WHY GO TO A MASSAGE THERAPIST?

• Do you have a stressful life and are you looking for a healthy, effective way to “de-stress”?

• Do you have “pain” which is hard to manage?

• Do you have injuries, old or new, that drain you of energy and make your every movement feel stiff and un-natural?

• Are you seeking to improve your posture, movement, voice (speaking/singing), or sports performance?

MASSAGE IS EFFECTIVE!

Massage does not replace medicine. Instead, massage works with medicine to enhance the body’s ability to heal through relaxation and muscle re-education.

The ability to relax fully is understated. Many people are not even aware that they are not able to “relax”, or they realize they are “stressed” but simply don’t know “how” to relax. Massage is a healthy way to learn “how” to relax by becoming aware of “how” and “where” your body stores tension (stress) and thereby releasing that tension. Experiencing release of tension and the state of well-being and comfort that comes from that release is an effective way to “de-stress”. This “Massage Experience” can be carried into your daily life—taking a few minutes to re-visit the experience: breathing deeply, acknowledging the area of stress, and telling that area to “release” while feeling “comfort”—a great choice in response to outside stress overload.

Most people know that stress is a factor in many illnesses, such as anxiety, asthma, cancer, headaches, heart disease and high blood pressure, insomnia, poor digestion, fibro-myalgia, female complaints, etc., etc., etc. Moreover, that stress can exhaust you physically and emotionally and inhibit the immune system.

Stress is defined as “pressure, strain: a force that tends to distort a body; a factor that induces bodily or mental tension; a state induced by such stress.”

The body’s response to stress is increased heart rate and blood pressure; shallow and often rapid breathing; decreased blood supply to skin and the body’s core (torso/organs); increased blood supply to limbs; and, decreased digestion and peristalsis. The whole body is flooded with “stress” hormones.

To counter stress and its effects, massage increases lymph and blood flow THROUGHOUT THE BODY, lowers blood pressure, deepens and slows breathing, and causes the brain to release endorphins (the body’s natural pain killers).

The ability to relax helps you “manage” pain, soothing the nerves, tissues and spirit. Massage helps break the “pain cycle” and helps the body “remember” how to feel good.

It is common to “tense” muscles when in pain. The “release” of tension in muscles is just the first step in muscle re-education after injury (or surgery). Muscle fibers and muscle bundles can adhere (stick) as a result of injury or immobility. Scar-tissue also creates adhesions, and massage can loosen these adhesions, leaving the muscles to move more freely. This “movement” can become “known” and a “real” and “lasting” sense of well-being can be actualized.

Improved movement improves posture. Improved posture improves breathing. Improved breathing improves voice quality which improves speaking and singing ability, communication and self-confidence. Musicians, actors, dancers, public speakers and presenters can all benefit from massage, especially in a session combined with movement, posture and breathing exercises.

Sports performance can be enhanced by pre-event warm-up massage or post-event cool-down massage. Massage is an effective tool in injury prevention and re-habilitation.

When the body does fail (and comfort is as priceless as gold), massage is a touch that says, “I care”. More importantly it says, “you are worthy of caring”. A light touch is required for the elderly and frail of health. The focus is on comfort and well-being.