Massage: With Frequency the Benefits of Massage Improve
Are you the massage client who make an appointment only after you have been given a gift certificate? Do you make it in for a massage only when you need that stress relief turn-up? Or do you have regular appointments with your therapist religiously – weekly, every other week, three weeks, once a month? What kind of client are you?
Frequent Massage
By alleviating stress, frequent massage can improve the quality of our life. Stress, we are told by the Experts, makes up more than 90 percent of disease. Nothing will age a person faster, both inside and out, than the effects of stress. The increasingly deadly part stress plays in modern-day life is painfully clear, as we see stress-related diseases continue to claim more lives yearly.
Take charge of your health and reverse the situation by adding Massage to your health practice. In simple terms, the benefits of massage therapy is: “Healing input influences healing output.” (Mary Beth Braun and Stephanie Simonson, authors of Introduction to Massage Therapy) They note that frequent massage can reduce the accumulation of stress and improve overall health. Massage benefits are cumulative!
What Massage can do for you
Everyone can benefit from massage.
Massage can:
provide anything from soothing relaxation to deep tissue therapy for specific problems.
relieve symptoms caused by stress and anxiety.
increase the blood supply to your body tissues.
improve energy and alertness
aid in the recovery of pulled muscles or sprained ligaments.
help with the recovery of uncomfortable stresses caused by child birth, edema, backaches, and exhaustion.
relieve certain repetitive motion injuries related to activities while on-the-job.
greatly reduce your pain, if you suffer from problems such as TMJ (temporal mandibular joint dysfunction) or carpal tunnel syndrome.
compensate, in part, for the lack of exercise and muscular contraction if you are a person who, because of age, illness, or injury is forced to remain inactive.
Your first appointment?
Liz will begin by asking you general health questions since there are some conditions where massage would not be appropriate. You may be asked about your reasons for getting a massage, what your current physical conditions are, medical history, lifestyle, stress level, areas of pain, along with other topics which may be pertinent.
You will be given privacy to undress to your comfort level. The areas that are being worked on will be the only areas uncovered while you are on the table. You will lie down on a comfortably padded massage table.
For several techniques Liz will use a Massage Lotion or Oil, which is good for your Skin and absorbs well. For some types of Bodywork Lotion or Oils are not used.
How long is a session?
An hour is a common session length. This gives time for a deeply relaxing full body massage, or more time to work on a particular area, for example back, neck and shoulders. A half-hour can be an excellent introduction to bodywork, having plenty of time for a specific area such as legs or arms and shoulders. An hour and a half is generally enough time to address the entire body, with special attention being given to problem areas.
After your Massage…
Massage and Bodywork can be very relaxing, affecting your entire body’s systems. Let yourself have a little time to reorient before slowly getting up.
After the session, many people feel very relaxed. There may be a news feeling of freedom from aches and pains that have built up over a period of several months from the daily tension and repetitive activity of life.
Sometimes you may not feel dramatic results right away. Watch for changes over the following days, such as pain relief, increased mobility, or reduced stress.
Discover Reflexology
“A non-invasive complementary modality involving the use of alternating pressure applied to the reflexes within the reflex maps of the body located on the feet, hands and outer ears.” Reflexology involves applying pressure to points in the feet and hands that correspond with all parts of the body. Stimulating these reflex areas can relieve stress and tension, improve blood supply, enhance nerve function, help the body to reach a more natural, balanced state of health.
Frequently Reported Benefits
*Stress Reduction
*Relaxation
*Pain Management
*Health Enhancement
*Improved body function
Typical Sessions
*Only remove footwear
*Individualized Care
*Approximate session length 60 minutes
Reflexologists do NOT:
*Diagnose medical disorders
*Treat medical conditions directly.
*Prescribe or adjust medications.
History and Science:
This art and science of Reflexology is based on the work of three 20th Century medical doctors and a Physiotherapist
*Dr. William Fitzgerald (USA)
*Dr. Joe Shelby Riley (USA)
*Dr. Paul Nogier (France)
*Eunice Ingham (USA)
Reflexology is…
*Supported by Global Research Studies.
*National Institutes of Health recognized as an
Integrative Therapy.
Promoting Your Good Health
Reflexology promotes the body’s marvelous ability to adjust and balance during times of stress. Simply taking time out to relax can help you let go of tension and enjoy a feeling of restored balance.
Beyond relaxation, reflexology has been shown to improve circulation. Increasing circulations boosts the supply of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and other tissues and speeds the eliminations of waste products such as lactic acid and stress hormones. This, in turn, reduces muscle tension and soreness, decreases healing time for injuries, and reduces swelling from injures and illness. Immune function, skin tone, and the ability to concentrate also improve when circulation is increased.
Why work on the feet?
We have over 7000 nerve endings on the soles of our feet, making them quite sensitive-and responsive to the sensory input of reflexology.
If you are stressed, overworked, or injured, a Reflexologist can send a calm and intentional message to the nervous system through his or her skilled touch to the feet. Because your nervous system is designed to respond to new input, your reflexologist’s relaxing touch refocuses your attention from the stress you’ve been experiencing. As you begin to unwind and enjoy new and pleasant sensations, tension decreases and pain subsides.
The feet are accessible and easy to work. You only need to remove your shoes and socks and your Reflexologist can address the needs of your entire body. If your feet cannot be worked for any reason, you can receive the same benefits from stimulating the reflexology points in your hands.
An abundance of evidence complied over centuries from such diverse areas as Egypt, India, Japan, China and Europe suggests that your body is reflected in your feet. That is when pressure is applied to the feet, predictable positive changes occur elsewhere in the body.
Reflexology in health care
Because it promotes overall health, reflexology is used as complementary care for people with a variety of conditions. For example, reflexology can help alleviate headaches, reduce arthritic and back pain, decrease the symptoms of addiction withdrawal, ease the swings of premenstrual syndrome, and reduce the symptoms of diabetes.
In Switzerland, nurses working with terminally ill cancer patients routinely use reflexology to decrease pain and make patients more comfortable. In Great Britain, reflexology is part of the National Health Service. Of the 26% of Danes who have tried reflexology as a complementary therapy, 73% of these experience benefits, including a gain in energy, improved mood, and improved sleep.
A holistic approach
When considering reflexology as complementary care, it is important to understand that reflexology approaches the body as a whole with interrelated systems. For example, applying pressure to the sinus points by themselves will not necessarily relieve a headache. Your Reflexologist stimulates all you reflex points, enabling your body to mobilize healing energies wherever in the body they are needed.
