New Synergy Massage Website!

We are excited to announce the launch of our new website. The site has been optimized for both desktop and mobile viewing, so you can view it at home or on the go. Check back regularly for the latest news and clinic updates, as well as insightful health tips, stretches, recipes and more. You can also access our online booking system.

Plus, all of our newsletter articles will be archived in our "News" section, so you can always check here if you want to look back on a previous stretch or recipe that we have featured.

synergymassagetherapy.ca

Massage Therapy and Temporo-mandibular Joint (TMJ) pain or dysfunction.

Our jaws. We use them to eat with. We use them when we talk and to move our faces for expression. We often clench them when we're stressed, or working hard, or often without even knowing it. Many of us even clench them in our sleep.

The TMJ connects the mandible to the temporal bones of the skull and is a common place to hold tension. TMJ pain can often result from injury due to whiplash. It may arise after dental work or oral surgery. It can also occur from poor posture, especially a head forward type posture.

When left untreated this tension can cause some of the following problems:

• Headaches
• A bite that feels uncomfortable or "off"
• Neck, shoulder and back pain
• Swelling on the side of the face
• Tinnitus or ear pain
• Dizziness
• Clicking, popping or grating sounds in the jaw joint
• Inability to open or close the mouth comfortably

What can you do?

• Maintain good posture while working at a computer, watching TV and reading. Pause frequently to change position, rest hands and arms, and relieve stressed muscles.
• Make a habit of relaxing the facial and jaw muscles throughout the day.
• Avoid chewing gum and eating hard foods.
• Apply moist heat to increase the circulation around tense jaw muscles.
• Use relaxation techniques to reduce overall stress and muscle tension in the entire body.

How can we help?

Massage therapy can be very helpful in relieving TMJ pain and or dysfunction. Your RMT will assess your overall posture and neck and jaw mobility. They will release any muscles causing imbalances to allow your neck and head to rest more comfortably on your spine. This will likely include work on the neck, head, and face musculature, as well as the cervical joints. Intra-oral work may be used. This requires the therapist to wear gloves and work inside the mouth to release affected muscles. Cranio-sacral work may also be used to mobilize the bones of the skull.

Synergy Stretches: Exercises to Loosen up the Jaw

1. Press your fist softly against one side of the jaw, between the TMJ and the chin. Push slowly toward opposite side, taking up all of the slack. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat on other side.
2. Mouth the letters A, E, I, O, U as wide as you can, using the full range of motion in the jaw. Repeat 15 times.
3. Relaxing the lips, blow air through them, making a sound like a motor boat. The vibrations will help relax the Masseter muscle, the main muscle responsible for chewing.
4. Place the tip of your tongue near the roof of your mouth behind the front teeth in a relaxed manner. Ideally this is where the tongue will go when you make a "la" sound. Imagine the base of your skull (the occiput) lifting ever so slightly to relieve pressure from the suboccipital muscles. Take 5 deep breaths through your nose with your lips gently closed. This is where the tongue should rest at all times.

* Remember that although small, the muscles surrounding the jaw are made up of the same dense fibers as all other muscles. Kneading, or gently stripping them from the top of the joint down into the belly of the cheek will relax them, and help encourage painless range of motion.

Synergy Reads

Eating Animals

by Jonathan Safran Foer

What does healthy eating mean to you?

To me it means eating a predominantly plant based diet of whole foods. It also means eating foods that are organic, local, and in season whenever possible. It means taking time to prepare and enjoy my food. And when I do choose to eat any animal products, I make certain they come from sustainable farmers who raise and kill their animals using only the most humane methods possible. I feel that the animals should be raised on diets of the foods they are meant to eat and shouldn't have to be given hormones or antibiotics.

If the latest E. coli outbreak and massive beef recall isn't enough to make you question the mass production of factory farmed animals then I highly recommend reading Jonathan Safran Foer's book Eating Animals.

Foer gives an excellent account of the way most of the meat (and eggs and dairy) we eat is produced- the factory farm. He outlines the ethical, environmental, and overall health impacts on the animals and ultimately the people who consume them. While the subject matter is certainly grim, Foer manages to deliver his research with a self-deprecating humour that makes for an easy read.

The good news is that there seems to be a movement for many local farmers to raise their animals with better conditions and more humane practices. If you do eat animal products, I encourage you to shop from your local farmer's market or organic grocery stores. Talk to your local butchers about where they source their products from and encourage your favourite restaurants to source better quality products. By making careful choices in what we eat, we ultimately choose how it is produced.

The SPCA gives a list of farms that they certify on their website:
http://www.spca.bc.ca/welfare/farm-animal-welfare/spca-certified/spca-certified-farms/

by Allison Petroff

A Quick and Easy Breakfast Recipe

Here's a delicious recipe that promotes digestion and is loaded with anti-inflammatory properties. Caroline came across it in Adina Niemerow's book "Super Cleanse." It's easy to make and keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week. It's an alternative to store bought cereals that usually contain wheat and sugar (yes, evaporated cane juice is still sugar).

Apple/Almond Breakfast Porridge

• ¼ cup Almonds (soaked overnight and drained)
• 2 Cored, and chopped green apples
• 2 Chopped figs
• juice of half a fresh lemon
• ¼ tsp Peeled, and finely minced ginger
• 1 tbsp Flax ground seeds

Blend the first 5 ingredients in a food processor; scoop out into a serving bowl and sprinkle with ground flax seeds.

Option: add almond milk or fresh yogurt

You can also adjust ingredient amounts according to your taste.