Massage therapy is often thought of as just a luxurious day at the spa, a day of relaxation and peace that alleviates all your stress. While that is true, regular massages offer so many benefits beyond just relaxation that promote overall wellness and health. Dr. Mark Hyman Rapaport, MD, the Chief of Psychiatric Services at Emory Healthcare, has led multiple studies focusing on the effects of massage, and has found that positive effects can be felt after just a 20 minute session. Other studies have shown that massage therapy can help boost the immune system by increasing how active the body’s killer-t cells are, which help fight off viruses and cancer cells.While the regularity of your treatments depends on your condition, weekly to bi-weekly massages are encouraged.
It is important to adjust treatment to reflect the change in external factors, especially in the winter when our bodies' defenses against colds, viruses, stress, anxiety, joint pain, low energy, and emotional upset are lowered. Due to the cold temperatures and long nights, physical activity is less appealing, causing decreased energy due to the lack of circulation. A massage can help make up for this by circulating blood, boosting energy, relieving stress, as well as other positive effects.
These positive effects include:
Anxiety relief
Aids in better sleep
Balances immune responses
Boosts focus
Heals injuries
Strengthens the immune system
Cold and flu preventative
Slows the nervous system
Decreases heart rate
Lowers blood pressure
Changes EEG patterns
Increases lymph flow
Improves mood
Increases energy
Types of Massage
Susan Arenkill, our Certified Massage Therapist and Reiki Master, offers the following massage services, with half hour sessions starting at $50. She can incorporate energy work into her massages, like Reiki, a form of energy healing centering around life force that promotes healing, or chakra balancing, which is the technique of channeling or clearing energy in the 7 chakras, or energy centers, located along the spine.
Swedish: This type of massage is all about promoting relaxation by releasing muscle tension. This technique is done with gentle pressure, and is beneficial for people who hold tension in their neck, shoulders, and lower back. Daily activities like sitting in a chair or working at a computer can cause tension in these areas, but Swedish massage is not limited to just the neck, shoulders, and back. This type of massage is best if you are primarily looking for relaxation and muscle tension relief from stress.
Orthopedic: This type of massage breaks down pain cycles, re-educates muscles, and increases range of motion after an injury or stress. It is beneficial to those healing from an injury, and focuses on the muscles and soft tissues surrounding joints. Soft tissue injuries like sprains, pulled muscles or torn ligaments, carpal-tunnel syndrome, frozen, shoulder, tennis elbow, tendinitis, sciatica, and bulging discs are all conditions this type of massage treats. Techniques like soft tissue manipulation, muscle compression, muscle contraction, and gentle pressure work to pinpoint areas of pain and promote circulation to those areas.
Reiki: Reiki is a Japanese practice that treats the whole person- mind, body, and spirit, promoting feelings of relaxation, well-being, security, and peace. This practice is based on the idea that life force energy, or Qi, flows through our bodies and is what creates life. If qi energy is low, then illness and disease are more likely to occur, whereas if it is high, health and happiness are abundant. Reiki is performed by placing the hands or palms lightly on the body or hovering above it to move energy along the seven chakras of the body.
Chakra Balancing: Chakras are the seven main energy centers in the body that receive, transmit, and assimilate life force energy, or qi. They are aligned vertically, starting at the top of the head down to the feet. Each chakra is associated with a color, a function, consciousness, organs, ailments, elements, and more. Chakras are connected to each other by meridians, or energy pathways. If a certain chakra is blocked, that means the flow of energy is blocked, causing numerous ailments associated with the particular chakra. If the chakras are open and balanced, qi is free to flow through the whole body, aiding in wellness. Common techniques for balancing chakras include crystals, reiki, sound and color therapy, meditation, yoga and other exercises, and breathing techniques.
Cranial Sacral: Also known as craniosacral therapy, this gentle technique uses a light touch to feel membranes and the movement of fluids in and around the central nervous system. Tension relief in the central nervous system promotes feelings of well-being, eliminates pain, and boosts the immune system. This technique can provide a deep inner balance, relieves stress, body tension and fatigue, relief from headaches and mental fatigue, neck pain, as well as relief from the side effects of cancer treatments.
Prenatal: This massage utilizes techniques from Swedish massage, with modified positions and pressure to ensure ultimate comfort for the expecting mother. The benefits of this massage include reduced swelling, lessens lower back pain, improves sleep, prepares your body for labor and birth, relaxes your body, and relieves pain naturally.
Massage therapy goes beyond luxury; it is a form of self care, of checking in with yourself to assess where you need extra help in your health. Stress relief and relaxation are essential to overall wellness, and have benefits that can keep you healthy year around, but especially in the winter when your body has to work harder. 20 minutes a day can lower your blood pressure, boost your immune system, promote better sleep, relieve anxiety, and circulate your blood for pain relief. Massage therapy is a medical treatment that can connect the body and soul for well rounded wellness and better health.
References
Cruz, Amber. “Reiki: Explaining the Benefits of This TCM Healing Modality”. Retrieved from https://www.eacuwell.com/blog/what-is-reiki.
Gregory, Brielle. “6 Healthy Ways Getting a Massage Benefits Your Entire Body:” Retrieved from https://www.prevention.com/health/g26305736/massage-therapy-benefits/.
“5 Awesome Benefits of Prenatal Massage”. Retrieved from https://celebratebirth.info/2019/08/prenatal-massage-benefits/#:~:text=A%20prenatal%20massage%20is%20a,for%20both%20mother%20and%20baby.
“25 Reasons to Get a Massage”. Retrieved from https://www.amtamassage.org/find-massage-therapist/25-reasons-to-get-a-massage/.
“Chakra Balancing Treatment”. Retrieved from https://atouchofbeauty.com.au/blog/article2/chakra-balancing-treatment/#:~:text=Chakra%20Balancing%20is%20a%20form,extends%20beyond%20our%20physical%20wellbeing. https://pressmodernmassage.com/blogs/going-deep/how-often-should-i-get-a-massage#:~:text=A%20general%20recommendation%20is%20every,the%20end%20of%20the%20pregnancy.
“Craniosacral Therapy”. Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17677-craniosacral-therapy.
“Reiki & Qi In Traditional Chinese Medicine”. Retrieved from https://www.thereikirefuge.com/2017/11/reiki-qi-in-traditional-chinese-medicine/.
“Top 5 Health Benefits of Regular Massage Therapy”. Retrieved from https://www.nuhs.edu/patients/health-information/articles/top-5-health-benefits-of-regular-massage-therapy/.
“What’s the Difference Between Swedish Massage and Deep Tissue Massage?” Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/swedish-massage-vs-deep-tissue#3.
“What is Orthopedic Massage”. Retrieved from https://www.benevidawellness.com/what-is-orthopedic-massage/.
“What is Reiki?”. Retrieved from https://www.reiki.org/faqs/what-reiki.