Massage: Luxury or Necessity?

As you lie on the table under soft, fresh sheets, quiet, soothing music draws you into the beginning of relaxation.  The smell of essential oils fill the air and you hear the gentle sound of massage oil being warmed in your therapist's hands.  The pain throbbing from your over stressed muscles, lack of sleep and the sheer need to be pampered for just a little while all cry out for therapeutic hands to start their work.  Once the session gets underway, the problems of the world fade into an oblivious 60 minutes of relief and all that you comprehend right now is that you don't want it to end.

Experts estimate that 80 to 90 percent of disease is stress-related.  Massage and bodywork are there to combat that frightening number  by helping us remember what is means to relax and just breathe.  The physical changes massage brings to your body will have a positive effect in many areas of your life.  Besides increasing relaxation and decreasing anxiety, massage lowers your blood pressure, increases circulation, helps lymph flow, improves recovery from injury, helps you sleep better and can increase your concentration.  It reduces fatigue and gives you more energy to handle stressful situations.  

If you are planning to live a vibrant, healthy life, massage is a necessity.

What is Medical Massage?

We offer quality, affordable Medical Massage Therapy and strive to educate, treat and consult with our clients and patients while they are coping with the effects of various stages of degenerative conditions and stress. 

Medical Massage treatment plans involve several progressive steps or stages of therapy and the goal is to correct abnormal conditions affecting the muscle-skeletal system while reducing or eliminating pain. 

Medical Massage is result oriented and the treatment is specifically directed to resolve conditions that have been diagnosed and prescribed by a physician.  Our therapist uses a variety of modalities or procedures during treatment, but will focus the Medical Massage treatment only on the areas of the body related to the diagnosis and prescription.  Medical Massage is generally billed in 15 minute segments using current procedural terminology and adhering the the usual and customary reimbursement fee schedule.

What We Offer:

There are many different types of massage, our therapist uses all of the following types depending on the patient's needs:

  • Swedish massage. This is a gentle form of massage that uses long strokes, kneading, deep circular movements, vibration and tapping to help relax and energize you.
  • Deep-tissue massage. This massage technique uses slower, more forceful strokes to target the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue, commonly to help with muscle damage from injuries.
  • Sports massage. This is similar to Swedish massage but is geared toward people involved in sport activities to help prevent or treat injuries.
  • Trigger point massage. This massage focuses on trigger points, or sensitive areas of tight muscle fibers that can form in your muscles after injuries or overuse.
  • Lymphatic Massage.  This technique stimulates the lymph nodes through massage, it helps to clear any blockages and gives the lymphatic system a boost keeping it running healthy and strong. This in turn keeps your body free of toxins and illness and while also creating a stronger immune system.  This is very effective prior to any surgical procedure. (We must have your physician's written approval or prescription when done prior to, or following surgery.)

Benefits of Massage:

Massage is generally considered part of complementary and alternative medicine. It's increasingly being offered along with standard treatment for a wide range of medical conditions and situations.

While more research is needed to confirm the benefits of massage, some studies have found massage helpful for:

  • Stress relief
  • Managing anxiety and depression
  • Pain
  • Stiffness
  • Blood pressure control
  • Infant growth
  • Sports-related injuries
  • Boosting immunity
  • Cancer treatment

Despite its benefits, massage isn't meant as a replacement for regular medical care. Let your doctor know you're trying massage and be sure to follow any current treatment plans you have.

Beyond the benefits for specific conditions or diseases, some people enjoy massage because it involves caring, comfort, a sense of empowerment and creating deep connections with their massage therapist.

Many types of massage offer benefits beyond simple relaxation. Here are just a few of the health problems that may benefit from massage. Ask your doctor before using massage for any health condition, though.

  • Back Pain: Many studies have shown the effectiveness of massage therapy for back pain.  In fact, a recent study showed it worked better than acupuncture or spinal modification for persistent low back pain - reducing the need for painkillers by 36%
  • Headache:  headache pain also responds to massage therapy, as shown by more than one study. Massage therapy can reduce the number of migraines a person has and also improve sleep.
  • Osteoarthritis: In the first clinical trial looking at the effectiveness of Swedish massage for knee osteoarthritis, participants who received a one-hour massage either one or two times a week had improvements in pain, stiffness, and function. The control group had no such change.
  • Cancer:  Used as a complement to traditional, Western medicine, massage can promote relaxation and reduce cancer symptoms or side effects of treatment. It may help reduce pain, swelling, fatigue, nausea, or depression, for example, or improve the function of your immune system.
  • Anxiety:  A review of more than 12 studies shows that massage helps relieve depression and anxiety. It lowered levels of cortisol by up to 50%. And massage increased levels of neurotransmitters that help reduce depression.

For more information regarding the physiologic and overall health benefits of massage, go to:

http://healthy-aging.advanceweb.com/News/News-Watch/Study-Measures-Physiologic-Health-Benefits-of-Massage.aspx