By Rick Halle-Podell, Licensed Massage Therapist, Founder of Massage Therapy of Oak Park

Craniosacral therapists often induce what is called a “still point” in order to “reset” the nervous system. I like to think of this like shutting down and restarting a computer. Occasionally, our computers need a break. They begin to run slowly due to all the excess information they have been processing. Simply shutting down the computer and rebooting the system software can create space and increase efficiency. This is precisely what a still point does.

By Rick Halle-Podell, Licensed Massage Therapist, Founder of Massage Therapy of Oak Park

Stress. The very word causes unpleasant feelings. Short-term, stress can actually be good, even life saving. Long-term stress, however, is a very different story.

By Rick Halle-Podell, Licensed Massage Therapist, Founder of Massage Therapy of Oak Park

As we are athletes ourselves, Massage Therapy of Oak Park understands the importance of starting and maintaining a regular exercise regimen. Any of the following activities can add immensely to your emotional and physical health. As the body needs time to accommodate increased activity, manage the expenditure of energy, recover from exertion and heal should injuries arise, therapeutic massage should also be part of your exercise routine.

By Rick Halle-Podell, Licensed Massage Therapist, Founder of Massage Therapy of Oak Park

At Massage Therapy of Oak Park, we believe that massage therapy’s greatest potential is its preventive power. At almost every stage of a repetitive stress injury, massage therapy is a viable intervention strategy. By not allowing RSI to progress to acute pain, sufferers can avoid expensive medical costs, surgery and time away from work. An ounce of prevention, in this case, is definitely worth a pound of cure.

By Rick Halle-Podell, Licensed Massage Therapist, Founder of Massage Therapy of Oak Park

 Those wonderful leg muscles that form your kneecap are perhaps the least understood muscles in the human body. Their uniqueness is the reason they are so prone to injury, overuse and, ultimately, knee pain.

While we often associate knee injuries with football and basketball players, recent studies indicate that knee pain is epidemic because of a sedentary lifestyle that allows our knees to become weak and unstable. When knees reach that condition, sudden movements such as stepping off a curb or rising suddenly from a crouched position can easily overload the knee and cause acute pain and permanent damage.

By Rick Halle-Podell, Licensed Massage Therapist, Founder of Massage Therapy of Oak Park

Many people believe that osteoarthritis (OA) only affects the elderly. In fact, it strikes people of all ages. Studies show that 45 million people suffer from some form of this disease.

By Rick Halle-Podell, Licensed Massage Therapist, Founder of Massage Therapy of Oak Park

Massage therapy is a powerful weapon in the fight to relieve the discomfort and pain related to osteoarthritis (OA). Muscles and tendons support and move all the body’s joints. Thus, inflamed, painful joints affect muscles and tendons. Because massage therapy is a passive form of exercise, it can help OA sufferers by increasing circulation, range of motion and tissue suppleness, all while removing lymph from between the cells.

By Rick Halle-Podell, Licensed Massage Therapist, Founder of Massage Therapy of Oak Park

Many researchers believe that the presence or absence of certain foods in the diet may be a contributing factor to osteoarthritis (OA).

By Rick Halle-Podell, Licensed Massage Therapist, Founder of Massage Therapy of Oak Park

Painful tendons, nerves and muscles in the hands, arms, shoulders and neck are an unfortunate byproduct of the computer age. Repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) describe problems caused by repeated on-the-job movements. Because they develop slowly over time, RSIs are different than sprains or strains, which are sharp and occur immediately.

By Rick Halle-Podell, Licensed Massage Therapist, Founder of Massage Therapy of Oak Park

Winter is a miserable season for nearly 10 million Americans. Reduced amounts of sunlight during Winter's short days causes mood and behavioral changes known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). And it makes routine living difficult. Depression, fatigue and food binging are common among those who suffer from this disorder.

SAD is further complicated by the fact that many of us spend too little time outside in natural light. Added to this is the fact that when many of us do go out, we wear sunglasses and spend our working days in artificially-lighted buildings only to return home in the evening to end our day under more artificial light.

For some, particularly in the North, problems can begin in October, where it affects 30% of the population vs. only 8% in warmer climates. If you experience moodiness, depression or lethargy that lifts as sunlight returns in the Spring, consider the possibility that you may have SAD.

By Rick Halle-Podell, Licensed Massage Therapist, Founder of Massage Therapy of Oak Park

Have you ever had a physical injury that seemed to plague you long after the site had healed? It's not as unusual as you might think. Even when craniosacral therapy releases restrictions in body tissues, sometimes a release of emotional energy is necessary to fully discharge a trauma. In those cases, the craniosacral therapist may gently encourage a SomatoEmotional Release.

By Rick Halle-Podell, Licensed Massage Therapist, Founder of Massage Therapy of Oak Park

Every two years, we focus our attention on the athletes competing in the Summer and Winter Olympics. World-class athletes are largely responsible for popularizing massage therapy because it enhances performance, prevents injuries and helps restore a body to homeostasis. At the same time, more Americans realize the benefits of regular exercise. Our interest in taking responsibility for our own health leads Americans to explore the benefits of massage therapy.

By Rick Halle-Podell, Licensed Massage Therapist, Founder of Massage Therapy of Oak Park

Life and motion are intertwined. Although we can have motion without life, we cannot have life without motion. Of particular importance are those motions—not ordinarily visible—that place within the human body. They're linked to many levels of activity, from cellular pulsations to rhythmic contractions of the heart, diaphragm and even the craniosacral system.

By Rick Halle-Podell, Licensed Massage Therapist, Founder of Massage Therapy of Oak Park

In recent years, research has clearly documented the benefits of weight lifting for all age groups, men and women alike. Inactivity results in a 1/3 loss of muscle between ages 35 and 80. Until recently, aging was blamed for all the health problems we experience as we become older. Although aging is a contributing factor, inactivity is not perceived as the primary cause of aging.