BENEFITS OF MASSAGE
- Relieve Stress and emotional tension.
- Relax mind and body deeply.
- Helps you connect spiritually.
- Helps to generally get you back to optimal health!
Massage Treatments and techniques
Because of the differences in definition of the "relaxation massage" it is a good idea to call beforehand and find out about what you will be getting. There's likely to be some soft music - in spas and treatment rooms they tend to use a kind of music that is almost impossible to describe. It's featureless yet calming. If you go to a private therapist, you may not get something so easy to ignore - if you have a spiritual dread of Enya or whale song, it might be worth taking along your own music, as these kinds of music tend to be favourites
Relaxation massage
Definitions vary, but in the UK, a relaxation massage is usually a full-body treatment involving soft music, soft lighting and aromatherapy oils. You will have a long, luxurious massage which will use all kinds of techniques including long strokes, gentle kneading and rolling of skin and muscle, and perhaps some rhythmic rocking from side to side. It is a passive treatment. You probably won't be stretched or manoeuvred into any yoga-like positions, as you are, for example, in Thai massage. You just lie there and take it. This is the massage to choose if you just want to chill out, and be pampered and spoiled. A good relaxation massage relieves stress and tension in your muscles and will leave you oozing with a sense of wellbeing. It achieves this because of the general benefits of massage: it improves your circulation, so your organs and skin get more oxygen; it moves fluid through your lymphatic system. A relaxation massage encourages your body to digest its food, and get rid of its toxins. It will help you to sleep better. A massage will also help un-knot any muscles, soothe aches and sprains and encourage the skin to heal minor abrasions.
Deep tissue
Similar to Swedish massage, deep tissue massage uses slower and firmer strokes and pressure than other treatments - deep finger pressure that concentrates on particular areas, and follows or goes across the fibres of muscles and tendons. Some types of deep tissue treatments include:
Cross-fibre friction
This specialised massage treatment is used to treat chronic muscular tension, working across the fibres of the muscles.
Trigger Point Therapy
This treatment puts pressure on certain trigger points, temporarily stopping blood flow to a particular part of the body, and then releasing it, flooding that body part with fresh blood. It sounds weird and it feels weird too; you realise how powerful your blood is when it surges back into your arteries and the limb feels suddenly warm and strong. This treatment kick-starts your circulation as it pours and pumps fresh oxygen around your body. This technique is also a feature of Thai massage.
Myofascial Release
Fascia is a tough tissue that surrounds every muscle, bone, organ, nerve, and blood vessel in your body. Myofascial release is a stretching technique that releases tension and therefore pain deep in the body. It is used by physiotherapists to treat patients with some soft tissue problems. It is also called "connective tissue massage".
Deep tissue massage helps to refresh and relax muscles, increasing the blood flow and therefore the oxygen flow around your body. This gets rid of toxins in very sore and strained muscles, which helps them to strengthen and heal.
Deep tissue massage is often used to treat people who are recovering from accidents, and for sports injuries as it increases blood circulation in muscles that are underused, relieves chronic muscle tension throughout the body, and can also break down scar tissue and "knots" deep in the muscles.
HR Stretching (hold and relax stretching)
Very similar to ART (active release therapy) , HR stretching puts the affected joint or joints through a range of motion while the therapist puts pressure on the affected muscle or tendon. By doing so, long term scar tissue can be broken up and normal motion, free of pain can be restored. This method gets the client more involved as well by getting them to engage muscles, then release and so on.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is commonly associated with the beneficial scent of various essential oils, but is more commonly used in applications to the body. An example would be inhaling eucalyptus for a lung infection or applying a mixture of mint, wintergreen and red thyme to the skin for a muscle strain.Aromatherapy is used in a number of ways, including:
- relieving stress and anxiety; it is used with older people with dementia to relieve distress
- helping you to sleep better; whether you have problems getting to sleep (insomnia) or staying asleep
- helping you relax
- relieving tiredness or aching muscles
- improving flexibility
- soothing chronic pain
- improving skin tone
- aiding concentration
- calming bad temper
Remedial Exercise
Remedial exercise uses a combination of active and passive exercise to restore and improve the client's musculoskeletal health. Remedial exercise is an integral part of one's treatment. It is involved from the first assessment, through the massage treatment, and goes home with the client in the form of a self-care plan. Remedial exercise takes three forms: active and passive range of motion, stretching (static and dynamic), and strength (resistance) training.
Precautions
- Before any massage treatment, avoid large meals or alcohol
- It's also a good idea to drink plenty of water, which will help your body to flush the toxins out of your body
- It's also a good idea to give yourself plenty of time either side of the massage, so that you don't feel rushed
- Always remember to be very specific on your intake form, advising of pregnancy, cuts, injuries, etc.