We all know that a massage is a lovely thing to have, but why? What are the real benefits and is it worth our hard earned cash, and should we make it part of our regular routine? Here are my thoughts on why it should be an essential part of everyones life.
Ok...so as a massage therapist I am biased because it's what I do everyday. It's what I trained to do and spent a long time in setting up.
1. Relaxing massage treatments help us to....well relax. They make us feel rejuvenated and invigorated. A relaxing massage with good quality massage wax or massage oil make all the difference. The natural ingredients and essential oils penetrate our minds and body. The touch of the therapist working to relieve tight muscles, aches and pains or simply a little tension does wonders for us. So much so, I often get clients fall asleep.
2. Deep tissue massage can help us in a number of ways, from relieving pain, helping with recovery from sport, or indeed improving sports performance and helping with injuries. Whenever seeking a sports massage it's important to get the right therapist. Qualifications are a must, but also look for recommendations. Get the wrong therapist and you might end up in a world of pain and bruising....I hear this a lot from people who've been elsewhere, or the massage may not be deep enough, or in the right areas. Professional athletes have sports massages with great regularity as they know the benefits.
3. Me Time. In the modern world we are constantly rushing around. Most of us are 'time poor' and never get time for ourselves. A massage treatment gives us that time. It takes us away from electronic devices, Facebook etc..it gives us time to reconnect with ourselves.
4. Improves sleep. Massage has proven to help people sleep, whether you get it before bed or earlier in the day, the benefits last all day long and can kickstart a healthy sleep pattern. As a working therapist I've had hundreds of clients tell me they slept well after the massage and they felt the sleep was deeper. From my experience this is partly due to the relaxing nature of massage, but also people report fewer aches and they feel like their body is free of tension and aches - meaning they are more comfortable in bed and have to move less to get comfortable.
5. Relieves headaches. A common complaint with my clients is headaches as a result of tension, too much time in front of the computer, restless nights and fatigue. When massaging clients with sore heads, I concentrate more time around the neck and upper back and shoulder areas. Some clients enjoy a head massage, and some love to have their face massaged, with time concentrated around the 'third eye' and temple regions. The success rate for clearing headaches is phenomenal when giving a massage. Next time your stuck with a migraine for a few days and can't shift it - maybe a massage will be well worth the investment.
So next time your thinking you need a pick me up, a better sleep or have aches and pains - think about checking out a local massage therapist to help you along.