Massge
Massage Therapy
Does pain or restricted movement keep you from living the life you want? Sports injuries, household accidents, repetitive actions on the job, and tensions from everyday stresses can all cause problems that, too often, take up permanent residence in our bodies.
Massage therapy can help. Massage therapy is a gentle manual therapy that can relieve pain and, in combination with other appropriate forms of health care, can help heal certain conditions and prevent their return. In some cases massage can reduce or even eliminate the need for medication or surgery.
Massage can help by…
Reducing Stress
Massage is one of the best known antidotes for stress. Reducing stress gives you more energy, improves your outlook on life, and in the process reduces your likelihood of injury and illness. Massage can also relieve symptoms of conditions that are aggravated by anxiety such as asthma or insomnia. Because it relieves stress, massage is an excellent supportive therapy for people in psychological counseling or treatment for addiction.
Relieving Pain and Tight Muscles
Muscle pain and soreness is most often caused by reduced local circulation due to sustained muscle contraction. This often occurs after a vigorous workout, or any type of activity that requires continuous repetitive motion or applies stress to the muscle tissue. As a result of such activities, a build up of waste products, as well as micro-traumas in your muscles, can leave you feeling tired and sore. Massage therapy is able to relieve such pain, tightness, or even short-term muscle cramping by loosening up the tissue. Through the use of stretching techniques and various types of tissue manipulation circulation is increased, which removes waste products and brings in nutrients that aid in the healing process of the muscle tissue.
Muscle Pain and Injuries...
Muscles can become so contracted that they press on nerves to the arms, hands, and legs, causing pain or tingling. If this happens, a massage can release muscle spasms in the shoulder or hip and bring relief.
Injuries
Massage can help heal injuries such as tendonitis that develop over time, as well as ligament sprains or muscle strains caused by an accident. Massage reduces inflammation by increasing circulation, which removes waste products and brings nutrition to injured cells. Certain massage techniques can limit scar formation in new injuries and can make scar tissue more pliable around old injuries.
Secondary Pain
Massage can relieve secondary pain that outlasts its original cause. Some examples are headaches from eyestrain, low back ache during pregnancy, or the protective tensing of healthy muscles around an injury.
Pain or Restriction in Joints
Besides releasing tight muscles that restrict joint movement, massage works directly on your joints to improve circulation, stimulate production of natural lubrication, and relieve pain from conditions such as osteoarthritis.
Posture
Massage releases restrictions in muscles, joints, and surrounding fascia, freeing your body to return to a more natural posture. Massage can also relieve the contracted muscles and pain caused by abnormal spinal curvatures such as scoliosis.
Prevention of New Injuries
Massage therapy treatments are not just for those who are in pain. Massage is also used as a preventative form of therapy. By relieving chronic muscle tension that builds up through out the work day and could eventually lead to chronic pain or even injury. Massage therapy can be used to maintain a healthy state of living, rather than restoring health after an injury.
The Effects of Forced Inactivity
There are many reasons you may be forced to limit physical activity including injury, surgery, paralysis or even normal aging. When this happens, massage can relieve your aches and pains and improve circulation to your skin and muscles. Even when an immobilized area cannot be massaged directly, the relaxation and increased circulation from a general massage can give you relief.
Fluid Retention
Massage increases your circulation, which in turn drains tissues of excess fluid caused by recent injury, surgery, or pregnancy.
How Will a Massage Feel?
Massage on normal tissue is almost always a pleasant sensation. Massage in the area of an injury or chronic pain may at first cause some discomfort, which usually lessens noticeably in the first few minutes. Your massage therapist knows ways to minimize pain, and will work carefully within what feels right to you. Always tell you massage therapist if you fell any discomfort so she or he can make adjustments.
Is Massage Always Appropriate?
There are some conditions for which massage is not appropriate. It is important that you always tell your massage therapist if you have medical problems, even if it is just a minor one. Also, let your primary health care practitioner know you are receiving a massage. Some conditions require close communication between our massage therapist and your doctor or other health practitioner. Your massage therapist will gladly provide regular progress reports.
Your Personalized Plan
On your first visit, your massage therapist will ask you general health questions and review any referring practitioners recommendations. Your massage therapist will then assess your problem area to determine the best approach, perhaps by checking for restricted or painful movement, gently feeling for tenderness, and looking at your posture.
Your massage therapist will then decide on a plan which will focus on your problem area, along with other areas that may be related. Your therapist may recommend a series of massages. The appropriate frequency, duration and number of massage sessions for you will depend on your problem, its severity and how long you have it, as well as your general health.
Your massage therapist
Massage therapists have extensive training in Swedish massage (along with other types of massage therapy), anatomy and physiology, and knowledge of when massage is and is not appropriate. A growing number of local, state and
provincial governments license massage therapists. Many massage therapists are certified by schools or have specialized training which they will gladly explain.