water vapor in the lungs helps control oxygen concentration there

7) Water helps control body temperature

8) Inadequate water intake may result in fatigue and general body aches  

If you are one of those people who has a hard time drinking enough water, you can try this:

Make a commitment to drink only water for several days. (You should be drinking about 8-10 eight-ounce glasses every day.) Notice how you feel and what changes you experience. Hopefully you’ll be ready to continue making water your main source of liquid.  

Many natural health authorities believe that you should avoid tap water and seek a source of pure water (like bottled or spring water). 

It’s true that you should drink plenty of water following each massage session because your body is busy eliminating toxins. If you don’t get enough water, these toxins will stay in your system—often causing some physical discomfort—and you’ve lessened a major benefit of your massage.  

Drinking enough water is one of the easiest and most important steps you can take to improve your health, so make it a priority!

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The content of this letter is not intended to replace professional medical advice. If you’re ill, please consult a physician.© 2009 Massage Marketing. Used with permission. All rights reserved. 

I have many clients that come from All over Jefferson County to see me for all their needs.

If you want a Great Massage and live in these areas:

Festus

Crystal City

Hillsboro

DeSoto

Arnold

Imperial

Herculaneum

or any other cities that are in close vicinity!

Call Traci Hardin’s Massage Clinic!

Thank you for letting me take care of you!