What is Therapeutic Massage?

Many people simply do not take the time to relax and care for their bodies, even though we depend on them every day. Therapeutic massage is one way to introduce balance and care into your routine, offering benefits to overall wellness as well as reducing pain and stress. There are many different types of therapeutic massage that all have their benefits. Some people prefer more intensive massage such as deep tissue or neuromuscular massage. Others prefer therapeutic massage that starts out with more gentle releases of tension.

Muscular Therapy and More

If you have pain due to a muscular injury, over-worked muscles, or even tension due to repetitive activities, therapeutic massage can help. Massage works to release the built up lactic acid, uric acid, and other cell waste that causes build-up and sometimes pain in muscles. The nervous system is also stimulated, encouraging the release of positive endorphins into the blood stream and processes of regeneration to take effect. The skin benefits, too, with the increased circulation that is stimulated by therapeutic massage.

Stress Management

Part of treating the body right is ensuring that the mind is also well cared for. We often push ourselves so hard day after day, in order to keep our jobs, do good work, and accomplish everything that needs to be done on a daily basis. How often do you sit down and tell yourself that it’s time to take a break and enjoy yourself? If you’re like most people, you don’t do it often enough.

Therapeutic massage has plenty of physical benefits, but one of the major benefits that you’ll notice right away is the calming and relaxing effect it has on your mind. Give yourself the gift of time away from the craziness of life and enjoy the benefits of therapeutic massage.

Importance of Communicating with Your Massage Therapist

It’s easy to assume that the massage therapist is the professional and they know best. Of course this is true when it comes to understanding the build of a body, how to manipulate muscles so circulation is improved and waste products are released and removed from your system. But the fact remains that this is your body being manipulated, and it’s important to communicate what you feel with your massage therapist.

Enjoying Your Massage

First and foremost, you should enjoy the massage you get from a Oklahoma City massage therapist. That doesn’t mean there won’t be any pain at all, but you shouldn’t be suffering throughout a massage. Persuading your muscles to relax is a big part of massage therapy, and if you’re in too much pain you’ll only tense up more. Talk to your massage therapist about pain you feel and work together to find a balance that is beneficial.

Preventing a Bad Experience

Sometimes people end up having a bad experience with a massage therapist because they don’t speak up about pain, discomfort, or past injuries. One example is the client who was injured and things that if the painful muscles are massaged they will improve. But the fact is that the type of injury is extremely important to whether or not it should be massaged at all. Certain injuries can be worsened by massage, and if a massage therapist doesn’t know about the injury they may inadvertently do you harm.

Getting the Most From Each Massage

What you really want to do is walk away from each massage feeling relaxed, good, a little tired, and with a smile on your face. The best work is done when massage therapist and client work together to ensure that the experience is a positive one and that you can relax and trust your massage therapist to do their best for you.

Preventative Healthcare and Wellness Massage

Many people think of going to the spa and getting pampered when they think of having a massage. But there are long term health reasons to indulge in regular massages, too. More and more people are giving themselves the gift of better health and overall wellness by adding regular massages to their lives.

Preventing Injury

While there’s no guarantee that you won’t get injured, there is a good body of work that shows how individuals who have regular massages avoid the common chronic pain that comes from work-related injuries. Sitting at a desk all day every day may sound safe, but it’s actually a great way to add chronic back, neck, shoulder, or wrist pain to your life. Regular massages help to relax tense muscles that get used repeatedly in the same ways.

Wellness in Body and Mind

Wellness is a term used often these days to describe an overall sense of wellbeing. Not only are you avoiding physical injury and illness, but you feel satisfied and relaxed on a regular basis. You may also experience stress and unhappiness, but these are balanced by an overall wellness that comes from being healthy and at peace with your lifestyle.

Massage is one way to give yourself the relaxation and contentment that brings about overall wellness. You can take the time to stop your mind from racing about the things you should or shouldn’t be doing and just relax. Allowing yourself time to recover from stressful times at work, difficulties with family, or pressure from social situations can really put you in a better place.

Life is much easier to handle when you’re relaxed and you know you’re taking care of your body and mind. Massage is one way that people get that sense of relaxation and self-care.

3 Key Benefits of Therapeutic Massage

Massage is a general term that refers to an incredible number of techniques, ranging from ancient therapeutic methods to more modern and technical methods for releasing tension in specific muscles. The benefits of therapeutic massage are well known and many of them are well understood.

Muscle Tension Relaxation

The first and most obvious benefit of massage is the relaxation of muscles and muscle groups that get fatigued, tight, and over-worked due to repetitive motions. Simply driving a car puts stress on your back, shoulders, arms, and neck which causes tension and pain. Most people who work in offices sit still for too many hours each day, forcing the body to hold an essentially find position for an unhealthy length of time.

Massage can work the tension out of muscles, bringing physical relaxation that cannot be attained any other way.

Psychological Relaxation

Massage should also bring psychological benefits. If you take the time to treat yourself to a massage, you are essentially giving your body a gift. The time and relaxation you are taking are critical to mental health, and with the right massage therapist you will feel refreshed and relaxed after each massage.

Preventative Health Care

Massage can also be a way to prevent health problems, from those related to stress to physical fitness problems that occur over time. Repetitive stresses from work and daily life can get your body into a particular set of tense and weak muscle groups, creating imbalance. A regularly schedule massage can ensure that your muscles all relax and that tension can be dispersed instead of causing injury.

Whether you have chronic pain or problems that can be helped by massage therapy, or you’re hoping to avoid injury and chronic pain, massage offers a range of benefits. You’ll find yourself feeling more flexible, relaxed, and ready to face each day when you have regular massages.