by Ann Chester
Should you pay for a massage, or are you just wasting your money. Some people may say why pay just to have your back rubbed. But if your masseur is well trained, then there are hugh benefits to be had by having a massage. Unless you have a sports injury it doesn’t matter what type of massage you have as the benefits are very similar with all of them.
So what exactly are these benefits? and are they worth paying for? Massage as a health care model is fairly new to the Western world, although has been practiced in many Eastern cultures for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Chinese, to name a few, used massage as part of their healing tradition.
Massage therapy was often prescribed as part of a treatment in traditional medicine. It would have been given with advice on diet, exercise and maybe even medicines that were to be taken internally.
In the West a variety of massage techniques are used incorporating the traditional techniques of the Middle and Far East. Over the last couple of centuries western massage has evolved and some new techniques have been incorporated into more traditional massage therapies. Gradually scientists proved the efficiency of massage and over the years main stream medicine has become more accepting of its benefits.
If asked the majority of people would tell you that massage is used to relax you, but I have to say that it does far more than that. Although saying that the benefits are similar for every type of massage, each method does bring their own unique technique to create healing in the body.
It is important to get used to listening to your body, we are all individuals and are changing all of the time. Maybe you have tried massage and thought that it was ok but didn’t find any real benefit, then maybe it was the wrong type of massage for you at the moment.
Do you know how to relax? I mean really relax so that all of the tension goes out of your muscles, if you meditate you will know the kind of relaxation I am talking about. In the modern world we live in stress comes at us from every direction, from our jobs (or lack of), from our families and friends and just from the manic pace of life most of us live at. Our stress is unlike our ancestors, whose stress came in short bursts, ours is continous day in and day out.
Today’s stressful world causes you a great deal of harm, there is a hectic pace of life, where you may feel you must be doing something all the time, this takes a toll on you both mentally and physically. You may often feel exhausted, but feel you have to carry on for fear of loosing your job to someone else.
Environmental pollution in the air, and chemicals in your food puts toxins into your body, putting even greater strain on your body. Fortunately, a good massage works to help the body get rid of toxins and allows the body to relax, taking tension out of the tight muscles.
On the physical level a good massage will leave you feeling invigorated, when you have finished your massage you may feel as if you are walking on air.
Your blood circulation will be improved when you have a massage, and there will be an increase of flow of the lymphatic fluid throughout your body. Toxins in the cells can impede the correct working of those cells and when this happens disease can follow, a regular massage can help prevent this.
When you have a massage there is a lot of physical manipulation of the muscles, this can reduce stiffness, release tension and increase mobility. Due to the nature of this physical manipulation, massage is very good as part of your regular exercise regimine, as it can help in the prevention of muscle injury.
Many scientific studies confirm that massage therapy can:
Reduce heart rate.
Lower blood pressure (if high).
Increase blood circulation and lymphatic flow.
Stimulates weak and inactive muscles to compensate for lack of movement due to an illness or an injury, stiffened and tense muscles are also relaxed.
Increases endorphins.
Reduce anxiety and tension.
This list is very impressive, but I am sure over the next few years the scientists will find even more benefits of massage.
The type of treatment offered by skilled masseurs combines healing techniques which work with the natural healing powers of your body to bring about wholeness to your mind, body and spirit.
Of course, it is recommended that anyone with any severe condition or chronic pain should consult with a licensed medical professional before embarking on a massage. Also any well trained massage therapist will be able to tell you if it is wise for you to have a massage or not.
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