Massage Therapy
Benefits of Massage Therapy
Pain Management
Swedish massage is very gentle and can help manage chronic pain caused by conditions like osteoarthritis, back pain, neck pain, and more. Tell your massage therapist about the parts of your body that hurt, so she can target those areas increasing circulation and smoothing out muscle tension – both of which help reduce pain.
The Benefits of Increased Circulation
Your massage therapist will use long, stroking motions in the direction of your heart to increase your circulation by “opening” the blood vessels. This encourages healing because your muscles will have a more open flow of oxygen and nutrients. Your body will also remove disease-causing toxins more efficiently.
Rehabilitation for Muscle Injuries
Using friction and kneading, your therapist will treat injuries like adhesions, which is scar tissue that can bind muscle tissue together. These are “stuck” spots that can cause stiffness, pain, and limit flexibility. By relaxing the muscles with massage, you can experience relief.
Increased Flexibility
When adhesions are “broken up” you now have a wider range of motion.
To help prevent injuries and get the most out of your workouts, it’s recommended to use a combination of stretching and massage.
Reduced Stress
Until you experience it, you won’t understand and then you’ll wonder why you’ve waited so long to have a massage. There’s really nothing like an expert massage in a peaceful setting to relax you, physically and mentally. In fact, massage therapy has been shown to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in your body. This can reduce or eliminate issues like tension headaches, boost energy, and improve sleep.
Improved Immune System
When you reduce your cortisol levels, your immune system also gets stronger.
The Benefits of Prenatal Massage Therapy
Prenatal massage helps to relieve muscle aches and joint pains, improve lymphatic and blood circulation, and generally reduces discomfort that comes with the physical and even mental changes which occur during pregnancy. Reducing your stress level and reducing muscle aches and pains can also help improve your sleep quality.
To maximize benefits we recommend regularly scheduled massages beginning after the first trimester in your pregnancy.
Massage Techniques
Let’s start with Swedish massage, sometimes called a classic massage. It works well for tension and stress relief because it can loosen tight muscles, especially in the neck, shoulders, and lower back.
Swedish massage is also very relaxing. It is perfect for those new to massage therapy, especially those who may have concerns about soreness after a massage.
Deep tissue massage, as its name implies, goes deeper to work the inner layers of your muscles, tendons, and fascia (dense connective tissue) to increase blood circulation and reduce inflammation. The techniques are similar to Swedish massage, but the massage therapist applies more pressure.
Deep tissue massage is great for people with injuries, like athletes, and those facing conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic lower back pain.
A sports massage can help with recovery after a sports event and even prevent a sport-related injury.
There are two types of sports massage: pre-activity and post-activity massage.
Pre-activity is all about increasing your range of motion and thus reducing the chances that you’ll get injured while you compete.
Post-activity massage focuses on removing toxins that build in your muscle tissue after strenuous exercise which helps to relieve soreness and expedites recovery.
Important things to consider before your massage:
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Let your massage therapist know about the injuries you’ve suffered.
Make sure they understand the severity of your injuries, when they happened, and if you’re in pain. -
Be clear about comfort levels.
Let your massage therapist know if there are parts of your body you do not want touched. -
What are your expectations?
Think about the purpose of your massage. Is for simple relaxation or recovery from injury? - How much pressure?Tell your massage therapist the level of pressure you want.
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Pre-massage prep.
Take a warm shower or soak in the tub. -
Stay hydrated.
Be sure to drink water before and after your massage
What happens during the massage?
Talk to your massage therapist about your problem areas, if you have any, and why you are there in the first place. It’s important to note that while you only need to undress to your comfort level, any areas that you need worked should be exposed. You will be under a sheet and light blanket for the massage and only the one area being massaged will be uncovered at a time. Your massage therapist will carefully move and tuck the sheet to cover all other areas. When you are asked to turn over, she will hold the sheet up with the open edge facing away from her to protect your privacy. At no time will you be completely exposed to the therapist.
The massage therapist will work on your problem areas, kneading and stroking as needed. After the massage, the therapist will leave the room to allow you to get dressed.
