Massage

Seeking Massage Therapy and improved workout practices are becoming now more popular every day, as more people are becoming aware of the health benefits. Massage has been practiced since 490 BC, over 2500 years as a healing practice, and also for healthcare. Common knowledge is that massage creates sensations of wellbeing and relaxes the body. It is my objective to help you realize the other physiological benefits of massage.

Why do you need Massage?

Massage activates your body to get rid of wastes that are building up around and inside of you. The kneading and flowing strokes of massage therapy have this effect on the body. There are also tender points on your body that need special attention, like Trigger Point Therapy. These are mainly points that have not had sufficient blood flow, and will cause pain. Massage friction strokes and light stretching help the body to get the blood, with oxygen and nutrients to those tender sections and begin the healing process. The directed blood flow patterns with massage strokes on the body during massage therapy aid in waste removal of the toxins.

Massage Benefits

Massage has the effect of strengthen the skin, by massaging the muscles, and the collagen in the tissue, the massage therapy will reduce wrinkles in the skin, and minimize cellulitis. Regular massage therapy sessions will dramatically improve your skin.

Many people also like "deep tissue” or “sports massage” techniques, because of its benefits of releasing the build-up of lactose in the muscles, which reduces pain. The body appreciates also the long lasting effects. A deeper massage technique is especially appreciated by those with an athletic lifestyle.

Massage Techniques

There are also other massage techniques that are beneficial to the body.

• Deep Tissue Massage

  Deep tissue massage is designed to relieve severe tension in the muscle and the connective tissue or fascia. This type of massage focuses on the muscles located below the surface of the top muscles. Deep tissue massage is often recommended for individuals who experience consistent pain, are involved in heavy physical activity (such as athletes), and patients who have sustained physical injury. It is not uncommon for receivers of deep tissue massage to have their pain replaced with a new muscle ache for a day or two.
  
  The term “deep tissue” is often misused to identify a massage that is performed with sustained deep pressure. Deep tissue massage is a separate category of massage therapy, used to treat particular muscular-skeletal disorders and complaints and employs a dedicated set of techniques and strokes to achieve a measure of relief. It should not be confused with “deep pressure” massage, which is one that is performed with sustained strong, occasionally intense pressure throughout an entire full-body session, and that is not performed to address a specific complaint. Deep tissue massage is applied to both the superficial and deep layers of muscles, fascia, and other structures. The sessions are often quite intense as a result of the deliberate, focused work. When a client asks for a massage and uses the term “deep tissue”, more often than not he or she is seeking to receive a full-body session with sustained deep pressure throughout. If a practitioner employs deep tissue techniques on the entire body in one session, it would be next to impossible to perform; it might lead to injury or localized muscle and nerve trauma, thereby rendering the session counterproductive.

• Swedish Massage Technique

  Swedish massage uses five styles of long, flowing strokes to massage. The five basic strokes are effleurage (sliding or gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (rhythmic tapping), friction (cross fiber) and vibration/shaking. Swedish massage has shown to be helpful in reducing pain, joint stiffness, and improving function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee over a period of eight weeks. The term "Swedish" massage is actually only recognized in English, Québécois or Dutch speaking countries. Elsewhere the style is referred to as "classic massage".

• Hot Rock Massage

  Natural lava stones that retain heat for a long period of time, especially soothing for deeper pain, and they radiating the pain away deep in the tissue. Applied with gentle Massage strokes, and then placed on the body.

• Cupping Therapy

  Is an ancient medical treatment that relies upon creating a local suction to mobilize blood flow in order to promote healing. Suction is created using a hand pump. The use of Cupping Therapy has been a part of most cultures of the world.

• Trigger Point Therapy

  Are hyperirritable spots in skeletal muscle that are associated with palpable nodules in taut bands of muscle these palpable nodules are small contraction knots and a common cause of pain. Compression of a trigger point, sometimes with a tool, may elicit local tenderness, referred pain, or local twitch response.

• Reflexology

  A natural healing art based on the principle that there are reflexes in the feet, hands and ears and their referral areas within zone related areas, which correspond to every part, gland and organ of the body. Through application of pressure on these reflexes without the use of tools, crèmes or lotions, the feet being the primary area of application, reflexology relieves tension, improves circulation and helps promote the natural function of the related areas of the body.

• Chakra Balancing

  Chakra Balancing is also known as chakra healing, or energy healing. Chakra Balancing is an excellent way to release blocks and unwanted energies, and get your own energy flowing, so you can heal. When balancing your chakras, the energy healer supports you in cleansing unwanted energies out of your system. The energy healer assists you in grounding and releasing blocks which helps you get your own energy flowing. Chakra Balancing restores peace and tranquility.

• Reiki Massage

  Developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. The teaching was continued and adapted by various teachers. It uses a technique commonly called palm healing as a form of complementary and alternative massage healing technique and is sometimes classified as oriental medicine by some professional bodies. Through the use of this technique, healing energy is transferred in the form of KI through the palms to the body.

• Myofascial release massage

  Myofascial release refers to the manual massage technique for stretching the fascia and releasing bonds between fascia, integument, and muscles with the goal of eliminating pain, increasing range of motion and equilibrioception. Myofascial release usually involves applying shear compression or tension in various directions, or by skin rolling.

• Gua Sha - Scraping Technique

  literally means "to scrape away fever" in Chinese (more loosely, "to scrape away disease by allowing the disease to escape as sandy-looking objects through the skin"), is a form of folk medicine. Sometimes referred to as "spooning" or "coining" by English speakers, it has also been given the descriptive French name, "tribo-effleurage". Gua sha involves repeated pressured strokes over lubricated skin with a smooth edge, commonly honed animal bones, water buffalo horn, or jade are used.

• Body Scrub Technique

  One of the other techniques that I use is called body scrubs. These are salt scrubs and sugar scrubs. Usually a special foot scrub, but you can also use this on the entire body. The scrub is with an essential oil, almond oil and epsom salt or sugar and you liberally rubbed all over the foot. This helps exfoliate the dead skin and helps nourish and put moisture into the skin and can be used all over your body. This can be used on your back, on your legs and your arms and it will be used lightly so it will not scratch your skin but no need not worry about that. Then the salt or the sugar whichever one as your Massage Therapist will use, will be rubbed off and then your foot will be dried; and to finish it off, a thick lotion or cream on your foot, just to help seal in the moisture; and this will usually be massaged into your foot and it is just used as an extra treatment. This is one of the special techniques that the massage therapists use with additional things like the salt scrubs and sugar scrubs.