The Importance of Maintenance
Fill in the blank time...
Your body is a _________
A. Vehicle
B. House
C. Source of life and well-being
D. All of the above
The correct answer is D. Your body is a vehicle in that it transports you from place to place, task to task. Your body houses your organs, fluids, bones, and everything else that helps you function. As for your body being a source of life and well-being (which seems like the most obvious answer) well, you wouldn't have much of a life or any well-being without a properly functioning body would you?
Each of these things; vehicle, house, source of wellness; have something in common. They all need to be taken care of. Your car needs regular work in the form of tune-ups, oil changes, and tire rotations. Your house needs regular cleanings, occasional repairs to the windows, and the driveway resealed. To keep your well-being in a good place, you need a release from stress and a time to relax and rejuvenate. Each of these individual things have one major thing in common: Maintenance.
Maintenance is a regular form of work done to keep something working at its best and to prevent damage, and for your body, Maintenance Massage is one of the best ways of keeping your body at its best. Most people only think of seeing a massage therapist when they are hurting or extremely stressed out. Very few realize that just like a car, if you wait until something is actually wrong, it takes longer to fix. Even if nothing is actually wrong, small problems can still develop at any time and keeping the small problems in check can keep bigger problems from developing.
A short, regular massage can get rid of the minor aches, tightness, and stress that accumulate through everyday life. As these small, minor aches and soreness accumulate over months and years, they can become major problems like chronic pain which will then result in a bad downward spiral consisting of either your taking loads of pain killers (and eventually ruining your stomach and other systems) or seeing multiple doctors and specialists who inevitably will stick you in Physical Therapy costing you your time, money, and sanity. Why put off something so simple that in the end can help you in so many ways?
Maintenance massage doesn't have to be long or elaborate. Many therapists offer a short simple massage that is perfect for keeping away those little aches and sore spots. Usually a 15 or 30-minute massage focused on your most troubled areas once a month or every three weeks is enough to keep you in great shape and can fend off many developing major issues.
To make the most of the short focused massage, think about which areas need the most maintenance based on the individual. If you sit at a computer all day, you might want a quick untangling of the knots in the neck and shoulders. Golfers, bikers, or weekend athletes might want their shoulders or legs kept loose so they don't injure themselves each time they play. If you have a demanding boss and many stressful deadlines, you may need to clear your mind and relax to keep your sanity and stay focused on work.
No matter how active or inactive a person is, regular maintenance and care keeps the overall body in the best shape it can be. Just because you feel like you aren't in excrutiating pain, doesn't mean that deep under the surface, little issues are slowly uniting to someday become bigger issues. One short massage once a month is a simple and effective way to ensure that your body keeps moving, functioning, and keeping you well.
Coming Next Time......A Stone's Throw From Paradise
A Caring Touch: Massage Therapy
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Know Your Therapist
Everybody is unique and each person's reason for receiving Massage Therapy is unique. In order to get the most effective therapeutic benefits from your massage, you need to be comfortable with your therapist.
The first time you see a new massage therapist for a specific problem, you want to make sure that they have the proper credentials for your state, or even some form of training at all. Every state has different regulations regarding how much training a massage therapist should have to legally work in the state. Some states require a certain number of training hours, perhaps a state license or certification, or maybe even a National Certification - and some states have no regulations at all. For example, in the state of Pennsylvania, where I practice, there currently is no regulation for massage therapy - that means that one doesn't currently need any type of training in massage therapy to become a professional massage therapist in this state. (Side note: This doesn't mean that I have no training, I actually hold over 1280 hours of training, and a Certification as well as several Continuing Education Units, or CEUs which means I have continued my studies beyond my original training program. I am actually severely over-qualified to work in this state, but I consider that an advantage to my clients.) Whatever the regulations are for your state, make sure your therapist has those qualifications.
You will also want to make sure that your therapist specializes in a type of massage that will help your problem. There are many different types of massage, so it may be difficult to know what kind of massage you need. You might look at a list of styles, or modalities, that a therapist offers and feel like you're reading a menu in a foreign country; "Why Swedish Massage? I'm in America!", "What is a Trigger Point?", "How do you pronounce Myofacial and what is it?" While the modalities sound complicated and confusing, they are all usually quite simple to understand and this is where another part of knowing your therapist comes in.
Your therapist should be willing to listen to what your issues are and be able to recommend the modality that is best for you. They should be willing to explain and describe any modalities they offer that you have questions about and educate you about which will work for your problem and why. You should be completely comfortable talking to your therapist and be confident that he or she will listen to your needs. This goes for during the massage as well as before it. If you can only tolerate light pressure, you may not want to go to a therapist who only specializes in Deep Tissue work, or if you do want to see this therapist, he or she should be willing to lighten up their pressure in they know you can't handle the deep stuff.
You should be comfortable with the communication between you and your therapist because this is the person that you will be trusting to help you get better. The main thing that should exist between you and your therapist is comfort. You are putting yourself into your therapist's hands (pun intended), and you should be completely comfortable with the person that will be touching you, otherwise, you will be too tense and on edge to enjoy the massage and have it do any good. In all, when selecting a therapist, you should consider their ability to help you, their willingness to help you, and how comfortable you are with them. A good amount of open communication with your massage therapist can benefit you in a therapeutic way, as well as mentally, which really opens all channels of healing and makes the therapy that much more effective.
Coming Next Time... The Importance of Maintenance
Everybody is unique and each person's reason for receiving Massage Therapy is unique. In order to get the most effective therapeutic benefits from your massage, you need to be comfortable with your therapist.
The first time you see a new massage therapist for a specific problem, you want to make sure that they have the proper credentials for your state, or even some form of training at all. Every state has different regulations regarding how much training a massage therapist should have to legally work in the state. Some states require a certain number of training hours, perhaps a state license or certification, or maybe even a National Certification - and some states have no regulations at all. For example, in the state of Pennsylvania, where I practice, there currently is no regulation for massage therapy - that means that one doesn't currently need any type of training in massage therapy to become a professional massage therapist in this state. (Side note: This doesn't mean that I have no training, I actually hold over 1280 hours of training, and a Certification as well as several Continuing Education Units, or CEUs which means I have continued my studies beyond my original training program. I am actually severely over-qualified to work in this state, but I consider that an advantage to my clients.) Whatever the regulations are for your state, make sure your therapist has those qualifications.
You will also want to make sure that your therapist specializes in a type of massage that will help your problem. There are many different types of massage, so it may be difficult to know what kind of massage you need. You might look at a list of styles, or modalities, that a therapist offers and feel like you're reading a menu in a foreign country; "Why Swedish Massage? I'm in America!", "What is a Trigger Point?", "How do you pronounce Myofacial and what is it?" While the modalities sound complicated and confusing, they are all usually quite simple to understand and this is where another part of knowing your therapist comes in.
Your therapist should be willing to listen to what your issues are and be able to recommend the modality that is best for you. They should be willing to explain and describe any modalities they offer that you have questions about and educate you about which will work for your problem and why. You should be completely comfortable talking to your therapist and be confident that he or she will listen to your needs. This goes for during the massage as well as before it. If you can only tolerate light pressure, you may not want to go to a therapist who only specializes in Deep Tissue work, or if you do want to see this therapist, he or she should be willing to lighten up their pressure in they know you can't handle the deep stuff.
You should be comfortable with the communication between you and your therapist because this is the person that you will be trusting to help you get better. The main thing that should exist between you and your therapist is comfort. You are putting yourself into your therapist's hands (pun intended), and you should be completely comfortable with the person that will be touching you, otherwise, you will be too tense and on edge to enjoy the massage and have it do any good. In all, when selecting a therapist, you should consider their ability to help you, their willingness to help you, and how comfortable you are with them. A good amount of open communication with your massage therapist can benefit you in a therapeutic way, as well as mentally, which really opens all channels of healing and makes the therapy that much more effective.
Coming Next Time... The Importance of Maintenance
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Massage Therapy: Stereotypes Away!
What comes to your mind when you hear the word "Massage"? Some people think of soothing music by the edge of the sea where coconut oil is rubbed lightly over your body until you begin to melt with relaxation. Some people think of a large character speaking broken English rubbing you down until you are raw. Unfortunately others think of a seedy anonomyous midnight phone call and a dimly-lit motel room.
Massage has gotten some very unusual reputations, filled with unreasonable stereotypes. People unfamiliar with massage can imagine it being everything from the ultimate experience, to something sick and twisted. While in recent years, massage is being more recognized by many as a very good thing, sadly, massage in seedy dim motel rooms is still a very common perception of all that massage is. Those that engage in this kind of massage, on either end of the deal, perpetuate this stereotype as well as tarnish and destroy the reputation of good, professional, Massage Therapy.
Massage Therapy is just that - Therapy. Massage has been around for centuries and is one of the oldest and most basic forms of healing. Think of it this way: You bump your arm walking through a door. What is the first ting you do? Chances are you rub the area that was bumped. There you have it - basic instict of massage. Over time, many cultures have developped this simple concept to fit the needs of their societies and developped various techniques to help heal what they needed healed.
That is the essence of Masage Therapy: It heals the body, heals the mind, and heals the spirit. It takes away stress, aches, and pains, and replaces them with relief. There are so many bad stereotypes about massage therapy, many people still consider it very "iffy". Well consider this:
If your neck and shoulders hurt from sitting in front of a computer all day,
Massage Therapy can take away the tightness.
If you have deadlines looming, nothing is going right, and you are stressed to the breaking point,
Massage Therapy can help you relax and give your blood pressure a chance to drop.
If you tore your rotator cuff playing sports in high school and never quite got it to move the right way again,
Massage Therapy can loosen up the old damaged tissue creating better movement.
There are many good things about Massage Therapy. An open mind, plus a desire to heal, plus a skilled, professional, ethical therapist, can help you achieve a decrease in pain and discomfort, an increase in feeling good, and can eliminate a lot of those nasty stereotypes of massage. A little bit of Massage Therapy education can help you see that the next time you hear the word "Massage", you will someday picture "Relief".
Coming Next Time....Know Your Therapist
What comes to your mind when you hear the word "Massage"? Some people think of soothing music by the edge of the sea where coconut oil is rubbed lightly over your body until you begin to melt with relaxation. Some people think of a large character speaking broken English rubbing you down until you are raw. Unfortunately others think of a seedy anonomyous midnight phone call and a dimly-lit motel room.
Massage has gotten some very unusual reputations, filled with unreasonable stereotypes. People unfamiliar with massage can imagine it being everything from the ultimate experience, to something sick and twisted. While in recent years, massage is being more recognized by many as a very good thing, sadly, massage in seedy dim motel rooms is still a very common perception of all that massage is. Those that engage in this kind of massage, on either end of the deal, perpetuate this stereotype as well as tarnish and destroy the reputation of good, professional, Massage Therapy.
Massage Therapy is just that - Therapy. Massage has been around for centuries and is one of the oldest and most basic forms of healing. Think of it this way: You bump your arm walking through a door. What is the first ting you do? Chances are you rub the area that was bumped. There you have it - basic instict of massage. Over time, many cultures have developped this simple concept to fit the needs of their societies and developped various techniques to help heal what they needed healed.
That is the essence of Masage Therapy: It heals the body, heals the mind, and heals the spirit. It takes away stress, aches, and pains, and replaces them with relief. There are so many bad stereotypes about massage therapy, many people still consider it very "iffy". Well consider this:
If your neck and shoulders hurt from sitting in front of a computer all day,
Massage Therapy can take away the tightness.
If you have deadlines looming, nothing is going right, and you are stressed to the breaking point,
Massage Therapy can help you relax and give your blood pressure a chance to drop.
If you tore your rotator cuff playing sports in high school and never quite got it to move the right way again,
Massage Therapy can loosen up the old damaged tissue creating better movement.
There are many good things about Massage Therapy. An open mind, plus a desire to heal, plus a skilled, professional, ethical therapist, can help you achieve a decrease in pain and discomfort, an increase in feeling good, and can eliminate a lot of those nasty stereotypes of massage. A little bit of Massage Therapy education can help you see that the next time you hear the word "Massage", you will someday picture "Relief".
Coming Next Time....Know Your Therapist
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