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Medical benefits of massage

By admin on Sunday, September 26th, 2010 | No Comments

You may not get massage therapy from your neighborhood pharmacy, but you might as well. This is because massages also have medical benefits that can help improve several illnesses. Though still currently considered as alternative medicine, the medical community does look favorably upon massages as complementary treatment for some medical conditions. Even if you don't have any ailments, massage is considered good for your overall health. Massage is not just a luxury, it's healthy too.

medical massage therapy

Most of the medical conditions that massage therapy are meant to address have a lot to do with relieving stress physically and mentally. As a stress reliever, massage can help ease out anxiety, and some studies have shown massage helps in cases of clinical depression.

On the physical level, massage can help ease stiffness, injuries from sports activities, and chronic pain in the body. And since stress is lessened, it's also noted that it can help lower blood pressure and prevent its complications. Improving immune response is also considered as one of the benefits of massages. Due to the improved circulation that massage brings, it can also help boost the immune system.

Before selecting a massage therapy as an alternative treatment, please consult your doctor first about it. This is because there are conditions where massage can do more harm than good. For example, massage is not recommended for those with rheumatoid arthritis. Massage may help ease the pain, but it is not a treatment for the condition. Other conditions such as advanced osteoporosis and pregnancy also would not benefit from a massage. Just to be on the safe side, you should ask your physician about getting massages for your medical condition.

When looking for a massage therapist, it is important that you go to one with the proper certification. In the US, states require therapists finish the years of training and pass certification exams before being allowed to practice massaging as a profession. Physical therapists and other medical workers have also added massaging to their list of services. You can also ask your doctor for recommendations. Suggestions from friends and family are also good sources for massage therapists. There should be not much problem in this regard as a most massage centers would display their certification for all to see. But still, it wouldn't hurt to ask the center for its certification and the massages that it offers.

One thing to note is that these benefits have not been conclusively proven by medical studies. You can't expect a doctor to prescribe shiatsu as a cure for the common cold just yet in a manner of speaking. There are studies that show support of the medical benefits of massage therapy, but these are not enough to bring massage in the level of an actual cure for medical conditions. Though there may be not enough studies to back massage therapy up as a medical procedure for curing illnesses, the benefits that one can get is difficult to deny. Even if not for medical conditions, a good massage is good for the mind and body.

Some Facts About Deep Tissue Massage

By admin on Monday, August 23rd, 2010 | No Comments

deep tissue massage

If you're considering getting deep tissue massage, here are some things that would be good to know about it. These can help you get a better understanding of the massage therapy and get the most out of the experience. Knowing these also gives you a good idea of what to expect from each session.

No pain doesn't mean no gain

One of the conceptions about deep tissue massage is that it needs to be painful to be effective. Though true in the general sense, that is not necessarily the case. You don't need to be in pain for deep  tissue massage to be beneficial. Remember that pain is something relative, what is painful for one might not be for another. The main objective of the massage is to loosen up the strained muscles which then gives a relaxed feeling after the massage. The techniques involved in the massage can be penetrating which involves some discomfort, but again, inflicting pain is not the goal, it's the necessary consequence of having to target muscle tissues under the surface. In fact, some deep tissue massage techniques just involve stroking and the use of light pressure. Just because the massage isn't as painful as you thought doesn't mean it's not working.

It's a treatment in phases

As with all massages, you would need more than one session to fully enjoy the benefits of deep tissue massage. The main reason for this is that your body won't be able to stand the strain of the massage if done in just one session. Another is that it is impossible for a single therapist to do an effective full body massage in one instance. Even if your body can take it and the therapist was able to do it, fatigue would come into play which would make the therapy ineffective. This division of sessions is not just to get more money out of you, that's just how the therapy goes for it to work.

Another thing to note is that the sessions are designed to treat one area of the body at a time. This would help the therapist focus his or her efforts on one area without being pressed for time or pressured to complete a full body massage.

Remember how to "melt"

Melting is the term that therapists use for muscles that have been relaxed due to massage and stimulation. It is compared to a flowing or fluid like feeling to the muscles, just like the feeling that your muscles melted. This absence of tension in the muscles is the main goal of the massage. Your therapist should be able to feel once your muscles have reached this point, and a good therapist would tell you about it. For your part, it would be best to remember the sensation so that you'd be able to tell your therapist once your muscles have "melted" or not. This can help your therapist determine whether he or she would have to change the approach to relax your muscles.

Hopefully, these facts should clear some misgivings about deep tissue massage. Knowing these basics can help you appreciate the massage more and also assist your therapist in giving you effective treatment.

Maximizing Your Massage Experience

By admin on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 | No Comments

The selling point of a massage is a relaxing and invigorating experience. But that can be ruined by no fault of the massage at all. There are things that you can do that can mess up or improve the benefits that you'll get from any kind of massage. To ensure that you'll maximize your massage experience, here are some things that you can do.

Deep tissue massage

First is be punctual. Give your self time to relax before the massage session. A little anticipation  is not bad for your massage experience.

To avoid any abdominal pain or any stomach ache, don't eat right before your session. Massages can be pretty intense which can upset your digestion. That can pretty much ruins it for your relaxation.

Be open to your therapist about your preferences. You are the client after all. Aside from this, therapies are for the most part subjective. The overall experience would depend on how you experienced it. In practical terms, if you feel that the massage is going too strong, or if the pressure is too light, by all means say so. The therapist, though trained to be sensitive to body responses, can't read minds. What's relaxing will eventually depend on you. If you just keep quiet and let things pass, you will be holding the short end of the stick.

Also inform your therapist about any existing allergies or preference for oils, lotion, or powder. There's no sense in complaining about rashes or a runny nose after the massage is done. The same goes for the ambience of the massage room. If you think it's too dark, or you don't like the music, or if the scents are too strong for your taste, you should speak up.

Massage therapy is not a one-time thing. You would need to take several sessions to fully feel the effects of the massage. This means you have to allot the time and resources for your massage sessions. And since you're going to be doing massages for a period of time, it's also good to choose the same therapist that you like for all your sessions. Similar to how you go to the same hairdresser who knows your hair and preference, having the same therapist would ensure familiarity with what you want and what relaxes you.

The last thing, let yourself relish the massage. You should relax yourself and clear your mind during the massage. Though the massage should do it for you, you should also help yourself relax. After the massage, you should also give yourself some time to rest and lie down. It's not strange to feel lightheaded and enervated after a massage. Most spas will allow you time to lie down and nap after the massage session.

Massages are indeed relaxing, but it's not a one-way affair. There are things that you can do to ensure that the massage is as relaxing as it should be. Simply follow these tips to ensure that you're going to get the best out of your massage session every time.

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