I am a self confessed science nerd who loves to think things through and then I am just as likely to go with my feelings as my mind. For the big decisions, it is my feeling. My journey has been one of exploring the body, body awareness and body knowledge and gradually making my way back to the science nerd in me and discovering the integrated thoughts and feelings of a 48 year old man. A graduate of the Biology program at Carleton University in Ottawa in 1982, I continued for a year in English and wrote myself into the Creative Writing Program at the Banff School of Fine Arts for the summer of 1983. During the summer I fell in love with a massage therapist, or maybe is was massage therapy or the lifestyle/world- and self-view of a massage therapist. In any case, it wasn?t reciprocated in a romantic way (an example of that massage therapist having competent boundaries!), but I did go on to Calgary to study where she had studied. The rest is history; or rather my story and I will be sharing more of it in this blog!

I can be reached through my website http://www.massagetherapypractice.com or directly by e-mail at alexander2000@sympatico.ca

Social Networking is the latest craze as many of you are well aware of.  Figuring out what is the best use of your time is important when considering participating in these networks.  How will you find the best opportunities to get new and repeat clients?

Twitter is one of the easiest to use and get results with.   If you don’t know what twitter is yet, it is an online network that you sign up with for free.  Create a twitter account to just be used with your business.  Twitter is unique in that it only allows you a few sentences of space to use to communicate with people.   But who are you communicating with?   People can sign up to ‘follow’ your postings.  But where do you get people?   The best place is to put a twitter feed on your website.  You can get the code to put a twitter badge on your website by going to the Settings page.  In about the middle of that section there is a place for you to put your website address but right under that is a link that says:

(You can also add Twitter to your site here)

Click on that and click on the other tab (or one of the others if you are using one of those systems for your website.)  Click to create a badge.  You can add what you want it to say on the top or whether or not you want to create a flash badge or a html badge.  The flash badge will be interactive and show people’s reply ( I think!) So just copy and paste the code into your webpage where you want it.  I have mine on my homepage above the fold (near the top) where it is the highest profile and also on my services pages.  I also just created a twitter page that people can go to directly.  You can see how I am using it at www.massageseattle.net  I actually just started using it last week and have already gotten 3 new clients.  I also have quite a few visitors to my website and it already gets me a lot of calls but I think it will help even more by making this info of my schedule availability more public.  I am also sending a series of posts based using “you know you need a massage when you ….” and then will do a top ten reasons for getting a massage or something like that and see how that goes.

Facebook – Facebook is fairly time consuming.  It is really important to set up a business only listing.  What facebook is better for is finding your old high school buddies and long lost loves.  You are supposedly not allowed to set up more than one facebook profile.  They do have a way to make a business page and have it connected to your personal page but to me it is not private enough.  I personally don’t mix clients and friends.  You can use facebook to create more messages and even use it like a mini website if you don’t already have your own.  You can search facebook members to find businesses and doctors or other people who you want in your referral network and ask them to be your friend.  You can write a small newsletter like posts.  People can post on your wall or you can opt to not allow people to do that.  The thing I don’t like about Facebook is that people who become your friends will also have access to see each others profiles which may not be a good thing for your clients who want their privacy.  I did find a facebook group for my office building when they were having an open house that I could become a fan of and post my message about being the massage therapist in the building.

Linkedin in works sort of the same way as facebook but it doesn’t connect you with all of your old friends.  Linkedin is more of a professional networking site.  They also have a section where people ask questions like yahooanswers but it is much more professional than answers is.  You may possibly find someone looking for a massage but it is more like looking for a needle in the haystack.

I am not a big fan of social networking because of the time it takes to put into it all.  I would rather be writing a new article for my website to educate people who are already interested in getting a massage.  My website is found for the keywords that I have chosen – downtown seattle massage and it comes up first on Google and most of the other major search engines so writing there is more targeted advertising.  Also writing more content and educating people about massage and muscles and how the body and massage work together is a way of building trust with people.  When they read a website full of information and research they will get the feeling that you know what you are doing and trust you enough to make the call.

So if you are using one of these or other social networking sites successfully I would love to know what you are doing!

Most communities have a Chamber of Commerce and many massage therapists are members just because we thought we should be. We see other businesses in our community with the chamber stickers in the window and think we?re not valid until we have one. The fact is not all chambers are the same and not all are an effective way to grow a massage therapy business.

Chambers of commerce come in all different sizes and have different types of benefits available to their members. But as different as they are, they all have one thing in common ? their mission is to connect businesses with each other. Their main purpose in the community is to help your business grow.

Joining a chamber of commerce sounds great, doesn?t it? It sounds like an easy way to connect with other business owners and the community. If only making money and connections were as easy as joining?

First things first, you can?t become a member of the Chamber of Commerce and then not do anything. You are just throwing your money away. You have to commit to being involved and taking the time to manifest the benefits available to you.

Here are a few basic things to do to maximize any chamber of commerce membership:

?    Investigate all the benefits before joining. If you are already a member take the time now to review the member benefits ? what haven?t you taken advantage of? Take some time to uncover the different marketing options available to you as a member. Ask the person that signed you up what the best events are for you to attend. Is free advertising included in your local paper? Are ribbon-cuttings standard procedures for new members?

?    Attend networking events. This doesn?t mean that YOU specifically need to attend every event. You may have someone in your office attend more frequent events, and you attend ones with the ?high-rollers? in your community.

?    Include educational articles in publications. Does the chamber have a publication they send out to members? Don?t necessarily jump right to advertising in the publication if they have one. You want to ask if they accept educational articles that would benefit all of their members first. It?s usually free to include these and they are read more often (and are more believable) than ads.

?    Encourage strategic introductions from the staff. If there is a specific business you want to form a relationship with, ask your chamber representative if they can sit you with someone from there or introduce you. Be strategic and network. Don’t waste your time with the people that don’t do anything but attend events. Move forward and be purposeful in your connections.

?    Get involved in a worthwhile committee, but be particular about which one. Larger chambers will have different ?levels? of committees you can get on. Be picky. Ask who the other members of the committee are. Are they the movers and shakers in your community? Are they business leaders you want to forge relationships with?

Don?t just become a member of your Chamber of Commerce just to do it. Be strategic, ask smart questions, and be picky about who you spend your valuable time with.

About the author

Founder of A Marketing Connection and The Copywriting Institute, Kelly Robbins, MA, is an award winning author, copywriter and healthcare marketing coach/consultant. Kelly is a blogger for both ChiroEco and MassageMagazine and is the author of Marketing 101: Why Successful Alternative Healthcare Practitioners Specialize as well as co-author of The Practice Evolution Success Kit. She also publishes The Healthcare Marketing Connection, a free e-zine on healthcare marketing tips. Contact Kelly to receive her free report, ?5 Critical Mistakes Healthcare Marketers Make that Lose Sales

INTERNET VISIBILITY and MASSAGE

Welcome to my blog!  This is my first entry and my intention is to share my business and massage experience in a way that will be helpful to my fellow therapists! 

My background:   I have been practicing massage therapy since 2000.  I opened a retail massage studio in 2002 and another in 2005 (both in Colorado).  I currently employ over 30 massage therapists. In 2006 Fitness Together Franchise Corporation began franchising my business model.  We currently have 80 franchises sold in the United States, Costa Rica, Ireland and England.

My advice:  I have noticed over the past 8 years in business that customers don?t look at yellow pages that much anymore, they use the internet.  One way you can increase your business visibility on the internet is to put a free listing on ?google?.  To do this, go to www.google.com/local/add.   Sign up for a free ?google? account if you do not have one and then add your business listing, it is FREE!  Good Luck!

Are you living and working green?

Green is not just about the car you drive, reusing your shopping bags or deciding whether or not to buy organic food.  Green is about the products you use, what goes into making them and the well being of those who produce what you use.

What is green when it comes to the products you use?

So, how green are the essential oils you use?  Are they free of chemical pollutants? Are they produced in such a way that the earth and environment are honored in the production process?  Are they direct from nature or manipulated to mimic nature? Does the company who grows, distills, bottles, and sells the oils give their employees, whether they are in the field or the corporate office, a working wage, decent working conditions, and respect?

Do not be afraid to ask these questions to any company whose products you use.  You have a right to know…and the company has an obligation to tell you.

I would appreciate your feedback on the answers you have received from the companies you use….I don’t want to hear from the company spokesperson….I would love to hear from some therapists and see the response you have received.

Here’s to living and working green. The essential oils I use pass the test. Do yours?

Maria

Dear Christina,

    Thank you for your response to my blog, ?Pouring water on a stone.?

?Thank you John for explaining this idea in such a clear way. In my practice many individuals are still somewhat dehydrated, but I also serve individuals who are properly hydrated, physically active, eating well and have no medical conditions that should be causing chronic pain. I have sometimes found it challenging to explain why they could be doing all of these things yet their bodies may still need another level of release. Thank you for giving the words to explain this dynamic.? Christina Gibbs // Apr 25th 2009 at 4:24 pm

    I thought I would expand my thoughts on water absorption and the importance of the proper viscosity of fascial system’s ground substance.  There are so many nutritional theories that are logical and well intended, but produce only limited or short term results.  I believe that this is because of the misunderstood view of the important role of the fascial system in cellular hydration, nutrition, and elimination of toxins! 

   We have over one trillion cells in our body that undergo approximately 100,000 interactions per second!  Recent research has demonstrated that the external and internal environment of every cell is the fascial systems fibrous network and ground substance which should be somewhere between a gelatinous to a fluid state. 

   Physical and/or emotional trauma, or thwarted inflammatory responses tend to dehydrate the fluidity of the fascia’s ground substance, turning it into the equivalent viscosity of glue or solid like a stone. As I said in my last blog, “Pouring water on a stone”, as the cellular environment, the fascial system, hardens it produces crushing pressure on the cells and blocks the flow of water, nutrition, oxygen, hormones, and/or medicine into the cell?s interior.  These fascial restrictions also block the excretion of toxins from the cell. 

   If  the fascial system is restricted, it doesn’t matter what you put in your mouth, it isn’t getting to the cellular level, where you need it the most!

    Our fascial system’s ground substance is the transport medium of our mind/body complex.  Myofascial Release helps us to re-hydrate that which has solidified to enhance physiological and cellular functioning and health.

Sincerely,

I am moved and inspired by recent remembrances of Ted Kennedy?s life and accomplishments. Something in the stories of who he was and how he lived has stirred something deep within me.

He was clearly a man who believed in redemption. He lived a full life ? full-hearted, full of mistakes. Yet he was also full of integrity, and the belief that the world could be a better place if he worked to make it so.

He was brought to his knees many times throughout his career, physically, emotionally and politically. Yet each time, his capacity to recover and come back better enabled him to go on.

He had more loss and responsibility placed on his shoulders than most people experience in three lifetimes. What?s more impressive is what he did in response.

Yes, he grieved deeply. But each time he chose to pick up the torch and go on, strengthening his commitment to what he stood for ? a better world where the voiceless get heard, where the poor are remembered, and where healthcare is universal and not a just privilege for those who can afford it.

Senator Kennedy was clearly a lifelong learner not afraid to try new things. With each mistake he made and each loss he suffered, he didn?t just endure them. He did not become more callous.

He grew from each experience no matter how painful, and he grabbed life more fully in the aftermath. His legacy of five decades of vital legislation and lasting friendships on both sides of the aisle bear witness to that fact.

He had another valuable trait that we all need to remember, especially now. He knew how to reach out for the resources he needed every step of the way.

His wife Victoria is credited with being a powerful resource that saved his life. The staff he trusted implicitly was a resource that made his work possible. Spending time on the ocean was a resource that renewed and healed him. Over and over, he connected with healthy resources that allowed him to carry on.

Someone shared that his generous spirit called those around him to higher ground, and to release their pettiness when there were differences between them. In story after story, I heard how he showed up for his friends, colleagues and family members in their own times of need and loss. He literally showed up at the door, called repeatedly, or used his presence to get them the help they needed.

Ted Kennedy was a man of tremendous presence, born from a family imbued with an essence that mandated them to ?do good? and create a better world. He clearly contributed to that. But what?s impressed me most was his hard work and unflagging persistence in ?staying the course,? day in and day out, for more than five decades in the Senate.

He used his gifts and he persisted. And his presence grew from that.

When all is said and done, Ted Kennedy?s hard work and daily commitment to what he believed in left us with a legacy like none other.

As bodyworkers, we have a tremendous amount to give in the ?do good? department. Now I?m even more inspired to make a difference in all ways, large and small, in my own world given my gifts.

None of us is perfect or even close. Ted Kennedy is a testament to that, too. But what we do supports health. What we do helps people relax and relieve themselves of pressure. What we do reduces stress and helps people manage their lives better.

We help them feel more at home in the incredible navigational system of their bodies. And living from inside their bodies leads to wiser decisions, better self-esteem, more creativity and more joy. That?s a vital role we serve in healthcare, now and in the coming decades.

So your mandate, should you choose to accept it, is to stay your own course. Grab life with both hands and live it. Grow from the adversity life hands you and learn from it all.

Learn to take care of yourself. People are depending on you.

And persist. Keep sharing your gifts. When the time comes, your eulogy will be filled with what you want it to say ? all the ways in which you made a positive difference in your world.

In the meantime?enjoy!

Instead of relying on whole foods for vitamins, some health conscious consumers are acting as chemists for their bodies with isolated vitamins and supplements. Unfortunately, this often creates other health challenges as chemicals replace whole foods.  When too much of one nutrient is consumed it alters the delicate vitamin and mineral balance necessary for the five main systems of the body to function at peak efficiency.

The body?s 5 systems:

1. Respiratory (Breath)
2. Circulatory (Blood)
3. Digestive (Nutrition)
4. Endocrine (Hormones)
5. Immune System (Defense)

Dr. Tei-Fu Chen, world renowned herbalist and founder of Sunrider, the largest herbal whole food company in the world, talks about the importance of maintaining balance throughout these 5 systems,  “The body’s five systems are like 5 horses pulling a chariot. If one horse runs too fast or too slow, the chariot cannot run smoothly.  The systems must be in balance.”

Dr. Chen encourages people to obtain vitamins and minerals from whole foods, saying that whole foods naturally contain the perfect structure for our bodies to assimilate nutrients appropriately.

Isolated vitamins are chemicals that the body does not recognize. Whole foods contain the nutrients necessary for balance.  Studies have shown that 90% of the vitamins in the world today are flushed right into the sewer system.  Workers at water treatment plants report that their collection pools are constantly filled with undigested vitamins.  Because there are no live enzymes associated with isolated vitamins they are not easily absorbed.  All that money on vitamins is being flushed right down the toilet.  Have you ever known anyone who improved their health by taking isolated vitamins? Trying to create good health by consuming isolated vitamins is a mistake many people make.  Instead, it is better to absorb nutrients from whole foods.

Unlike isolated vitamins, concentrated whole foods and drinks are designed to nourish, cleanse, and balance internal organs, so that the cells of the 5 systems regenerate at a higher level.  Then, new cells are created with more sophisticated nutrients and the body performs with greater  efficiency.

With the untimely death of actor Heath Ledger, the issue of what to call ourselves in the massage profession comes up again. The news media continues to prefer the term masseuse, as evidenced by the many uses of the term in referring to the woman who discovered Mr. Ledger’s body. A few news reports did use the term massage therapist.

In my experience, many people still use the word masseuse, even when referring to a male massage therapist. Masseur and masseuse are French words, and French nouns are gender-specific. Here in the USA, we?ve gone more and more to gender-neutral terms, like massage therapist, wait-person, administrative assistant, etc.

Although most of us prefer the term massage therapist, not all in our profession like that title. What do you call yourself? Do you correct clients, or potential clients, when they use the ?wrong? title for you?

Denticulate Ligaments.

Denticulate Ligaments (DLs) are strands of connective tissue that suspend the spinal cord within its membrane sac, which is called the dual tube.

The dural tube is comprised of three layers of membrane surrounding the spinal cord. The membrane layer attached to the surface of the spinal cord is called the pia mater. The layer surrounding the pia mater is called the arachnoid membrane, and the layer surrounding the arachnoid membrane is called the dura mater.

DLs extend from the inner surface of the pia mater, travel through the pia mater, through the arachnoid membrane and then attach to the inner surface of the dura mater.

There are 21 pairs of DLs on the lateral aspects of the spinal cord. The first is attached to the foramen magnum. The last is attached to the conus medullaris, which is the end of the spinal cord at L1, and a small portion of the Filum Terminale (FT) beginning at the conus medullaris. The FT is a band of tissue extending from the conus medullaris to the coccyx that is made of spinal cord glial cells surrounded by pia mater.

DLs and FT shortening, twisting, bending or immobility can place adverse stress upon the spinal cord leading to neurological strain and dysfunction. Conversely, balancing the DLs and FT can decrease spinal cord stress which in turn can enhance neurological function.

DLs are fascinating components of the dural tube that seem, to me, to create a ligamentous suspension system cradling the spinal cord. Very little DL research is available.

These questions arise when I ponder and work the DLs and FT:

1) Since the spinal cord needs to move in its bony container more than the brain tissue does in its container, do the DLs provide protection and flexibility while allowing motion?

2) The dura mater of the dural tube is only one layer thick rather than the two layers within the cranium, so do the DLs create additional tube strength without compromising movement?

3) As the spinal cord moves within the spinal canal do the DLs, like thousands of tiny interlinked bungee cords, help dissipate stress and allow the spinal cord to find its most favorable position?

4) Structures that can affect the spinal cord, such as the occiput, spinal column, sacrum and coccyx, dural tube, adipose tissue within the spinal canal and nerve roots can each have restrictive patterns that in turn can distress the spinal cord. Do the DLs help to protect the spinal cord by balancing, dissipating and fine-tuning tension that is transmitted to the spinal cord?

5) Some theories suggest that there is a down and up flow of cerebrospinal fluid within the dural tube. Since the DLs separate the dural tube into anterior and posterior compartments, could that then organize the flow of cerebrospinal fluid?

I hope you?ll join me next month to explore this suspension system further. I’ll share some ideas on how to feel and work with DLs and the FT.

References:
Cramer, Gregory D., D.C., Ph.D., and Darby, Susan A., Ph.D., Basic and Clinical Anatomy of the Spine, Spinal Cord, and ANS, Second Edition, Elsevier Mosby, St. Louis, Missouri, 2005.

Sills, Franklyn, Craniosacral Biodynamics, Volume Two, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California, 2004.

Tubbs, Shane R., M.S., PA-C; Salter, George, Ph.D.; Grabb, M.D.; and Oakes, Jerry W., M.D. ; ?The denticulate ligament: anatomy and functional significance?, J. Neurosurg: Spine / Volume 94 / April 2001.