What is Massage?

Massage is the manipulation of soft tissue structures of the body to promote health and wellness and to prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasm and stress. During massage therapy, a practitioner applies manual techniques to positively affect the health and well-being of the client.

How does massage therapy work?
Massage is a time-honored philosophy. People of the ancient Mediterranean civilizations understood the benefits of massage, and after bathing and exercise they included a full body massage. Massage therapy improves function of the circulatory, lymphatic, muscular, skeletal and nervous systems. The direct effect of rhythmically applied manual pressure and movement used in massage can dramatically increase the rate of blood flow and the movement of lymph. The individual cells of the body are dependent on an abundant supply of blood and lymph because they carry nutrients and oxygen throughout the body. Massage also has a direct psychological affect. Since massage stimulates the sense of touch, the body's primary sense, it draws people into the moment and away from tension of everyday problems. Muscle tension is the physical result of protecting one's self against psychological pain. Massage can ease this tension and lead to the freeing of repressed emotions.

What conditions can be treated by massage therapy?
Therapeutic massage is being prescribed by physicians more and more to complement traditional medical treatment for illness, injury and pain. Conditions for which massage is traditionally recommend:

arthritis

neck, shoulder or low back pain

carpal tunnel syndrome

chronic and temporary pain

digestive disorders

headache

insomnia

myofascial pain

sports injuries

stress

temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ)

What happens during a massage session?
A typical massage session will last one half hour to one hour. The therapist will coordinate the session with your treatment protocol focusing on specific areas as necessary. The therapist will likely use a high quality oil or lotion. If you are susceptible to an allergic reaction, please let the therapist know. Your therapist will be able to answer many questions you have.

Are there any instructions to follow after receiving treatment?
In order to maximize your treatment, we recommend you avoid the following for 6 to 24 hours:

heavy exercise or exertion

alcohol

heavy meals

Drink at least eight glasses of filtered water within 24 hours of treatment. You should continue taking any prescription medicines as directed by your personal physician.