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 ‘stress’
Wintertime Blues and Massage Therapy
Monday, March 1st, 2010Massage Therapy is an Unequivocal Stress Buster
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010Continuing on with our blog’s often-explored theme of the benefits of massage therapy for mankind, today’s blog focuses on an element that affects nearly all humans and that massage therapy has a great track record of treating effectively. That element is: stress.
To start off, check out this article from The Massage Advancer, which obviously is a little biased in favor of massage therapy. (more…)
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…)
Massage: The Perfect Complement (and gift) for the Holidays
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009DISCLAIMER: I know in my previous blog I said I would offer some solutions for personal and professional boundary transference, but I wanted to squeeze in a quick entry about Thanksgiving and the holidays first. Please look for the blog I promised some time next week. Happy Thanksgiving!
Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, pie – and a whole mess of sides – can pretty much take up the entire Thanksgiving holiday weekend. First, there’s the time it takes to prepare all these dishes. Then there’s the devouring of them all. Then the recovery from the feast. Then the clean up. Then the non-stop football and leftovers.
With so much personal indulgence, it seems like a silly idea to mention the prospect of another indulgence, massage therapy, as part of your Thanksgiving routine. But there are some compelling reasons to do so. (more…)
Understanding Trigger Points (Part III)
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009In my last two entries about trigger points, I’ve discussed how they have been studied, some ways they are described clinically, and the type of pain they cause for the people who suffer from them. I’ve done this all while maintaining that there is still a lot unknown about trigger points, how they are defined, and the symptoms that they cause. However, that has not stopped massage therapists and others from attempting to discover and treat them, a noble cause considering the incredible amount of pain trigger points can cause (see previous entries as well as the ending paragraph of this entry). (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.
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…)
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…)
Manage Workplace Stress with Corporate Massage
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009As more corporations begin to downsize, workplace stress is at an all time high. Workers are increasingly worried about their job stability and employees are shouldering the burden of heavier workloads as staff numbers decrease. Many employees are even reluctant to take any vacation time. Within the current economic climate, these conditions are not expected to improve soon, and a rise in stress related illness is anticipated. Corporate massage is a proven way to mitigate physical and emotional stress and can aid businesses of all sizes to maintain a healthy workforce. (more…)
Nintendo Offers Free Chair Massages at Select U.S. Malls
Monday, December 8th, 2008Nintendo has unveiled a unique campaign this holiday season by opening gaming ‘spas’ at several malls throughout the country. The goal is to give customers a brief respite from the mental fatigue and aching muscles caused by frenetic shopping by offering a free chair massage. (more…)