How Can Massage Therapy Help You
Many sports injuries, car accidents, repetitive actions on the job and tension from everyday stress can cause problems that will cause pain, headaches, decrease range of motion, lower your resistance to illnesses and compromise your lifestyle.
Massage can help you. Massage is a gentle, touch therapy that can relieve pain and bring balance to your life. Massage is not a substitute for medical care but it can reduce or eliminate the need for medication or surgery.
Massage therapy will calm your nervous system and gives you more energy. It will relieve many types of muscle tightness especially the back and neck area where most of us store the tension. Muscles can become so contracted that they press on nerves to the arms, hands and legs, causing pain, tingling and numbness. Massage can release muscle spasm and tightness in the shoulders or hip to bring relief. Massage will relieve headaches caused by trigger points, or eyestrain, a low back pain during pregnancy, or the protective tensing of healthy muscles around an injury.
Many of today’s health problems arise from stress. Because stress upsets the delicate integral balance of all your body’s functions, regaining this balance requires a holistic approach.
Massage therapy is safe and effective if used for stress management but it is also widely used to help clients obtain relief from many specific problems, including the following:
- Frozen Shoulder
- Neuritis/Neuralgia
- Tendonitis/Bursitis
- Neck and Shoulder Tension
- Arthritis
- Low Back Pain
- Muscle Spasm
- Pseudo-Sciatica
- Circulatory Problems
- Headaches
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Car Accidents
- Post Injury Rehabilitation
- Whiplash
- Respiratory Problems
- Fibromyalgia
- Shin Splints
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Massage can benefit people of all ages and conditions – babies, children, pregnant women, the elderly, those in chronic care and those who need palliative consideration.
What to Expect During Your Massage Session
First you will be asked to fill out a confidential general information sheet. Your massage therapist will then ask you some general questions since there are conditions for which massage is not appropriate. For a body massage, you can choose between undressing completely or wear your underwear. Your massage therapist will give you privacy to undress, and you will be fully draped through your session except for the area being worked on.
You will relax on a specially designed table that is designed for stability and comfort. Different pillows or bolsters can be used to make your position more comfortable. The room will be warm, quiet, and filled with gentle music. A professional lubricant will be used to ease the friction and will absorb well in case you have other commitments after the massage. The massage will start gently to calm your nervous system and begin to release superficial tension. Gradually, your massage therapist works more deeply into the tissues and addresses specific areas. Massage therapy is the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body to gain a therapeutic response. Soft tissue includes muscles, skin and connective tissue, tendons, ligaments and membranes. Swedish massage is presently the most common form of therapy practiced; however, massage therapists may use a variety of therapies and techniques, depending on your needs and their specialties. Your therapist will help you understand that ultimately your body has the capacity to heal itself and will work with you to learn how you can become part of this process.
How Will a Massage Feel
Massage on healthy tissue feels good. Some people are surprised that massage does not tickle. Working on an area of injury or chronic pain may cause some amount of pain or discomfort, which will usually lessen shortly. Always tell your therapist if you feel any discomfort or pain so he or she can adjust treatment.
Massage therapy usually last one hour. This gives enough time to relax the body and address specific problems. A half-hour can be used as an introduction to massage or address specific area only.
After massage you should feel relaxed. Give yourself time to slowly get up. Many people experience freedom from pain and aches that have built over months of tension. After an initial period of feeling slowed down, many people experience an increase in energy that can last for days.
How Often Should I Get a Massage
At the beginning, two to three sessions a week apart are the best to give us maximum benefits as every massage session accumulates the gains from previous sessions. After that about once a month seems to be the most beneficial for massage to keep its positive effects.
I am overweight, are there ways to accommodate me for my size
Yes, our therapists are professionals and can work with you to make your massage experience comfortable for you. Many people feel uncomfortable getting undressed or are uncomfortable in specific positions. Please discuss your concerns with your therapist and we will be able to accommodate any requests that will make you more comfortable.
How Can I Relieve the Pain From Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar Fasciitis is a condition where the band of fascia on the bottom of your foot becomes inflamed and painful. Often the pain in the foot and heel is worst in the morning and after periods of inactivity. If left untreated the pain can become worse and a heel spur can develop.
When plantar fasciitis is caught early it can usually be treated without surgery using RICE Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. An old coke bottle filled with water and then frozen makes a good tool for massaging the bottom of the foot to help relax those muscles and take some of the pressure off of the plantar fascia. Simply lay the bottle on the ground and roll the painful part of your foot over the bumps in the bottle. In addition to relaxing the muscles of the foot, you will want to relax the muscles of the calf. When the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) are tight they pull on the heel bone (calcanious) causing it to rotate thus putting more pressure on the plantar fascia. Stretching these muscles as well as some self massage can also help take the pressure off the plantar fascia and allow the foot to heal.
Massage can be very helpful in relieving the pain of plantar fasciitis. Please give us a call and we would be happy to work on your feet.
Do You Take PIP For Car Accidents
Depending on many factors leading up to your automobile accident you may feel pain or soreness in the neck, back, chest or anywhere your body hit your car. Usually, you will notice the beginning of pain of an automobile accident up to 5 days after the accident. Occasionally it will take longer to notice the pain of the automobile accident. The sooner you get into treatment for your injuries the faster your body will be able to recover.
Whiplash is the most common injury involved with a car accident. Whiplash is caused when the impact of the cars causes your head to quickly move back and forth like a whip. Changes in the angle of the accident will change exactly where in your neck and back you feel pain. Each car accident is different therefore the treatment will be specialized to your injuries.
If you have been in an automobile accident and do not feel pain immediately it is important to wait before settling any claim. Often pain from accidents will not show up for many days. If the claim is settled you may not be able to get the treatment you need.
We do take automobile PIP insurance. Please feel free to contact us for an appointment.
Massage For Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. 90% of adults have had or will have a tension headache in their lives. They are caused when the muscles of the neck and head become over-exerted causing tension which refers pain to the head. Symptoms of a tension headache may include one or all of the following: a tight band around the skull near the eyebrows, stabbing pain in or near the eyes, ringing in the ears, pain starting at the base of the neck moving up the head to the eyebrows and pain at the temples.
Massage is very effective in relieving tension headaches. Your specific symptoms will tell us which muscles are causing the headache and where to work. In most cases we can relieve your headache in as little as 5 minutes, but a minimum of 15 minutes is needed to keep it from coming back within a few hours.
Please call us if you are currently having a headache and we will do our best to get you in quickly to relieve your symptoms. Regular massage between headaches is also recommended to reduce the tension in the neck and shoulders to prevent future headaches.
Because headaches are one of the most common causes of pain in the body, we will be holding classes for relieving headaches for loved ones. In this class, you will learn the most common muscles that cause headaches and how to relieve the pain. These classes will be limited to 3 couples. Space is limited so sign up soon.