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Op-Ed: A Mother’s Treat

April 28, 2016

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In my eight-year career as a licensed massage therapist, I have worked with a lot of mothers. From relaxing and ache-relieving prenatal work for expectant mothers, to women who are balancing a full plate of job responsibilities and child-rearing, to stay-at-home moms, those who are nursing newborns, coordinating their schedules around the school drop-off and pickup times, managing a household, fundraising, PTA-committed, and after-school ferrying to this lesson or that soccer team, the to-do list of a mother is literally endless.

Even when the kids grow up and move out on their own, it’s a lifelong bond that sustains throughout our whole lives. Beyond the day-to-day minutia and the emotional labor of mothering, there is so much that is culturally wrapped up in the archetype of “Mother.” And as human beings, we start to “should” on ourselves about what it is to be a mother. Not only do we try to measure up to what society dictates what motherhood is, we try to shoehorn that into our own identities, expectations of ourselves, and busy schedules. Being a mother can be an emotionally complex roller coaster ride: a constant dance of your child’s needs vs. your needs.

It can be very hard to justify self-care as a mother. There will always be something that your children need, and it is easy to prioritize those needs without a second thought. But at some point, because we are all finite human beings, our energy stores run low, and our giving power dwindles. There is a popular analogy I like to use in the treatment room with those who are mothers or caregivers: in the event of an emergency on an airplane, the oxygen masks are released from the upper compartment. You are always instructed to put the oxygen mask first over your own nose and mouth before attending to your children. Why is that? Because, as caregivers and mothers, if we cannot breathe first, we cannot help anyone else. Past a certain point, it can become nearly emotionally impossible.

Here’s hoping no one ever has to experience anything like the above scenario, literally or figuratively. And all of this is to say that self-care is, at the end of the day, just as crucial as the oxygen we breathe! So if this rings true for you, or if it’s bringing someone to mind whom you know and love that would benefit from some much-needed self-care, guess what? In celebration and support of mothers everywhere, milk + honey is offering exclusive Mother’s Day packages and specials.  It’s one-stop shopping for services to help you or someone you love create a day of relaxation, love, and gratitude.

Contributor: Kelly M, one of our talented 2nd Street District massage therapists.

Massage, Wellness

How Can I Treat Jaw Pain?

December 28, 2015

Today, one of our expert 2nd Street District massage therapists, talks jaw pain — and how to ease the tension we create for ourselves.

Young Woman Holding the Side of Her Face in Pain --- Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

 

Many of my clients experience jaw pain and tension — it’s very common. Too often, we clench and grind our teeth as a response to stress, a habit that occurs when we try to concentrate, or sometimes, it manifests itself as a subconscious holding pattern we’re not even aware of.

 

The Context

Let’s start from the beginning. In orthopedic medicine, there is a prevailing idea that the mandible (jaw bone) and the pelvis “talk” to one another. Both of theses bones are directly connected to one another via the spine. The jaw connects to the hyoid bone, which dictates posture and alignment in the neck, along with the atlas. And, on the pelvic end, the pelvis and the sacrum work in tandem to balance us in an upright position at the base of the spine. In short, jaw tension can throw off your entire posture — and it can even cause both hip and lower back pain.
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The Culprit

Tension in the jaw can lead to lots of symptomatic pain in the body. For example: did you know that your Masseter muscles — muscles that run from your cheek to your jaw — can exert upwards of 250 pounds of pressure per bite? Now, if you think about that kind of semi-constant tension in your head, it makes sense why those who suffer from chronic jaw tension experience headaches, neck and shoulder pain, and whole-body misalignment.
Another culprit of jaw tension, pain, and TMJ is Malocclusion. Malocclusion is when your teeth meet in a misaligned way as the two dental arches approach each other as the jaws close. Almost everyone has some form of malocclusion, and, generally, orthodontists are only interested in your malocclusion if it causes you pain.
Many orthodontic surgeons think that the best way to treat severe malocclusion is through surgery, believing that night guards, retainers, and other dental applications will not help. What many orthodontist don’t take into consideration is that chronic jaw tension is more often than not a symptom of anxiety and high stress. More importantly it’s a postural choice we make. Whether we are aware that we are making that choice is another question entirely.

Make Yourself Aware

Body awareness is a somatic skill that must be honed in everyone, but especially when you’re dealing with chronic pain and stress. Meditation and physical practices like yoga, pilates, dance, or sports can help you become aware of the inner machinations and connections between your body and mind. See if you can catch yourself in the act of clenching and grinding your teeth.When this happens engage in the mantra, “soften jaw and breathe.” Notice the breath in your body when your teeth are clenched: is it deep or shallow? Rapid or slow? Notice the position of your shoulder blades. Inhale deeply, shrug your shoulders up by your ears tightly, then exhale and drop them completely. Do this several times to allow all of the muscles in your shoulders to release.
Remember you are in control of what you are aware of. Where awareness goes, energy grows.

The Solution

In a spa setting, chronic jaw tension and TMJ pain can be addressed, as long as the client is consistent with massage appointments. Regular-focused masseter, pterygoid, scalp, face, and neck massage can relieve built-up tension and pain. Therapists trained in Craniosacral Therapy can address jaw pain and tension via manual adjustment.
The spa environment, and even the act of carving out time on a consistent basis solely for self-care and self-love, is a huge step toward managing stress. Often, massage therapists and other spa employees are a lot like ESS (Emergency Stress Services). Ideally though, we want our clients to live their best, pain, and stress-free lives. In this day and age, massage and other self-care services are not luxury experiences, but necessary investments in overall well-being and health.
If you are experiencing chronic jaw or if you suffer from TMJ, know that you have support from milk + honey. We have an amazing team of massage therapists who can help you if you are experiencing acute discomfort, and we can refer you to other wellness professionals in the area who can help you tackle the issue from a multidimensional approach.

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