Hampton

Newport News

Had a busy day? Do you feel like you've been running in circles all day? Need to find a quiet and relaxing place to unwind and de-stress? Give us a call, same day appointments often available. (757) 723-3829

Therapeutic Massage for Physical & Emotional Well-being

    Take the mystery out of massage - meet the latest addition to the health care profession. The healing power of the art and science of massage make it serious medicine. In today’s stressful environment of hurried lifestyles with heavy workloads and demanding family lives - outside pressures all take their toll on the body and emotions. Our team of certified therapists tailors each massage to the clients needs offering a variety of techniques to reduce stress, ease tension and relieve pain - thereby encouraging the body’s natural healing process to restore balance and promote well-being. Incorporating massage into your health and fitness routine can yield results physically, mentally and emotionally.

Effects and Benefits of Massage

by Mario Grimes

    Massage Therapy is one of the oldest therapies known to humanity. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, advises an aromatic bath and fragrant massage daily for the maintenance of health. As self-indulgent as this may sound, based on Hippocrates research into the benefits of regular massage, massage is essential to your total good health and wellbeing. "The advice Hippocrates gave still serves as a valuable guideline for modern practitioners. Hippocrates believed that all physicians should be trained in massage as a method of healing" (Beck 6). It positively affects 9 out of 10 systems of the body, including the skeletal, respiratory, endocrine, integument, excretory, circulatory, nervous, muscular, and digestive systems. "Massage therapy is more than a standard rub down. It is both an art and a science; it promotes healing and well being by utilizing the natural healing processes of the body. It attempts to focus on a specific area of the body to help alleviate a specific problem. Skilled therapists use a variety of ‘hands-on’ techniques to manipulate the muscles and soft tissues of the body in and effort to prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasms, and stress, to promote overall health and wellness" (Here’s the rub C2). The effects and benefits of massage are many: it relieves stress and tension, chronic pain, headaches, backache, anxiety and fatigue, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, muscular spasm and cramps, and depression. It also improves quality of sleep, joint movement, muscle tone, posture, blood and lymph circulation, calms the nervous system, improve digestive efficiency, and elimination of toxins.

    Before one can understand the effects and benefits of massage, we first have to look briefly at the definition of massage therapy and describe some of its modalities and procedures. Massage therapy is a procedure by which the hands directly contact the body to articulate or manipulate the soft tissue, such as, the muscle, fascia, ligaments, and tendons. It is the not the adjustment of bones or the skeletal system. There are several modalities, the most popular being Swedish massage, which is a touch therapy that uses a range of techniques to manipulate the soft tissues of the body: effleurage (slow rhythmic stroking), kneading (circular compression), petrissage (forceful skin rolling), friction (penetrating pressure from the fingertips with circular or transverse movement), tapotement (percussive movements), vibration (trembling movement of both hands). On the other hand, therapeutic massage "covers a lot of territory, symptom-wise. The word therapy usually means more intense massage with the focus on healing by digging a little deeper than the Swedish massage, or to cause change in the body" (Here’s the rub C4). Some other modalities include, deep tissue, sports massage, pregnancy massage, Indian head massage, raindrop therapy, hot stone therapy, trigger point therapy, myoskeletal alignment techniques, NeuroMuscular, and reflexology to name just a few. Some techniques are very deep and can be painful for the first timer so be sure to tell the therapist if this is the first time receiving a massage. It is important to communicate openly and clearly, to the therapist of any problem areas and it the therapist is using to much presser or even if they are to light. Every massage is different and tailored to the client; know two therapists are the same so be willing to try different therapist.

    Stress is an unavoidable consequence of everyday life. Many modern health problems are directly linked to high stress levels. One of the many purposes to receiving a massage is to relieve stress and tension. An article in this week’s local newspaper talks about the effects touch has on healing and reducing stress. "After decades of fear about touch turned the wrong way, into abuse, the power of right touch is coming into its own. Touch Research Institutes (TRI), based at the University of Miami, has done more than 90 studies about the impact of touch, finding that it lightens depression and stress" (A Healing Touch C4). The TRI has more information on their website about the studies they have done. "The Touch Research Institutes are dedicated to studying the effects of touch therapy. The TRIs have researched the effects of massage therapy at all stages of life, from newborns to senior citizens. In these studies the TRIs have shown that touch therapy has many positive effects. For example, massage therapy: facilitates weight gain in preterm infants, reduces stress hormones, alleviates depressive symptoms, reduces pain, and improves immune function and alters EEG in the direction of heightened awareness" (Touch Research Institutes). Touch stimulates the brain to produce endorphins, the body’s natural mood elevators and pain suppressors, but massage is far more than just a treatment that makes us feel good. Massage, also, enhances our immune function and lowers the level of our stress hormones.

    In most English speaking countries, massage is an alternative or complementary treatment, whereas in Europe it is a conventional treatment, particularly for back pain. "In Austria, for example, 87% of patients with back pain receive, and are usually reimbursed for, massage treatment" (Wiesinger). A research study done by Michele Preyde, PhD, at the University of Toronto and a member of the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario, studied the "Effectiveness of massage therapy for sub acute low-back pain and found that adults with sub acute low-back pain reported improved function, less intense pain and a decrease in the quantity of pain and anxiety after six sessions of massage therapy and remedial exercise" (Preyde 816). Low back pain is the number one reason people seek massage therapy.

    Massage therapy is a treatment to many ailments from Alzheimer to Fibromyalgia and Parkinson’s disease. Even though it is not a cure for the disease, it helps the patient deal with the symptoms of the disease by alleviating nervous behavior, such as mumbling and pacing, in people with Alzheimer’s disease. "Studies have charted how massage helps people with Parkinson’s disease sleep better, and allays the anxiety of those with Alzheimer’s" (A Healing Touch). "It is also useful in managing Fibromyalgia. A study of people with Fibromyalgia done by the TRI has found that those who received 30 minutes of massage two times a week for five weeks had less anxiety and depression and lower levels of stress hormones. Over time, they reported less pain and stiffness, less fatigue, and less trouble sleeping" (Touch Research Institutes).

    Massage has positive effects on the body, first look at joint movement. "Massage can have positive effects on the range of motion of limbs that have a limited range due to tissue injury, inflammation, or muscle strain" (Beck 200). Massage therapists are not necessarily repairing muscle strain nor are they repairing tissue, or reducing inflammation; however, they are simply trying to go in and affect change so the body can take over, recover and keep the muscles from getting tight. Massage, also, improves blood circulation by supplying cells with nutrient materials and carrying away waste products. "One of the primary functions of muscles is to protect the joints of the body. If one has a car accident or falls off a horse, the muscles tighten up to protect the bones and joints, making the whole body stiff and sore. The muscles feel a little bit traumatized. Repeating a situation where the muscles were hurt, those muscles may tighten in order to protect. Muscles have memory, so massage works against muscle memory by trying to coax and manipulate muscles to relax and loosen" (Here’s the rub C4).

    Massage relieves restlessness and insomnia and improves the quality of sleep. As massage can be either relaxing or stimulating it is important to tell the massage therapist of any sleeping disorder so they can use the appropriate modality of massage. A relaxation massage would use long strokes, kneading and friction techniques on the more superficial layers of the muscles and aromatherapy oils that would not stimulate the senses. Millions of Americans are addicted to tranquilizers to reduce stress by day, and sleeping pills to induce sleep at night. Replaced with massage therapy, gives the body the opportunity to return to a normal sleep/wake cycle.

    Finally, massage is good for injuries and increasing recovery time. After an injury, gentle whole-body massage conveys reassurance. Smooth stroking reduces pain by relieving the congestion of the healing process. Later, friction massage near the injury site speeds repair by stimulating the circulation. Massage can be helpful in breaking down scar tissue caused by injuries and surgeries. An article in the Massage Therapy Journal about "Massage For Active Seniors" recommends massage to older clients to ensure that they remain in good shape and help in recovery of the active senior. "All active individuals, regardless of their exercise program, need to value proper recovery following training. Recovery is especially important for the competitive senior or professional athlete. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) states, ‘Athletes improve during recovery, not training; the purpose of training is to cause adaptation that takes place during recovery. Coaches must plan and prepare as much for recovery as they do for training.’ ACSM includes massage therapy as a proactive restorative technique" (Stone 48).

    Massage is a preventative healthcare. However, "some clients experience certain after-effects following a massage which should not be a cause for alarm. Usually the effects are felt following the first or second massage. Some people complain of a slight headache, upset stomach and nausea, or the feeling they get with the onset of a cold. Such reactions are due to an increase in metabolic waste material in the circulatory system" (Beck 294). It is important to drink plenty of water to help rehydrate even to a cellular level and flush the waste material from the body. This demonstrates the powerful effects of massage. No longer viewed as "something nice to do," it is recognized as a vital part of one’s preventive healthcare. There are so many benefits to massage and only one downfall…it can become addictive! Not only does massage feel good, it is also good for you.

Work Cited

[ Home ]

Send mail to webmaster@center4massagetherapy.com with questions or comments about this website.
Copyright © 2003 Center 4 Massage Therapy
Established: 1 November 1995; by Ruth Grimes, CMT
Last modified: 09/30/06