A Moment Of Quiet

On Going Research In The Field of Massage Therapy

The Touch Research Institute has conducted over 100 studies on the positive effects of massage therapy on many functions and medical conditions in many different age groups. Among the significant research findings are enhanced growth (e.g. in preterm infants), diminished pain (e.g. fibromyalgia), decreased autoimmune problems (e.g., increased pulmonary function in asthma and decreased glucose levels in diabetes), enhanced immune function (e.g., increased natural killer cells in HIV and cancer), and enhanced alertness and performance (e.g., EEG pattern of alertness and better performance on math computations). Many of these effects appear to be mediated by decreased stress hormones. Several of these findings have been reviewed in the...(click for complete article)

An Unexpected Gift


In February 2009, I was contacted by a long time client of mine. She had a friend who's daughter had suffered greatly from a traumatic brain injury. This client explained a little about the young women, how she had been a long time friend of the mother and how it grieved her to see the daughter in such a state. She said "Fran, I don't know if you could, if you would consider going to them and giving the daughter massage if I give it as a gift? I feel it maybe of help to her." I paused and thought a moment, then agreed. I was put in contact immediately with the family.

Being with incapacitated individuals was not new to me. I had worked for a few years in nursing homes as a Nursing Assistant and volunteered in hospice situations with massage therapy. One year prior I was fortunate to work with another case referred to me of a women who had suffered a stroke two years earlier. Her weekly session brought her physical comfort and a will to push herself in all that she was still capable of doing. Each case presents it self and in the evaluation as a therapist, I know where my limitations go; and yet in this and a similar one I have been awe struck.

Upon my arrival, it was explained to me how the family; on their own, had done alternative therapies such as acupuncture and at that present time physical therapy. This young women was not able to track with her eyes, vocalize, nor respond in anyway to conversations. No coordinated movements of any sort. They had been attempting to get responses with eye blinks or even hand squeezes but to little avail. No movement on her own at all. I explained what I would do and how I could help her (all while under my own breath praying for guidance). I then proceeded to set the mood for the first of many sessions to come. 

It is now 3 years later and I am happy to report that this young women has made tremendous progress. While she had been receiving physical therapy sessions, those soon after stop about close to a year after I began to work with her. I went from biweekly to weekly massage therapy sessions . During those 3 years we incorporated acupuncture again for a short period of time when I felt that my massage techniques had hit a road block. This aided in increasing the blood circulation to specific areas.


She has gone from being none communicative to laughing, smiling, enjoying the latest in gossip, even showing displeasure when she feels the need to. Physically, she had regain flexibility and movement in her arms,  released of restrictions in her neck and shoulders allow  more control over head movements and control of posture with ease.


What did I do? I used every massage strategy in my cache along with, common sense approach to body mechanics and a little intuitive touch. It is amazing to see how something so seemingly simple can bring about such dramatic results.

Why Did Thereaputic Massage Work?

We know the reflective response of Swedish massage releases endorfens which bring about a sense of calm and relaxation. Another major benifits of massage is blood CIRCULATION and regaining FLEXIBILITY. In order for our bodies to function properly we need good blood and lymph circulation. Blood transports nurishment to our organs and limbs while the lymphatic system carries away waste by products from our body on a systematic basis. In the case of a person who's body movements have been restricted due to illness, circulation becomes stagnanat. Muscle tissue can not receive nurishment, the body's metobolic waste can not be effectively flushed from the body. The result the body begins to atrophy and tissue begins to break down.

In this case as well as a second brain trauma both clients showed marked physical improvements with weekly massages.


Circulation was not only important to the limbs but has also played a part in mental awareness, impeded further skin break down, stimulated nerve responses and improved vocalization. Massage also brought about the flexibility needed to work limbs within their range of motion. It also released superficial and deep myofascial restrictions. These types of restrictions not only cause immobility but pain. Myofascial releases have been a great key to their improvements. 

Overall, it is without a doubt that we can certainly prove, massage is not just about distressing; but holds therapeutic value in recovery efforts after catastrophic illness.






Writen by Frances Dunston, LMT
Frances is a trained licensed massage therapist in Brooklyn, New York. She holds her New York State License in Massage therapy with focus on medical and restorative massage techniques. Frances utilizes her experience from neuro-muscular massage, sports therapy, and Shiatsu energy modalities. She can be contacted via email: fusiontherapywellness@gmail.com 

Honoring Your Spirit

I am often asked what made me choose the holistic field? Well, after contemplating that thought I can honestly say, I did not choose it, it chose me. As many young people I had the task of trying to find my niche in life. It was because of some very unsettling experiences I had to sit down with myself and ask MYSELF the question, "Who are you?" I knew my relationship to everyone else in my life but myself. Who was Frances. It had been so long it seemed since I asked myself that question. My likes, my desires, my favorite color. Who are you?

For a number of years following high school, I worked in several administrative positions which I thought in all of my wildest dreams you would not have caught me dead doing. This finally lead me to work in the not-for-profit field as a job readiness and career counselor. It was a rewarding job helping those trying to map out the possibilities and defying their fears of the unknown to barrel forth to some new career that they may have only dreamed about. Meanwhile, I had not truly found the thing that I felt my own heart was calling for.

Raising a family of five children, running a household, at first working part and then full time it; was very easy to get lost in the everyday grind. Along the 15 plus years of churning away at the non stop demands of innumerable responsibilities, I found myself experiencing a number of aliments that had no detectable medical root cause. Headaches, generalized body aches, fainting spell, lack of focus.

After one visit with my then wise old doctor reviewing all my negative test results, he began questioning me about "my life's existence" as I will put it . "How many children do you have are there any unusual stresses at home?" "Five children." I responded "and no there is nothing I would say unusual about home other than the normal activities that went along with raising a family." "How about your marriage. Is everything alright there?" he asked. " Everything is fine, no complains there." Then he asked me the next question and needless to say I was shocked at my own response. " What kind of work do you do? How's your job?" From out of no where I let out a sob of tears that was almost uncontrollable.

" Well" he proclaimed " there is your answer. Your suffering from acute stress." We talked a little bit and his words to me were this " Well, it sounds like your going to have to find another way to deal with the job or find another job." And with that he wrote me two prescriptions for basically tranquilizers. I could not believe what I was hearing. Me, I thought I had everything under control. I was the one everyone came to to fix something, stay a little longer, organize. Ah but that was part of the problem. It was not so much so the work, but who I worked with that was truly draining me. I did not realize how much, I was just holding on to many resentments and how purely exhausted I was. Fran was that person who kept my thoughts and feeling bottled up inside me, never expressing them. Just keeping her head to the grind stone and working through it all hoping tomorrow would bring a better result.

The body has a very unique way of letting you know when it's had enough. This can be expressed in many ways. Body pain such as head aches, neck and shoulder discomforts, sleeplessness, anxiety, gastronomic problems even weight gain or lose, hormonal issues just to name a few. Did you know that stress is one of the precursors of many diseases including heart disease, uterine fibroids. For suffers of fibromyalgia, stress can actual aggravate the condition.

Well, I changed some things in my life back then, but still had not made the leap into the life altering change that would have me truly questioning my existence on this earth. Sometime had pasted when that day finally arrived. It was one Saturday morning in Feb. 2004, when I made my bed, sat square in the middle of it and attempted to drown out all the head chatter that plagued my everyday existence and listen for the sound of SILENCE.

It was during that time I slowly began to find myself again. I wrote down what I discovered and took small steps to challenge myself along to accomplish even the smallest thing. All the while, God faithfully watching, sent his angles into my life to guide and direct me. They had been there all along. My mother, "Find you passion!", my husband " What do you want to do? Just go for it. I'm here." and so many more. When I really went deeper, I found that massage had been calling me from the age of 15 when I first purchased a book on my own about massage. I had never been around it, or had known anyone who had experienced it, but there is was every once in a while calling to me; but I did not answer until four years ago.

Life is a journey, we sometimes get caught up on the cross roads, and that's ok. The trick is to recognize that you have the power within you to change your destiny. With a little help from above and lot's of love and support all around me, I have been able to follow my spirit to the path that had been meant for me. My journey is far from over, there is much more to learn, the important thing is that I began the course. As my wonderful mother always says, "Everything in Divine Order."

If you have a similar tale. Will you share it with us? It may help someone else find their calling in this journey we call life.

Take time to honor who you are. Know that you are enough, learn to like who you are and let the road unwind from there.

Striking a Cord

I can't believe this... but yet yes, I can understand! Yesterday, I listened to a beautiful CD of classical music given to me as a gift, and I found myself sobbing. Why, you might ask. Well,over the last few weeks or so I have been overwhelmed with emotions because of a changes going on in my life ... good changes though. Trying to juggle all the responsibilities, I held everything inside, but the minute I stopped, listened and I heard "Vivaldi..." and then "Bach..." the cords just vibrated down into my soul. I released everything so much so that my husband came running quickly to find out what was wrong. I could not put into words what was happening but in minutes I felt instant relief from all my stress and anxiety!

Zagreg - Suma, a 45-year-old elephant and long-time resident of the Zagreb Zoo, was bereaved and inconsolable after her pachyderm partner of tens years died of cancer. Until she heard Mozart... read more by clicking on this link Music Therapy for Elephants
Do elephants have a soul? They obviously have emotions as we do. It causes one to think. Something so simple as a musical cord can elicit a response from a creature who we do not have any verbal communication with; yet have this same deep rooted connection. What and how does that speak to your place/my place in the universe?

This caught my attention and I had to stop and think about what I value, who I choose to associate myself with and my relationship to things in this world. As simple an act as this was on each side, it shows to me I am more connected "by and to" than I am "separate from". Moving forward, I have chosen to look more with care at how I allow certain issues and relationships guide my life. While a good cry doesn't hurt anyone, we can certainly chosen to shed as many tears of joy as possible on each plateau of living.