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The Pisgah Blog


The Healing Power of Touch

March 1, 2024

At Birth

We reap the benefits of touch from the moment we are born. Skin-to-skin contact is widely used between newborns and loved ones right after delivery. This helps the baby with enhanced nutrient absorption, better body temperature maintenance, and improved brain development. Parents and caregivers also get mental health benefits as well from this close contact.

A Lifetime of Healing Touch

Throughout our lifetime we experience the power to heal through touch. Touch can comfort us and immediately decrease heightened stress levels. Massage and firm touch can lead to diminished pain, decreased autoimmune symptoms, and improved sleep.

The Stress Effect

Looking at massage specifically, the body responds positively from the movement of skin and the stimulation of pressure receptor cells under the skin. Massage increases vagal nerve activity. This is part of the body’s parasympathetic nervous system. This system controls digestion, heart rate, and the immune system. This stimulation improves cognitive alertness and lowers the body’s stress response. It decreases heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol (hormone released during stress and pain) and increases oxytocin (a hormone released during moments of human connection associated with feelings of empathy and trust). Massage also increases serotonin which helps people with depression.

Muscular Pain Relief

Tight muscles can restrict movement and reduce blood circulation. Pain is increased as normal movement is avoided. Restricted movement then causes poor biomechanics and contributes to more pain. This can be a vicious cycle of pain. Massage helps break that cycle. It improves blood circulation, reduces tight muscles, and corrects poor movement patterns.

Types of Massage Techniques

If a regular massage session is out of your budget, consider other methods. Try Yoga, stretching, Tai Chi, laying on the floor and rolling side to side, myofascial release and foam rolling, swimming, biking, and walking (for pressure receptors in the feet). Incorporating activities that move the skin result in effects similar to massage therapy. The healing power of touch is at your fingertips. Take the time to slow down and choose ways to include these practices into your life for numerous positive rewards.


Sodium and Your Health

February 1, 2024

Most people eat too much sodium. It is important to remember your body requires a small amount of this mineral, but in excess it can have negative consequences. Sodium can increase your blood pressure, your risk of stroke, and heart disease. Making a conscious effort to cut back on your sodium intake makes your heart …Read More…


Our Hidden Gem

January 1, 2024

Over the years Pisgah Valley Wellness Center has been an established part of our local community. Serving the physical and social needs of many residents and members over the years. It is more than just a gym, it is a gem. The wellness center sits within a picturesque landscape surrounded by farmland, rolling hills, and …Read More…


De-Stress This Holiday Season

December 1, 2023

Stress and the holidays can tend to feel synonymous with one another as our schedules fill up with gatherings, deadlines, travel, and expenses. What should be a time of joy, may also bring feelings of anxiety and tension. The holiday season can create worry; however, it can also be an opportunity for internal focus and …Read More…


November is COPD Awareness Month

November 1, 2023

Nearly 16 million Americans are diagnosed with COPD. Another 16 million more have the disease but are undiagnosed. COPD is (currently) an incurable disease.With the right diagnosis and treatment, there are things that you can do to slow the progress of the disease and live a happier, healthier life. What is COPD? Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary …Read More…


Program INSPIRES Older Adults to Stay Active and Engaged

September 12, 2023

There’s nothing more important as we age than feeling energized , engaged and living a life filled with peace and purpose. INSPIRE, is a multi-dimensional program offered here at Pisgah Valley. It’s especially geared toward helping residents attain all of those positive feelings and much more. INSPIRE Just as the letters of its name suggest, …Read More…



Travelling for Older Adults

August 1, 2023

Tips, preparing your body, and benefits of taking vacation Summer is in full swing and more people are back to their regular vacationing since we were rocked with COVID three years ago. Yay! Summer vacations can be an exciting time for most, but it does take effort in planning, organizing and preparing your mind and …Read More…


Jump Right In! Water Activity is Good For You!

June 7, 2023

Having an indoor swimming pool at their disposal allows residents of Pisgah Valley , a vibrant senior living community, to feel like they are living in a posh resort. But that sense of comfort and relaxation isn’t the only benefit that gliding through the water of a swimming pool provides. Whether you prefer swimming laps, …Read More…


Make Movement a Priority

June 5, 2023

Tips for Staying Active as an Older Adult Liberty Senior Living’s wellness program, INSPIRE, focuses on whole-person wellness. Meaning the integration of an individual’s multiple dimensions of wellness. However, today the focus of this article is exercise and making movement a priority each day. As humans, our bodies are meant to move. Just like other …Read More…


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Pisgah Valley

6 Rhododendron Way
Candler, NC 28715

828-418-2333

Pisgah Villa

102 Holcombe Cove Road
Candler, NC 28715

828-418-2340

Pisgah Manor

104 Holcombe Cove Road
Candler, NC 28715

828-667-9851