The Classic Favorite Amongst Luxury Resorts in the Florida Keys
Beautiful, romantic and boasting every imaginable kind of recreation, Cheeca Lodge is one of the most unique Luxury Resorts in the Florida Keys.Romance Getaway Package
Couples celebrating a honeymoon, anniversary or just looking for an escape together can take advantage of Cheeca’s “Romancing the Keys” package. This special package includes two nights accommodations in a Deluxe King Room or a Deluxe Resort View 1-bedroom Suite and a daily buffet breakfast. On the day of arrival, couples will be greeted with a romantic welcome amenity. On the second night, a rose petal turn-down service will create a special ending. This package also includes a dinner for two for 1 night and two 50 minute Swedish Massages.
One Deluxe Room with King Bed or a Deluxe Resort View 1 Bedroom Suite for 2 nights.
Rose petal turn-down service on the second day
Daily breakfast buffet
Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries
3 course dinner (excludes beverages).
Two 50 minute Swedish massages at the Spa
Price$1,100 in a Deluxe room with King Size Bed$1,400 in a Deluxe 1-bedroom Suite
Notes:The Romance Getaway package is available for midweek stays only through December 21, 2007, and is based on availability. It is based on double occupancy, and does not include daily resort fee of $39, taxes or gratuities. Other restrictions may apply. Some black out dates apply.
Reservations800-327-2888Phone305-664-4651
Spa Gift Certificates
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Canyon Ranch, Miraval Life in Balance, and Westward Look Resort: Labyrinth in Tucson
Canyon Ranch/ Miraval Life in Balance/ Westward Look Resort / Tucson spa resorts
Walking a Wellness Path: Start the New Year grounded by walking a labyrinth in Tucson.
The ancient practice of labyrinth walking is making a comeback with modern pilgrims seeking relaxation, healing, and community building. The labyrinth is not a maze, but a continuous path that circles back and forth so one cannot get lost. Walking is done at one’s own pace, alone or with others, and is said to have both physical and spiritual benefits.
Three Tucson spa resorts feature as part of their spa wellness programs an outdoors labyrinth laid out on smooth earth and outlined with rocks and other natural materials. For details, contact Canyon Ranch, Miraval Life in Balance, and Westward Look Resort
Spa Gift Card
Walking a Wellness Path: Start the New Year grounded by walking a labyrinth in Tucson.
The ancient practice of labyrinth walking is making a comeback with modern pilgrims seeking relaxation, healing, and community building. The labyrinth is not a maze, but a continuous path that circles back and forth so one cannot get lost. Walking is done at one’s own pace, alone or with others, and is said to have both physical and spiritual benefits.
Three Tucson spa resorts feature as part of their spa wellness programs an outdoors labyrinth laid out on smooth earth and outlined with rocks and other natural materials. For details, contact Canyon Ranch, Miraval Life in Balance, and Westward Look Resort
Spa Gift Card
Monday, January 14, 2008
Gentle Massage Techniques for Torticollis
Most of us have had the experience of waking up in the morning with a stiff neck. For some, this painful sensation is a severe and recurring problem. More than just a stiff neck, torticollis is characterized by involuntary contractions or intermittent spasms of neck muscles. Learn how valuable massage therapy can be to clients with torticollis, as well as the precautions to be aware of when approaching this condition.
Torticollis belongs to a broad category of disorders describing abnormal flexion, extension or twisting of the neck muscles. A neck twisted to one side is typical of torticollis. Although the exact cause of torticollis is uncertain, the following are potential scenarios where it may develop:
· In those with a family history of this disorder, symptoms may be present at birth or develop slowly
· As a result of some sort of trauma, torticollis can be acute
· From an adverse reaction to certain medications
When it can be traced to a genetic disorder, the condition is referred to as spasmodic torticollis. Although considered rare, spasmodic torticollis affects close to 90,000 people in the United States. Spasmodic torticollis has three variations of neuromuscular dysfunction:
1. Tonic (a sustained contraction)
2. Clonic (head shaking)
3. Mixed (both tonic and clonic)
Trauma that involves bending or twisting the neck too far can lead to acute torticollis. The acute form can also be the result of keeping the neck muscles in shortened positions for a prolonged period of time. A person who has slept in an awkward position or in a cold draft may awaken to acute torticollis.
Torticollis causes discomfort and pain, forcing many to hold their head straight or rotated to one side. Unilateral in nature, torticollis is irritated when the affected side of the neck’s muscles are activated or even touched. As a contralateral rotator, the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle is most commonly involved in acute torticollis, as any position rotating the head to its opposite side for long periods may cause this condition.
Assessment
A massage therapist should confirm that a physician has properly diagnosed any client with torticollis. In some cases, torticollis is mistaken for muscular dystrophy, epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease.
To assess the condition, the practitioner will be able to palpate and/or observe shortening and hypertonicity in the neck muscles. The head and neck are held in a non-neutral position, often with rotation to the opposite side. The SCM on the affected side is likely to be more prominent than on the other side. In the clonic variation of spasmodic torticollis, there will be some shaking of the head.
The cervical muscles will likely be tightened due to a local muscle spasm. In some chronic cases, the practitioner will be able to palpate fibrotic changes in the affected musculature. Active and passive motions rotating the head in the opposite direction of the contraction are likely painful and limited. There may be pain associated with further rotation to the contracted side depending on the severity of the condition and the percentage of muscle fibers recruited for the activity.
Massage
Symptoms of acute torticollis generally resolve in a couple of weeks. Western medicine’s top offering for this condition is an injection of Botox® to temporarily paralyze the muscles. For those seeking to avoid this toxic injection, the pain and contraction of torticollis responds well to massage. Considering neck muscles in either a tonic or clonic state are highly sensitive, extreme care must be used with any hands-on modality.
With a gentle approach, bodywork’s goal for torticollis is release of the contracted neck muscles. Such a release typically entails:
1. Enhancing circulation in and around the spastic musculature
2. Enlisting passive and active stretching techniques to elongate shortened muscles
While most massage modalities enhance circulation, a gentle technique must be chosen for torticollis. The increase in circulating cerebrospinal fluid accomplished through cranial-sacral therapy (CST) is an ideal match for a contracted neck. Cranial Sacral typically uses the equivalent of a dime’s weight of pressure for its maneuvers, making it an extremely gentle option. Even some of the simple cranial holds of CST can allow the contracted tissues of torticollis to unwind at their own pace. Additionally, the application of heat in a warmth-producing topical gel, heat lamp or hot pack is a non-invasive and safe way to invigorate local blood circulation.
Osteopathic medicine’s passive and active stretching techniques offer a gentle route to lengthening contracted muscles. Myotherapy techniques are ideal for increasing the range of motion that is restricted with torticollis. Additionally, some of sports massage’s stretching techniques are ideal for lengthening neck contraction. All within the realm of osteopathic medicine, some of the applicable stretches in sports massage include:
· strain-counterstrain
· reciprocal inhibition
· proprioceptive neuromuscular (PNF) stretching
· isometric stretching
Warning
A client with torticollis may come for a massage after receiving medical treatment from their physician. Bodyworkers need to be aware that an injection of the Botox® toxin causes motor loss and has no effect on sensory perception. Massage or early manipulation of the injection site can speed up absorption and spread the toxin. Therapists are advised to avoid the injection site to avoid paralysis of the injected as well as adjacent muscles.
The gentle techniques garnered from cranial-sacral therapy, myofascial release and sports massage stretching can be safely and effectively applied to relieve torticollis. A massage therapist familiar with the described methods and the pathology of torticollis will be successful in delivering pain relief and increased range of motion to a client who awoke with a stiff neck.
Spas Finder
Torticollis belongs to a broad category of disorders describing abnormal flexion, extension or twisting of the neck muscles. A neck twisted to one side is typical of torticollis. Although the exact cause of torticollis is uncertain, the following are potential scenarios where it may develop:
· In those with a family history of this disorder, symptoms may be present at birth or develop slowly
· As a result of some sort of trauma, torticollis can be acute
· From an adverse reaction to certain medications
When it can be traced to a genetic disorder, the condition is referred to as spasmodic torticollis. Although considered rare, spasmodic torticollis affects close to 90,000 people in the United States. Spasmodic torticollis has three variations of neuromuscular dysfunction:
1. Tonic (a sustained contraction)
2. Clonic (head shaking)
3. Mixed (both tonic and clonic)
Trauma that involves bending or twisting the neck too far can lead to acute torticollis. The acute form can also be the result of keeping the neck muscles in shortened positions for a prolonged period of time. A person who has slept in an awkward position or in a cold draft may awaken to acute torticollis.
Torticollis causes discomfort and pain, forcing many to hold their head straight or rotated to one side. Unilateral in nature, torticollis is irritated when the affected side of the neck’s muscles are activated or even touched. As a contralateral rotator, the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle is most commonly involved in acute torticollis, as any position rotating the head to its opposite side for long periods may cause this condition.
Assessment
A massage therapist should confirm that a physician has properly diagnosed any client with torticollis. In some cases, torticollis is mistaken for muscular dystrophy, epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease.
To assess the condition, the practitioner will be able to palpate and/or observe shortening and hypertonicity in the neck muscles. The head and neck are held in a non-neutral position, often with rotation to the opposite side. The SCM on the affected side is likely to be more prominent than on the other side. In the clonic variation of spasmodic torticollis, there will be some shaking of the head.
The cervical muscles will likely be tightened due to a local muscle spasm. In some chronic cases, the practitioner will be able to palpate fibrotic changes in the affected musculature. Active and passive motions rotating the head in the opposite direction of the contraction are likely painful and limited. There may be pain associated with further rotation to the contracted side depending on the severity of the condition and the percentage of muscle fibers recruited for the activity.
Massage
Symptoms of acute torticollis generally resolve in a couple of weeks. Western medicine’s top offering for this condition is an injection of Botox® to temporarily paralyze the muscles. For those seeking to avoid this toxic injection, the pain and contraction of torticollis responds well to massage. Considering neck muscles in either a tonic or clonic state are highly sensitive, extreme care must be used with any hands-on modality.
With a gentle approach, bodywork’s goal for torticollis is release of the contracted neck muscles. Such a release typically entails:
1. Enhancing circulation in and around the spastic musculature
2. Enlisting passive and active stretching techniques to elongate shortened muscles
While most massage modalities enhance circulation, a gentle technique must be chosen for torticollis. The increase in circulating cerebrospinal fluid accomplished through cranial-sacral therapy (CST) is an ideal match for a contracted neck. Cranial Sacral typically uses the equivalent of a dime’s weight of pressure for its maneuvers, making it an extremely gentle option. Even some of the simple cranial holds of CST can allow the contracted tissues of torticollis to unwind at their own pace. Additionally, the application of heat in a warmth-producing topical gel, heat lamp or hot pack is a non-invasive and safe way to invigorate local blood circulation.
Osteopathic medicine’s passive and active stretching techniques offer a gentle route to lengthening contracted muscles. Myotherapy techniques are ideal for increasing the range of motion that is restricted with torticollis. Additionally, some of sports massage’s stretching techniques are ideal for lengthening neck contraction. All within the realm of osteopathic medicine, some of the applicable stretches in sports massage include:
· strain-counterstrain
· reciprocal inhibition
· proprioceptive neuromuscular (PNF) stretching
· isometric stretching
Warning
A client with torticollis may come for a massage after receiving medical treatment from their physician. Bodyworkers need to be aware that an injection of the Botox® toxin causes motor loss and has no effect on sensory perception. Massage or early manipulation of the injection site can speed up absorption and spread the toxin. Therapists are advised to avoid the injection site to avoid paralysis of the injected as well as adjacent muscles.
The gentle techniques garnered from cranial-sacral therapy, myofascial release and sports massage stretching can be safely and effectively applied to relieve torticollis. A massage therapist familiar with the described methods and the pathology of torticollis will be successful in delivering pain relief and increased range of motion to a client who awoke with a stiff neck.
Spas Finder
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Aveda Fredric’s Institute Wins Green Award
The American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment has commended the Indianapolis location of Aveda Fredric’s Institute for its innovative green design efforts.
Aveda Fredric’s Institute in Indianapolis, IN, was recently honored by the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment for its efforts in sustainable design. The award was given to businesses that promoted growth in design concepts while also remaining environmentally friendly.
Day Spa Locator
Aveda Fredric’s Institute in Indianapolis, IN, was recently honored by the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment for its efforts in sustainable design. The award was given to businesses that promoted growth in design concepts while also remaining environmentally friendly.
Day Spa Locator
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