Issue link: http://www.bodysensemagazinedigital.com/i/484111
B O D Y T A L K C O M P I L E D B Y B R A N D O N T W Y F O R D Massage Helps Back Pain Sufferers The March 2015 issue of Harvard Men's Health Watch summarized recent research on the effectiveness of massage therapy by explaining that, when performed in conjunction with conventional back pain care, "massage therapy generally seems to be helpful … and it tends to be very safe." The following tips were provided as recommendations for getting the best results from massage: • Check with a doctor to make sure massage is safe for your back condition. • Ask your massage therapist for advice about ways to sit, walk, or work that may prevent future back pain. Apps are Accurate The recent influx of wearable devices and smartphone apps that track an individual's physical activity has brought up the question of how accurate these devices and apps are. The answer is: at least as accurate as old-school pedometers. However, while only 1–2 percent of adults in the United States own a wearable device, more than 65 percent of adults carry a smartphone. This led researchers at the University of Pennsylvania to determine whether a smartphone with a physical activity-tracking app is as accurate as a wearable device. "We found that smartphone apps are just as accurate as wearable devices for tracking physical activity," says lead study author Meredith A. Case. In addition, there was less difference in the data recorded by the various smartphone apps than in the three wearable devices study participants wore. Read more in the Journal of the American Medical Association at http://bit.ly/1A99AFH. Massage Glossary What is Lomilomi? Lomilomi*—Hawaiian for "rub rub"—is a system of massage that utilizes very large, broad movements. Two- handed, forearm, and elbow application of strokes— which cover a broad area—are characteristic of lomilomi. Oils are used in the application of cross-fiber friction techniques. Similar to Swedish massage in many aspects, this system uses prayer and the acknowledgment of the existence of a higher power as an integral part of the technique. *Definition from www.massagetherapy.com, "Glossary of Massage and Bodywork Techniques"