Friday, February 17, 2012

My First Massage Therapy Experience

         I’ve always heard about such great benefits that come from message therapy but have never gotten around to making an appointment. Over the past two months I’ve been experiencing everyday back pain. I don’t want to just take a pill and would much rather find ways to fix the problem. When I went to the doctor she suggested physical therapy. Also thru my own research I found that massage therapy is a great way to alleviate back pain. When I got an email about a living social deal for a $32 dollar 60 minute massage I though now is the perfect time to make an appointment. 
My massage was at Innovative Fitness and Wellness in Middletown Connecticut.  The atmosphere of the place was much more gym like than spa like. I think next time I want to try it out in a spa. My message therapist spent thirty minutes on the front of my body and thirty minutes on the back of my body. Let me start off by saying I didn’t even know it was possible to have knots in the places I had them. I had so many knots a ton in my back that the entire hour was spent getting my knots out. As painful as that was it was also really relaxing. My body felt the most relaxed it has in a long time. I left feeling like I had just gone on a week long vacation.I think that I’m going to have to make this a once a month thing. 
There are countless benefits to getting a massage. Some of the benefits include helping low-back pain and improving range of motion. If your pregnant massage can help assist with shorter, easier labor. Massage can ease medication dependence by providing natural pain relief, it enhances immunity by stimulating lymph flow, it can help exercise and stretch weak and tight muscles, increase joint flexibility, lessen depression and anxiety, and promote tissue regeneration. Massage can help improve circulation, reduce post surgery swelling, reduce spasms and cramping, relax and soften injured, tired and overused muscles, release endorphins, and relieve migraine pain. 
Massage is a great form of stress relief which was the other main reason I had for wanting it try it out. It is estimated that 90% of disease is stress related and that nothing ages us faster than high stress. I believe that stress is a factor that has to be controlled in order to maintain wellness of the body and mind. I think controlling your stress is just as important as eating a good diet, and exercising. Massage can help you manage stress and can help decrease anxiety, enhance sleep quality, greater energy, improve concentration, increase circulation, and reduce fatigue. Not only does a massage feel good it also allows your mind to rest during that time. 
Some research has show that thru massage therapy arthritis suffers have fewer aches and less stiffness and pain, burn injury patients report reduced pain, itching and anxiety, high blood pressure patients demonstrate lower diastolic blood pressure, anxiety, and stress hormones, and preterm infants have improved weight gain. Many people in the medical field are beginning to recognize the benefits and many hospitals now have on site massage practitioners for patients. 
People in our society need to start taking care of themselves and instead of taking medications explore the other options available. Scheduling time in your life for a massage is an investment in your health just like paying more at the grocery store to buy healthy food. 

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3 comments:

  1. You’re right. We have so many alternative treatments to pain, so it’s much better to explore them first before using medication. Massage therapy, for example, not only alleviates pain but also calms the body. Also, it can be combined with other treatment modes, such as reiki and acupuncture. Thanks for sharing your experience, Nichole!

    Abbe Reinap

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  2. Scheduling a regular massage therapy session is a good investment. Others may think that it’s just luxury, but it’s really beneficial to our health. There are a lot of studies that validate this fact. It does not only treat our body aches, but it also prevents other pains from emerging.

    Regards,
    Quentin Edberg

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  3. Taking care of our body should be on top of the list. Just like what you’ve mentioned, massage treatments offer tons of benefits, and can be a way to pamper ourselves. Remember that taking care of your body is a must, so you can enjoy life and worry less on other things.

    Stela Dimitrov

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