Why Massage Therapy? (Guest post by Becca Baker)

by Rich Mathis February 8, 2021

Massage can be a powerful tool to help you take charge of your health and well-being.

Over time I have heard tons of excuses, myths, and funny talk…

Such as, it's a luxurious pampering tool, only meant for women, it's too expensive or worst case… they had a terrible massage and haven't gone back for anymore.

Massage used to be available only through luxury spas and upscale health clubs.

Today, massage therapy is offered in gyms, spas, businesses, clinics, malls, hospitals and even airports.

If you've never tried massage, please quit depriving your body now!

Hang tight with me as I share the amazing works of massage therapy as it helps in many ways of relaxation needs, pain management, and even emotional support.

First things first, types of massages:

Swedish massage. This is a gentle form of massage that uses long strokes, kneading, deep circular movements, vibration and tapping. It helps you feel relaxed and energized afterwards. Yes, I’m serious!

Deep massage. This massage technique uses slower, more-forceful strokes to target the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. It's commonly used to help with muscle damage from injuries, long and repetitive work weeks or overly active muscles.

Sports massage. This is similar to Swedish massage, but it's geared toward people involved in sport activities to help prevent or treat injuries and promote healing. Lots of stretching and deeper layered muscle work.

Trigger point massage. This massage focuses on areas of tight muscle fibers that can form in your muscles after injuries or overuse and repetitive work.

Benefits of massage:

Massage used to be generally considered luxurious, but over time has been proven as natural medicine. It's increasingly being offered along with standard treatment for a wide range of medical conditions and situations. A medicine with NO side effects. (Limited to certain contraindications, certain cancers, or other contagious diseases recognized at the time of scheduling or pre-appointment health assessment)

Massage benefits can include, but not limited to;

Reducing stress and increasing relaxation
Reducing pain and muscle soreness and tension
Improving circulation, energy and alertness
Lowering heart rate and blood pressure
Improving immune function
Anxiety
Digestive disorders
Fibromyalgia
Headaches
Insomnia related to stress
Low back pain
Nerve pain
Soft tissue strains or injuries
Sports injuries
TMJ
Arthritis
Upper back and neck pain

Beyond the benefits for specific physical/mental conditions or diseases, some people enjoy massage because it often produces feelings of caring, comfort and connection. Some clients do rely on massages for emotional support. Someone to talk to, someone to vent to, or someone to care for them during a season of grief.

Massage can be beneficial in so many ways that this just may be the tip of the iceberg for you, so find the right massage therapist for you. Make sure they’re licensed, make sure you're comfortable with them, and make sure you get reviews. It is important you find a right fit and let my article speak for itself. Thank me later, because you’re on the way to a new, healthy you!

Rebecca Baker- L.M.T