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By now you’ve likely heard the news that both the CDC and the state of Michigan will no longer require individuals who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to wear face coverings either outdoors or indoors, and by July 1st no one will be required to wear masks at all. We are eager to celebrate this huge step forward, but we also want to be cautious because the pandemic is certainly not over, and while many of our clientele and our staff have been fully vaccinated, there are those who have not yet been able to for various reasons. To that end, we have decided that masks will be optional during massage if both the client and the therapist have been fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated means they have received the last in their series of vaccinations and allowed two weeks time or more to pass. Since there may be other clients or staff in the lobby who have not yet been vaccinated, clients will still be required to wear masks until they are in treatment rooms. If you would like the option to remove your mask during your massage with therapists who are fully vaccinated, please bring in your original vaccination card so we can add a copy of it to your file. Additionally, if you do not have the card you can also sign an affidavit confirming your vaccination date and location and authorizing us to contact the provider to confirm your vaccination status. Please note: these changes are 100% OPTIONAL. Anyone who does not want to provide vaccination verification may still continue to wear a mask just as before. Anyone who is not comfortable being unmasked or having their therapist unmasked may continue to wear a face covering and/or request their therapist wear one, as well. This is a complicated and nuanced situation, and we respect everyone’s right to make their own choices while also taking very seriously the potential risks to our unvaccinated employees and clients. We ask that you do the same! We will continue to call clients ahead of time to go through a brief screening, and go over these details. As always, we do require that you reschedule your appointment if you are feeling ill or exhibiting any symptoms of coronavirus. Thank you for your continued support, and... Stay awesome! UPDATE: As of 8/1/2021 we highly recommend everyone wear masks while in our facilities to help reduce the spread of the Delta Variant. 
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By: Guest Blogger Kelly Jones LMT, MOTR Ever feel like those hard, painful knots in your muscles seem to stick around no matter how much stretching, foam rolling, or digging you do? This is where vibration and percussion therapy can make all the difference. Not only is this a great way to help your massage therapist hone in on stubborn muscle issues, it’s also a super effective at-home recovery tool. Did I mention vibration and percussion therapy feels great, too? Many clients tell me after adding the Hypervolt onto their massage session that it's the most relaxed they can remember feeling.  Adding Hypervolt to your massage can accelerate the relaxing of muscle tissue. One of the reasons this therapy is so effective is due to specialized receptor cells in the body that monitor for changes in the muscle tissue called proprioceptors. Proprioceptors communicate with the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and protect our bodies by regulating stretch or contraction during movement (like when busting a move on the dance floor) or application of force (bench pressing your toddler). Proprioceptors sense changes such as pressure, temperature, or tension and are located throughout muscles, joints, and tendons. One specific type of proprioceptor called the Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO) specializes in preventing tension induced injuries. GTOs operate a protective feedback mechanism known as the Golgi tendon reflex, which creates an inhibiting response (shut it down!) that signals muscle tissue to release tension, making the muscle easier to stretch and to apply other massage modalities to it. During vibration and percussion therapy, your massage therapist may use a hand-held percussive device on a localized area to induce deep release and relaxation within the muscle tissues. The tool we use for this at KAW is the Hypervolt, a hand held percussive therapy device made by Hyperice. One of my favorite ways to use the Hypervolt is by targeting muscles which feel “congested” or locked up with tension. When the vibrations are transmitted to your body they cause an inhibition reflex which signals muscle to contract and then relax. The Hypervolt has three different speed settings and multiple attachments to customize client comfort and maximize vibration therapy benefits depending on where it's applied to the body.  We chose to use Hypervolt because of their superior customer service, long battery life and powerful quite glide guns. By using the Hypervolt as an adjunct to manual massage therapy, your therapist can better target muscle tension and discomfort to get you more effective results. Personally, I have found that using the Hypervolt to “warm up” muscles allows me to engage in deeper and more intense tissue modalities much sooner than by relying on using my hands alone. If you haven’t already added the Hypervolt to your massage, give it a go next time you come in and see for yourself! You might even want to consider purchasing one to use at home. Among the benefits of vibration and percussion therapy is faster post workout/event recovery time,
decreased generalized pain or stiffness, and improved range of motion. We have both the standard Hypervolt and smaller, travel size Hypervolt GO on sale this month (May 2021) at KAW in addition to the Hyperice Venom, a wearable heat and vibration treatment device for the low back. Any of our awesome KAW staff is more than happy to help familiarize you with these tools and offer suggestions or demonstrations to help you get the most out of them. Just ask! Currently our Hyperice products are available for purchase in-store only due to restrictions per our merchant agreement. If you would like to purchase any of our Hyperice products please call 269-373-1000 for pricing and availability! Sources used: How to use the Hypervolt: at home -YouTube Tutorial Physio-pedia.com/Muscle_spindles Physio-pedia.com/Muscle_Energy_Technique |
AuthorNicholas Garman, LMT NSCA-CPT Archives
March 2022
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