Easy as Health
- Health Information for a Better Life
Massage
Therapy - The Healthy Alternative!
Massage
Therapy is a quickly growing field. Millions upon millions of
people have received a professional massage and the numbers
are quickly growing. Massage is everywhere, and yet on a daily
basis I see so many people who have yet to try it... what are
you waiting for??? You may still be wondering what does massage
really do for you anyway? Or is it really worth it to actually
fork over your hard-earned cash to have someone rub you for
an hour? I promise you massage is filled with benefits that
you may or may not have thought of.
Massage
helps relieve muscular spasm and tension. This is especially
important in this day and age as so many of us spend our days
with our necks cranked to one side to stare at computer screens.
Massage
helps raise immune efficiency. By simply increasing the circulation
in your body massage can help you fight off colds and/or speed
up a cold’s gestation in the body. I’m sure we could all use
a little help with that come winter when we are bombarded with
so many different cold viruses.
Massage
promotes a profound sense of relaxation. Our society is very
hectic and fast paced which causes high stress levels. In a
one hour massage you have no choice but to stop your hectic
life and leave the outside world at the door. Having this time
for yourself is very important for our health since the majority
of illnesses are brought on by stress.
Those are
just a few of the benefits you will come across when you have
a massage.
The next question you may ask yourself is what kind of massage
is best for me?
There are literally hundreds of types of massage practiced around
the world all with different uses and benefits making it hard
to know which one is just right for you. Let me explain a few
of them for you.
First you have Swedish Massage. This is the type of massage
most people envision when they think of “massage”. It is the
most well known and widely practiced form of massage practiced
in the western world, consisting of stroking, kneading, applying
pressure, stretching and so on.
Next there is Sports Massage. This type of massage is primarily
used by the serious athlete who trains continuously. It focuses
on the muscles relevant to the particular athletic activity.
It can include pre-event, post-event and maintenance techniques
that promote endurance and lessen chances for injury. Sports
massage is also great for those weekend warriors who overdue
it and feel the pain the next day.
There is
also Shiatsu. Shiatsu, is a system based on the body’s energy
meridians. Shiatsu massages are normally done fully clothed
and involve pressing points on the body and stretching and opening
the energy meridians.
There is
also Thai Massage. The traditional massage of Thailand, has
been practiced for at least 2500 years. The work consists primarily
of pressure on energy lines and points, and a large variety
of stretching movements. The stretching movements of Thai massage
often resemble passive yoga asanas. One receives all the benefits
of yoga without having to perform and of the work!
There is also Manual Lymphatic Drainage Lymph is a clear colorless
fluid which originates in body tissue and travels in the lymph
vessel system carrying away tissue fluid as well as metabolic
waste. In passing from one region of the body to another, cellular
debris and microorganisms are filtered by lymph nodes along
its path.Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is an advanced therapy
in which the practitioner uses a range of specialized and gentle
rhythmic pumping techniques to move the skin in the direction
of the lymph flow. This stimulates the lymphatic vessels that
carry substances vital to the defense of the body, and removes
waste products.
This is only a small taste of the many different types of massage.
I encourage you to try one of them or all of them and reap the
benefits of massage! For your convenience all of these massages
and others are offered at La Renaissance European Day Spa in
the downtown Sudbury core!
- Article submitted by Tracy Strain,
RMT
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