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Can Massage Therapy Help My Low Back Pain?

For most of us, the answer is probably ‘yes’. Massage is non-invasive and very low risk for most people. In addition to physical benefits, certain types of massage can help psychologically through relaxation and increased production of ‘feel good’ chemicals. These chemicals (also known as endorphins) are naturally produced by the body and are helpful for people with both acute back problems and chronic back pain.

Types Of Back Problems Massage Can Help With

Back pain is a very broad statement. There are numerous types of back problems and many may benefit from massage therapy, including:

Treat Muscle strain in the lower back or upper back/neck

Most episodes of acute lower back pain are caused by muscle strain, such as from lifting a heavy object, a sudden movement or a fall. Low back pain can be very severe and last for several hours, several days or even a few weeks. When back muscles are strained or torn, the area around the muscles can become inflamed. The muscles in the back can spasm and cause both severe lower back pain and difficulty moving. The large upper back muscles are also prone to irritation, either because of lack of strength, or overuse injuries (such as repetitive motions). Upper back pain may also be due to a specific event, such as a muscle strain, sports injury, or auto accident. Therapeutic Massage can calm the spasm/irritation and improve range of motion.

Treatment For Spinal Osteoarthritis

Spinal arthritis is the breakdown of the cartilage between the aligning facet joints in the back portion of the spine. The facet joints become inflamed and progressive joint degeneration creates more frictional pain as bone rubs on bone. Muscles will tighten and become fatigued while trying to stabilize the spine. Massage therapy can help reduce osteoarthritis pain by improving circulation and reducing stress and muscle tension.

Fibromyalgia Relief

Fibromyalgia can affect people differently but is usually characterized by pain, stiffness, fatigue and/or non-restorative sleep. The patient typically feels both widespread pain and pain in specific “tender points” as evidenced by physical examination. Massage can target both the tender points and the more broadly distributed pain and stiffness. Relaxation massage goes a long way to helping reduce the symptoms of Fibromyalgia.

Book A Massage To Relieve Back Pain In Springfield, MO

Let the licensed massage therapists at Precision Wellness offer you relaxation and relief from back pain with our tailored, professional massages. With massage lengths ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours, you can find the massage that fits your schedule and pocketbook. Book relief today at Precision Wellness!

Treat Sun Damaged Skin With Facial

The biggest way to prevent sun damage during the summer months is to wear sunscreen applied generously everyday rain or shine. The number one reason for premature aging comes from UV exposure and can bring on the sunspots. UVA rays (which we call aging rays to get people to take them more seriously) can penetrate through clouds and windows. However, it’s not the number of SPF protection you are wearing but how much you really are putting on. Most people do not put on enough to get the full amount of protection let alone reapply when they are outside.

Another method for combating sun damage is to load up on antioxidants. This goes for your skincare as well as your diet. Wearing an antioxidant serum including Vitamin C and E underneath your SPF will not only protect you from environmental damage but will increase your natural SPF factor. You can also take these supplements daily as well as eating a beta-carotene-rich diet such as kale, spinach, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

It’s not just the sun that can lead to spots. New research has found that heat can stimulate melanin activity. If you are prone to pigmentation issues, especially hormonal pigmentation, such as melasma, please keep this in mind during these hot summer months. Try to stay indoors and limit your exposure to heat, sun, and heat-inducing activities such as steam and sauna room, hot yoga, or anything that increases your body temperature.

Part of the battle in avoiding heat is keeping your skin cool as possible. It’s a good idea to keep some of your products in the refrigerator such as an alcohol-free toner, antioxidant serum or a mask. This is a great way to decrease the melanin activity as well as keep any redness down.

Regardless of what steps we try to take to prevent them, some sun damage is still going to happen. One of the ways to repair and remove sun spots is to exfoliate gently. It is key to managing cell turnover, softening fine lines, as well as skin discoloration by exfoliating. Our favorite exfoliation for all skin types is fruit enzyme masks and AHA Serums containing non-alcohol acids such as Glycolic and Salicylic Acid, that can help break apart pigmented cells to lessen their appearance.

And most importantly, if you want to treat and prevent future sun damage, get a monthly facial. People tend to get lazy in the summer months with their skincare routine. They wait until the fall and want to work on repairing the damage from the summer months. However, prevention is key here. A monthly professional facial treatment from our skin care experts uses stronger formulas and are packed full of antioxidant-rich serums and masks for increased results.

Put Your Best Face Forward With A Facial

Getting a facial may not be one of those things most of us put on our “necessities” list, but what if we told you it needs to be? For some, any excuse is a good excuse to treat themselves, while for others – they need to justify the splurge. So allow us to help you do just that.

You Need a Facial – Because Your Face is the First Point of Contact

As the saying goes: “You only have one chance to make a first impression”. So if your facial skin has bore the brunt of years of sun exposure, stress, pollution, and just daily wear, it deserves a monthly skin care pick-me-up in order to get back on the front lines, and put your best face forward as your first point of contact.

After all, how you feel about yourself will be reflected in your face, so let us help make your reflection shine, and help boost the confidence everyone should feel.

The Science Behind Your Stratum Corneum and Why You Need a Facial

The stratum corneum is the outermost layer of your skin, and it completely renews itself every 28 days. Within this timeframe, your skin cells are continuously being replicated. So don’t allow them to replicate fading, aging skin cells! A monthly facial can help to boost your skin cell replication, allowing for healthier skin cells to emerge and replicate accordingly.

You Need Monthly Facials in Order to Relax, Renew and Refresh

The power of touch offers amazing healing abilities, and the simple service of having someone wash your face can have you feeling like an entirely new person.

Scrubbing away the old, allowing for time to decompress, and prompting your blood circulation to increase all helps facilitate the renewal of your skin cells. In addition to providing anti-aging boosting properties, and giving you a general sense of wellbeing – slowing the aging process and revving up your inner glow.

It’s amazing what an hour facial can offer you, and the long-lasting benefits it can provide straight through until your next monthly facial.

So make a monthly facial a service to yourself, to your mind, and to your body. Those around you will quickly recognize the physical and emotional difference in you.

We look forward to seeing you soon, and helping you smile in a refreshed way.

Get Your Skin Ready For Summer With A Facial

Summer will be here before we know it and everyone will be showing a lot more skin. When you go grocery shopping and start seeing sunscreen and tanning creams more prominently displayed, then you know it’s time to start thinking about pampering and protecting your skin to get ready for the summer months.

Some skin solutions take longer than others to produce results, so if you want your skin looking its best on the first day of summer, now is the time to start.

Slough Off Winter Skin With a Facial

Start summer with a fresh complexion by getting a facial. Our trained estheticians can create a custom facial that addresses your exact skin needs. Our esthetician will take your skin type and quality into consideration to determine which solution will provide the best results. Your esthetician will also consider how the weather and environment are affecting your skin.

Facials can be used to treat fine lines, discoloration and acne among other things. Because facials are gentle on the skin, you’ll get the most benefit from having a series of facials performed over an extended period. Plus, a day getting pampered at Precision Wellness will help combat stress hormones that can cause acne flare-ups.

Switch Up Your Moisturizer

During the winter when the air is dry most people need a heavier moisturizer to keep skin hydrated. However, the summertime brings higher humidity levels that can make skin oilier. That’s why it’s important to switch up your moisturizer as summer rolls around.

Set the heavy creams aside, and opt for a lighter formula. Gel moisturizers are a good option if you have normal skin. If your skin tends to get oily try an oil-free mattifying moisturizer. The most important factor to look for is a lightweight formula that will absorb into the skin. Bonus points if it also contains broad spectrum UV protection.

Drink Up

When the summer heats up, we sweat to help regulate the temperature inside our body. Sweating depletes your body of moisture, which needs to be replaced. If you’re not properly hydrated, one of the first places it will start to show is your skin.

Staying hydrated seems like a simple task, but the majority of adults don’t drink the recommended daily amount of water. Make sure you drink at least eight cups of water a day (more if you’re active or out in hot weather for a prolonged period). If you plan to exercise it’s best to drink water before, during and after the workout to avoid dehydration. One of the best ways to increase fluid intake throughout the day is to get a water bottle. Keep the water bottle with you as a reminder to drink up.

Follow these tips to get started on improving your skin and by the time summer rolls around you’ll be ready to show more skin without any reservations.

Regular Massage Prevents Injury While Training

therapeutic blond woman shoulder massaged

Massage is important for many reasons, including detoxification and stress relief. But one of the best reasons if you’re the type who is wired to push yourself is that regular therapeutic massage helps you get into better shape faster with less stiffness and soreness, allowing you to push your body harder. Perhaps most important is that massage helps prevent the injuries that will set you back.

We all know the benefits of regular exercise and moving the body. Anyone who routinely pushes their physical limits through any movement, sports, strength training and aerobics can benefit from massage. Whether you are a weekend warrior that fits in workouts between work and family or a serious athlete, massage is an important part of any sports regimen.

Both professional and college athletic teams use massage to heal and prevent the wear-and-tear and minor injuries that naturally occur with strenuous movement. The added physiological and psychological benefits of massage also add to the reasons to do it.

Heavily exercised muscles may also lose their capacity to relax, causing chronically tight (hypertonic) muscles, and loss of flexibility. Lack of flexibility is often linked to muscle soreness, and predisposes you to injuries, especially muscle pulls and tears. Blood flow through tight muscles is poor (ischemia), which also causes pain.

Massage helps the body recover from the stresses of strenuous exercise, and facilitates the rebuilding phase of conditioning. The physiological benefits of massage include improved blood and lymph circulation and muscle and general relaxation. These, in turn, lead to removal of waste products and better cell nutrition, normalization and greater elasticity of tissues, deactivation of trigger points, and faster healing of injuries. It all adds up to relief from soreness and stiffness, better flexibility, and less potential for future injury.

With regular massage for maintenance our massage therapists can zero in on particular muscle groups and work specific tissues. We can help maintain or improve range of motion and muscle flexibility. The overall objective of a maintenance program is to help you reach optimal performance through injury-free training.

Regular massage also gives our therapists a chance to find your unique trouble spots, perhaps from past injuries. They can pay special attention to these areas, monitor them for developing problems, and help keep them in good condition. Our experienced massage therapists can also complement treatment received from other health care professionals for various injuries. Massage for injuries can speed healing and reduce discomfort during the rehabilitation process. Deep tissue and trigger point massage breaks up the tissues in the muscle to speed recovery.

So to sum it up, make massage part of your wellness and fitness routine. You’ll get all the benefits of relaxation and if you’re that more intense personality, remember, you can push yourself a little harder with less injuries and get in shape a little faster.

Get Your Skin Ready For Spring With A Facial

Now that the cold weather is coming to an end, it’s time to start getting ready for Spring and showing a little more skin. Consider a facial from Precision Esthetics to help you look and feel your best.

You exercise often. You eat right and you get frequent haircuts. So why wouldn’t you get a facial? As with most other beauty and health matters, facials help prevent and treat common problems. Facials are important because they keep on top of things that happen seasonally.

Take the fall season, for example. When you turn the furnace on for the first time, you might notice a change in your skin. Inside heat can dehydrate skin and facials can drastically correct a lack of moisture. And when the weather warms up a bit, skin can get oilier and create breakouts. Facials can help with these and many other skin ailments.

What can you expect from facials? Facials give your skin smoother texture, proper hydration, a glowing complexion, fewer breakouts and firmer skin. Regular treatments provide noticeable results.

Facials prevent problems for everyone, but your facial routine will depend on your skin type. You should see your esthetician once a month if you can manage it. For people with dry skin or dehydrated skin, it is more important to be diligent in winter than in the summer. In summer, it is more important for people with oily skin to get facials. Sunscreen and being outside can affect oily skin.

Regardless of when you’re investing in a good quality facial, make sure you maintain the results. It’s like going to the dentist for a cleaning and following that up with proper brushing and flossing at home a few times a day.

You can’t expect your facial results to last if you go home and sleep in your makeup or wash with a bar of soap. You have to use a cleanser and moisturizer for your skin type and season of the year. You need a guru to help you make the right choices for your skin type. That would be your esthetician at Precision Wellness.

The Best Massage For Runners

With warmer weather just around the corner, people are starting to get more active which can include being more disciplined about running or training for a 5K. Getting back into the swing of things comes with some additional aches and pains, so we thought we’d discuss the best types of massage therapy for runners.

Swedish massage is perhaps the most well known of the common massage modalities and is often associated with relaxation and pampering. However, Swedish massage can also benefit runners, especially before big competitions.

Swedish massage utilizes long, flowing strokes of various pressure, although usually light, to release muscle tension and increase blood flow.

Swedish massage is best used in the days before big competitions or as a recovery tool after hard workouts. The lighter, relaxing strokes help relieve stress and muscle tension without damaging the muscles, which is important if you have a big race on the horizon. A Swedish massage before a race, especially if you’re coming off a hard week of training, can help you re-energize, relax, and get your legs back under you.

Most runners are familiar with deep tissue massage, which is often confused with deep pressure (e.g., when you tell the therapist to “go harder”). Deep tissue massage targets both the superficial and deep layers of muscles and fascia and are often quite intense as a result of the deliberate, focused work.

Deep tissue massages typically focus on a few specific problem areas and, unlike trigger point therapy, work the entire muscle. Because runners often have tight spots and interconnected issues when volume and intensity are high, deep tissue massage is often the modality of choice during hard training segments.

The frequency at which you get massage work done is completely up to you and depends on how much you like massage, how hard you’re training, and your budget.

If you’re able to afford it, getting a monthly or weekly massage can help prevent injuries by catching tight areas before they become problematic. If it isn’t possible to fit a recurring massage into your schedule (or budget), consider getting one or two during your hardest training block or if you’re doing a lot of speed work, which tends to elicit injuries that can be treated by massage, like tight hamstrings or hips.

It takes time to recover and not feel lethargic after a hard massage. If your legs feel a little dead the next day, that’s OK. This is why it’s important to schedule at least one easy day between a hard massage and a hard workout.

Runners love to get a massage. Not only does it feel great, but it can also help speed recovery, reduce muscles soreness and facilitate injury healing. If you’ve laced up those running shoes and want to get the full benefit of getting in better shape, remember to consider a regular massage as an important part of taking better care of yourself.

Skin Script Rx Anti Aging Facial

woman-smiling-below-precision-wellness-and-skinscriptrx-logos

Precision Wellness is proud to announce that we will be introducing the Skin Script Rx line of professional products.

Skin Script RX Skin Care is a line of natural, yet clinical skincare products designed for anti-aging, hyperpigmentation, melasma, sun damage, teen and adult acne, rosacea. Antioxidants, exfoliants, and natural brighteners are the base of this skincare line to achieve remarkable results.

Professional natural fruit enzymes, masks, and chemical peels are available. Skin Script fruit enzymes can be customized to be as gentle or aggressive as needed for your skin condition. Come in for an anti-aging facial to see firsthand how we can customize fruit enzymes, glycolics, retinols, salicylics, and lactics to achieve remarkable results.

Skin Script is dedicated to beautiful, healthy skin using fresh thinking to deliver the latest in vitalized, youthful-looking skin. Skin Script is a clinical, professional skin care line containing retinols, glycolics, lactics, salicylic, and natural lighteners and brighteners allowing us to customize a treatment regimen for your specific skin conditions.

We use Skin Script products in our facials, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels. These specialty products are designed to complement Skin Script’s clinical home products. The natural fruit enzymes and peels are formulated with higher levels of natural lighteners, kojic, and arbutin.

Skin Script’s professional products successfully treat melasma and hyperpigmentation on a variety of skin tones to treat these difficult skin conditions.

We love the Skin Script line of products because they work. Skin Script Rx is more absorbable than other skincare products. It’s very versatile and great for all skin types. Best of all it smells amazing.

We’re so confident that our customers will love it too that we’ll also carry their skin cleansers and moisturizers for you to use at home in between your facials. Once you try it for yourself, you’ll understand why we are so excited to add this new line of anti-aging skincare products.

Prevent Pain with Therapeutic Massage

Most people wait until they’re in pain before coming to see for a massage, but did you know that regular therapeutic massage treatments can actually prevent the pain and soreness from happening in the first place?

It isn’t a big secret that life can be stressful. Massage therapy can be an excellent way to relieve the daily pressures that work, home, and family place on the mind and body, reducing physiological stress responses such as anxiety, mild depression and fatigue. This is a first step and goal in massage, because you must relax the mind, relieve the tension, calm the nervous system and the muscles will follow.

The time to address chronic patterns of tension in the muscles is after you’ve achieved a deep state of relaxation. Treating stress with massage helps to relieve the pain caused by muscle tension, as the soothing touch also promotes a feeling of well-being and calm. After creating the right relaxing atmosphere with music, using essential and carrier oils for scent and touch, our massage therapists will include a focus on and reduction of generalized body aches.

During a massage, your soft tissues, skin, tendons, and muscles are manipulated, which provides stress relief by stimulating the body’s relaxation response. Experts have scientifically proven the link to stress and the exacerbation, and sometimes the cause, of various diseases people suffer from regularly. The normal wear-and-tear of time on our bodies is bad enough, but nothing ages us quicker, internally and externally, than high stress. While eliminating anxiety and pressure in this fast-paced world may not be achievable, massage can help reduce stress to manageable levels. This directly translates into decreased anxiety, enhanced sleep quality, reduced fatigue, higher levels of daily energy and improved mental concentration.

Beyond just immediate stress or pain relief, a massage can also accelerate our own natural healing process by increasing healthy blood flow throughout the body and releasing various helpful hormones.

Relief from pain is the most common reason people seek massage. Our massage therapists integrate a variety of methods which may include a variety of pressure levels from light to deep targeting restoration of normal blood and lymphatic movement, normalizing connective tissue pliability to reduce stiffness, reducing trigger point activity and quieting the nervous system. Muscles can become so contracted that they press on nerves to the arms, hands or legs, causing pain or tingling.

Regular therapeutic massage can prevent these muscle spasms. Shoulder joints are at a high risk of sustaining injury from tight muscles. Due to our modern sedentary life, if you frequently slouch at your desk the muscles in your chest will tighten and contract which pulls the joints in your shoulders forward and causes joint problems to arise. Ankle joints are also at an increased risk of injury, reduced mobility and pain from tightened calf muscles.

Athletes, dancers, seniors and people who live an active lifestyle usually find that regular treatments of proper massage therapy improves the functions of their muscles, connective tissues, tendons, ligaments and joints. Joint flexibility is critical in creating balance in the body and improving mobility. Tight muscles constrict and prevent a joint from performing its full range of mobility and over time the joint may start to weaken. Adhesions are formed in muscles due to tightness and tension. They can cause knots and restrict flexibility. Massage helps to realign the muscle fibers and break down these adhesions. This release restores movement and increases flexibility.

The benefits of massage treatments are many, but in most cases, most of these will not be achieved by a single visit. Taking part in regularly scheduled self-care can play a huge part in how healthy you’ll be. Consider regular therapeutic massage treatments a necessary piece of your health and wellness plan, and work with our massage therapists to establish a treatment schedule that best meets your individual needs.

Top Ten Reasons to Get A Monthly Facial

closeup woman's face chin being massaged

Most people don’t understand the benefits that a good professional facial can offer and wait until they encounter a skin concern (weird breakouts, dry itchy skin, dark spots, etc.) or have an upcoming special event before coming in for a facial. These frustrating problems can often be preempted by proper monthly facials and counseling on the correct at-home products.

Your skin is always on display and often has the power to dictate how good we feel about ourselves. Investing in proper skincare has a value that can be arguably more important than buying a new dress or going out to a fancy restaurant. Our facials at Precision Wellness are affordable, customized, relaxing, comfortable, and come with personal attention and great service.

Facials are ideal once a month unless you have a specific skin concern you are trying to overcome (acne, hyper-pigmentation, etc), then you may need to come in for a series of treatments. The reason behind getting monthly facials is that your stratum corneum (the outermost layer of visible skin) will completely renew itself approximately every 28 days. In this time your skin cells are constantly being replicated from the treated cells to replace the old cells.

If you give your skin a head start (i.e. a great facial) your skin cells will begin to replicate the now healthier cells and thus give you a better complexion. Also, most skin products can take up to 6-8 weeks to start to treat active skin cells, but by speeding up the renewal process with a facial you can make these products work faster and more effectively.

Aside from just feeling like heaven, here are the Top 10 Reasons you should come to Precision Welless for monthly facials:

Facials allow you to relax. They feel great and are healing to the soul. The power of touch, massage, proper technique, and professional products can heal. We call facials “relaxing with benefits”. Stress relief and beautiful glowing skin? YES PLEASE!
Facials increase circulation of the blood under the skin allowing the skin optimal health to facilitate the renewal skin cells.
Facials decrease waste underneath the skin that can cause puffiness, ruddiness, and fluid accumulation by manipulating the lymphatic system that lies just under the skin. Facials also aids in detoxification.
A good facial helps smooth fine lines and promote collagen production, which is the building block of the skin (to prevent premature aging, wrinkles, and sagging).
A facial will cleanse your pores on a much deeper level. Similar to a good dental cleaning, this is what a facial can do for the skin/pores. Even non-acneic skin can use a good deep cleanse. Extractions/cleaning out the pores can help to maintain clear skin, stop acne formation, as well as can help to change the pore’s size. Often times left unchecked, pores can start to stretch and widen with the accumulation of oil and debris. Never attempt to extract or pick at your own skin unless you are a professional and know how to do it properly. You could be at risk of scarring and infection.
Facials provide deeper exfoliation than you can achieve at home. Exfoliation smooths skin, allows for great penetration of products (i.e. moisturizers or serums), unclogs pores, improves skin ability to retain hydration, and evens skin tone to just name a few benefits.
Allows our professionally trained esthetician to counsel you on the proper products you should be using at home. This alone is worth the investment as the skincare industry can be a difficult (and expensive) area to navigate.
Can help even skin tone and lighten dark spots. Dark spots age our skins’ appearance visibly. Remember that sunscreen is still a necessity no matter how great the facial.
Facials slow the aging process. They allow your skin to feel healthier, smoother and look more radiant. Facials reduce fine lines, age spots, and relieve dehydrated skin. With these benefits, facials make us feel better about our skin. With the use of exfoliation and the penetration of nutrients and antioxidants, facials also fight to reverse aging. We will all age, but we can do it more slowly with glowing, firm, and hydrated skin.
Facials are not a miracle in an hour but they do give you a fresh start to a healthier and balanced complexion. Regular facials will help you maintain optimal skin health.

If you’re ready to start taking better care of your skin, then we encourage you to consider getting in habit of having a monthly facial. You’ll look younger, feel better and it’s a great investment in your physical and mental well being.

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