Massage Therapy can help alleviate these conditions:
Headaches/Chronic neck pain/Repetitive stress injuries/Low back pain/Muscle strains/Sports injuries/Carpal tunnel syndrome/Stress/Whiplash/Anxiety/Postural imbalances/Muscle spasms.
What is expected of you during your massage therapy treatment?
Your role is to simply let your mind and body relax. Inform your therapist if pressure needs to be adjusted to a lighter or firmer pressure. As you relax, so does your body temperature. The room and table can be heated to keep you comfortable during your massage. Simply relax and enjoy the therapeutic experience.
How often have you said “I think the pain will go away” and it doesn’t?
The reason for this is that just like in sports where we create muscle memory specific to the actions of the sport, with chronic pain and injuries our bodies create distortions and imbalances related to repetitive motion and overuse. Once we establish this pattern the body does not have a switch to instantly turn this cycle off. This is where massage and lifestyle changes can have the most impact by interrupting the continuous cycle of pain and creating change in the muscle tissues.
Do you know that there are over 650 muscles in the human body? When the body is not in symmetry imbalances occur and muscle tissue on one side will affect muscles on the opposite side of the body creating pain, if left untreated the short term pain may subside, but the long term imbalance can create larger problems down the road. You can create balance through massage, exercise, nutrition, stretching, ergonomics and lifestyle management.
During most massage treatments you should not experience muscle soreness, however if you are experiencing muscle pain prior to the massage your body is already in a state of ischemia (reduced circulation of blood and nutrients to the affected muscle tissue) resulting in muscle pain. With that in mind as you receive a massage the body is creating fluid movement and cellular changes, this in turn may create muscle soreness for a short period of time.
What you might experience after a massage is:
- Increased range of motion
- Heightened body awareness
- Reduction of muscle tension
- Slight muscle soreness, if the muscles were ischemic prior to the massage.
What you can you do to reduce the effects of delayed muscle soreness?
Hydration: Massage provides a pathway for fluid to move through the tissues. To further improve this process you must provide proper hydration to remove waste products from the tissue and the body which in turn will assist the flow of healthy nutrients to the affected areas. Water is the quickest and purist way to hydrate the body. Sixty-four ounces of water a day is the base level of intake.
Ice: Will help reduce inflammation related to ischemia and the positive effects created through massage therapy. Ice can be applied to the affected area using an ice pack for 10 to 15 minutes, then removing the pack for approximately 30 minutes, then replacing it, for another 10 to 15 minutes.