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Social Anxiety and the Immune Response: Massage May Help

Posted in Health and Wellness, Massage Therapy, Stress Management, tagged , , , , , on October 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

People seek massages for a variety of reasons: Stress relief, reducing muscle tension, improving recovery from injury, to enhance athletic performance, and to just pain feel good (versus feel bad or being in pain and tension). If you’ve noticed lately, a new study that links social anxiety to increased inflammatory response has been all over the Internet. So what does this have to do with massage therapy? Plenty.

First off, massage therapy is one of the main complimentary health care approaches for stress relief. Research has shown that massage therapy lowers blood pressure, elevates levels of serotonin and dopamine and reduces levels of cortisol. This new study, conducted by George Slavich, a postdoctoral fellow at the UCLA Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, and Shelley Taylor, a UCLA professor of psychology,  found that people who have a greater neural sensitivity to social rejection (social anxiety) also have greater increases in inflammatory activity in response to social stress.

A temporary increases in inflammatory response may have been useful for our ancestors when they were confronting a physical threat which may have been triggered by a social threat from a neighboring tribe or another tribe member jockeying for position. Inflammation may be triggered by anticipation of a physical injury.  Proteins that regulate the immune system called, inflammatory cytokines  are released in response to impending (or actual) physical assault because they accelerate wound-healing and reduce the risk of infection. However, chronic inflammation can increase the risk of asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer and depression, according to the UCLA study.

 

George Slavich, UCLA

 

Study author George Slavich said that how people react and interpret social situations has an important effect on how people trigger the inflammatory response. For example, some people may view being the enter of attention (such as giving a speech or attending a party), as a welcome challenge. Others may see the same event as extremely uncomfortable or even threatening.

“This is further evidence of how closely our mind and body are connected,” Slavich said according to a UCLA press release about the study. “We have known for a long time that social stress can ‘get under the skin’ to increase risk for disease, but it’s been unclear exactly how these effects occur. To our knowledge, this study is the first to identify the neurocognitive pathways that might be involved in inflammatory responses to acute social stress.”

Potentially anxiety producing situations like job interviews, public speaking, large parties, even award ceremonies can lead some people to feel extreme anxiety.

How can massage therapy help? One way would be to hire your own personal massage therapist to travel around with you and give you a chair massage any time you feel social anxiety. Bob Hope did it. That it, he had his own personal massage therapist for years that gave him a massage every day. I’m not sure that daily massage was to improve Bob’s social anxiety, because I don’t know if he had any! But he did get daily massage for many years. And Bob lived to be 100 years old.

For most of us a daily professional massage not really practical. But how about scheduling a massage the day before or a few hours before or after your big event. The massage may help relax you and flood your body with feel good chemicals. It’s difficult to feel tense and stressed while feeling relaxed at the same time!

Other strategies for coping with social anxiety include working with a cognitive behavioral therapist to help you better manage your thoughts that make your responses to social situations less stressful.

“Although the issue is complex, one solution is to not treat negative thoughts as facts,” Slavich said. “If you think you’re being socially rejected, ask yourself, what’s the evidence? If there is no evidence, then revise your belief. If you were right, then make sure you’re not catastrophizing or making the worst out of the situation.”

The study appears in the current online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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How to Report a Suspicious Massage Business aka Massage Parlor

Posted in Massage Therapy, tagged , , , , , on September 6, 2010| 19 Comments »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Future massage “parlor” in Chicago?

I’ve been posting about Chicago’s zoning changes for massage businesses for the past year. For those unaware, Chicago’s City Council voted to restrict new massage businesses to C Districts (also known as isolated industrial corridors and used car lots). Which makes no sense to my fellow massage therapists, clients, and friends.

However, for some people, the only experience they have with “massage” is when they live or have lived  near a “massage parlor” (or what turns out to be a house of prostitution). In that case, I can see why they would want to move “massage parlors” to the same areas as other “adult services,” such as strip clubs, tattoo parlors and the like.

How do you know if a massage business is legitimate?  I am providing a few tips and then a method of reporting massage businesses that you think may not be legitimate.

How to Identify Potential Massage “Parlors”

(aka houses of prostitution that front as massage businesses but are not legit massage businesses):

• Often advertise things like “Beautiful girls,”  “European and Asian beauties,” “sensuous massage.”

• Advertise on “adult” sites that offer strip clubs or sexual services like the ones I found on a site described as a locator for strip clubs which lists 57 “massage parlors” operating in Chicago.

• Are often open 24 hours a day or have late evening hours (beyond 8pm).

• May employ massage therapists without Illinois Massage Therapy licenses.

• Tend to have covered windows which are not visible from the street.

• Provide “happy endings” or sexual services along with or instead of a legitimate massage.

How to Recognize Legitimate Massage Businesses

• Tend to advertise things like “Licensed Massage Therapists,” “Members of AMTA or ABMP” “NCBTMB,” “Pain Relief,” “Therapeutic Massage.”

• Have ads that do not mention anything about the massage therapists’ looks or clothing.

• Tend to have more standard business hours, say from 10am to 8pm.

• Do not provide sexual services of any kind.

• Will respond by ending a massage session, if the client is sexually inappropriate or asks for sexual services of any kind.

Note: The list of behaviors for legit and non-legit massage businesses is not a hard and fast rule. Some legit massage businesses may have hours later than 8pm and some non-legit massage businesses may advertise pain relief as a way to camouflage their real services. This is a big part of why it is so difficult to prosecute and differentiate between the “parlors” and legit massage businesses.

So what can you do if you think there is a massage “parlor” (aka non-legitimate massage business) operating near you?  You can report the business to the City of Chicago. There are two main ways to report a massage business you think may not be legitimate: anonymously or via your Alderman’s office.

Reporting Suspicious Massage Businesses Anonymously

The advantage of this reporting method is that you can be anonymous. The disadvantage is that you don’t have an easy way to track the response and resolution of your complaint.

1. Call 311. You do not need to provide your name or contact information.

2. Provide the name of the business, the address and the reason you believe it is not a legitimate business or that you think the business should be inspected.

3. Check the business operator’s Massage Establishment License status to see if they have a license or if the license has been revoked here.

Reporting Suspicious Massage Businesses Via Alderman

1. Call or visit your Alderman’s office. Tell the staff at your alderman’s office that you want to ledge a formal complaint or investigation into a suspicious massage business.

2. Provide the name of the business, the address and the reason you believe it is not a legitimate business or that you think the business should be inspected.

3. You can keep in touch with the staff of your alderman’s office  to follow up on the progress of your complaint.

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Is Massage is the New Metramucil?

Posted in Massage Research, Massage Therapy, tagged , , , , , on August 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »

List of images in Gray's Anatomy: XII. Surface...
Colon in blue. Image via Wikipedia

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

One of the things massage therapists learn in massage school is how to give a proper abdominal massage. Along with gliding and kneading techniques, we learn to massage the abdomen in the same direction as waste products move through the colon (large intestine). This movement helps move waste material away from the small intestine and towards the exit of the colon. Since our colons work by peristalsis (actually contracting and releasing to move waste through the tubelike structure of the column), massaging the abdomen, especially tracing the colon with gliding strokes, can be useful in relieving constipation. Logically, the mechanism of physically moving waste material out of the colon by pressing or kneading material through the colon is pretty simple and makes sense. However, don’t take my word for it. The Journal of Advanced Nursing recently published an article about research that showed that abdominal massage helped relieve constipation and could be a considered a cost-effective way to improve patients quality of life in this area.

The study, conducted by Umeå University in Sweden, evaluated changes in health-related quality of life for people with constipation receiving abdominal massage and estimated the cost-effectiveness of two alternative scenarios developed from the original trial.  In the study, a randomized controlled trial, 60 participants in Sweden between 2005 and 2007 were given either laxatives or massage. The control group continued using laxatives (control group) and the intervention group received additional abdominal massage.  In the self-massage scenario patients learned to give self-massage, and in the professional massage scenario patients in hospital received abdominal massage from an Enrolled Nurse.  The researchers determined health-related quality of life was statistically significantly increased after eight weeks of either self-massage and professionally provided abdominal massage.

“Abdominal massage may be cost-effective in the long-term and it is relevant to consider it when managing constipation,” the report noted.

What does this mean for you? If you have problems with constipation, you may want to try a little self massage of your own abdomen. However, consult your physican before attempting any abdominal massage. If you have a bowel obstruction massage or if your constipation has lasted longer than a day or so, seek medical attention.

Here is a link to  directions for self massage of your own abdomen.

The research, “Abdominal massage for people with constipation: a cost utility analysis,” ran in the June 16 edition of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Source: lämås k., lindholm l., engström b. & jacobsson c. (2010) Abdominal massage for people with constipation: a cost utility analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing 66(8), 1719–1729.

Related articles:
• Abdominal Massage Alleviates Constipation

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Healthy is Boring, But Pain Relief is Not

Posted in Massage Therapy, tagged , , , , , on July 29, 2010| 1 Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Massage for Pain and Stress Relief

Massage for Pain and Stress Relief

I’m really happy for Jennifer Love Hewitt. After being bashed in the tabloids for being a bit chubby, she has lost weight, got her body into great shape and graced the cover of People Magazine in a  swimsuit. She looks great and she worked hard to get back into shape! But now she uses her new curvy but fit body to star in a made for TV movie on Lifetime network that disparages massage therapists. Her film is called  “The Client List.”

In the movie, Love Hewitt plays a woman who turns to illicit activity to feed her family during the economic downturn. Love Hewitt’s character takes a job in a massage parlor that turns out to be… a front for prostitution. Despite claims that the movie is “based on a true story,” it is fiction.The movie, it turns out, is not a biography of the woman in Odessa, Texas that was arrested for prostitution which the movie is “loosely” based upon. The movie is a fictionalized account. (According to new reports, in real life, the woman arrested in Odessa did not have a current massage license, did not have a husband and used the money she made to pay for her cocaine habit, not for her family. )

Normally I wouldn’t protest Ms. Love Hewitt’s choice of movie role.  But right now, there seems to be a disturbing trend in the media, from The View to Lifetime to just about every media channel I turn to. The trend is to depict the entire profession of massage as prostitution.

Think about it, what if other professions were used by criminals to hide their real business dealings. What if prostitutes pretended to be interior designers or accountants and then professionals from these businesses had to prove that they were legit and not prostitutes. What if it became a trend for prostitution rings to set up shop as fake dentists offices? Would dentists then have to submit to fingerprinting and police background checks? Would Elizabeth Hasselbeck then joke on The View about being nervous when her husband goes into his office with a hot looking “interior decorator” to discuss “fabric swatches”?

Massage is Boring
The recent Zoning change in the city of Chicago shows just how damaging movies like The Client List can be for the massage therapy profession. Few Hollywood movies or TV shows depict the massage profession in a favorable nonsexual light.

It’s not that Hollywood has it in for us. It’s just that healthy is boring. Watching someone get a sports massage or deep tissue massage is about as entertaining as watching someone get a tooth filled. If Elizabeth Hasselbeck had stayed in the room with her husband while he was getting his massage, she would have likely fallen asleep due to boredom instead of sitting outside letting her  imagination run wild. (Previously this month, members of the View were disparaging the entire massage profession to make light of a complaint against Al Gore here.)

Watching people get muscle pain relieved is not a big ratings draw, it seems. It’s not life threatening as in an Emergency Room drama. And Massage Therapy lacks the excitement of a forensic lab. Or does it?

The Real Stories of Massage

Hollywood is really missing out on the real stories, the real drama behind legitimate massage therapy. Instead of waiting until someone dies and trying to find the cause of death like on many police drama, Licensed Massage Therapists try to find the source of your muscle pain while you are still living. It may not be as interesting to watch, but if you have ever had chronic low back pain or neck and shoulder pain, finding relief for that pain is pretty darn exciting!

Legitimate massage therapist also give clients a safe place to relax from the stress of every day life. In the massage room or even the massage chair, massage therapy clients get a little bit of time and space that’s all about them. It’s the one time they get to be the center of attention. Getting a massage is one place where you can talk about yourself, have someone attend to your aches and pains and literally get a break from stress and demands for your attention.

In some ways I do blame myself for Hollywood’s insistence on showing sensationalized sexual massage versus healthy but boring legitimate massage. I blame myself because, if I had followed a different dream and gotten my MFA in creative writing, I could have written a lot of great scripts about the world of massage!  But then my clients would still be in pain and I would not have had the benefit of helping many people over the past ten years to recover from muscle tension, pain and stress. Which is the real story about massage therapy!

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The Status of Massage Business Zoning in Chicago

Posted in Massage Therapy, tagged , , , , on July 19, 2010| 6 Comments »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

A week ago I posted about the massage business situation in Chicago regarding zoning. Unfortunately my information was out of date and inaccurate. So I apologize profusely for anyone that read my blog post and celebrated this incorrect info.

Here is what happened. I’ve been monitoring the city’s movement on the zoning issue since it was first proposed in the Zoning Committee.  The only news I had heard recently about the proposed change to zoning of massage businesses by the city of Chicago was on City Clout blog which said that on June 6, the Amendment to zoning for massage businesses passed.  I went digging through the City Council web page and could not find anything about the amending to zoning changing. The only document I could find was what turned out to be  minutes from changes made to the Massage Establishment Act in 2007. At that time, in 2007, Chicago City Council had done a really fantastic job of updating the massage establishment ordinance and made no changes to zoning.  I called the Zoning Department last week and the City Business Affairs division and was told no changes were made to zoning of massage businesses. I inaccurately reported that the changes to massage business zoning were not made. But, as I later found out from a representative from the AMTA (American Massage Therapy Association), changes WERE made–they city council had simply not yet communicated the changes  to the Zoning and Business Affairs division, nearly a month after the changes were voted in during City Council’s June 9th meeting.

Once I found out my post was in error,  I removed my post from my blog, made phone calls to alderman’s offices and dug deeper into the city’s website. I was able to find out that the proposed amendment to the city’s zoning code DID indeed PASS as it was originally proposed, meaning it restricts new massage businesses to C districts. Now any new massage business that wants to operate in the City of Chicago must locate their business in a C district. What is a C district? A business zone relegated to used car lots, warehouses and industrial corridors.  IF the new massage business applies for special use approval and receives approval, they may be able to locate in a B3 district. A B3 district is a district that allows for body piercing shops, taverns, liquor stores and “auto-oriented” commercial use. (Meaning you need to drive up to a  massage business in a more commercial neighborhood, not walk to the massage business in your neighborhood.)

The Downside of this Zoning Change

• Any new Massage Business that wants to open in Chicago is now relegated to areas with bars, used car lots, storage warehouse and industrial corridors. So, in effect the city council is saying, any new massage therapy business is considered a house of prostitution and, even if it’s not, it’s too hard to enforce existing regulations so we are just going to limit where these businesses can set up shop.

Sadly, this zoning change actually benefits prostitution much more than anyone else. Why? Because businesses that are actually houses of prostitution masquerading as massage businesses will do far better in these isolated districts than a legit massage business would do. At first glance, it almost seems as though the Chicago City Council wants to promote prostitution, doesn’t it?

However, after watching video footage of the City Council vote on the zoning amendment, I think what is happening is actually more about confusion and ignorance of the massage profession among some Council members. If you watch the ten-minute video I link to below, you will see Alderman Burke reciting a list of articles from 1975 about “nudie joints” and how “massage parlors” are nudie joints, and how police officers, in 1975, wanted to close them down. I know many of my fellow massage therapists will be angry about this characterization of massage businesses as “massage parlors” and “nudie joints.” I, however, found this approach entertaining. A lot has changed in the past 35 years! I am glad the Aldermen are trying to protect their constituents from topless “massage parlors” opening up in retail districts. But, the Massage Establishment Act is not about regulating strip clubs and nudie joints.  It’s about regulating legitimate massage businesses like Urban Oasis, Exhale, Chicago Touch and Working Well Massage’s chair massage stations.

I also saw the need for much greater education and outreach to the entire city of Chicago. Aldermen and their constituents in affluent downtown wards that have high end massage businesses like Urban Oasis, tend to be more knowledgeable about the differences between legit massage businesses and massage “parlors.”  But those in less affluent wards, with more residential neighborhoods than retail shop areas,  tend to have more problems with people opening non-legit “massage parlors.” Understandably, Aldermen in those wards tend to have less experience with legitimate massage businesses. It’s time to educate them and bring more legitimate massage businesses to their wards! This won’t happen overnight, but the wheels of change do turn, they  just turn more slowly than some of us might like.

Watch the video of the City Council vote and discussion here. (Click on “Unfinished Business” in the lower left-hand column and the video for the massage zoning will play, starting with Alderman Burke’s statements.)

The Massage Establishment ordinance does try to place limits on those operating non-legit “massage parlors,” but the penalty for doing so is really a slap on the wrist: if a business owner is convicted of operating an illicit business, not a legit massage business, then they must close their business and can’t open a new massage business in that location or anywhere for one year. But what my police officer contacts tell me is that, since illicit businesses raise a lot of money, illicit business owners can afford to close up shop, wait a few weeks, then open with another “owner” in another part of the city and start all over.  I say, how about making the penalties for being convicted of running an illicit (aka non-legit, aka house of prostitution) business a fine of $100,000. That may be a greater deterrent than a zoning change or a one-year moratorium on opening a massage business.

The upside (And there is ALWAYS an upside) of the Zoning Change

Existing massage businesses may continue to operate where ever they are now, in whatever district they are now, as long as they comply with city rules and the Massage Establishment Act. (According to Alderman Suarez, they are being “grandfathered in.”) So those of us with previous massage business licenses, hold on to them with all you got!  If you ever lose it, if you decide to close your massage business, or if you want to sell your business to someone else, your massage business cannot be located in the same location again unless it ‘s in a C district or B3 district. If a massage business is now located in a B1 or B2 district it will be grandfathered in. But if that business closes, etc. no one else will be able to open or take over that business in that location. So if Massage Envy, or Exhale, decided to move to a new location, the space they are now in may not be approved for a new massage business.

Although Chicago Massage Therapists have lost this battle for today, we haven’t lost the “war.” Watching the video of the City Council meeting, I can see that massage therapists have much more to do to educate our representatives and the public about what legitimate massage therapy really is and how we are different from nudie joints and massage parlors. I trust that our massage associations such as AMTA and ABMP are working diligently behind the scenes to change this ordinance and improve the legal situation for Chicago Massage therapists.

What You Can Do to Help

Once again, its  time to email and or call your Chicago Aldermen and women. Tell them you are opposed to this zoning change and that you want them to repeal the change. Tell them if you frequent a legitimate massage business and that you want new massage businesses to be located in safe retail areas, not near strip clubs, used car lots, and taverns.

Licensed Massage Therapists can help out by being active in local AMTA and ABMP chapters. Volunteer to take part in upcoming outreach and education events.

A Sample Email to Your Alderman

“As a client of a legitimate massage therapy business, I implore you to repeal the amendment to limit massage therapy establishments to only C Zoning Districts and B3 Districts.  I value the health care benefits of massage and do not want my legitimate massage therapist penalized for the actions of a few illegal massage parlor operators. I visit my massage therapist in a safe convenient location and I do not want to have to travel to an industrial corridor to get massage therapy. This amendment to the zoning for massage businesses will put a huge financial strain on legitimate massage therapy businesses if they are need to expand or relocate, would make it unnecessarily difficult for new massage therapists to open a business, and could increase the city’s unemployment by putting legitimate massage therapists out of work. Please repeal this amendment.”

Feel free to cut and paste our sample email or write your own!

City of Chicago Alderman Names and Emails by Ward

1st Ward Proco Joe Moreno ward01@cityofchicago.org
2nd Ward Robert Fioretti ward02@cityofchicago.org
3rd Ward Pat Dowell Pat.Dowell@cityofchicago.org
4th Ward Toni Preckwinkle tpreckwinkle@cityofchicago.org
5th Ward Leslie Hairston lhairston@cityofchicago.org
6th Ward Freddrenna Lyle flyle@cityofchicago.org
7th Ward Sandi Jackson Sandi.Jackson@cityofchicago.org
8th Ward Michelle Harris mharris@cityofchicago.org
9th Ward Anthony Beale abeale@cityofchicago.org
10th Ward John Pope jpope@cityofchicago.org
11th Ward James Balcer jbalcer@cityofchicago.org
12th Ward George Cardenas ward12@cityofchicago.org
13th Ward Frank Olivo folivo@cityofchicago.org
14th Ward Edward Burke eburke@cityofchicago.org
15th Ward Toni Faulkes Toni.Foulkes@cityofchicago.org
16th Ward JoAnn Thompson JoAnn.Thompson@cityofchicago.org
17th Ward Latasha Thomas lrthomas@cityofchicago.org
18th Ward Lona Lane ward18@cityofchicago.org
19th Ward Virginia Rugai vrugai@cityofchicago.org
20th Ward Willie Cochran Willie.Cochran@cityofchicago.org
21st Ward Howard Brookins ward21@cityofchicago.org
22nd Ward Ricardo Munoz rmunoz@cityofchicago.org
23rd Ward Michael Zalewski mzalewski@cityofchicago.org
24th Ward Sharon Dixon Sharon.Dixon@cityofchicago.org
25th Ward Daniel Solis dsolis@cityofchicago.org
26th Ward Roberto Maldonado Contact by Phone 773)395-0143
27th Ward Walter Burnett wburnett@cityofchicago.org
28th Ward Ed Smith ehsmith@cityofchicago.org
29th Ward Deborah Graham (no contact info)
30th Ward Ariel Reboyras ward30@cityofchicago.org
31st Ward Ray Suarez rsuarez@cityofchicago.org
32nd Ward Scott Waguespack ward32@cityofchicago.org
33rd Ward Richard Mell rmell@cityofchicago.org
34th Ward Carrie Austin caustin@cityofchicago.org
35th Ward Ray Colon ward35@cityofchicago.org
36th Ward John Rice Contact by Phone 773)622-3232
37th Ward Emma Mitts emitts@cityofchicago.org
38th Ward Thomas Allen tallen@cityofchicago.org
39th Ward Margaret Laurino mlaurino@cityofchicago.org
40th Ward Patrick O’Connor poconnor@cityofchicago.org
41st Ward Brian Doherty bdoherty@cityofchicago.org
42nd Ward Brendan Reilly Brendan.Reilly@cityofchicago.org
43rd Ward Vi Daley vdaley@cityofchicago.org
44th Ward Thomas Tunney ttunney@cityofchicago.org
45th Ward Patrick Levar plevar@cityofchicago.org
46th Ward Helen Shiller hshiller@cityofchicago.org
47th Ward Eugene Schulter ward47@cityofchicago.org
48th Ward Mary Ann Smith msmith@cityofchicago.org
49th Ward Joe Moore ward49@cityofchicago.org
50th Ward Bernard Stone bstone@cityofchicago.org

Chicago Aldermen ‘s Votes on Zoning Change for Massage Businesses

One of the reasons it has been so difficult to find information about the zoning change is that it is buried in a part of the City Council web page that few people would think to look at. The link tot eh roll call page showing votes on this issue is here. I reproduce it here for you.

1st Ward: Proco Joe Moreno-Yes to restrict massage businesses to C and B3 Districts
2nd Ward: Robert Fioretti-Yes
3rd Ward: Pat Dowell -Did not vote on this matter
4th Ward: Toni Preckwinkle- Did not vote on this matter
5th Ward: Leslie Hairston-Voted No-Thank you, Alderwoman Hairston!
6th Ward: Freddrenna Lyle-Yes
7th Ward: Sandy Jackson-Did not vote on this matter
8th Ward: Michelle Harris-Yes
9th Ward: Anthony Beale-Did not vote on this matter
10th Ward: John A. Pope-Did not vote on this matter
11th Ward: James A. Balcer-Yes
12th Ward: George A. Cárdenas-Yes
13th Ward: Frank J. Olivo-Did not vote on this matter
14th Ward: Edward M. Burke-Yes
15th Ward: Toni Foulkes-Did not vote on this matter
16th Ward: Joann Thompson-Did not vote on this matter
17th Ward: Latasha R. Thomas-Did not vote on this matter
18th Ward: Lona Lane-Yes
19th Ward: Virginia A. Rugai-Yes
20th Ward: Willie Cochran-Did not vote on this matter
21st Ward: Howard Brookins Jr.-Did not vote on this matter
22nd Ward: Ricardo Muñoz-yes
23rd Ward: Michael R. Zalewski-Yes
24th Ward: Sharon Denise Dixon-Yes
25th Ward: Daniel S. Solis-Yes
26th Ward: Roberto Maldonado-Yes
27th Ward: Walter Burnett, Jr.-Yes
28th Ward: Ed H. Smith-Yes
29th Ward: Deborah Graham-Yes
30th Ward: Ariel E. Reboyras-Yes
31st Ward: Ray Suarez-Yes
32nd Ward: Scott Waguespack-No -Thank you, Alderman Waguespack!!!
33rd Ward: Richard F. Mell-Yes
34th Ward: Carrie M. Austin-Yes
35th Ward: Rey Colón-Yes
36th Ward: John A. Rice-Yes
37th Ward: Emma Mitts-Yes
38th Ward: Thomas R. Allen-Yes
39th Ward: Margaret Laurino-Yes
40th Ward: Patrick J. O’Connor-No-Thank you, Alderman O’Connor!
41st Ward: Brian G. Doherty-No-Thank you, Alderman Doherty!
42nd Ward: Brendan Reilly-No-Thank you, Alderman Reilly!
43rd Ward: Vi Daley-No-Thank you, Alderwoman Daley!
44th Ward: Thomas Tunney-N0-Thank you, Alderman Tunney!
45th Ward: Patrick J. Levar-Yes
46th Ward: Helen Shiller-No-Thank you, Alderwoman Shiller!
47th Ward: Eugene C. Schulter-Yes
48th Ward: Mary Ann Smith-Yes
49th Ward: Joe Moore-Absent
50th Ward: Bernard L. Stone-Yes

Chicago City Zoning Language Defining B and C districts

B1, Neighborhood Shopping district is intended to accommodate a broad range of small-scale retail and service uses. The purpose of the B2, Neighborhood Mixed-Use district is the same as the B1 district, but with the added objective of providing a greater range of development options for those streets where the market demand for retail and service uses is relatively low. By allowing ground-floor residential uses by-right, the B2 district is intended to help stimulate development along under-developed streets. The primary purpose of the B3, Community Shopping district is to accommodate a very broad range of retail and service uses, often in the physical form of shopping centers or larger buildings than found in the B1 and B2 districts. In addition to accommodating development with a different physical form than found in B1 and B2 districts, the B3 district is also intended to accommodate some types of uses that are not allowed in B1 and B2 districts.

The primary purpose of the C1, Neighborhood Commercial district is to accommodate a very broad range of small-scale, business, service and commercial uses.  C1 zoning is distinguished from B1 zoning by the range of use types allowed: C1 permits more intensive, more auto-oriented commercial use types than does B1. The C1 district also allows taverns and liquor stores by-right.

For the full, City of Chicago zoning ordinance click here.

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Lincoln Park Working Well Massage Station Just Got Even Better

Posted in Massage Therapy, tagged , , , , , , , on July 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

One of the many reasons I enjoy having a small business inside Whole Foods Market-Lincoln Park is the support of the store management and team members. From the very first day I started managing the massage booth in the Lincoln Park store, my staff and I have felt welcomed and appreciated by Whole Foods Team Leaders (aka managers) and Team Members (aka staff). Whenever I see Rich Howley, the Store Team Leader, as he stacks shelves, speaks with shoppers, encourages his team and overall keeps the new store well stocked, well-managed and well run, I feel Working Well Massage is part of something really special. I know Rich cares about his store and wants to give shoppers a great place to shop, hang out and even get a great massage. And Team Members are super helpful to shoppers, upbeat and happy to have us in the store and get a massage when they can as well.

Recently Rich suggested we relocate our massage station about 20 feet from our previous location to give us a solid wall behind our booth and make us easier to find on the main floor. We’ve been located next to the Express lane and many shoppers get confused as to which “lane” to enter: the massage booth or the Express lane. By relocating our booth closer to the staircase leading up to the Mezzanine, we are out of the direct flow of checkout traffic, we have a quieter, more private space for massage and we have more room for our clients coats and carts near our booth. Once again, Rich was looking out for Whole Foods shoppers as well as Working Well Massage clients and massage therapists.   So we moved our booth and are so happy with our new location!

Now some of our clients are a little confused about where we are now. Even though we did not move very far from our previous location, people are creatures of habit, and have a hard time with change. Hopefully this blog post will clear things up!

Our New location inside the Lincoln Park Whole Foods Market

New Working Well Massage-Lincoln Park Location. Image by Sue Shekut.

Our Former location inside the Lincoln Park Whole Foods Market

Old Working Well Massage-Lincoln Park Location. Image by Sue Shekut.

The Lincoln Park Whole Foods Market, for the uninitiated, is a 75,000 square foot space and one of the 3 largest Whole Foods Markets in the country. Our Working Well Massage station is located behind the Express Checkout lanes and next to the in store restaurant area (aka the “grocer-ant”). Shoppers can buy deli meat, grab a quick bite from the salad bar or hot food bar, or eat at one of the in store restaurants, and then get a great chair massage. OR, they often get a muscle tension reducing massage, then shop and eat. With free wireless internet at Whole Foods Market Lincoln Park, many of my friends and clients spend hours sitting on their computers, having meetings with their own clients or friends, and people watching far above our booth. I’m not trying to write a Whole Foods brochure here, but for those that have not yet visited Whole Foods in Lincoln Park, you are so missing an amazing shopping experience. Plus a wine bar and a beer/coffee bar!  Even a trail mix bar, bath salt bar and Gelato bar too.

For those that are uncomfortable with the idea of “getting a massage in a grocery store,” fear not. Our massage station is well secluded behind paper screens and wood cabinets. And with chair massage, no one takes off their clothes so there is no need to worry about being seen as our talented massage therapists work your sore and tense muscles–through your clothes! (Think sports massage without the sweat.)

Stop by our new booth and meet Dennis, Heidi, Mysti, Kimosha, Cindy, Andrew, Yuriy or Robert Ertel. They are all fantastic massage therapists with their own unique massage styles. But they all have one thing in common: They give some of the best massages in Chicago and are part of the Working Well Massage team!

Working Well Lincoln Park inside Whole Foods Market-Lincoln Park

1550 N. Kingsbury, Chicago, IL

Hours: Daily, 12 noon-8p.m.

Working Well Gold Coast inside Whole Foods Market-Gold Coast

30 W Huron, Chicago, IL

Hours: Daily, 12 noon-8p.m.

Prices for chair massage at WWM booths

Quick Fix (5-Minute Massage) = $6
Short Stop (10-Minute Massage) = $12
Mellow Moment (15-Minute Massage) = $18
Complete Retreat I (20-Minute Massage) = $24
Complete Retreat II (30-Minute Massage) = $35

Additional increments of 5 minutes = $6

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The Best Massage Station in Chicago Has a New Look! Check Out Working Well Massage-Gold Coast

Posted in Massage Therapy, tagged , , , , on July 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Wondering why I haven’t posted much this week? I’ve been busy making changes to the Working Well Massage chair massage stations. We completely remodeled our massage booth in Whole Foods Market-Gold Coast at 30 W Huron. We replaced our paper screens with beautiful maple shuttered screens and new cabinets. Check out our new look below.

The New & Improved WWM Gold Coast Booth at 30 W Huron. Image by Sue Shekut.

WWM Chair Station at Whole Foods Gold Coast, 30 W Huron. Image by Sue Shekut.

And at night you can still see our new shiny massage station outside Whole Foods Market-Gold Coast.

WWM Gold Coast Booth from outside Whole Foods at Night. Image by Sue Shekut

Working Well Massage provides chair massage for corporate clients, special events and daily at our two Chicago chair massage stations. Chair massage at our WWM stations are convenient and affordable. You don’t need an appointment, you don’t need to disrobe and you decide how long you want the massage to last: 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15, 20 or 30. But if you really need focused work on your upper body, we can even give you a 45-min to 1 hour chair massage at our booths!

Working Well Gold Coast inside Whole Foods Market-Gold Coast

30 W Huron, Chicago, IL

Hours: Daily, 12 noon-8p.m.

Working Well Lincoln Park inside Whole Foods Market-Lincoln Park

1550 N. Kingsbury, Chicago, IL

Hours: Daily, 12 noon-8p.m.

Prices for chair massage at WWM booths

Quick Fix (5-Minute Massage) = $6
Short Stop (10-Minute Massage) = $12
Mellow Moment (15-Minute Massage) = $18
Complete Retreat I (20-Minute Massage) = $24
Complete Retreat II (30-Minute Massage) = $35

Additional increments of 5 minutes = $6

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The Best Massage School in Chicago: The Soma Institute

Posted in Health and Wellness, Massage Therapy, tagged , , , , on July 2, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

The other day I stopped by one of the Working Well Massage booths to get a much needed massage. As a massage therapist myself, I try to get regular massages including chair massages. As manager of the WWM massage stations, I also like to get massages from my staff. Why, because I know how good they are. In this case, I got a fantastic massage from Mysti Cobb. Mysti has been with WWM for the past few months and she is a whiz at finding knots and working them out. Mysti is also a  personal trainer and just finished training in Pilates. But best of all, Mysti is a SOMA Institute graduate.

Over the past ten years, I’ve had the great fortune to interview a lot of massage therapists. And field questions from people wondering which massage school to attend. I used to tell them, go to WMTI, my alma mater, the Wellness Massage Training Institute. I was very lucky to have attended WMTI in the late 1990’s. I had some of the best teachers and learned a lot about going beyond Swedish massage to really help people feel better and releases chronic muscle tension areas. I’ve also taught workshops and classes at WMTI. Now, sadly, my old school has been sold to another company and it’s curriculum has been gutted. Most of the best teachers at WMTI have long gone. WMTI turned out some fantastic massage therapists while it was in operation, but now in Chicago, my top pick for people looking to go to massage school is the SOMA Institute.

Why SOMA?

SOMA’s curriculum is geared toward therapeutic massage, not spa massage. Spa massage is great for relaxation. And stress relief is an important benefit of massage therapy. But I am so glad I learned  in depth techniques for helping people with chronic muscular pain. When I interview students from SOMA, I tend to see this same attention to chronic areas of muscle tension. SOMA graduates tend to have greater clinical skills than recent graduates of the other schools in the area. SOMA’s continuing education classes also tend to be a cut above the others I see offered in the Chicago area.

With teachers like Mike Hovi and Michael Jones, SOMA provides students with a wide range of massage training by working professionals that are top in their field.

SOMA also has a great career placement office. As a business owner, I regularly get emails from SOMA”s Career Services Department asking if I have any openings. SOMA has a 98% placement rate! And SOMA’s been expanding their Professional Services Division, offering high quality classes to graduates and other professional massage therapists looking for continuing education credits. (The state of Illinois requires us to obtain at least 24 CE credits every 2 years to maintain a masage therapy license).

SOMA isn’t the only massage school in town. And I have a number of fantastic massage therapists that did not attend SOMA. But if you are looking for  a massage school to attend or know someone that is, I recommend the SOMA Institute above all others at this time.

Note: Neither Working Well Massage nor Sue Shekut is affiliated with the SOMA Institute in any way. We do not receive any fee for this post nor do we benefit financially in any way from our endorsement. SOMA is simply a great school and we want to tell our local readers about it and about SOMA graduates.

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Meet Mysti Cobb-WWM Massage Therapist, Personal Trainer and Pilates Instructor

Posted in Health and Wellness, Massage Therapy, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 30, 2010| 1 Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

I recently had a fantastic massage from Mysti Cobb at our Working Well Massage station inside Whole Foods Lincoln Park. One of the reason I like getting massage from Mysti is that she knows her anatomy and kineseology. When I told her I was having pain in my wrist and my pecs were tight, she knew exactly where to work and how to position me on the massage chair to get maximum exposure of my pectoral muscles. (She sat me facing away from the chair as opposed to how you would normally sit, facing the chair.) I have had experience both receiving and giving massage for chronic tension and injury rehab, and Mysti has had similar experiences as both a patient and a massage therapist.

Mysti Cobb-smiling and providng pain relief at Working Well Massage. Image by Sue Shekut

A personal trainer and Pilates instructor as well as a massage therapists, I think Mysti brings more to the massage session than your average massage therapist. (Or course, we don’t have any average massage therapists in our booths!) Since Mysti is female and has a fantastic smile,  some people think Mysti is a lightweight massage therapist. Those people would be sadly incorrect! Mysti is STRONG and can give super deep tissue massages or she can back off the pressure and give a more gentle relaxation massage. For me, I go to Mysti for deep work though!

Mysti hard at work, concentrating on releasing muscle tension. Image by Sue Shekut

Mysti Cobb’s Bio

Tall and lean, it’s no surprise that Mysti’s passion for movement began in her ballet classes at age 4.  Her years of practice and love of dance led  to a full dance scholarship with the Joseph Holmes Dance Company in 1993. Unfortunately for Mystia, she later tore her ACL while studying at Millikin University and that put an end to a full-time dance career. After six months of physical therapy and rehabilitation, Mysti realized strength training was a new way for her to incorporate movement into her daily life and career.  In 2003, Mysti began studying at the Personal Training Institute in Chicago. In 2004, Mysti completed her personal training (NSCA) certification. Between her dance injury and experience as a personal train, Mysti decided to  add a therapeutic and healing dimension to her work by becoming a licensed massage therapist in 2005 through the Soma Institute of Clinical Massage Therapy.

While rehabbing, dancing and strength training,  Pilates had been an core element of Mysti’s personal fitness routine. In2009, Mysti became certified through the Body Arts and Science program as a comprehensively certified Pilates Instructor. For Mysti, the Pilates certification has added analytical and intuitive tools to help her clients gain strength, eliminate pain, and fine tune body alignment, finding focus in their sessions which carries over into their daily lives.

You can try out a massage session with Mysti at Whole Foods Lincoln Park every Tuesday from 4pm to 8pm. But come in soon because with skills like these, Mysti tends to book up fast!

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Cash In on Great Hiking, Golfing, Water Recreation in Cashiers, NC

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, Massage Research, Nature and Stress, Stress Management, tagged , , , , , , on June 24, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

This May we traveled to Cashiers, North Carolina to scout for locations for future seminars and group trips. One of my clients had told me to travel to Cashiers versus Asheville, NC for great hiking and a more outdoorsy experience. He was absolutely right! I found a great Inn on Trip Advisor. (My favorite travel site. If you don’t know about it, check it out! Similar to Yelp, but for travel, Trip Advisor provides user-generated reviews of hotels, cities, attractions, national parks, etc.)

View from top of Glen Falls, one of 17 area waterfalls near Cashiers, NC. Image by Sue Shekut

We stayed at the Laurelwood Mountain Inn, which is a sweet hotel sitting in the middle of beautiful downtown Cashiers!  “Downtown” Cashiers consists of the Inn, a gas station, a number of restaurants (from the BBQ at the farmers market store to the high-end Italian Restaurant, Horacio’s, to Bucks Coffee House with free WI-FI). There are also some antique shops and other small businesses but it’s mainly a two street town (at the junction of highways 64 and 107).

Farmer's Market in Beautiful Downtown Cashiers, NC, Image by Sue Shekut

The biggest find and a great surprise to us, was that there is a hiking store, Highland Hiker, just 1 block away from Laurelwood Mountain Inn. For a small “town” in the middle of the mountains, it was a shock to find such a large well equipped hiking store. The shop keepers we met were all avid hikers and gave us great service in helping us find new camel backs and hiking gear for our day hikes in the area.

Laurelwood Mountain Inn was a fantastic find. We stayed in one of their “suites” which is really a duplex condo, 2 bedroom, 2 bath with a two-person hot tub in the master bath. (A well deserved treat after hiking all day.) The condo had all the amenities of home with cable TV, a small kitchen (with mini-fridge versus a full size fridge) and was built by the current owner.

Laurelwood Mountain Inn Condo Staircase. Quality craftsmanship throughout. Image by Sue Shekut

The owner of the Inn built a waterfall right outside the door of our cabin (long before we came to stay, of course) along with a  gazebo. Eric, the Innkeeper, told us that the owner’s waterfalls were so popular he got busy building waterfalls for area residents. Now the owner is too busy to run the Inn so he hired the Innkeeper and his wife. After spending time in Cashiers, I could see why people would want to leave the big city and live up in the mountains!

Waterfall outside our suite at Laurelwood Mountain Inn. Image by Sue Shekut

Note: There are a number of vacation rentals in the area for large families and groups. Check out VBRO (Vacation rental by Owner), Trip Advisor or the GoCashiers site here for pics of great homes to rent on nearby Lake Glenville. Cashiers Chamber of Commerce also has a listing for accommodations here. There is also a higher end hotel with a golf course and tennis courts, High Hampton Inn & Country Club.

And, yes, the waterfalls at the Laurelwood Mountain Inn are a lovely but a small replica of the actual waterfalls to be found all around the Cashiers area. There are about 17 waterfalls near Cashiers. We did a day hike to Glen Falls and were not disappointed! It was a very active hike with a fair amount of climbing and many many photo opportunities like this one below!

Glen Falls, Cashiers, NC area. Image by Sue Shekut

Descending to the next level of the Falls we were glad to have brought our hiking poles!

Hiking Glen Falls, NC. Image by Sue Shekut

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is only an hour away from Cashiers so we were able to take another day hike to see the actual “Smoke” from along the Great Smoky Mountains. (The “smoke” in the Great Smoky Mountains comes from the mystical blue mist (from water vapors) shrouding its peaks.)

View from Newfoundland Gap Trail in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Image by Sue Shekut

Our last view of the Great Smoky Mountains from Jump Off Point.

Great Smoky Mountains Jump off Point. image by Sue Shekut

Would we go back? As often as we can!

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