Does pain or restricted movement keep you from living the life you want? Sports injuries, household accidents, repetitive actions on the job, and tension from everyday stresses can all cause problems that, too often, take up permanent residence in our bodies.
Massage can help. Massage is a gentle therapy that can relieve pain and, in combination with other appropriate health care measures, can help heal certain conditions and prevent their return. In some cases massage can reduce or even eliminate the need for medication or surgery.
Massage is one of the best known antidotes for stress. Reducing stress gives you more energy, improves your outlook on life, and in the process reduces the likelihood of injury and illness. Massage can also relieve symptoms of conditions that are aggravated by anxiety such as asthma or insomnia. Because it relieves stress, massage is an excellent supportive therapy for people in psychological counseling or treatment for addiction.
Massage can relieve many types of muscle tightness, from a short-term muscle cramp to a habitually clenched jaw or tight shoulders. Some massage techniques release tension directly by stretching and kneading your muscles and their connective tissue coverings (called fascia). Other techniques work less directly, but quite powerfully, by stimulating your nervous system to allow your muscles to relax.
After vigorous exercise, a buildup of waste products in your muscles can leave you feeling tired and sore. Massage increases circulation, which removes waste products and brings in healing nutrients.
Muscles can become so contracted that they press on nerves to the arms, hands and legs, causing pain or tingling. If this happens, a massage to release muscle spasms in the shoulder or hip can bring relief.
Massage can help heal injuries such as tendonitis that develop over time, as well as ligament sprains or muscle strains caused by an accident. Massage reduces inflammation by increasing circulation, which removes waste products and brings nutrients to injured cells. Certain massage techniques can limit scar formation in new injuries and can reduce, or make more pliable, scar tissue around old injuries.
Massage can relieve secondary pain that can outlast its original cause. Some examples are headaches from eyestrain, a low backache during pregnancy, or the protective tensing of healthy muscles around an injury.
By relieving chronic tension, massage can help prevent injuries that might be caused by stressing, unbalanced muscle groups, or by favoring or forcing a painful, restricted area.
Besides releasing tight muscles that restrict joint movement, massage works directly on your joints to improve circulation, stimulate production of natural lubrication, and relieve pain from conditions such as osteoarthritis.
Massage releases restrictions in muscles, joints, and surrounding fascia, freeing your body to return to a more natural posture. Massage can also relieve the contracted muscles and pain caused by abnormal spinal curvatures such as scoliosis.
There are many reasons you may be forced to limit physical activity including injury, surgery, paralysis or even normal aging. When this happens, massage can relieve your aches and pains and improve circulation to your skin and muscles. Even when an immobilized area cannot be massaged directly, the relaxation and increased circulation from a general massage can give you relief.
Massage increases your circulation which in turn drains tissues of excess fluid caused by recent injury, surgery or pregnancy.
Massage on normal tissue is almost always a pleasant sensation. Massage in the area of an injury or chronic pain may at first cause some discomfort which usually lessens noticeably in the first few minutes. I know ways to minimize pain, and will work carefully within what feels right to you. Always tell me if you feel any discomfort so we can make adjustments.
There are some conditions for which massage is not appropriate. Always tell me if you have a medical problem, even a minor one. Also, let your primary health care practitioner know you are receiving massage. Some conditions may require close communication with your doctor or health care practitioner. I will gladly provide regular progress reports.
On your first visit, I will ask you general health questions and review any referring practitioner's recommendations. We will then assess your problem area to determine the best approach, perhaps by checking for restricted or painful movement, gently feeling for tenderness, and looking at your posture.
I will then decide on a plan which will focus on your particular issue, along with other areas that may be related. I may recommend a series of massages. The appropriate frequency, duration and number of massage sessions for you will depend on your problems, its severity and how long you have had it, as well as your general health.
Sojourn massage does not file insurance claims on your behalf, but I will be happy to provide you with an invoice so you may file your own claim.
Your greatest benefit from massage could be learning ways to release tension or help heal injuries outside of your massage sessions. I might share relaxation breathing techniques or general exercises to increase flexibility and teach your muscles more efficient movements. Other common techniques you might learn are how to release tension by contracting and releasing muscles, pressing “trigger points” or using ice and heat.
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