Benefits of Massage Therapy and How They Help Common Ailments and Reduce Pain
Massage therapy has been shown to be beneficial for a number of different conditions including arthritis, tension, anxiety, back pain, digestive disorders, depression, circulatory issues, headaches, sleep disorders, stress and many more.
Massage is deeply relaxing for the recipient and has become increasingly popular over recent years as a way to unwind, relax and treat oneself to a bit of ‘me’ time. Many people even opt for a massage every week and find that they benefit from it immensely. Having a regular massage can have many benefits, not only to your body functions but also to your overall well-being.
Massage, when properly administered, helps the body and mind tremendously. Here are just some of the physical benefits of massage therapy.
1. Improves blood circulation in the body – Massage eases and loosens our tense muscles, flushes more toxins from our system, which improves blood circulation and enables oxygen enriched blood to every cell in the body.
2. Repairs damaged tissues – Massage decreases the inflammation, promotes speedy recovery from any injuries and alleviates the pain caused by damaged parts, by improving our circulation, and is a great complementary therapy for anyone experiencing agonizing conditions.
3. Alleviates muscular aches and pains – The healing art of massage treats fatigue and stiffness in the muscular system. It induces good muscle tone which reduces cramp and breaks down any scar tissue you may have from an old injury. The muscles, ligaments and tendons are manipulated and stretched to keep them flexible, pliable and stronger and in good repair. Acupressure is a technique for relaxing and soothing sore muscles.
4. Reduces and can eliminate the pain. – Massage provides healing properties if you’re ailing. If you suffer from an internal injury, such as pain or inflammation, a massage can dramatically even eliminate the pain. Why do you think professional athletes have so many massages? Since a massage goes to the core of the problem, you immediately begin to feel better.
5. Aids digestion and strengthens our immune system – Massage assists in detoxifying our body and improving our immune system by eliminating waste matter from our colon and improving our digestion
6. Helps disorders of the skeletal system –You will benefit immensely if you suffer from arthritis and the pain caused by stiff joints will decrease considerably
7. Improves the Lymphatic System – Massage helps to eliminate waste products and toxins from your body and reduce any swelling from an injury.
8 .Improves breathing – Massage breaks down any mucus or bronchial secretions and eliminates them from the lungs which then improves the workings of your Respiratory System
9. Improves your skin. Within hours of a massage your skin becomes clearer and your complexion has a healthy glow as the blood circulation improves around the body.
The beneficial effects of massage and its power to heal have been known for centuries. However it is only fairly recently, through scientific studies, that we are beginning to understand the positive effects massage can have on our health. Massage is a generic term that covers a range of different strokes. Some are very specific and designed to treat a particular range of problems. Sports massage is one of these. Although not restricted purely to sports injury, it can be used to treat many physical, soft tissue conditions. Other styles work on a more holistic basis and work to treat the whole person, bringing balance to the body, mind and spirit to encourage a general sense of heightened well-being.
Conclusion To sum up, getting a massage on a regular basis, frees up energy, makes you feel less tired and gives you a general sense of heightened well being. It increases your awareness and respect for your own body, thus giving you significant health benefits.
There is very little that I know of that makes you feel better than a good massage!
The True Power of Massage
The true power of massage has, on the whole, been lost on our modern society. In ancient cultures massage was part of everyday life because they realised that massage was more than just a way of keeping the body fit and healthy. They realised that regular physical contact was essential to health, not only of the body but to the emotional and mental wellbeing of the individual as a human being. It brought cohesion to the group, both to the family and the wider community. It promoted confidence in the individual as well as body awareness and acceptance. It promoted love and respect for the individual.
We have all seen pictures on the TV of those unfortunate children in some east European orphanages that are deprived of unconditional loving touch. Some of them appear almost animal like. In fact scientific research has shown that even animals deprived of touch become ill, emotionally, mentally and physically.
Can some of the ills of our modern society be the result of our growing individual isolation? The only time we seem to have physical contact with another individual is in a sexual context. We seem to have lost the ability to give and receive unconditional, loving touch with no expectation beyond that act itself. Marriage guidance counsellors and sex therapists try to bring couples back to a harmonious and balanced relationship by asking couples to stop having sex and concentrate on caressing and touching each without proceeding to a sexual outcome. Wouldn’t most relationships benefit from a bit of that? Physical affection without any other purpose than to please to other person and without the need to ‘perform’ or give in to the desires of the other.
Many people who receive a regular massage find it to be a truly life enhancing and in many cases a transformational experience. How much better then, if this could be shared with a partner or even amongst all members of the family.
Massage – The Timeless Miracle
The typical initiation to massage is usually motivated by a stressful or painful condition. But massage’s magical ministrations go deeper and offer you far more than you may have ever suspected. Regular massage can greatly benefit your overall health and well-being. Read on to learn some of the wonderful health aspects available to you through massage.
The more you learn about massage the more you’ll benefit from each of your sessions. This overview touches on some of the basic massage benefits available to you. Massage can help:
• Alleviate stress
• Aid digestion
• Improve circulation
• Relieve tight or sore muscles
• Aid detoxification
• Improve range of motion
and much more………………….
The most obvious benefit shared by virtually everyone is that a full body massage makes you feel great! The stress-relieving, soothing results are enough for many to include massage as a regular part of their lives. But what of the less obvious benefits?
The first sense to develop is your sense of touch. It’s not surprising when you consider that each square inch of your skin contains roughly 50 nerve endings. With as many as five million total touch receptors in your skin relaying messages on to your brain, your body’s initial response to massage is to relax and de-stimulate. Even a simple touch has been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce the heart rate. Touch can also signal the brain to produce endorphins, your body’s natural pain suppressors. Going deeper, massage can restore suppleness and strength to your muscles, improving their overall function. It’s the ideal treatment for releasing tension or muscles in spasm and helps to release toxins such as lactic acid (produced by muscle tissue during exercise), as well.
Proper circulation is vital continued health. Your blood and lymph carry nourishment to the trillions of cells throughout your body and then carry away the waste to be eliminated from the cells. Massage encourages a better exchange of nutrients at the cellular level and more thorough detoxification. Remember, the future ‘you’ is determined by how well your army of cells regenerate themselves, so this is indeed a critical part of remaining health.
The nervous system is your communication network, sending messages constantly that determine proper functioning throughout your body. Stress can affect the ability of the nervous system to do its job. The many nerve endings found in the skin and muscles are soothed by massage, and this contributes to keeping your internal lines of communication open and operational.
Massage also aids in maintaining flexibility in your joints, such as the knee, hip, spine, shoulder and neck. These joints are thoroughfares for nerves, veins and arteries so their freedom of movement allows energy and blood flow unimpeded.
So you can see massage does quite a bit more than just relax you and work out the kinks in a sore back. Since massage has been practiced for thousands of years and is one of the earliest known health treatments known to man, why don’t you hear more about it in today’s society?
In fact, massage today is rapidly growing in popularity and reputation. Besides being misunderstood, massage has had to overcome the reluctance many people have regarding physical contact. Of course, once they experience a therapeutic massage for themselves, most people are hooked.
As you can see, regular massage offers more benefits than you may have imagined. Isn’t it good to know that something that feels so great can contribute to your long-term health as well? Let me work with you to help you get the most from your massages and improve your overall health. Click on the link on the left for more information.
Why is Massage so good for you?
We are always told that massage is good for all of us but what exactly does massage do? Well, massage provides some form of relief to people of all ages. Massage has been proved to increase the weight of prematurely born babies as well as helping to calm and induce sleep in others. The elderly, often deprived of touch in their latter years, can have a greatly enhanced quality of life. Massage addresses a great many health conditions and common ailments, the most prevalent being stress-related tension, which, experts believe, accounts for 80%-90% of illness.
Massage and bodywork provides a drug-free, non-invasive and humanistic alternative based on the body’s natural ability to heal itself.
The physiological effects of massage are generally well known but it’s worth mentioning these again here. Firstly massage increases the circulation of blood around the body which increases the levels of oxygen and nutrients to all tissues and organs. At the same time the lymphatic system is stimulated to remove toxins from the body and gives a boost to our natural immune systems
Athletes are well aware of the benefits that massage provides in their training programs. Massage reduces muscle spasms and cramping. It increases joint flexibility and reduces recovery time after strenuous workouts keeping the muscles soft and relaxed. Massage also provides exercise and stretching for those muscles that have shortened due to injury and lack of use.
Endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers, are released during massage. We all know how a good back rub can help with lower back pain. It also helps to increase mobility. A well applied shoulder neck and head massage can relieve the pain of a headache or migraine decreasing the need for medication.
These are some of the physical benefits that can be gained from massage but the effects of receiving a regular massage can go much deeper and provide long lasting and life changing experiences. I shall be talking about these in later posts but for now be gentle with yourself and have a wonderful week.
Benefits of Receiving A Non Clinical Massage
Many people associate the benefits of massage in a clinic manner… such as sports injuries and rehabilitation. However, not all massage is used to treat purely physical complaints. Some massage styles are more suited to address mental, emotional and spiritual issues or may be used for pure relaxation.
When in a loving relationship, the focus of this style is more commonly associated with unconditional love and compassion which you and your partner can express with each other.
Because massage is not a common part of our contemporary cultural experience, many people do not get the most out of this type of massage.
One of the main reasons for this is that, ideally, you need to be nude.
Clothing gets in the way of the most pleasant sensation of total wholeness and connectedness of your body. In our society with its preoccupation with sex and discomfort with nudity a lot of people may feel uncomfortable.
This attitude is due to our sexual immaturity as a culture and the fact so many confuse nudity and touch with sex. Once you get use to receiving your massage nude you will feel very comfortable and wonder what all the fuss was about.
In a professional massage situation you would normally be covered by a sheet or a towel to keep those “private” parts of our body covered. Normally only the areas being massaged will be uncovered.
In the comfort of your own home, with someone that knows your body intimately… you can experience the most intense, sensual massage that will leave your body invigorated and tingling with new vibrancy than you’d ever imagined possible.
Now there are certain medical conditions that may prevent you from receiving a massage… I’ll cover some of these off in a separate post, but in the main if you’re in good health there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have one.
OK, so how can you get the most out of a relaxing massage at home.
Your only job is to relax as completely as possible.
Breathe deeply and regularly, allow your body to sink into the table. As your partners hands locate areas of tension and tightness, consciously try to let go and release those tense areas.
Marvellous massage is the result of good “energy” between partners.
However, do give feedback if any particular stroke is uncomfortable or if you would like something done longer or differently.
It’s your massage and you will only get the best out of it if you are comfortable.
Allow your partner to move your limbs into whatever position is required. Be a rag doll.
Don’t try to be helpful. Simply lay back and receive.
There’s no right or wrong way of giving or receiving massage all sensations and experiences are part of the healing and reinvigorating process.
People who are unaccustomed to such tender physical caring provided by this type of massage may express their emotion by crying. If this happens you should not be embarrassed.
The body does hold these emotions within and they need to be released and lovingly replaced with good feelings. At the very least, don’t be afraid to sigh with relaxation or hum with pleasure.
Close your eyes. See with your sense of touch. Feel your body both inside and out. Closing your eyes during the massage tends to bring your centre of energy out of the head and into the body.
Relax and enjoy.
Marvellous Massage Secrets with Trevor Hunt
Let me tell you my story.
I’m well into my Sixties now, pushing on Seventy. However, many people who meet me for the first time are astonished when I tell them my age because I look, feel and have the energy of someone 20, even 30 years my junior.
How do I achieve this?
Well, it all started over forty years ago when I was a young man Serving my country in the armed forces, stationed in Germany. When we weren’t out patrolling the boarder between East and West Germany we spent our time in training. It was during one of these training exercises on the assault course that I injured my back. I didn’t think too much of it at first. However, as the days went by my back became more and more painful. Simple tasks began to cripple me, The pain was excruciating and relentless.
I went to see the unit medic who referred me immediately to hospital. They had me in hospital for 6 weeks, sleeping on wooden boards and having regular sessions on the rack! They called it traction. After six weeks, although better I still found walking painful. They them put me in a cast from my armpits to my hips. Sitting in a chair was difficult because the cast cut into the tops of my thighs. I was in that cast for a further 6 weeks. To cut a long story short, when the cast came off I was still in pain and the medical professionals had no treatment for my injury. Their prognosis was that I would “acclimatise to the pain” and would never really regain the movement and range of motion that I had before.
I was discharged from the army and came home. After months of suffering a chance conversation between and old school friend & I led to the most fascinating and uplifting meeting, that was to turn my life upside down and get me back on track.
You see the injury itself was bad enough… but with no way to work out my daily stress and frustrations I had become bad tempered and uptight too. My old school friend understood and then said his mothers friend, a neighbour often talked about the ancient lost secrets of her ancestors who extolled the healing virtues of massage.
Now, picture this… me a young twenty something, wracked with pain but desperate to get some movement back was being told about some “hippy lady” who can heal with her hands. I was willing to give anything a go… even if it was a bit farfetched.
I visited this tiny two up and two down terraced house, on the outskirts of town and was greeted by a small-framed Malaysian lady, Suhailah who welcomed me into her beautifully scented house. She lived alone and so didn’t need too much space… however I noticed that her home had very clean lines and no clutter whatsoever… unlike many of the homes I was used to, including my own.
Suhailah, took me upstairs into her spare bedroom and positioned me face down on a tall bed like structure. Within a few minutes of explaining how I got the injury and where it was in my back… my Malaysian therapist was soon at work kneading and rubbing over my entire body. I was surprised that she wasn’t homing in on the source of my pain. She found areas that were tender and even painful that I hadn’t realised before were painful.
In the first few sessions she “broke up” knotted muscles and got deep into the damaged tissues of my back, buttocks and legs. In only six sessions I was pain free, had the kind of mobility I previously enjoyed and was totally hooked on massage therapy.
Not only did my body respond fantastically to her touch… but I suddenly felt calmer, more relaxed and totally stress free.
You could call it a euphoric natural high if you like, but I knew my body and mind had not felt that way before.
I wanted to delve deeper into her mystical powers… I urged and begged Suhailah to let be her student. At first she wasn’t very comfortable with the idea but I was persistent and in the end she agreed to take me under her wing and teach me the ancient art of therapeutic massage.
That was over 40 years ago and I’m not sure Suhailah shared her secret techniques with anyone else apart from me. Over the last 40 years I’ve studied many styles of massage and built a successful massage studio in my home town, carefully administering these techniques to men and women, who have all benefitted just as I did all those years ago.
The time is right now for me to share the same secret techniques that Suhailah, gifted me all those years ago. My wish now is that as many people as possible experience the same rejuvenating, reinvigorating, reenergising youthfulness that I and my clients have felt.
I’ll be keeping this Blog regularly updated with hints and tips on how you too can benefit from giving and receiving massage.
