Massage is a form of healing, used since ancient times: for relief from pain, to provide comfort, boost your energy levels, and to restore your good spirits. Massage uses touch to bring about physical and emotional changes, creating a feeling of wholeness in mind and body.
Don't let your energies be consumed by stress ! Massage is designed to relieve stress, stimulate circulation, dilate blood vessels, decrease blood pressure, relax tense muscles, and cleanse toxins from the body. With massage, muscles and joints become more supple, and soreness and stiffness can be reduced. With massage, mental and physical fatigue can be reduced, resulting in renewed energy, greater ambition, and better productivity. Massage actually helps in speeding up the natural healing processes of your body. Receiving a massage is not just a luxury, but rather an affordable way to help reduce and/or prevent stress-related illness. Frequent massage help many people to remain physically, mentally, and emotionally fit.Your First Appointment
General Guidelines:
-Accepted Payment Methods- Cash, Check, or Credit Card Payments
-New Clients please arrive 5-10 min. early in order to have enough time for filling out
your Health Intake Forms.
-Drink plenty of water before your appointment.
-Please arrive on time, arriving late may shorten your massage time.
-Please give 24 hours notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment.
-No Shows will be billed for the full session.
-NO SEXUAL REMARKS, ADVANCES, OR MISCONDUCT will be tolerated and the proper
authorities will be notified.
What to expect on your first massage
Your massage will be given by a trained massage therapist with many hours of training and practice. On your first session your therapist will ask you a few general health questions, and have you fill out a client information form. Your massage therapist will then leave the room while you undress and relax on the table, covering yourself with a clean sheet. Your massage will take place on a table designed especially for your comfort. During the massage, the massage room will be warm, quite, and private. There may be soft music to help you achieve a more relaxing mood.For a full body massage, most people choose to undress completely, but you may leave on any amount of clothing necessary to maintain your comfort level. You are warmly draped at all times, except for the area being massaged. Your modesty is respected and professionalism is maintained at all times. Your massage therapist will use a light oil, which is good for your skin, to make the massage smoother and more enjoyable.During your massage take deep natural breaths, it helps you to more easily relax. Some people just close their eyes and drift away during a massage, others prefer to talk. Do what feels natural to you. Never be afraid to ask any questions you might have during a massage session. Good feedback is important; let your therapist know what feels good to you. A massage generally last about an hour but it can be longer or shorter depending on the client's needs. After the massage the therapist will leave the room while you get dressed. Before you leave the therapist will discuss with you the need to drink a lot of water. You will be asked if you would like to set up another appointment. Many clients have an increased energy and better relaxation over the next few days. Enjoy Your Massage !
What You Already Know: The Benefits of Massage
In an age of technical and, at times, impersonal medicine, massage offers a drug-free, non-invasive and humanistic approach based on the body's natural ability to heal itself. So what exactly are the benefits to receiving regular massage and/or bodywork treatments?
- Increases circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs.
- Stimulates the flow of lymph, the body's natural defense system, against toxic invaders. For example, in breast cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase the cells that fight cancer.
- Increased circulation of blood and lymph systems improves the condition of the body's largest organ - the skin.
- Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles
- Reduces spasms and cramping
- Increases joint flexibility.
- Reduces recovery time, helps prepare for strenuous workouts and eliminates subsequent pains of the athlete at any level.
- Releases endorphins - the body's natural painkiller - and is being used in chronic illness, injury and recovery from surgery to control and relieve pain.
- Reduces post-surgery adhesions and edema and can be used to reduce and realign scar tissue after healing has occurred.
- Improves range-of-motion and decreases discomfort for patients with low back pain.
- Relieves pain for migraine sufferers and decreases the need for medication.
- Provides exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles and reduces shortening of the muscles for those with restricted range of motion.
- Assists with shorter labor for expectant mothers, as well as less need for medication, less depression and anxiety, and shorter hospital stays.
What does a massage therapist do?
A trained therapist uses oil, lotion or aromatherapy as she or he strokes, kneads, rolls, pummels, taps and stretches the muscles and soft tissues while you lie warm and covered with a sheet or blanket on a padded table.
There are as many types of massage as there are nationalities. Common types in the United States include:
Swedish massage: Employs gliding, stroking and friction techniques as well as passive movements, including foot rotation and leg bends. Swedish massage approaches the body from an anatomical, physiological point of view.
Deep-tissue massage: A type that works deeper into the body's tissues. This kind of massage can feel less relaxing, but is well-suited for relieving chronic pain and helping rehabilitate the body after injuries.
Ayurvedic massage: Detoxifies and rejuvenates the body through vigorous massage using warm, herbal oils. In one technique, shirodhara, the therapist pours a steady stream of warm oil over the forehead to calm and balance the nervous system.
Japanese massage: Called anma, Japanese massage is based on the 5,000-year-old principles of Chinese medicine and features choreographed movements that emphasize rhythm, pacing, precision and form.
Thai massage: Is influenced by yoga and incorporates stretching facilitated by the therapist.
Key principles of massage
Stimulation of the body's tissues enhances its ability to heal and relax. Much of this is due to the power of touch. Gentle massage has been shown to trigger the release of endorphins, natural pain-killers, to bring about a feeling of well-being.
In addition to the soothing effect of massage, this holistic form of health care also stimulates circulation, muscle relaxation and lymphatic flow. The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami, which studies the effects of massage, found that premature infants who were stroked daily gained more weight faster and were more active.
Which types of conditions are best treated by massage?
A host of mind-body benefits can be attributed to the ages-old and multi-national practice of therapeutic massage. Depending on the style and focus, massage can increase circulation, reduce muscular tension and emotional stress, enhance flexibility and athletic performance, correct posture, stimulate lymph drainage, control musculoskeletal pain, increase alertness and energy levels, and boost feelings of well-being.
Massage is commonly used to help with:
stress
back pain, neck pain, whiplash
insomnia
chronic headaches
arthritis stiffness
high blood pressure
digestive disorders
depression and anxiety
rehabilitation after a musculoskeletal injury
Massage Therapy has been linked to alleviating the pain incurred from the constant surgeries that cancer patients undergo. The Mesothelioma Center offers the most comprehensive and current information on asbestos exposure and a complete list of treatments if you have received a mesothelioma diagnosis.
