Guide to Massage
If you’re sore, tense, or stressed, that fatigue registers in your body and mind. Massage, one of the oldest and most enduring forms of healing, can restore physical wellness, balance energy, and increase strength and flexibility.
History of Massage
Massage has been an important component of both Eastern and Western medicine since ancient times. Bodywork figures heavily in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic (traditional Indian) practices, and early Greek and Roman medical writings mention the role of massage in treating athletes and postsurgical patients. The style of Swedish massage was developed during the 19th century and is often credited to P. H. Ling, founder of the Royal Gymnastics Central Institute in Stockholm.
Though many Eastern countries include massage therapy as part of standard medical care, in the Western world it is usually considered a separate profession.
Benefits of Massage
Well-intentioned touch can affect the entire body positively and leave you feeling physiologically and psychologically better. Massage can:
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Reduce muscle spasms - Restore length to muscles tightened by overuse and postural habits
- Break up adhesions (or knots) in tissues that can hinder movement
- Treat chronic musculoskeletal pain, such as lower-back pain and headaches
- Increase blood and lymph circulation, which allows more nutrients to reach cells
- Reduce the body’s output of stress hormones by stimulating the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) nervous system
- Provoke endorphin production
- Improve respiratory and immune system functioning
- Calm mental activity and reduce emotional stress
Common Types of Massage
Massage means many things to many cultures. Before you receive or administer a massage, consider the following different techniques:
- Swedish
The basis for all styles of Western massage, Swedish is the most widespread type of massage in the United States. Long, flowing, rhythmic strokes are performed on the recipient’s body using oil. Swedish massage is often performed solely for relaxation purposes, but with stronger or more specific pressure, it can be used to treat pain or dysfunctional soft-tissue conditions. Swedish massage is more or less synonymous with the terms deep-tissue massage and medical massage. - Aromatherapy
The practice of enhancing health, mood, and appearance through the use of concentrated plant extracts called essential oils. We blend the essential oils most suited for you in a fine quality carrier oil, usually sweet almond oil. This individual blend is gently massaged into the skin using flowing, relaxing moves. We offer several different aromatherapy massages and facials.
What to Expect When You Get a Massage
Getting a massage should be a completely calming experience for you, with no disturbances or surprises to either your body or your mind.
Length of the Massage
Massages typically last anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, with 60 minutes as a rough average. The massage may cover the full body or focus only on specific areas of concern, such as the lower back, neck, shoulders, or legs.
Questions the Massage Therapist Will Ask
The therapist will ask you about your health history, any medications you are taking, your general physical activities, and areas of pain or discomfort. This is so the therapist can rule out any conditions that may make massage unsafe and determine how to tailor the massage to your needs.
Clothing
The therapist will then tell you how much, if any, of your clothing you should take off and how to position yourself on the table or floor. If you are expected to undress, the therapist will give you privacy and drape you under a towel. If you feel uncomfortable undressing entirely, you are not obligated to do so.
Talking During the Massage
Most people choose not to talk very much during the massage; it helps the therapist concentrate and helps you focus on what is happening to your body. The therapist may occasionally ask you to participate in the massage by taking a deep breath or moving a limb while he or she performs a certain technique. Otherwise you should remain as passive as possible and let the therapist do all the work.
What to Do If You’re Dissatisfied
You should never feel intimidated during a massage—don’t hesitate to speak up and tell the therapist if anything feels uncomfortable or painful to you. Every person’s body is different, so certain massage techniques may or may not work for different people. Feedback helps the massage therapist alter the session for you.