What is so therapeutic about our massage?
Do you equate the word "massage" with images of luxury and pampering? If you say "yes", then:
- Why are office workers one of the largest group of massage therapy clients?
- Why is massage the last preparation a prizefighter receives before stepping into the ring?
- Why does every professional sports team have a massage therapist on-call?
We can answers these questions by explaining why we and other massage professionals with the appropriate training call our specialty "Therapeutic Massage". In order to make the explanation clear, let¹s take a moment to introduce a little-discussed, but highly important system that is basic to the proper functioning of our bodies.
In addition to the cardiovascular system that circulates blood through our bodies, we also have a system supplying a clear, watery liquid called "lymph" that has several important roles:
- To distribute healing substances, such as antibodies wherever the body needs them
- To collect waste products cast off by the body, such as spent blood cells and lactic acid resulting from muscle exertion
- To deliver these wastes to the urinary system for elimination
These latter roles do not always function as well as we need, because the system for returning the lymph from the extremities of our body is not pumped strongly. This means that it is possible for the dissolved wastes to simply pool up in muscle tissue. But since these waste products are toxic to the body, their presence can cause intermittent pain, which often leads to muscle cramping and knotting. The techniques of deep muscle massage and lymphatic drainage can be used to squeeze the toxins out of the muscle and to move them along for excretion.
Now, when we say deep muscle massage, we¹re merely recognizing that many of the major muscle groups are arrayed in layers and that we need to go "deep" in order to work the underneath muscles. Although this terminology sounds somewhat intense, it is actually just the opposite wonderfully relaxing. It needs to be relaxing, because if the outer layers are tense, it would be impossible to apply massage to the deeper muscles. Therefore if the therapeutic process is to be effective at all, everything we do must ensure that your body is in a state of full relaxation. We accomplish this by incorporating some aspects of acupressure and reflexology along with traditional western techniques. Accordingly, you will be in a state of blissful relaxation as well as being pain-free at the end of your therapeutic massage session.
Of course, relaxation shouldn¹t be considered to be a luxury, either. When you are relaxed and your stresses are relieved, your anxiety level is reduced and you are imbued with a feeling of well-being. Many recent reports indicate that anxiety can cause significant deterioration to one's physical health. Which means that there may be nothing more important for your general health than the relaxation and relief that we provide.
<< Back to Therapy
© A New Dawn Therapeutic Massage, 2003
|
