Is
Bodywork
Right
For
Me?
Massage
provides
relief
to
people
of
all
ages—from
infants
to
seniors—and
from
all
walks
of
life—the
weekend
or competitive
athlete
to
the
home
gardener
or
overstressed,
overworked
executive.
Treating
the
Body
Massage
therapy
addresses
a
variety
of
health
conditions,
the
most
prevalent
being
stress-related
tension,
which,
experts
believe, accounts
for
80%-90%
of
disease.
Massage
has
been
proven
beneficial
in
treating
cancer-related
fatigue,
sleep
disorders,
high blood
pressure,
diabetes,
low
back
pain,
immunity
suppression,
spinal
cord
injury,
autism,
post-operative
surgery,
age-related
disorders,
infertility, eating
disorders,
smoking
cessation,
and
depression,
to
name
just
a
few.
Here’s
why:
Bodywork
offers
a
drug-free,
non-invasive
and
humanistic
approach
based
on
the
body’s
natural
ability
to
heal
itself.
Massage has
many
physiological
effects,
such
as:
- Increasing
circulation,
allowing
the
body
to
pump
more
oxygen and
nutrients
into
tissues
and
vital
organs.
- Stimulating
the
lymph
system,
the
body’s
natural
defense,
against
toxic
invaders.
For
example,
in
breast
cancer
patients,
massage has
been
shown
to
increase
the
cells
that
fight
cancer.
- Relaxing
and
softening
injured
and
overused
muscles.
- Reducing
spasms
and
cramping.
- Increasing
joint
flexibility.
- Reducing
recovery
time
for
strenuous
workouts
and
eliminating
subsequent
pains
of
the
athlete
at
any
level.
- Releasing
endorphins,
the
body’s
natural
painkiller.
For
this
reason,
massage
is
being
incorporated
into
treatment
for
chronic illness,
injury
and
recovery
from
surgery
to
control
and
relieve
pain.
- Reducing
post-surgery
adhesions
and
edema
and
reducing
and
realigning
scar
tissue
after
healing
has
occurred.
- Improving
range
of
motion
and
decreasing
discomfort
for
patients
with
low
back
pain.
- Relieving
pain
for
migraine
sufferers
and
decreasing
the
need
for
medication.
- Providing
exercise
and
stretching
for
atrophied
muscles
and
reducing
shortening
of
the
muscles
for
those
with
restricted
range of
motion.
- Contributing
to
shorter
labor
and
reduced
tearing
for
expectant
mothers,
as
well
as
lessening
the
need
for
medication, minimizing
depression
and
anxiety,
and
shortening
hospital
stays.
It’s
important
to
note
that
there
are
some
conditions
where
massage
is
not
recommended.
For
example,
massage
is
contraindicated
in
people
with:
- Certain
forms
of
cancer
- Phlebitis
- Some
cardiac
problems
- Some
skin
conditions
- Infectious
diseases
Your
practitioner
should
ask
you
about
your
specific
health
conditions
and
determine
if
massage,
bodywork
or
somatic
therapies are
a
good
idea.
In
some
cases,
the
practitioner
may
need
your
doctor’s
permission
before
providing
services.
Treating
the
Spirit
Massage
also
provides
another
therapeutic
component
largely
absent
in
today’s
world:
tactile
stimulation,
or,
more
simply, touch.
In
1986,
the
Touch
Research
Institute
at
the
University
of
Miami
published
groundbreaking
research
on the
effects
of
massage
on
premature
babies.
The
preterm
babies
who
received
massage
therapy
showed
47% greater
weight
gain
and
six-day
shorter
hospital
stays
than
the
infants
who
were
not
receiving
massage. But
is
this
study
evidence
of
what
loving
touch
can
do
spiritually,
or
rather
what
massage can
do
on
a
physiological
level?
Regardless,
babies
are
not
the
only
benefactors.
Many
adults
have
reported
cathartic
experiences
on
the
massage
table.
As
a
therapist
carefully
unwinds
a
client’s
stressed
and
tired
muscles,
the
therapist
may
very
well
be
unwinding
the
taut,
pent-up
emotions
that
one
doesn’t
always
have time
to
process
in
the
middle
of
the
day.
And
the
feeling
of
being
touched
in
a
safe, caring,
compassionate
manner
can
be
a
very
powerful
experience,
reminding
the
client
that
she
or
he
is
not
alone in
the
world.
As
studies
continue
to
reveal
the
link
between
kinesiology
and
physical
and
emotional
health,
the
effects
of
massage
will be
further
documented.
However,
one
need
only
experience
a
good
massage
to
know
it's
beneficial
to
body
and soul. |
