Massage Erases Pain

Your body aches and you can’t wait to get to your next massage appointment to help alleviate the pain. You absolutely know how much better you will feel after getting your massage. But, have you ever wondered how it works? Well, there’s much more to it, but I’ve managed to condense it into small easy to understand bullet points

Massage stimulates the release of natural pain-relievers such as endorphins.
Massage stretches tight muscles and sends messages to the nervous system to relax.
Massage not only increases circulation, but flushes irritating waste products and floods tight muscles with healing oxygen and nutrients. Combined with stress relief, improved circulation may be enough in itself to help you relax and allow the pain to recede as you let go.
Massage releases trigger points. These are highly irritable spots that feel like lumps or knots, which send uncomfortable sensations to other parts of the body.
Massage softens contracted muscles and their connective tissue coverings, called fascia. As a result, tension and spasms are often relieved.
I tend to vary my application of massage to suit the needs of my client. Using certain massage techniques help heal recent injuries and minimize the discomforts of old, poorly-healed ones. Massage does this by: (1) relaxing tension in areas surrounding an injury, (2) reducing the painful buildup of fluids in swelling, and (3) helping to improve the condition of the tissues so that they are both stronger and more pliable.
Massage helps you regain energy and restore normal movement. Feeling good will make you want to exercise, regaining your most important means for maintaining good circulation.
Massage can improve your sleep, helps your body heal and rejuvenates you for the next day's challenges.
Massage helps you perceive and "listen" to your pain, which is, after all, a vital signal from our nervous system that we sit up and pay attention.
Sometimes the perception of pain is changed when receiving the skilled and focused touch of massage.

Without even trying, you may find you allow the new, pleasurable input of massage to take precedence over the painful sensations, at least temporarily.

Follow-up massage in times of stress can also help keep old pain from flaring up. So if you haven’t seen me in a while - Remember to schedule that next massage!

Comments

When Should I Get a Massage and How Often?

This is a question I get often… Let’s face it, if it were up to massage therapists we’d say that you should get a massage every day, but in reality – very few people ever have the means or time to make this scenario play out in their lives. So technically speaking, your frequency should depend on how much you like massage, how often you experience chronic pain, and your budget. If you’re able to afford it, getting a monthly or weekly massage works best at helping prevent injuries by catching tight areas before they become problematic. With my more athletic clients (runners, weightlifters, gymnasts), I usually recommend timing their massage to coincide with the times they are training their hardest. For example, runners can develop tight hamstrings and hips, gymnasts and weight-lifters can get tight shoulders. These tight muscle groups can elicit injuries over time if they aren't treated by massage. If you are physically active, I recommend getting a massage within 24 hours ...

Coffee Has Health Benefits

Anyone who knows me knows I love my Joe…. err, “cup of joe” that is. In fact, I’m enjoying a cup as I write this post. However, as a wellness professional that little admission of guilt has gotten me a few sneers and looks of condescension. Caffeine is BAD for you, they say! Well, perhaps abusing caffeine may be “bad” for you, but ‘caffeine’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘coffee.’ Despite this fact, coffee has gotten a bad rep over the years after a few health experts linked it (or rather, linked caffeine abuse) to several diseases. But is coffee actually that bad? Probably not; new research shows that drinking coffee in moderation provides numerous health benefits. Antidepressant It might seem a little odd to find that coffee could help with depression, but new research has shown that it does just that. Now, don’t go throwing out your prescriptions or quit counseling just yet though, coffee is not a cure for depression. Rather, the caffeine in coffee helps regulate your mood trans...

What To Do When You’re Chronically Stressed

Of all the modern-day ailments that seem to affect us, none is more pervasive than stress. Everywhere you turn, there are factors lurking to redirect you from your peaceful pursuit of happiness and lock you in the clutches of “stress.” What exactly is stress—and what more insidious effects does it cause? The dictionary defines stress as “great pressure or force; strain.” In today’s world, we think of stress as the result of too much pressure laid upon us by life, causing mental worry or anguish. This, in turn, manifests itself in tight neck and shoulders, headaches, nervous stomach, etc. But these physical and mental conditions are really only the beginning. Studies show that stressful situations can develop into more threatening health conditions. For instance: A sudden or unexpected stressor can activate your adrenal glands, which sends adrenaline and other hormones into your bloodstream. This brings about an increase in your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and blood f...

John Aaron Wellness

Search This Blog