Knead a Massage?

Massage is one of those healthful practices that most would not argue with should the doctor prescribe it.  If only . . . right? After all, it actually feels great!  No deprivation, no self control needed, no sweating required, no needles, no shopping for unusual ingredients. Just lay back, close your eyes and wait for all the pent up tension and aches and pains to melt away. 

The Wonders of Massage

A back rub at the end of hard day is a treat, but a trained masseuse can do wonders.  Besides feeling great, many studies have shown some of these healthy wonders of this type of bodywork include the following:

• reduces blood pressure
• boosts neurotransmitters
• improves sleep
• boosts immunity
• helps manage depression, anxiety and stress
• increases blood flow
• encourage lymphatic drainage
• reduces cortisol levels
• alleviates migraine headaches, back pain, fatigue

And, according to this study, treating yourself to a massage regularly sustains or even elevates these effects even more.

Adding Magnesium

Some masseuse like to use magnesium oil in their massage to offer more pain relief and muscle relaxation for those suffering from arthritis and muscle cramping.  This oil applied directly to the skin versus through oral supplementation is superior as it can be absorbed by the body more readily and therefore offering better chronic pain relief.  It also aids the masseuse in opening up and softening muscles and connective tissues easier.

Coaches, sports trainers and the like are turning to this oil to increase athletic performance and enhance recovery from heavy activity and injury.  This oil can reduce inflammation and aid in faster regeneration of tissue.  It can also be used as a preventative to increase flexibility to avoid injury as well.

Massage and Then Some

Recently, I learned of another practice closely related to massage -  zero balancing.  You could call it a cross between physical body function improvement (massage and chiropractic) and energy enhancing function improvement (acupuncture and Reiki).  These specialized practitioners pull from both modalities creating a balanced body using both types of methods.  This can result in all levels of the patient to be engaged with both energy and physical function improvment.  Sounds like a lot for one hour!  I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about this, so here are some other facts I have found on the topic: 

• It is conducted fully clothed.
• It is a gentle procedure emphasizing safety -  no forcing.
• Feels great – respectful “interface” touch.  Boundaries are highly regarded of both practitioner and client.
• Focuses on foundation joints which has more to do with transmission rather then movement.  Imbalances are resolved in the body by focusing on foundation joints.
• Much like in acupuncture, energy blocks are cleared which allows energy to flow in stronger ways.

A session typically lasts 30-45 minutes.  Using gentle movements and finger pressure on the joints, bones and soft tissue, the practitioner aims to create points of balance to aid in better posture and movement. This technique allows energy fields to flow and create better alignement as well.

Please check back later this week for a Q and A with a "balancer" to learn more about this form of therapy!

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluhousworker/245101738/">Jon Haynes Photography</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">cc</a>