|
Stress. Massage therapy is one of the best known antidotes for stress. Reducing stress gives you more energy, improves
your outlook, and has even been shown to reduce the likelihood of injury and illness. It can also relieve symptoms of conditions
aggravated by stress such as asthma or insomnia, and provide excellent support for people in counseling.
Tight
and painful muscles. Massage can stretch and knead away
muscle tension in anything from a short-term muscle cramp to a habitually clenched jaw or tight shoulders. In addition, massage
works gently on the nervous system, sending a message to muscles throughout your body to let go and relax.
Post-exercise soreness. After vigorous exercise, a build-up of waste products as well as microscopic
tears in your muscles can leave you feeling tired and sore. Massage improves circulation, cleansing tissues of irritating
wastes and bringing in oxygen and nutrients to relieve pain and speed recovery.
Pain or tingling in your arms or legs.
Muscles can become so contracted that they press on nerves to the arms,
hands, or legs, causing pain or tingling. If this happens, a massage to release muscle spasms in the neck, shoulder, or hip
can bring relief.
Injuries.
Massage can help heal injuries such as tendinitis, ligament sprains or muscle strains.
It reduces sweling and inflamation by helping to remove wastes and bring healing nutrition to injured cells. In addition,
certain techniques can make old scar tissue more pliable and in new injuries, limit its formation.
Secondary Pain. Massage can
relieve secondary pain that may accompany and even outlast its original cause. Some examples are headaches from eyestrain,
backache during pregnancy, or the protective tensing of healthy muscles around an injury.
Injury Prevention. By relieving chronic tension, massage can help prevent injuries that might be caused by great stressing
unbalanced muscle groups, or by favoring or forcing a tight, painful area.
Pain or restriction in joints. Massage releases tight muscles that
restrict joint movement. It also increases circulation to the joints, which can improve their general health and natural lubrication,
and relieve pain from conditions such as arthritis.
Fluid Retention. Massage
and the resulting increased circulation helps drain your tissues of excess fluid caused by recent injury, surgery or pregnancy.
Postural problems. Massage
releases restrictions in muscles, joints and surrounding connective tissue coverings (called fascia). This frees your body
to return to a more natural posture. Massage can also relieve the contracted muscles and pain caused by abnormal spinal curvatures
such as scoliosis.
The ill effects of restricted activity. When you are forced to
limit physical activity because of injury, surgery, paralysis or even normal aging, massage can relieve general aches and
pains and improve your sense of vitality and alertness.
How will a massage feel?
Massage on normal
tissue is almost always pleasant. In an area of an injury or chronic pain, massage may at first cause some discomfort which
usually subsides quickly. Your therapist knows ways to minimize pain without sacrificing effectiveness. Tell your massage
therapist if you feel any discomfort so she or he can adjust the approach.
Is massage always appropriate?
Because there are
some conditions for which massage is not appropriate, inform your massage therapist of even minor problems. Also be aware
that some conditions require ongoing communication between your therapist and primary health practitioner.
Your
massage therapist
Massage therapists
have extensive training that includes massage technique, anatomy and physiology, and a knowledge of when massage is and is not appropriate.
Your
personal plan
On your first visit,
your massage therapist will ask general health questions and review any referring practitioner’s recommendations. Your
therapist will then assess your problem area to determine the best approach to help you. The appropriate frequency, duration
and number of massage sessions will depend on your problem, its severity and how long you have had it, as well as your general
health.
Self-care
techniques
Your massage therapist
can be an excellent resource for learning additional ways to release tension or help heal injuries outside of your massage
sessions. She or he night share relaxing breathing techniques or gentle exercises to increase flexibility and support more
efficient movements. You may also learn to relieve tension by contracting and releasing muscles, pressing “trigger points,”
or using ice and heat.
|
