Tag Archives: improved health

Why Get a Massage?

There area lot of benefits to getting a massage and many people do not realize how many different kinds of massage there is and all of the great things it can do for health.

 

Massage is the manipulation of body tissue to achieve relaxation and improved health.  Massage can also help improve a person’s psychological outlook and relieve stress. It is used to block pain, create a natural high and sense of well-being and prevent the development of scar tissue. The word itself is a French word that means “friction or kneading. “

 

Massage involves manipulating the client’s body with pressure tension, motion, or vibration done manually or with mechanical aids. Usually it is tendons, joints, lymphatic tissue organs and connective tissue that is the focus of the healing touch of the therapist.

 

Massage can be applied with the hands, fingers, elbows, forearm, and feet. When you book a session at a spa, ask your technician what type of massage is offered.  So far in history as there are over eighty different types of massage offered as services.

 

Common types of massage include Swedish massage, aromatherapy massage, hot stones massage, deep tissue massage, shiatsu, Thai massage, reflexology, sports massage, Trager massage and acupressure.

 

The benefits of massage are manifold. They include pain relief, stress reduction but also relief of many diseases. It is particularly useful when it comes to relieving the pain of musculoskeletal injuries. It reduces back pain and postoperative pain and can help relieve muscle soreness and headaches.

 

Massage also increases the breath capacity in asthmatics and can help alleviate the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. It can also help with dental or jaw pain.

Massage also has beneficial effects mentally and can help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.

 

In addition to pain relief, reducing stress is a common reason many people get massages.

 

The negative results of a massage can include bruising, damaged blood vessels, deep vein thrombosis, fractures and fever. These types of consequences are very real and would be the result of rough handling of the body by the massage therapist.

 

Remember that you do not have to be sick or sore to reap the benefits of a good massage. You can do it for the weight loss, improvement in circulation and other benefits that naturally occur as the result of getting a massage.