Massage
Massage, what is it and how can it help me?
Massage is a general term for rubbing, pressing and manipulating of your muscles, tendons and ligaments (aka the soft tissues of your body) through your skin. Massage may range from light touch to deep pressure. There are many different types of massage, including these types:
- Swedish massage:This is a gentle form of massage that uses long strokes, kneading, light circular movements. This technique is commonly used to help relax and distress the patient.
- Deep massage: This massage technique uses slower, deeper strokes to target the deep layers of muscle and connective tissue. This type of massage is commonly used to help with muscle damage from injuries.
- Sports massage: This is similar to Swedish massage, but it’s geared toward people involved in sport activities to help prevent or treat injuries.
- Trigger point massage:This massage focuses on areas of tight muscle fibers that can form in your muscles after overuse or trauma.
- Active Release Technique: This massage technique involves taking the involved or affected muscle or joint through a range of motion while releasing adhesions in the contracted tissue.
At the Bone and Joint we offer all of these massage techniques. Our massage therapist Rachael Handley LMT has over 18 years experience in working with both injury and relaxation massage.
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.
Studies of the benefits of massage demonstrate that it is an effective treatment for reducing stress, pain and muscle tension while increasing endorphins, enkephalins (feel good hormones), reducing edema swelling, and improving circulation.
While more research is needed to confirm the benefits of massage, some studies have found massage may also be helpful for:
- Anxiety
- Digestive disorders
- Fibromyalgia
- Headaches
- Insomnia related to stress
- Myofascial pain syndrome
- Soft tissue strains or injuries
- Sports injuries
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain
- Low back and neck pain
- Lymphatic drainage
Beyond the benefits for specific conditions or diseases, some people enjoy massage because it often produces feelings of caring, and comfort.
Come on you owe it to yourself, book a one of a kind massage with our Licensed Massage Therapist, Rachael Handley, LMT