Why You Should Consider Massage Therapy
Once upon a time, massage was something that was offered in day spas, health clubs and luxury resorts. That’s all changed. Today you can find massage chairs just about everywhere — in offices, at conventions, airports, and even healthcare clinics and hospitals. This form of relaxation treatment has been found to have a great deal of benefits for health and wellness overall.
Those who have never tried massage are sometimes hesitant to explore this process. Not only is it a wonderful way to relax and relieve stress, it can be a great approach to living a healthier, more holistic lifestyle. Check out the many massage therapy benefits you can get, and why you should consider this form of pain management and wellness treatment today.
An Overview of Massage
The term “massage” is a general umbrella for the use of pressure — pressing, rubbing or otherwise manipulating — soft tissue to achieve a specific result. Soft tissue refers to your ligaments, muscles, tendons and skin. It can make use of light touches or deep pressure. There are a range of different kinds of massage, with the most common being Swedish, Deep, Sports and Trigger Point Massage.
Swedish Massage uses kneading, long strokes, circular movements, tapping and vibration. The end goal is to energize and relax the client.
Deep Massage makes use of greater force and long strokes to target deep muscle layers and connective tissue. The goal is to treat muscle damage that results from injuries.
Sports Massage, as you might expect, is targeted for those who are engaged in athletics. It can be used to treat sports injuries, but is also used for preventative purposes.
Trigger Point Massage focuses on various areas of tight fibers which can form after you overuse, strain or injure muscle. These areas can include what are popularly known as “knots” in the muscle.
Massage Therapy Benefits
There are many massage therapy benefits that people can gain, both as a complement to other forms of therapy like chiropractic and when used on its own. It’s being offered more commonly with other treatments as part of physical therapy or to improve overall health and well-being.
Massage therapy is well known to be effective in treating stress, muscle tension, pain, improving range of motion and more. There is even research being done on massage therapy’s potential to treat conditions like digestive disorders, fibromyalgia, headaches, stress-based insomnia, myofascial pain and more.
Are There Risks?
Massage is a non-invasive means of treating a range of health conditions, increasing relaxation, and relieving stress and tension. However, there are certain situations where caution should be exercised. Those who have bleeding disorders, burns, open wounds, or who are taking blood-thinning medication should talk to their doctor before getting massage. Likewise, patients suffering from fractures, serious osteoporosis, deep vein thrombosis or serious thrombocytopenia should seek medical attention before getting therapy.
If you’re curious as to whether massage therapy benefits could be helpful to you, Synergy Wellness can help. Give us a call today for more information or to schedule your first appointment!