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A special edition of AMTA's popular e-zine sent to you by your local AMTA member designed to present you with information on the benefits of massage

 In This Issue
 

For many people, massage therapy sessions are more than just a way to unwind and relax—massage therapy is necessary to enjoy an active lifestyle. In this month’s feature, you’ll meet Laura Gable, a 38-year-old Michigan resident, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 3. After years of pain and struggling to find the right therapy, her physical therapist recommended she see Margaret Miller, a massage therapist in the area. Less than six months after integrating massage therapy into her cerebral palsy treatment program, Gable can now even enjoy an occasional, brief run with her dog, Wolf. Her story will inspire all of you.

Hope you enjoy the issue!

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THE HEALING TOUCH: HOW MASSAGE THERAPY LED TO A BETTER LIFE AND AN UNEXPECTED FRIENDSHIP

By Valerie A. Danner

For Laura Gable, running is something that has always challenged her. Having suffered with cerebral palsy for most of her life, she hadn’t been able to run since the winter of 2002. But that all changed last fall.

After incorporating massage therapy into her regular treatment routine, Gable, 38, was feeling better than she had in years. In fact, while walking her dog, Wolf, out in the snow last fall, she felt good enough to give running another try.

“We ran three houses down in my subdivision,” Gable excitedly says. Over the years, Gable has become an expert on her body, and she knew better than to risk running any further. But she was elated at her ability to run at all. “I was crying in the street I was so happy,” Gable says. She immediately took out her cell phone to share her news with the one person she believes made her victory that day possible—Margaret (Maggie) Miller, her massage therapist.

Little Steps Are Huge

Running three blocks might not seem like a big deal to some. But Gable, who works as a medical technologist at the University of Michigan Hospital, delights in any victory, large or small. The Ypsilanti, Michigan, resident excitedly talks about how she can now put her shoes and socks on in less than 10 minutes. She jokes about how after one of her first massages, she was stretching on the floor—a routine practice for her—and was bringing her knee up to her chest and accidentally banged it into her nose. She hadn’t expected to be able to bring it up so far, since she never had in the past. It thrilled her though, despite the injury to her nose.


Gable  stretches by bringing her knee to her chest, something that wasn't always easy before she started getting regular massages.

And while few give a second thought to lacing up their shoes or limberly stretching, such tasks are no easy feat for someone with cerebral palsy. But everything seems to come easier to Gable, now that massage therapy is a part of her routine treatment. “Massage has made a world of difference for me,” Gable says. “Everyone around me sees the change.”

According to the March of Dimes, cerebral palsy is actually an umbrella term that is used to describe a group of conditions that affect or control movement. Cases can range from mild to severe, and while there is no cure, with treatment, most people with cerebral palsy can significantly improve their abilities. It’s estimated that about two to three children in 1,000, age 3 and older, have cerebral palsy. (It generally isn’t diagnosed until a child is about 2 to 3 years old.)

Gable suffers from spastic hemiplegia, which means just one side of her body is affected. For her, it’s the left one; in particular, her lower extremities. Born three months premature, she went through life without many complications from the cerebral palsy. She had just a slight limp and walked on her toes on her bad side, and had to have a few surgeries throughout her teenage years. But, overall, she got along well.

However, six years ago, things shifted. “I had my only child six years ago and it was a very traumatic delivery,” Gable says. “She is very healthy, thank goodness, but I am convinced that after that is when all of my problems started.”

In 2000, she was getting back pain and mild hip pain, and was referred for physical therapy. The therapists worked with her and gave her some stretches to try. She says it calmed things down for a while. But two years later, the pain returned more severe than ever. Gable’s doctor told her the weakness in her bad leg had increased and the range of motion in her hip area was poor. So, reluctantly, she went back to physical therapy.

While in physical therapy this time, her therapist noticed her foot was dropping—she was dragging her left leg when she walked. She was sent to rehabilitation where they started her on Botox® (Botulinum Toxin Type A) shots, which she now gets every three months.

The Botox shot, which is injected into specific muscle groups and blocks the signal that tells the muscle to contract—and was the more standard use before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration officially permitted it to start “unwrinkling” brows in 2002—allows Gable’s normally tight muscles to relax. This allows Gable to stretch and use her muscles as they should be used. She also started an exercise program under the guide of a personal trainer.

“The program has helped me increase some of the lost muscle in my calf area that I was told by doctors was completely gone,” Gable says. "But the Botox wasn’t as good without help (she noticed that with physical therapy, the Botox worked better) and I didn’t want to lose that muscle again,” she says. “The pain started getting worse over time. My back pain got worse, too.”  Her trainer saw her in quite a bit of pain, and told her massage may help. That trainer just happened to be a regular client of Maggie Miller.

Enter Maggie

Miller is modest when she discusses her work with Gable. “I feel like I’ve done very little,” says Miller, who is also a Michigan resident and an AMTA member. “I learn through listening to her. Laurie gives good feedback, and I follow her lead completely. She really knows her body. It’s impressive.”  Miller says that Gable is always honest when it comes to critiquing her massages, which Miller says is a huge help.

Miller always had a knack for massage. In college, she was into athletics and dealt with difficult injuries, including knee surgery. In fact, she would massage her teammates. Even though she was studying chemistry in college, and didn’t know much about massage, her teammates gave her rave reviews.

 

Miller (left) says it's impressive how well Gable knows her body and that she learns through listening to Gable.

When Gable first called Miller, she asked her if she’d ever dealt with a client who had cerebral palsy. She hadn’t, but Miller was willing to give it a try and work with Gable. “She seemed very much interested in my case,” Gable says. “I was overjoyed because I was getting nowhere with my doctors. Cerebral palsy is non-progressive, but when you get older, age-related problems set in quickly. I was told I would be in a wheelchair by age 40. So far I am not,” Gable says.

Eight years ago, Miller started to think of massage as a career option more seriously. A friend of hers developed several medical problems, including rheumatoid arthritis. Miller would massage her friend, even though she had no official training at the time. But her friend told her that if she ever fully educated herself on massage, she would be incredible. “She told me that I should look into studying massage therapy if I ever got bored of chemistry,” Miller says. “I eventually got bored of chemistry.”

So she enrolled at the Ann Arbor Institute of Massage Therapy, a school she now teaches at part-time. Today, she runs her own successful practice in Ann Arbor, called Professional Clinical Massage. She has run it for six years, all without any marketing effort—it’s all been through word of mouth and referrals, just like it was in Gable’s case.

When she first agreed to massage Gable, she read up on cerebral palsy, and Gable sent her some information on Botox, at Miller’s request. By working together, they’ve formed the perfect relationship.

I always look forward to our visits,” Miller says. “Her positive attitude, and the way she deals with things day-to-day—I’m honored to be a piece of the work she does for herself.”

The Perfect Relationship


Gable cried tears of joy after she was able to run with her dog, Wolf.
Botox injections and frequent massage might sound like a luxury. But for Gable, they are what keep her mobile and able to live her life on her terms. She has found the Botox shots, in conjunction with the massage therapy, to be the most effective. “Massage gives an added boost to all of this because it is working the Botox in better, and Maggie has been trying to help me with stretches, too, so that I am getting a full benefit from the treatment.” 

But Gable says she sees benefit from her massage sessions immediately, with her muscles feeling much looser than when she arrived for the appointment. “I told my Botox doc that Botox is great, but it takes up to 10 days to get all of the effects. With massage, my relief is almost instantaneous.”

Together, Gable and Miller have formed a program that suits Gable’s needs. Gable now sees Miller every two-to-three weeks, and never goes without a massage longer than that. In times of stress, Maggie has learned that such tension can worsen Gable’s condition. “We talk a lot, and I listen to her,” Miller says. “We learned that stress can trigger her condition.”

Gable clenches her fist and tightens the muscles of her arm more when she is stressed out. “I’ve talked to my doctors about it, but they don’t have much to say.”

But, with Miller, that was different. “When I went to see Maggie on a visit, right when I walked in she said, ‘And how is your arm today?’ My mouth dropped,” Gable says. “I answered, ‘Not very good, and you are the only one who has ever asked me that.’ Now she always checks my arm to see if it needs attention, too.” 

Over the years, Miller says she has seen the gamut of clients, some who come in expecting her to work miracles and heal them completely. But working with Gable is different. “She’s so easy to work with—her dedication to understanding herself and what she needs—that’s why it works so well. It’s all her.” Miller adds that Gable’s upbeat personality is admirable. “She understands that I can help her, but I cannot heal her. She heals herself. Working with her has been a wonderful experience.”

And Gable couldn’t be happier with the results of what massage has helped her gain. “I can move, I can feel good, I can play on the floor all folded up like a pretzel with my daughter. And I can smile and be happy.”  She also takes every opportunity to promote massage therapy to others with cerebral palsy. Gable chats online with adults her age who have the same type of cerebral palsy as she does, and tells them to find a good massage therapist.

“Some people tell me they are just doing their job when I tell them thanks. I always say that yes, some are just doing their job,” Gable says. “But there are others that you can tell really love their job. Maggie is that person. She watches me walk down the hall to check things, she taught me how to properly use my cane, and she totally listens when I am in pain. For someone who didn't have much experience with a person with cerebral palsy, she sure did come through. She's totally amazing.”

 ~Valerie A. Danner is an associate editor at AMTA. She can be reached at vdanner@amtamassage.org.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Long before Botox® was a household name—thanks to the cosmetic boom it produced in 2002—it was used to treat patients with movement disorders. Botox is produced from bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which contains the same toxin that causes food poisoning. In 1989, Botox was approved to treat eye movement disorders. For the last 10 years, it has been used to treat spasticity in children with cerebral palsy.

Sources: U.S. Food and Drug Administration and United Cerebral Palsy of New York City.

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MASSAGE ALWAYS MAKES THE PERFECT GIFT!

Whatever the occasion, a gift certificate for a massage is always welcome! Birthday, anniversary, wedding, bridal attendants, best man, new job, graduation-- whatever the occasion--it will be appreciated.  And don't forget to treat yourself.

Ask your massage therapist for more information about gift certificates, or visit AMTA’s Find a Massage Therapist® national locator service. The locator service is a great way to locate a qualified AMTA Professional Active member anywhere in the United States. The service will provide you with professionals who are well-trained, adhere to a professionally recognized code of ethics and standards of practice, and are committed to continuing their professional education and development. Visit AMTA’s Find a Massage Therapist® locator service online today at the following link: www.amtamassage.org/findamassage/locator.htm, or call the AMTA National Office toll-free at: 888-843-2682 [888-THE-AMTA].

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MASSAGE THERAPY: Q & A

Q: Can massage boost my immune system?

A: Research has shown some solid evidence that it can. In fact, there are three  studies that show how massage increases cytotoxic capacity (activity level of the body’s natural “killer cells.”) These studies also demonstrate consistent findings across different populations.

Sources:

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TABLE TIPS

Stuffy and congested?
 
If you are feeling stuffy or congested, here is a great way to help, and it’s as easy as taking a shower! Start by letting the warm water from the shower hit your neck, face and throat to "loosen" things up. Using your fingers, massage with small, gentle circles all over your neck, starting right above your chest and working all the way up to your face. After you have done that a few times, let the water flow down your neck, throat and face, again stroking downward lightly with your fingertips in the same direction. Repeat with each shower. You will notice the difference and feel better!

-Renee Gordon

For a different massage tip each week, visit AMTA’s Massage Room.

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LEGAL NOTICE: Articles submitted by individual authors are copyrighted by those authors and reprinted with their permission. Views expressed in these articles are not necessarily the views of the American Massage Therapy Association®, and should in no way be construed as an endorsement. They are for informational purposes only.

© 2005 American Massage Therapy Association® All rights reserved.