Earthley Product Update part 2: Postpartum

Here is the list of our new postpartum products, these are products I have been personally using myself and getting some great benefits from them! If you buy 3 at the same time, get a 10% discount! 

 Teeth Tamer 2oz: 

Teeth Tamer naturally soothes pain, drooling, and irritability due to tooth pain. Instead of using harmful medications or synthetic gels with unsafe ingredients and potential side-effects, experience the relieving power of herbs. Whether you’ve got a toothache or a teething baby, Teeth Tamer is the best natural solution!  Made with whole organic cloves, absolutely no essential oils.

Key Herbs:

• Whole Cloves — Anti-inflammatory, pain relieving

• Catnip — Calming, rich in B vitamins

Teeth Tamer is also great for molars, losing teeth, and general toothaches — not just for babies!

Baby balm Herbal Salve .5oz:

Baby Balm is our natural diaper cream that shields your baby’s skin from irritation while nourishing the skin to soothe away diaper rashes. Safe for cloth diapers, this salve is made to help those diaper rashes as well as minor burns, cuts, and scrapes.

This is a great all-natural alternative to those mainstream rash creams that are full of chemicals and unwanted ingredients. Baby Balm is made with soothing lavender, chamomile, and calendula in a base of olive oil, castor oil, and candelilla wax. Throw out those conventional diaper creams for our all-natural Baby Balm!

Key Ingredients:

• Lavender Buds – promotes wound repair, anti-inflammatory

• Chamomile – soothing, may ease pain, anti-inflammatory

• Calendula – anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal, soothes skin

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – softens and nourishes skin

• Castor Oil – softens and nourishes skin

• Candelilla Wax – softens skin

Breast Balm Herbal Salve .5oz:

Breast Balm is an all-natural, herbal salve created to help soothe sore nipples to relieve pain associated with breastfeeding. It also contains anti-fungal properties to help fight symptoms of yeast. Since it’s edible and safe for babies, there’s no need to wipe it off before nursing!

Our Breast Balm can also be used as lip balm, for diaper rash, and to help any skin rash or irritation you have!

Key Ingredients:

Apricot Oil – soothes skin, anti-inflammatory

Candelilla Wax – softens skin

Calendula – soothes chapped and broken skin, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal

Milk Flowin’ Salve .5oz: 

Milk Flowin’ Salve is an all-natural, herbal salve created to help relieve clogged milk ducts. This salve helps keep lymphatic fluids and milk moving to work out any existing clogs. Since it’s edible and safe for babies, there’s no need to wipe it off before nursing.

Massage our Milk Flowin’ Salve into the breast and nipple area to help release clogged breast milk and find relief!

Key Ingredients:

• Castor Oil – Promotes milk flow, promotes lymphatic flow

• Rosemary Leaf – anti-inflammatory, antibacterial

• Lavender Buds – promotes wound repair

• Candelilla Wax – softens skin

Mama’s Magic Milk Boost 1oz:

Mama’s Magic Milk Boost is an herbal tincture created to help increase milk supply with all-natural ingredients. Not only is this product high in vitamins and minerals to nourish the body, but it also contains herbs to soothe baby’s tummy. Made with the highest-quality ingredients, this tincture supports both mom and baby on their breastfeeding journey. 

Key Herbs:

• Fennel Seed – promotes breast milk supply, decrease colic in infants

• Red Raspberry Leaf – antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties

• Marshmallow Root – soothes the digestive tract

• Alfalfa – high vitamin and mineral content

• Blessed Thistle – milk boosting properties

Postpartum Balance 1oz:

There’s nothing quite like the major hormone surge you get right after having a baby. You’re flooded with oxytocin and you are so happy to have this baby, but it can be overwhelming! Postpartum Balance is formulated to help mamas break down no-longer-needed pregnancy hormones, balance your hormones, and to help lessen bleeding for an easier fourth trimester.

It is a must have for every new mom!

Key Herbs:

• Turmeric – antioxidant, anti-inflammatory

• Black Pepper – promotes nutrient absorption, promotes gut health

• Dandelion Root – supports liver health, promotes detox

• Alfalfa Leaf – rich in vitamins and minerals

• Catnip Leaf– antibacterial properties

Summer Massage

The weather has been PERFECT this week! Nothing makes you want to get outside and be active like low humidity and sunshine! With the warm weather comes all the fun summer activities we love. However, sometimes we forget that we haven’t done these activities since last summer so our bodies are a little rusty. Make sure you are ready for your summer sports and activities by doing some regular cross training in the off season, warming up very well before the events (even yard work/gardening!) and keeping your muscles healthy with regular massage! Massage is beneficial in many ways. It helps you keep track of how your body is feeling and if there are any tension spots you weren’t aware of. It helps to keep your muscles loose by increasing circulation. It can help you to recover as you get back to doing what you love and have sore muscles. Massage is not benign. It absolutely feels great just generally, but it can also be a great tool to keep you doing the things you love!

Email or call today to schedule your next appointment!! 919-322-8382!

Package Pricing

At Oak City Massage, we understand the benefit of receiving regular massage, of course. We also understand that this can be a financial burden on some folks! While getting regular massage can help you to avoid injuries, lower other health costs and keep you in the activities you love, it can still be hard to justify. With this in mind Oak City offers some great package pricing to help lower your overall cost of massage therapy. Our packages do not expire and you are welcome to use them as frequently as you would like. We also allow you to share your package. 

Check out our package pricing before your next session! 

A package of 3 massages is 5% off (60 minutes are $95/session, 90 minutes are $137.75/session)

A  package of 6 massages or more is 10% off (60 minutes are $90/session, 90 minutes are $130.50/session)

Email or call to schedule today!! 919.322.8382

Now Selling Christmas Gift Cards!

 Having trouble deciding what to get someone for Christmas? What about the gift of relaxation? All Christmas Gift Cards will be 10% off! There is no limit and you can buy a gift card(s) for yourself. Christmas gift cards can not be used before Christmas. Cannot be combined with other discounts.

You may purchase a gift card over the phone and have it emailed. You may also schedule a time to come into the office and pick up a physical gift card. 

Email or call today to get your Christmas Gift Cards! 919.322.8382

Temporary change in hours

Hi Everyone!

For those of you that don’t know, our therapist Alanna will be out of the office until August. This will be impacting our schedule for the time being.

Our new hours will be Monday-Friday from 8:30am-5:30pm.

We will begin scheduling clients on Alanna’s schedule starting the last week of July. If you are a regular client of Alanna’s and would like to schedule something with Amanda or Alicia, please email(oakcitymassagetherapy@gmail.com) or call the office 919-322-8382.

Thank you and we look forward to working with you soon!

Price Change

Happy Spring!!

Starting in May, we will be increasing our 90 minute massage price to $130(previously $120). Our therapists work very hard to give you a great massage and we want to compensate them in a way that reflects their hard work. This is the only change to our pricing we will be making at this time.

We are so grateful for all of our clients and appreciate your business. Thank you for choosing Oak City Massage for your bodywork needs!

Massage for Injury Prevention

As the weather turns warmer people start getting out more to enjoy it, get back to warm weather activities and in some cases to get back into shape. Often this is a time of year when many folks come in for massage because they have injured something trying to get back into an activity they haven’t done in a few months. There are several ways to avoid these injuries. Continuing with an exercise program indoors when the weather prevents outdoor training will help to keep you in shape so you are better prepared to get right back into your activity. Starting back slowly into your activity is another way to help avoid injuries. Some spring sports, like adult soccer leagues don’t have practice and instead only meet for games, make sure to do some running and drills ahead of your first game on your own in order to be able to compete(without getting injured) when you want to at the game.  Similarly, an activity like gardening requires lots of repetitive movements with weeding and planting. Try to pace yourself, start small and take frequent breaks especially at the beginning.  

  Another great way to avoid injury as you are getting back into your outdoor activities is to get regular massages, of course! Massage is beneficial for injury prevention in many ways. First of all, massage is a great way to “keep stock” of your body. Often in a massage, I’ll hear my client say “I didn’t know that was tight”. The massage isn’t causing the tension, only bringing it to the clients’ attention. Our bodies can only process so much pain at a time, so if one area is especially tight you may not notice that another area is tight. This is important because now that client knows which areas in their body need more attention via stretching, foam rolling, heating etc. The less aware of your body you are the more likely you are to injure yourself.  Getting regular massages also helps to reduce overall tension. When you start back at an activity you haven’t done in a while muscles you haven’t used in a while will get tight. Chronic tension that hasn’t been bothering you in the off season can also come back quickly. Having a regular massage will help to reduce chronic tension and keep up with any new tension that may be developing with activity. Lastly, with regular massage any new tension, pain or injuries that come up can be dealt with quickly. The sooner you address an issue, the better. Ignoring pain in your body can lead to chronic injuries. Massage can be relaxing and great for general stress relief, but it can also be a great tool in injury prevention. 

Before you get back to your favorite warm weather activities, consider starting a regular massage routine. At Oak City Massage we offer different package pricing to help make regular massage more affordable. Our packages do not expire, can be used as often as you like and can also be shared with family and/or friends. Email or call today to schedule your next massage! 919.322.8382

Give the gift of massage this year!

It is always so difficult to decide what gift to give a loved one. More and more folks are more interested in experiences than things. Receiving the gift of massage and relaxation is always appreciated! Any regularly priced Christmas gift card will be 10% off for the month of December. To purchase a gift card, please email or give us a call so we can schedule a time for you to pick it up or have it emailed to you. 919.322.8382 or oakcitymassagetherapy@gmail.com

Stretching for Pain Management

Clients often ask their massage therapist how to manage the pain and discomfort they are experiencing whether acute or chronic. One of the best things anyone can do to help with muscle tension and joint pain is to stretch. Really, taking the time to do a full body stretch would give you many of the same benefits as a full body massage. Of course, not everyone has that kind of time these days. Still most folks can find time to stretch a little bit each day. However, I do hear clients tell me that even though they are stretching daily, they are not noticing any long term benefits from this. So, let’s discuss how you can stretch so that it actually helps reduce muscle tension and joint pain. 

The key thing to remember here is that until you stop whatever activity or incorrect movement pattern is causing the discomfort in the first place, it will be extremely difficult to fully get rid of it. Another thing to keep in mind is how long and often you are stretching compared with how long you are involved in the offending activity. Often the culprit of back, shoulder and neck pain is coming from a repetitive movement or non-movement (like at a desk job) for many hours a day. Stretching for 30 seconds once per day can hardly compete with 8+ hours of sitting at a desk or standing up all day or any other repetitive movement. My suggestion is to stretch many times per day while holding each stretch for at least 45 seconds. Taking breaks often when you have to be in the same position all day can make a huge difference. It’s also helpful to be sure you are sitting at an ergonomic station. Not holding the phone between your shoulder and ear and not crossing your legs are also some changes that can make a big difference. 

Seeing a massage therapist can help with muscle and joint pain, but it’s only one piece of the “puzzle”. Taking time to stretch throughout the day to limit offending activities is really what will make the biggest change.  

If you are looking for relief from chronic or acute muscle or joint pain, email or call today to schedule a massage! 919.322.8382

Four Causes and Solutions to Low Back Pain

One of the most common complaints I hear about in my office is low back pain. Though a lot of my clients suffer from this, there can be a variety of causes. Today we are going to discuss a few of the causes I see most often (outside of structural differences, specific injury, and disc degeneration) and some solutions for them. **Please note that if you are not sure if you are injured it is important to see a Doctor before trying massage or a new exercise, so that the problem is not made worse**

Tight quads and hip flexors.

Sitting at a desk all day is a huge contributor to low back pain. The hip flexors and quads are flexed all day, making it difficult for them to fully relax when standing. This puts a forward tilt on the pelvis. The quads and hip flexors pulling the hips forward would cause the torso to lean forward, and the righting reflex is to arch the back so the upper body is upright. Arching the spine like that puts a lot of stress on the muscles and pressure on the lower vertebrae which leads to lower back pain.

What can we do about this?

Take breaks from sitting during the day. Some of my clients attempt to drink extra water during the day which causes them to get up and use the restroom more often. Another great thing to start adding to your daily routine is stretching the quads and hip flexors at least twice a day, more if possible. The hip flexors get extremely hypertonic after years of sitting and driving, getting orthopedic massage specifically focused on the hips may be necessary to help undo the tight muscles in this area. No need to cringe at the thought of psoas/iliacus massage. At Oak City Massage, we are trained to slowly work into these muscles, in fact our goal is that you would not experience any pain during this treatment, as that will increase the effectiveness tenfold.

2. Inefficient Glute Muscles

Another side effect of sitting all day is that your glute muscles stop working properly, they forget what to do. When this happens the next muscle in line, the low back starts to work overtime. This obviously leads to overworked muscles in the low back, which leads to pain.

What can we do about this?

It’s not that the glutes are weakened, they have just stopped working, or gone to sleep. We simply need to wake them up. Before going walking or exercising after work, do a few squats, lunges or resistance band side steps. These exercises can activate the glutes so they actually do their job when they are supposed to. Getting a medical massage can help with this as well. Your therapist can test your glutes and see if they are truly the problem, there are techniques to activate the glutes during the massage as well.

3. Leg Crossing

When the legs are crossed, the length of the muscles change. Sitting cross legged for long periods at a time causes one side to become chronically tight, while the other side is chronically overstretched. This type of unbalance can cause a lot of problems. When the low back is unbalanced, it can cause the hips to be cockeyed. This will change the gait pattern and cause a ripple effect all the way to the neck and down to the feet. It will also put unnecessary stress on the hip joints and knees.

What can we do about this?

First of all stop crossing your legs! Sitting with your legs straight out infront of you is ideal, you may also need a lift/stool under your feet if the chair you use is too tall to have your feet flat on the floor. Getting a massage can be very helpful in this situation. In orthopedic massage, your therapist will do a postural analysis as well as feel which side is shorter and which side has been overstretched. This is important because it will determine the work that will be done. If the two sides have different issues, you should not treat them the same.

4. Weak Core

The last big cause of low back pain we’ll go over today is a weak core. Almost all of my clients have heard that this can help their low back pain. The core includes your abdominals, obliques, lower back and goes as far down as the glutes and as high up as the mid back. These muscles hold the body upright and keep you stable while moving. If any of these muscles is weak, it causes the other muscles to overwork to the point of pain.

What can we do about this?

Strengthening the abdominals is generally the first thing people try to do. This is great, but it is also important to do core exercises that include all of the muscles, planks and bridges are two great examples. I would recommend Pilates to anyone that is trying to strengthen their core to help with low back pain, whether from a youtube channel, at home DVD or a class at a gym I have found these classes to be extremely safe and core strength based. However, it is always important to discuss this with your doctor if the pain in your low back is severe. If any exercise causes an increase in pain or doesn’t feel right, stop it immediately and try a modification or skip it all together. Getting a massage will not strengthen your core, though it will help alleviate some of the soreness from the new exercises you may try. Massage can also help by loosening the muscles that have been tight and overworked.

If you are experiencing low back pain, and feel it is caused by one of these issues, call us today to schedule your appointment! New Clients receive %20 off their first hour! 919.322.8382

Convenient to Cary, Morrisville, Apex, and Raleigh for Medical massage, Sports massage, Prenatal massage, and Relaxation massage.

Oak City Massage Therapy

Package Pricing

As everyone is getting back into the swing of a regular schedule with school and work, we wanted to remind you of our package pricing. Getting back into a routine typically means making time for self care as well. Massage is a great way to take care of your mind and body, and at Oak City Massage we want to make that easier for you. Take advantage of our package pricing to make each session more affordable. By paying up front for multiple sessions, you can save up to 10% on every massage! If you are planning to schedule a regular massage, consider purchasing a package to bring down the cost! Save 5% when you purchase a package of three massages, save 10% when you purchase a package of six or more. We are looking forward to seeing you soon! Email or call to schedule your next massage today! 919.322.8382

Returning Therapist

Hey Everyone! We are pleased to announce that Amanda will be starting again at Oak City Massage! Amanda was working with us before the pandemic, and she is excited to get back! Amanda has always been a great addition to our team and we are so glad she will be returning! If you have any questions or would like to schedule with Amanda please email or call us today! 919.322.8382

Amanda became a licensed massage therapist in 2011 after attending Palm Beach Academy in Lake Park Florida.  Prior to this, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Slippery Rock University in 2006.   Her passion for Massage Therapy started when a physical therapist recommended massage to help with pain she was experiencing from a neck injury.  She realized that whether for pain management or relaxation, massage has so many amazing benefits.

Amanda strongly believes in the benefits of prenatal massage.  Having two children of her own, she realizes how one of the happiest times in your life, can also be the most stressful.   Pregnancy brings on so many changes, physically and emotionally. The mother is naturally concerned about the baby, but it’s important that she care for herself as well.   (Bonus – massage can be beneficial for the mother and the baby!)

Along with prenatal massage, Amanda also does various modalities including swedish, deep tissue and sports massage.  Her goal is to make sure your problem areas/concerns are addressed to the best of her ability. She upholds the highest levels of respect and integrity to each individual client.

AManda beresic nclmbt # 14256

Massage and Seasonal Allergies

Hey everyone! As spring continues it’s annual bloom, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before we see the clouds of pollen blowing out of those pesky pine trees! I know I’m not the only one that occasionally gets some irritation from the pollen this time of year and it’s terrible have sinus congestion just as the weather is starting to get better. If you are struggling with some sinus congestion from the pollen be sure to ask your therapist about doing some sinus drainage techniques at the end of your massage. Many clients feel instant relief with these techniques. We can also add in a special blend of essential oils to help open up your sinuses! While we can’t get rid of the pollen, we are happy to help with at least some temporal relief!

New clients receive a 20% discount off their first one-hour massage! Call today to schedule your appointment! 919.322.8382

Spring is almost here!!

As we start to see more and more sunny days with warmer temperatures, it’s important to take care of ourselves and not over do anything.  Warming up before a workout or activity you have not done in a while is SO important along with stretching afterwards. It’s easy to get carried away when the weather finally makes a turn for the better! Another way to help reduce the risk of injury when starting new activities is, of course, massage therapy! Massage can help loosen tight overworked muscles and help them stay healthy. Massage is also great as it gives us an idea of what is going on in our body. Often our clients are surprised that a specific muscle was tight and they hadn’t noticed. It’s important to be aware of what is going on in our bodies so we know when things are getting overworked or stressed. Regular stretching and massage are great tools to keep our bodies in check as we start new routines with the warmer weather.

We are still accepting new clients and would love to have you at our office. New clients receive a 20% discount off their first one-hour appointment! Call today to schedule your next appointment 919.322.8382 !!

Give the gift of relaxation!

We are less than two weeks away from Christmas! Don't forget to get your Christmas gift certificates! All regularly priced massages will be 10% off! Schedule a time to pick them up in person or call to get them emailed to you. 919.322.8382 call today!

Christmas Gift Certificates

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I hope you’ve all had the best Thanksgiving possible while also keeping it safe! Starting December 1st, we will be selling Christmas Gift Certificates!! Any regularly priced massage, of any length, will be 10% off through December 24th! You can call to purchase the gift certificates and have them emailed to you, or you can schedule a time to stop in to pay in person and pick up a physical gift card. Please remember to bring your mask when coming into the office.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and looking forward to 2021!!

Postpartum Massage

One of the best thing a new mom can do for her baby is take care of herself. In our culture the well being of the new mom is sometimes overlooked due to concern for the baby, and mom's are usually more guilty of this than anyone else. The truth is, though, that we cannot give our children the best care if we are not 100% ourselves.

 Taking care of our bodies is so important. A new mother has just completed a marathon of the hardest work her body may ever do! It's only logical that her body will need some TLC! Getting as much rest as possible, eating well, exercise and of course massage therapy are all great ways to recover after childbirth. A woman's body has 9 months to adjust to her pregnancy, while her body goes back to “pre-pregnancy” in just 6 weeks. That is so much change in not a lot of time. Postpartum massage can be a big help in dealing with all of these changes. Not to mention relieving tension and muscle stress from labor and delivery. Many new mom's we see at Oak City massage are also experiencing aches and pains from the new positions of nursing and holding a newborn and then sitting on the floor with baby. All of these things can be relieved with the help of different stretches, exercises and massage therapy.

 If you or someone you know has recently had a baby, it's time for a massage! Call or email to schedule an appointment! 919.322.8382