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MASSAGE THERAPY :
I originally thought
that massage therapy would be a gentle, soothing massage that would
lessen the ever present tightness in my shoulders and lower back.
Boy was I wrong.
I made an appointment at the insistence of my boss because the neck
pain I had experienced since adolescence was becoming more intense
from the way I sat at my computer.
I was led into a pastel room with soft lighting and asked to strip
to my underwear and lay face down on the table. My head went into
a donut shaped holder and there was a place to rest my arms. The massage
therapist came in and asked me some questions about the location of
my pain and then went to work.
It was the most excruciating pain I had ever felt.
Deep tissue massage is used for breaking up the tightness in the muscle
tissue and retraining the muscles. Although the first few sessions
seemed to hurt more than they helped, I stuck with it, coming three
times a week for a month. By the end of the second month I had begun
to look forward to each session and noticed that I wasn't clenching
my jaw as much. I also noticed that my lower back didn't hurt as much
at the end of the day.
The therapist had given me several back stretching exercises to do
at night and the results were amazing. I now refer all of my friends
with muscle pain for massage therapy.
Massage works the soft tissue-muscles, ligaments and tendons-to stimulate
circulation and improve muscle tone. It is a system of kneading and
pressing on specific muscle bundles just underneath the skin, but
a good massage therapist can reach deeper muscles. Massage is and
ancient and simple form of therapy.
Another benefit is improved breathing and circulation. Because the
lymphatic system runs parallel to the circulatory system, there is
improved elimination of waste through out the body, and in order to
experience the full benefits the client is taught how to breathe deeply
and slowly. While the few initial visits were quite uncomfortable,
the full result was entirely relaxing.
An occasional soft massage is so relaxing that many people fall asleep
during the treatment. However, if you have pain like mine a course
of several treatments will result in the full benefit, such as along
with increased circulation and improved breathing, a relaxed muscle
is a good way to prevent sprains and torn ligaments, especially if
you are an athlete. (I am far from being an athlete, but am just as
prone to injury from excess tension and structural weakness.)
For example, when the structure in my lower back is compromised due
to inactivity, I am much more likely to strain my back when I lift
heavy objects, even though I am aware of how to properly lift a box-with
your knees, not with your back- but because my legs and lower back
are weak, massage can greatly improve the position of the muscles
and makes them more pliable, thus resulting in less chance of sprain
or strain.
Massage is also used to relieve fatigue, which can be caused from
the muscles in the body being so tight that you use extra energy to
function. Because massage relaxes the muscles, the entire body doesn't
have to work so hard and what was once fatigue can now be energy directed
elsewhere.
One last note on the benefits of massage-the use of massage oils help
lessen the friction of massage on dry skin, and are often used as
an aromatherapy along with the massage process. A good, clean essential
oil such as rosemary can leave the client feeling relaxed and calm,
so don't hesitate to ask your therapist to use scented oil.
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