What comes into your mind when you feel stressed? Or suffer minor body pain after some strenuous activity? It is always our instinct that the first thing that comes in our mind is to have medical treatment – to take a medicine or anything similar of its kind. Perhaps, you haven’t considered yet that a soft gentle touch can give warm and soothing effects to your body. And from here, stems the massage therapy.
People make use of massage for a number of health-related reasons such as to ease pain, to restore injuries from sports, reduce stress, enhance relaxation, manage anxiousness and depression and above all support the general wellbeing.
So what is Massage Therapy?
Also known as Swedish massage, massage therapy is the combination of human touch as well as moving of the muscles to develop a relaxed state of mind. This is considered part of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in the United States, though it employs some traditional techniques. A professional therapist specializing this method works by using long, soft strokes, rubbing and other stances concentrating on shallow layers of muscle utilizing a massage oil or lotion. Others use a powder as another alternative.
How Does it Work?
Massage therapy focused on relaxing the muscles tissues. It enhances blood flow by delivering oxygen and other minerals to body cells.
It reduces muscular stress and soreness, improves overall flexibility as well as range of motion, and assists to remove lactic acid along with other waste materials, which decreases pain and tightness in muscles and joints.
Why you should have a massage therapy?
Due to its proven effective result to the body’s well being, people love to have a massage therapy to enjoy its relaxing effects and also to get relieve of several health-related conditions, to include but not limited to the following:
- Soreness of back spine
- Conditions pertaining to inflammation like arthritis and tendinitis
- Relief from stress
- Headaches
- Strains and sprains, and other muscle related discomfort
- Repetitive injury from strain, like carpal tunnel syndrome
- Post-injury and post-surgical treatment
However, it is most common belief of some people that the foremost objective of getting a massage is to treat muscle stress and pain. Massage therapy is believed to aid the body’s reaction by decreasing the levels of the body’s hormones like cortisol. It also enhances the body’s immune system.
Does massage therapy hurt?
In reality, therapeutic massage does not hurt. Sometimes there is a slight pain when the massage therapist applies pressure over “knots” and other part of muscular strain. However, during the massage session if you feel the stroke is too strong for you, then you may call the attention of your massage therapist to have it performed the gentle way.
Precautionary Measures
One is cautioned not to undergo any massage therapy if you have certain infectious skin diseases, rashes and open wounds. It is not also advisable if you do it after undergoing a surgery and chemotherapy. There are certain massages techniques applied for pregnant women that can only be performed by a certified massage therapist.
Give your life a stress-free living. Indulge yourself to a gentle touch that heals.
One alternative medicine of our body is through massage therapy, which has been popularizing at the rapid rate. Massage therapy has not been known by its size but also through the help of therapists, massage studios, and other clinic that offers a massage.
Some individual are not aware the usefulness of massage. Truly, massage can help you feels goods and it also relaxes your body, mind and spirit, and it actually heals your whole body, muscles and other soft tissues.
Massage therapy is born in an era of ancient civilization like in the time of Greek, Roman, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Egyptian and the Mesopotamian. Nowadays, massage is known to be a body therapy all around the world. In the place in China, massage is considered as a healthcare and it can already be taught in medical schools.
During the year of 1800’s massage therapy is welcomed in US. Thus, the progress of American medical scene has been slow and unsafe. But in early of 1900’s the influence of massage has been reduce because of the advance technology in medicine, but this rise in the early 60’s and 70’s as the professional athletes begin to use massage therapy as a substitute medicine to their body and to advertise also the sexual service.
In US and in some countries buying and selling of sex and other sexual services is considered as an illegal. Massage parlors give sexual services after buying a massage service. Thus, massage becomes unpopular due to this kind of service, which helps destroy its reputation. By the use of professional massage, the reputation of this therapy also regained and become as a therapeutic healing treatment.
Today, massage becomes a big help in thousands of schools, clinics, as well as the therapeutic work setting and the licensing and the credentialing within both states. Recently, when some people talks about massage they don’t think sexual favors but rather relaxation and pleasure. Massage therapy regained its name and respect as an art of healing with the manipulation of the body and muscle tissues. The process of massage therapy includes rubbing the body with a lotion or a cream that makes you relax and feels good.
Though massage is classified as a substitute medicine, and given a whole in medical world. Thus, massage has a wide variety of its use including health clubs, health clinics, doctor offices, private offices, nursing homes, sports facilities, and hospital settings. This massage therapy has been used by some other medical experts like the chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy, personal training and some sports trainer.
Lastly, massage therapy offers a real big help, it can provide us a good therapeutic modality to relieve stress, tensions, anxiety, headaches, neck pain, back pain and other sickness of the body. If you have not yet experience on how to get a massage, now it is your time to try it, in order to experience the good effect of massage therapy. Several people include massage in their list as a health regimen due to its best result physically and mentally.
Massage Therapy gives individual a therapeutic touch that makes them feel calm and better as they go along with this process. Its purpose is not to heal or treat any illness or diseases, but rather a soothing effect to the massage recipient. Since the parasympathetic nervous system is on its function during the massage activity, a lot of people share their experience of peace and harmony.
Who can perform a relaxation massage?
Any person who wants to transfer a sense of calmness to another individual can employ gentle touch to achieve this objective. It is recommended then that one has to have background knowledge before performing massage. A simple research on how to perform it will truly help produce an effective result.
Massage to a busy hands
A simple hand massage is the easiest relaxation massage therapy. In today’s time of computerization, almost all who are working in companies uses a computer and spend so much time in it. Constant use of hands can lead to some contraction of hand muscles, aches, pain and even carpal tunnel syndrome. With the relaxation massage particularly on the muscles and the front part of the hand, ease of muscle pain can be effective momentarily.
Who are not qualified for a massage?
Before you are going to start the massage to a person, it is essential to ask if she has any health problems. Certain individuals who undergo surgeries, with skin problems and contagious diseases or even general flu-like symptoms should not get any massage therapy. Giving a massage to people who suffered any of the illnesses above might get complications on the diseases that they have. Since the procedure of massage manipulates the skin, muscles and tissues, there is a possibility that some conditions may be worsen with the presence of friction, heat and tissue manipulations.
How to perform a hand massage
Before starting, make your client to wash his hands or a sanitizer as an option. Put a mild cream on your client’s hand and render enough pressure so as to penetrate the cream to the skin. Pull softly on its each finger, as if you are giving a tug, to make good stretch on each joint. Gently make a small round stroke by your thumb on the palm side of the hand. And increase the size of your round stroke as you go back and forth on the palm. Do the same process on the next hand. For the next step, make a small round stroke going up and down in between the tendons. It is always advised to ask your client if the pressure is enough during the entire process. Do the same process on the next hand.
The wrist massage
After you have finished with the palm and fingers, move up to the client’s wrist. Make a small round stroke to the joints of the wrist (front and back) with enough pressure. Do the same process on the next hand.
Getting a massage therapy can really make your life a relaxing experience. Start with simple hand and wrist massage to give a soothing effect to your busy hands.
One of the reasons causing a back pain problem is when a person experienced an accident. According to some research while the pain normally heal itself within two to four weeks, but as you go along sooner or later a year the pain will have the tendency to occur again. While the one who is suffering from this back pain may have recovered in full range of movements, the muscles supporting the back spine may not have recovered it well yet. Back pain therapy can help aid to treat surprising and repeating back problem.
There are many alternatives on how to treat a back pain. Exercise is considered a simple body therapy that can truly help refine your body built. With the help of a physical therapist, the sufferer of this back pain will be trained on the proper posture and various techniques for the body. Good posture and well-balanced body movements will go along way to prevent back pain.
Stretching before an actual exercise is a major factor of repairing and conditioning. Tight or sprained muscles may become small and not give adequate assistance for the backbone. However, wall slides, leg raises, sit-ups, and stretching your back while standing is commonly perfect workouts to strengthen the back portion of the body. These are basic application for back pain therapy. Further, there are several therapeutic procedures that include massage, heat and cold therapies. Heat therapy which is also called thermotherapy is the application of heat to the body for pain relief and health. On the other hand cold therapy or also known as cryotherapy, is a technique to reduce pain and swelling after injury or surgery by the use of ice or cold temperature. These procedures are proven effective in treating back pain problems.
Additionally, heat and cold therapies may work effectively in cooperation with physical therapy. Both can help in comforting tight or sprained muscle tissue. Medical professionals have different approach on how much time a hot or cold back needs to be remained on the back for correct medication. Talk and discuss with your doctor regarding the best system to give relief to this recurring problem. Therapeutic massage is very powerful in relaxing sprained muscle tissue and also aiding the pain sufferer to be relieved. This technique, mixed with relaxing music as well as soothing scents will certainly drive stress symptoms away. Stress is a big cause of back problems.
Keep in mind that having a correct program of exercise every day is a perfect solution for back problems. Your muscle tissues will definitely get stronger and your back will become firmer and supported.
Though a lot of people give a very little attention in working out every day, there are still basic training one can do while at work such as doing chin tucks at your desk and wall sits during lunch breaks. Try to do some walking to take a break from sitting longer and have some straight sit up exercise. This system, combined with proper back pain therapy can result to an effective treatment and prevention of back pain occurrences.
