Consumer Edition
July 2006 | Vol. 7, No. 7
© 2006 American Massage Therapy Association®
All rights reserved.
Dear e-touch reader,
Summer is here, and it's time for outdoor fun! This issue of e-touch has tips on how to avoid injury while you enjoy your favorite outdoor activities, and resources you can call on if you are injured and need to recover.
Enjoy the issue!
~The Editors
e-mail: etouch@amtamassage.org
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Summer is here, and it’s time to enjoy your favorite outdoor activities! Whether it’s playing sports, working in the garden or just going for a drive, everything is more fun in the sunshine.
However, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) wants to remind us all that the fun summertime brings also brings a risk of injuries.
AAOS maintains a library of tips on injury prevention for all kinds of outdoor summer activities: running; skating; golfing; bicycling; even summertime safety tips for children. AAOS also provides tips on how to seek out qualified complementary and alternative medical therapy providers, including massage therapists, to help your recovery if you do suffer an injury.
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Get safe running tips from the AAOS. Look to AMTA for information on incorporating massage into your exercise or recovery program. |
For example, running for fitness is enjoyed by many people, and when you can do it on a lovely summer day it can even be a treat. However, AAOS warns that many runners injure themselves every year, mostly through insufficient warmup and inadequate equipment.
Researchers have found that massage therapy can assist with recovery from all sorts of injuries, and help manage the pain of them.
In 2002 a five-week study of people recovering from spinal cord injuries compared one group receiving two 40-minute massage therapy sessions per week with a control group that practiced an exercise routine twice a week. The result was that although both groups benefited from treatment, only the massage group significantly increased their muscle strength and range of motion.
Another study in 2003 surveyed 120 people with chronic pain related to spinal cord injuries. The study found that 27 percent of respondents used massage therapy for pain relief and rated physical forms of pain relief as more effective than prescription pain medications.
AAOS reminds us that most injuries sustained from ordinary activities and treated by orthopedic surgeons are preventable. Enjoy your summer mindfully and safely, with helpful advice from the AAOS.
Sources: AAOS, Touch Research Institute, Nature Publishing Group.
Even Olympic athletes use massage therapy as part of their exercise and recovery program. The Fall 2004 mtj article, "An Olympic Moment," tells about the interaction between Olympic athletes and the volunteer massage therapists who work with them.
You don't have compete in the Olympics to call on the services of a professional massage therapist! AMTA's website at www.amtamassage.org has information to help you learn how to choose a qualified massage therapist , and AMTA’s Find a Massage Therapist® national locator service makes it easy for you to find an AMTA Professional member anywhere in the United States.
This service will direct you to 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 the locator service online today at www.findamassagetherapist.org, or call toll-free at 888-THE-AMTA [843-2682].
CON ARTISTS TARGET BY E-MAIL, TELEPHONE
In recent months many massage therapists have been victims of e-mail
and telephone scams.
In fact, con artists have targeted many types of professionals with
the same approaches. The good news is that once you know what to look for it’s
easy to spot these swindles.
False Check Scheme
The most common scam involves an e-mail from someone who claims to want to purchase items or services from you. They send a cashier’s check in advance for far more than the purchase cost and ask you to return the difference. Unfortunately, the check is counterfeit. Even though your bank may tell you the check has cleared, it actually takes your bank several weeks to process it and discover the fraud. By then, you’ve lost the amount sent as a refund, and the bank requires you to cover the entire amount of the check.
This scam is even being used against sellers on eBay®. The U.S. government is warning everyone to be especially cautious with e-mail transactions.
Telephone Area Code Swindle
Another scam that was common a few years ago and has recently regained popularity is the “809, 284 and 876” area code scam. This is a scam that tricks customers into calling an international number, usually through an ad, a page, an e-mail or a voicemail message that asks you to call a certain phone number. These area codes based in the Caribbean don't require you to dial 011 first, as you normally would for an international call. Not only will you be charged international rates when you call these area codes, but some of these numbers are also extremely expensive "pay-per-call" numbers.
In the United States pay-per-call numbers are required to warn you will be charged for the call, but because these are outside the United States, they are not subject to U.S. laws. The telephone numbers in this scam charge as much as thousands of dollars per minute. To protect yourself, never return calls from strangers to an unfamiliar area code. You can also do an online area code search to find out where you are calling before you return a call to a strange number.
FTC Resources Are Available
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has information available that gives practical tips on what to look for and how to protect yourself from scams. You can read more about the area code scam, spam scams and 10 scams to screen from your e-mail, or learn how to file a complaint about spam or other forms of computer misuse. The FTC recommends forwarding e-mail you believe is spam or a scam to spam@uce.gov and deleting the original message.
AMTA encourages you to be careful opening e-mails from e-mail addresses you don’t recognize. Be even more cautious about responding to unsolicited e-mails. Remember, it’s always good business practice to trust your instincts. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
If someone claiming to be affiliated with AMTA contacts you and it seems suspicious, please don’t hesitate to check with the AMTA National Office toll-free at 877-905-2700 or by e-mail at info@amtamassage.org. It is illegal for someone to use AMTA’s name without our permission.
For headache relief, especially a sinus headache
Find the tender spot between your index finger and your thumb. Place pressure on this spot by squeezing from both sides. Apply about as much pressure as you would use to fold a crisp crease into a heavy sheet of paper; it should feel tender. Apply pressure for 15 seconds on each hand. Using the same pressure, squeeze the bridge of the nose near the eye sockets. Also apply pressure at the base of the nostrils, the point of the cheekbones and at the base of the skull, just at or above the hairline at the back of the neck.
Mark Friedman
Professional Member
St. Louis, Missouri
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.AMTA Mission
To serve AMTA members while advancing the art, science and practice of massage therapy.
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