Foot Palace

Acupressure Therapy – The Basics, Benefits, and Techniques

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What is acupressure, and how is it different from massage?

Acupressure, not to be mistaken for acupuncture, is an ancient art of healing by applying pressure to key healing points on the body. A massage is where the muscles are rubbed and stretched, applying pressure all over, and not on just a specific point.

Acupressure versus Acupuncture

This healing technique was developed over 5, 000 years ago. Although acupressure and acupuncture therapy use the same pressure points and meridians, acupuncture uses needles, whereas acupressure uses gentle to firm finger pressure.

Health Benefits of Acupressure

Stimulation of these precise trigger points, causes the body’s natural self-curative abilities to wake up and start working. This type of therapy boosts the immune system, helping with preventive healthcare.

Acupressure also is very effective for stress relief. It increases circulation, releases tension, and reduces pain and stiffness. The great thing about acupressure is that you can do it yourself, once you learn where the pressure points are and what they do.

Tips for Maximizing Your Acupressure Therapy Session

When you’re receiving acupressure therapy, it’s best to close your eyes, breathe deeply, and try to relax. If it’s painful or uncomfortable, ask your therapist to ease off on the pressure. Some may think, “No pain, go gain”, it’s actually not true when it comes to self-healing. Pain will cause you to tense up and the therapy becomes less effective or even counterproductive. It’s best to reach a “good hurt” but not go beyond that. Remember, relaxation is key. Listen to your body and communicate with your therapist.

Here’s a list of some commonly used pressure points.

Gallbladder 20 (GB20): Feng Chi – This point is recommended for headache, migraine, eye blurriness or fatigue, low energy, and cold/flu symptoms. It is located by feeling the mastoid (ear) bone and following the groove back to where the neck muscles attach to the skull.

Gallbladder 21 (GB21): Jian Jing – This point is located by pinching the shoulder muscle with your thumb and middle finger and is commonly used for stress, facial pain, headaches, toothaches and neck pain. Use with caution in pregnant women.

Large Intestine 4 (LI4): He Gu – This point is good for stress, headaches, toothaches, facial pain and neck pain. However, as a word of precaution, it can induce labor and must never be used during pregnancy.

Liver 3 (LV3): Tai Chong – You need to take off your shoe to find this point. This is an excellent area to stimulate for stress, low back pain, high blood pressure, limb pain, insomnia and emotional upset.

Pericardium 6 (P6): Nei Guan – This point can help provide relief for nausea, anxiety, carpal tunnel syndrome, upset stomach, motion sickness and headaches and is even used for regulation of heart palpitations.

Triple Energizer 3: Zhong Zhu – This point is located in the groove formed by the tendons of the 4th and 5th finger, behind the knuckles and is commonly used in the clinic for temporal headaches, shoulder and neck tension, and upper back pain.

Spleen 6 (SP6): San Yin Jiao – This point can be very helpful for many urological and pelvic disorders as well as fatigue and insomnia. Avoid during pregnancy.

Stomach36 (ST36): Zu San Li – You can find this point useful for fatigue and depression as well as knee pain and gastrointestinal discomfort. Asians frequently stimulate this point for health promotion and longevity.

There are clear benefits of an acupressure therapy. If you have any discomfort or the aforementioned conditions, give this ancient healing technique a try.

Listening to your body and improving your overall wellness improves your quality of life. Stress and pain reduction can happen in as little as 30 minutes; visit our Athens massage spa today!

http://plus.google.com/+Yourfootpalaceathensmassagespa/about

Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

1720 Epps Bridge Pkwy Ste 106 Athens, Ga 30606

Phone: (706) 521-5290

Source: http://exploreim.ucla.edu/self-care/acupressure-and-common-acupressure-points/

My Dogs Are Barking! – Translation, My Feet Hurt

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my feet are hurting and painful from standing

In Athens, Georgia, when we hear the phrase, “My dogs are barking!” we usually assume one is speaking of The University of Georgia, Bulldogs! However, in the world of Reflexology massage, and other parts of the south, this phrase means, “My feet hurt!”

How did the word ‘dogs’ come to mean ‘feet’? In 1913, a journalist for the New York Evening, by the name of “T.A. Dorgan”, was well known for rhyming slang, published the word ‘dogs’ as a citation for his feet. From that point forward the word ‘dogs’, has been used as slang for feet. So now, a century later, after a long hard day on our feet we may say, “My dogs are barking!”, in reference to ‘our feet are killing us’.

How Long Periods of Standing Affect Your Feet and Legs

Whether at work or play, standing all day can do a real number on your feet and legs. Making an extra effort to take good care of your feet can go a long way towards staying healthy. The most common symptoms from standing for lengths at a time are discomfort, swelling, and fatigue. Spending too much time on your feet can affect your shins, calves, knees, thighs, hips, and lower back.

The Effect on Your Muscles, Tissues and Blood Flow

So many of your muscles work really hard to hold you upright. Without giving your muscles a rest, or at least moving around, can cause the joints to get “stuck” temporality. This happens because your muscles get tired, and can cause minor or major soft tissue injuries. Standing on your feet all day also reduces blood flow to your muscles. Blood flow that returns blood from the feet and legs back to the heart. When blood doesn’t flow properly, your feet, ankles, and legs swell, causing pain.

Supportive Shoes, Compression Socks and Rest Reduces Discomfort

Sometimes, standing all day is part of our job, so to help prevent the discomfort, wearing supportive shoes is a must. Unfortunately, no matter how good the shoes are, after many lengthy hours, you just need a rest! One of the best known ingredients for foot comfort are compression socks. Wearing compressions socks and changing feet positions frequently, can really help reduce the discomfort, as well as standing in different positions, and shifting your weight around. On those long dreadful days be sure to take a seat every chance you get to help your dogs out.

Stretching and Improved Blood Flow to the Rescue

If your dogs do start to “bark”, the best thing you can do is stretch them out, and kick them up! Stretching out the tendons and muscles in the feet will help to relieve the pain, and improve the blood flow. At home you can roll your feet over a tennis ball to massage the sole of each foot. This will loosen the starting point of the connective tissues that run all the way up the backside of your body, to the crown of your head. This home method can really do wonders for you! Try to do it a few minutes per foot, on a daily basis.

If you can’t even imagine doing anything else yourself after a long day on your feet, come and allow us to soothe your soles, with a Reflexology massage, the ultimate foot loosening treatment.

http://plus.google.com/+Yourfootpalaceathensmassagespa/about

Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

1720 Epps Bridge Pkwy Ste 106 Athens, Ga 30606

Phone: (706) 521-5290

Discover Balance and Pleasure With a Self-Care Lifestyle

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happy friends that commit to self-care and a wellness lifestyle

We all know that balancing life can be a challenge. Life can really start to pile up between work, school, chores, and social obligations. Life can really spiral out of control without a moment’s notice. With life pulling you in every direction, who has time for self-care? When you create a daily routine, life’s tasks seem to become more manageable and balanced. A routine can help balance one’s life to fit in time for yourself. Self-care should be a priority, but is put off more often than it should be. How can you be your best for your obligations in life, if you can’t even make time for yourself? Do yourself, your family, and your friends a favor, and build a life routine that allows some you time.

Health is About Balance

Balancing your time is quite helpful in keeping yourself healthy, happy, and stress free. It’s not just about being productive and meeting your obligations. It has been found, in a number of studies, that people who make time for self-care, handle stress better, and meet their goals. Creating self-care balance is different for every one of us, but we all need it. Time dedicated to yourself can be as simple as napping, meditating, talking to a friend, working out, or getting a massage. Really, a number of activities can help balance your life. Life’s balance is about creating a routine for yourself that will give you pleasure, therefore reducing stress.

Reflexology Massage Therapy Benefits

Creating time for yourself, to receive a reflexology massage, can really add a little pep in your step. Who doesn’t like a little extra pep these days?! Now, many of us consider massages to be a luxurious treat for ourselves on special occasions. Truth is, reflexology provides many benefits, which is why adding this time into your routine to maintain optimal health, is more important than you thought. Reflexology is a stress buster, energy boaster, and promotes relaxation, just to name a few benefits. Reflexology massage therapy triggers parts of the brain that improves mood and decreases stress, providing you with a sense of calmness and alertness. This is why we typically choose to get massages on special occasions. If you are like most people, where life deals you a hand of daily high-stress, mixed with a chaotic schedule, taking this self-time weekly or monthly, will really help your body and mind, so you can be at your best for everything life throws at you.

Finding Balance, Boosting Energy, and Improving Your Life

Reflexology therapy is not just a relaxing time to bust stress for a better mood, but for overall balance of a healthy body. Aligning various organs and your muscle system, reflexology helps to increase metabolism and energy. This helps to give you a boost of energy, wiping away that sluggish feeling. Balancing your life’s routine with self-care will improve your overall self that you and your family will notice. Remember, you are only given one mind and body in life, don’t run it ragged, take the time to maintain it like a well-oiled machine.

Our reflexology therapists are trained in relaxation and spa massage techniques that help you eliminate stress and achieve balance of your mind and body. Get your routine started!

http://plus.google.com/+Yourfootpalaceathensmassagespa/about

Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

1720 Epps Bridge Pkwy Ste 106 Athens, Ga 30606

Phone: (706) 521-5290

Beat the Summer Heat and Avoid Swollen Feet

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swollen feet ankle pain
The southern heat is officially underway as summer has arrived. This means we all look forward to barbecues and pool days ahead in the sizzling sun. The summer heat can be a real problem for most of us, in our feet and ankles. This extreme heat causes our bodies to be less efficient at removing fluid from the tissues. High temperatures can cause fluid retention, causing us to swell. Our bodies’ mechanism to cool down is swelling. Although, swelling is usually temporary, swollen feet can be very uncomfortable.

Extreme Heat Causes Swollen Feet

Swollen feet and ankles are no fun to say the least. Achy feet from pressure caused by heat, we would all rather avoid, but most of us suffer from at some point. Swollen feet and ankles that are caused from extreme heat is referred to as heat edema. Heat edema occurs when the blood vessels in your feet widen from prolonged sitting or standing. This causes pools of fluid to build up around the ankles and feet from gravity. Many women experience the discomforts of edema during pregnancy, especially during the summer months.

Benefits of Soaking Your Feet in Epsom Salt

A great and easy way to relieve this discomfort in your ankles and feet is with a foot soak in Epsom mineral salt. Soaking your swollen feet in Epsom salt reduces the inflammation because of the essential mineral “magnesium sulfate” that is found in the salt. Inflammation can cause a depletion of magnesium, so your body will absorb the magnesium from the soak, which reduces the swelling and pressure. Also, to help alleviate some pressure opt for shoes that have more support. For example flat shoes will help prevent swelling from occurring, and look for styles that offer arch and ankle support, which will prevent and relieve conditions such as arch and heel pain.

Reflexology Massage and Cool Aromatherapy Benefits

Another great treatment to help reduce swelling and discomfort is a soothing, and relaxing reflexology massage. A foot massage session starts with an Epsom salt mineral foot soak, then a reflexologist massages and stimulates acupressure points in the feet, which can reduce- if not eliminate, swelling completely by the end of a one-hour session. The stimulated pressure points boost circulation to help relieve the swelling. Reflexology encourages better blood flow in the lower extremities. In addition to beating the heat, and make your experience a little more “cool” (literally), consider adding cold aromatherapy. Cold aromatherapy consists of a cold eye pillow and neck wrap, which are filled with a lovely, lightly scented, 12 herb blend that can really cool you down, and help soothe your senses.

No matter what your summer plans are beating the heat should be a priority. Making sure you stay cool and well hydrated is key. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times when participating in outdoor activities to avoid dehydration. Avoid prolonged sitting or standing in the scorching heat to avoid swelling.
If you do find yourself suffering from swollen ankles and feet this summer, and have never had reflexology, I encourage you to give it try.

Book your appointment here www.yourfootpalace.com and relieve the pain and aches from the hot Athens weather.

Eliminate Pre Wedding Stress With a Couples Massage

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couples massage wedding group massage
Let’s face it, planning a wedding can be stressful-mentally, emotionally, and physically for everyone involved. The wedding, and the parties with friends and family leading up to the big day, are wonderful joyous times, but certainly are not without a few freak out moments. The stress from planning this major life event can bring out the dark side of your closest, friends and relatives. Yikes! Not to worry, reflexology can help!

Regular Reflexology massage sessions will help you handle stressful situations in a calmer manner.At a time when you literally run your feet off, your feet are the best place to start when you’re trying to destress. Reflexology is a deeper way to relax, and is the best foot rub you’ll ever receive. The pre-wedding period should be a positive one for everyone involved in your wedding party. You want your wedding planning process to bring you closer to your spouse, family, and friends. Over-stress can interfere with this goal, causing even more tension between you as a couple. Incorporating massage can help with relaxing, feeling balanced and coping with your frazzled mind from pre-wedding stress.

Brides and grooms receiving couple’s massage sessions is a great way to connect during this chaotic time. It can be easy to “lose” one another in planning this extraordinary life event. Planning a romantic date night, for just the two of you, to have a Couples Reflexology Session is a great way to unwind together. Take an hour, once a month for the both of you to get a Reflexology service, we promise, you will not regret it! Use this hour to completely take a break, and allow yourself to unwind from any stress you may have from planning your wedding. Reflexology services are wonderful stress busters to help you get your wedding “zen” back. It’s great way to allow your body to relax and unwind so you arrive at your wedding day feeling peace, joy and looking your best. You will leave feeling relaxed, energized, balanced and will have a restful night’s sleep. When you feel good, you look good!

Don’t forget about your bridal party and family members as well. They have showers to plan, and bachelor/ bachelorette parties to make perfect for you both. Offering reflexology sessions for your Mom, Mother-in-law, Father, Father-in-law, and bridal party, with YOU of course, is a great way to say “Thank you!” for all their hard work. Booking a reflexology party is great way to bond and decompress before the wedding and have everyone at ease the day of. A little love to everyone’s feet will pay off in blissful comfort and the stress will melt away. The foot corresponds to various organs in the body, allowing Reflexologist to work out the kinks in the feet which gives an all-over positive result. Having a positive energized bridal party will only help to make your big day a joyful time. An open concept spa is a huge bonus; this allows everyone in your group quality time together. Reflexology parties also make a perfect start to a bachelor or bachelorette party before the night begins.

Your wedding day will pass by in a blur, remember to enjoy the time leading up to it. Don’t let the little things and stress spoil the fun out of your celebration. Click here to book your pre-wedding couples massage.

How a Foot Massage Can Relieve Your Plantar Fasciitis Pain

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plantar fascia foot ligaments and bones
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common orthopedic complaints. Those that suffer from plantar fasciitis usually experience stabbing heel pain and stiffness with their first step out of bed in the morning. This pain can range from mild discomfort to debilitating pain and affects nearly 2 million Americans each year. The pain is caused from inflammation of the plantar fascia tissue, which is a thin web-like ligament that runs across the bottom of your foot connecting your heel bone to your toes. This thin ligament is the foot’s arch support that helps you walk. The pain from plantar fasciitis normally decreases as your foot limbers up throughout the day, but can return if you spend a majority of your day standing. We don’t often think about our feet but our daily lives put a lot of stress on our plantar fascia ligament.

This common orthopedic condition is frequently found in runners. The ligament normally acts as a shock absorber, and putting too much pressure on this ligament can wreak havoc on your feet. However, planter fasciitis doesn’t just affect the fleet of foot. You may also be at risk for this condition if you are overweight, late in a pregnancy, menopausal, or wear shoes with inadequate arch support. Maintaining a healthy weight, stretching before physical activity, and wearing shoes with proper arch and heel support may reduce your risk of getting plantar fasciitis.

Reflexology can help relieve some of the pain and discomfort caused by plantar fasciitis. Reflexology is beneficial because it uses pressure point techniques to release tension in the feet and relieves heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis. A natural cure for Plantar Fasciitis is to massage the feet. Plantar Fasciitis surgery is too invasive for most people and costs a lot of money! Reflexology is a healthier and better Plantar Fasciitis remedy! During a reflexology session you fist soak your feet in hot Epson mineral salt water to help draw inflammation out of the sore muscles. Once your muscles have loosened up a little form the warm salt soak, a therapist begins working on breaking up the “crystals” in your feet, loosing up the tight bands of the fascia, and then stretches the ligaments and Achilles tendon. Doing this helps to further relax the muscles in the feet and calves, to increase circulation and flexibility. Increasing the circulation and flexibility in your lower legs and feet reduces the inflammation causing pain in the plantar fascia. Like most injuries, there’s no instant cure, but receiving regular reflexology sessions can help you achieve pain relief in minutes, help gradually experience less pain daily on a daily basis, and maintain full flexibility in your feet, heels, and lower legs.

Set your massage appointment now and relieve your pain and foot discomfort today!