Massage is typically considered a form of touch that brings relaxation to the body and a calmness to the spirit. It can be done gently or with deeper pressure depending on the preferences of the person receiving the massage and the type of massage being performed. Sometimes it is like…ahhhh, I’m floating on a cloud through my happy place. Sometimes it feels like…What the heck? Did you leave any skin on my body or muscles attached to my bones? The goals are to release muscle tension, improve range of motion, improve blood and lymph flow, decrease pain and give the recipient an overall improved quality of life. The therapist’s goal is to release some of the tension in the fascial layer which is the connective tissue under the skin and throughout the body that holds everything together in your body. Many people commit to a massage on a regular basis such as 1-2 times per month or even weekly in order to contribute to that improved quality of life.
Massage is vital for your health
There is evidence to support massage therapy after cancer surgery for mastectomies or any area of the body where something was removed or surgically addressed that may have left scars. It has even been proven to help with pain relief and shortening the first and second stages of labor. What soon to be mom would hate that? Most of us have known for years that massage can help decrease pain in many areas of the body by personal experience or by talking to friends and family members who have had massage therapy, but now we have extensive research to back that up scientifically. There is also tremendous support for therapeutic massage in helping with psychological well-being and a sense of spiritual and mental calmness. Touch matters and is very powerful!
Hands On dives deep in our massage therapy
Our most loved form of massage here includes myofascial release which can be very therapeutic and it can feel really amazing or hurt like you just stubbed your pinkie toe on the door frame. In general, regardless of how it feels when you are receiving it, within a few hours to a few days, there can be a shift of how you feel, usually for the better. It involves finding the “stuck” spots and just hanging out on them until they become unstuck. This allows for better mobility of all the tissues in the area from the skin, through the muscles and to the attachments on the bone. It can also influence the viscera or abdominal organs to create better flow, yes I’m talking about poop and pee, less discomfort and better function of the organs. We also use cupping, hot and cold stone massage, basic Swedish massage and craniosacral treatments which target more of the neurological system including the brain and spinal cord.
We provide a very welcoming and soft environment that feels like a room in someone’s home. “Ahhh…this doesn’t feel clinical at all!” We get to know the client, their needs and even act as a surrogate psychologist at times as stories and life events unfold in the treatment room. It is quite common to connect physical sensations and pain with specific events or beliefs that naturally present themselves during treatment which can enhance a client’s experience with the massage. Yes, real men, we have even seen a tear escape a stoic eye or two. No judgement! This often keeps people coming back for years, in many cases, as we do have clients who have trusted us to care for them for more than 2 decades.
Citations:
Bellido-Fernández, L., Jiménez-Rejano, J. J., Chillón-Martínez, R., Gómez-Benítez, M. A., De-La-Casa-Almeida, M., & Rebollo-Salas, M. (2018). Effectiveness of Massage Therapy and Abdominal Hypopressive Gymnastics in Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study. Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine (ECAM), 2018, 1–9. doi: 10.1155/2018/3684194
Sananpanichkul, P., Sawadhichai, C., Leaungsomnapa, Y., & Yapanya, P. (2019). Possible Role of Court-Type Thai Traditional Massage During Parturition: a Randomized Controlled Trial. International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, 12(1), 23–28. PMCID: PMC6398988
Serra-Añó, P., Inglés, M., Bou-Catalá, C., Espí-López, G. V., & Iraola-Lliso, A. (2019). Effectiveness of myofascial release after breast cancer surgery in women undergoing conservative surgery and radiotherapy: a randomized controlled trial. Supportive Care in Cancer, 27(7), 2633–2641. doi: 10.1007/s00520-018-4544-z
Williams, N. A., Burnfield, J. M., Paul Springer, Wolf, K., & Buster, T. (2019). Therapeutic massage to enhance family caregivers’ well-being in a rehabilitation hospital. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 35, 361–367. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.03.020