As the East coast shovels out from yet another brutal winter storm, and places as far south as Florida see snow, many of us are left to wonder exactly how much longer winter can last. The shorter days and limited sunshine can leave people depressed, lethargic, and illness-prone, looking for something to give them a boost that will carry them to the longer, warmer, sunshine-filled days of spring and summer. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘relaxation’
Wintertime Blues and Massage Therapy
Monday, March 1st, 2010Adolescents, Aggression, and Massage
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010Last week I wrote about a study posted on the Touch Research Institute’s Web site about the effect massage therapy and touch can have on infants (massage therapy, according to the study, was shown to improve responsiveness among infants. Click to see my post).
This week I want to focus on a different study, also posted on the Touch Research Institute’s Web site, but available, for free, online as well (click here). This study focuses on massage therapy’s effectiveness in decreasing rates of aggression among adolescents.
Aromatherapy and Massage, an Easy Combination
Friday, December 18th, 2009We already wrote about the medicinal benefits of aromatherapy, coupled with massage therapy, over a year ago (see post). As it says in that entry, aromatherapy and massage can be used (and has been clinically proven) to reduce stress levels and help the immune system.
But in that entry, we glossed over the fact that making massage oils and aromatherapy oils can be a very easy task. Follow the directions below, and start adding aromatherapy to your chair and table massage sessions. It is a great addition to the many benefits that massage therapy already offers. (more…)
Understanding Trigger Points (Part I)
Thursday, October 1st, 2009Massage therapy has been demonstrated to help relieve chronic pain, stress, and anxiety, all in a non-invasive way. For this, it deserves praise as a profession. But there are, of course, limits to what massage can do. Often pain and discomfort is caused by something (such as an internal injury, certain chemical imbalances, etc.) that needs a more invasive approach, and in these cases massage therapy can be used as a supplementary treatment. However, there is also a lot of pain that goes unexplained in the medical world, and this might be due by an element that is difficult to define: trigger points.
Hands-Free Massage
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009How much money will a client pay for a hands-free massage? Different massage modalities require different levels of exertion and forms of application by massage therapists. Often times a deeper, Swedish massage can involve a lot of force from a therapist’s hands, knuckles, and elbows. But some forms of massage therapy actually allow some therapists to avoid using their hands entirely.
Hot stone massage is one of these modalities. (more…)
Massage Means Less Stress, More Math
Monday, August 10th, 2009I do not think there is anyone who would be reading this blog and would not agree that stress is a major problem in modern society, and that massage is a great way to get rid of it. (more…)
The Art of Self-Massage (Part II)
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009As promised, I will continue outlining the ways to give self-massage on different parts of the body. Last week, I wrote about giving self-massage to your head, shoulders, and feet. This week I will write about self-massage for your hands and torso. I will end with some general guidelines for self-massage.
The Art of Self-Massage (Part I)
Thursday, July 16th, 2009A common lament about massage is the price. And there is also the I-don’t-have-enough-time excuse that many use to justify not getting a massage, even though their feet and head ache, their shoulders are tense, their hands hurt, and their torsos are cramp-ridden. Fortunately, there is a pretty well founded set of guidelines (found on the examiner and livestrong Web sites) for self-massage that will fit your budget, schedule, and needs perfectly. Here they are, pared down to their simplest forms and separated by body part:
A Special Gift For Dad
Monday, June 15th, 2009Father’s Day is rapidly approaching (June 21, this Sunday!!) and what’s the perfect gift for a Dad who has too much and does too much? A massage, of course!
Mother’s Day is all about pampering and treating Mom, Dad should get the same treatment on his day. (more…)
Massage: A Deeper Look (Part II)
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009One of the most important things to do before giving – or receiving – a deep tissue massage is to determine which muscles need a deep tissue approach. It’s very rare that all muscles will need to have deep tissue massage and recipients can end up more beat up and tense after their massage if they do not identify which areas are to receive deep tissue massage, and which are to not. (more…)