Massage treatments are suitable for everyone from premature babies
and pregnant women to the overtaxed housewife, from the dedicated
employee to the elite athlete, from the adolescent teen or stressed
college student to the elderly grandparent. Massage therapy is also an
important addition to one's health care team when facing serious
disease or disorder.
Massage therapists use their hands, forearms and elbows to detect and
treat problems in the muscles, ligaments and tendons in the body's soft
tissue. Massage therapists believe that regular massage can help
restore health after a motor vehicle accident, sport injuries, muscle
sprains, repetitive motion conditions and emotional stress. By
adjusting techniques, the massage therapist can either relax or
stimulate muscle tissue to increase circulation so blood flows freely,
carrying oxygen and nutrients to the areas needed and promote healing
in the body.
Posture is the most frequent culprit that needs to be addressed through
massage therapy. We all have slight postural imbalances due to our
basic physical structure, muscle imbalances, and the repetition of
positions within our day. Even in the most ergonomic setting, one is
still subject to the force of gravity acting upon their posture as it
remains largely in the same position throughout the day. The same could
be said with any career where there is little or no variety in
activity, causing stress for the same muscle groups, joints and
supportive tissues (fascia, tendons and ligaments).
Muscle imbalances build up over time. They predispose us to injuries,
or bouts of both chronic and acute pain. Muscle spasms, muscle tension
or contracture, nerve impingements and even symptoms related to our
internal organs or head (i.e., migraines) may be the result of such
postural issues.
Whenever an area of the body is overworked, even through healthy sports
activities, we also have the potential to develop strain simply due to
the high load and expectation on those frequently used muscle groups.
Without proper and regular stretching, our muscles may continue to be
short and taut, predisposing them to injury. Even healthy and active
muscles can be subject to repetitive strain.
It often takes time for changes to occur in our bodies. Experience
shows us that often the first massage session can release a large
amount and in many cases most of the pain that the client is
experiencing at that time (depending on the condition, of course!).
However, there is a much better chance of affecting the actual cause of
the pain with subsequent visits instead of just providing temporary
relief for the issue.
Massage therapy is considered a vital part of natural health care and
widely recognized as a preventative medicine. Massage is safe and
effective for everyone.
Trish Hopkins lives in Waitsfield.
