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Therapeutic Massage


What is Therapeutic Massage or Bodywork?

All massage is therapeutic in nature because it affects the largest organ in your body - your skin.  There are roughly 80 different types of massage.  The intention and techniques are what differentiates the type of massage.  Massage and Bodywork also include movement, and other healing touch and energetic modalities.

Swedish Massage

Swedish Massage is a "hands on" scientific and manual manipulation of muscles and other soft tissues of the body for the purpose of promoting improved health and well-being.  It is one of the most common and best known forms of massage used in the West today.  A Swedish massage can be slow and gentle, or vigorous and bracing, depending on the client's needs, therapist's personal style, and what they want to achieve.  It is a natural instinct to rub away pain. 

Swedish massage is the best fit with the various alternative modalities that Adrienne offers.  Adrienne provides Swedish Massage sessions, and with her client as a team partner, may incorporate Reiki and Aromatherapy to best meet the intended needs and goals of her client.

Massage Benefits and How Does It happen?

Massage throughout history to current times, has been practiced, studied and documented.  Human touch has been shown to be emotionally and physically healing.  With Swedish Massage of the soft tissues, electrical signals are sent throughout the body and also to local areas.  It is suggested that these signals in combination with the general healing properties of touch may facilitate:
 
Pain Reduction
  •  Promotion of Sleep
  •  Swelling Reduction
  •   Blood Flow Stimulation
  •   Promote Clearing of Waste
  •   Boost Immune System Activity
  •   Reduction of Stress and Tension
  •   Increase Oxygen Capacity of the Blood
  •   Relaxation and Induce a Calming Effect
  •   Self Healing of Damaged Muscles and Tissues
  •   Encourage Endorphin Release which may Enhance Well-Being  

Endorphins are defined as hormone-like substances that are produced in the brain and function within the body as natural painkillers. During massage, endorphins are released, which can produce feelings of euphoria and general state of well-being  The endorphins produced can be so powerful that they actually mask pain.  Physically active people recover from mild depression more quickly and physically active is strongly correlated with good mental health as people age.

The New York Times, Vital Signs, publication date September 20, 2010,
www.nytimes.com, cites that Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles recruited 53 healthy adults and randomly assigned 29 of them to a 45-minute session of deep tissue Swedish massage and the other 24 to a session of light massage.

All of the subjects were fitted with intravenous catheters so blood samples could be taken immediately before the massage and up to an hour afterward.

To their surprise, the researchers, sponsored by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institute of Health, found that a single session of massage caused biological changes.

Volunteers who received Swedish massage experienced significant decreases in levels of the stress hormone cortisol in blood and saliva, and in arginine vasopressin, a hormone that can lead to increases in cortisol.  They also had increases in the number of lymphocytes, white blood cells that are part of the immune system.

Volunteers who had the light massage experienced greater increases in oxytocin, a hormone associated with contentment, than the Swedish massage group, and bigger decreases in adrenal corticotropin hormone, which stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol.

The study was published online in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2009.0634

People with chronic conditions such as arthritis, skin conditions, heart disease, and cancer should always consult their physicians before undergoing any type of massage therapy that involves manipulation of joints and muscles.  It is important that you let the massage therapist know about your conditions and its treatment.

In general massage is believed to support healing, boost energy, reduce injury recovery time, ease pain, enhance mood, well-being, and relaxation.,  In addition to the above mentioned, it is used for many musculoskeletal problems, such as low back pain, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and sprains and constipation (with abdominal area technique).  In the workplace, massage has been shown to melt away stress and enhance mental alertness.  One study found that deep tissue massage reduced blood pressure levels (an average reduction of 10.4 mm Hg in systolic pressure and a diastolic pressure reduction of 5.3 mm Hg).  Other studies show that massage may have immediate beneficial effects on pain and mood among patients with advanced cancer.

Clinical studies show that massage relieves chronic back pain more effectively than other treatments (including acupuncture and conventional medical care for this condition with education via books and videos) and, in many cases, cost less than other treatments.

With our fast paced lives, we are so often focused on meeting deadlines, getting task done, and taking care of others - that we don't listen to what our own body is saying to us.  Sometimes we do know yet don't know where to start.  And, sometimes we know, and put ourselves last, hoping that things will feel better soon.

                                         
Your Body is Tired of Waiting

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DISCLAIMER:   This website and Whole Body Wellness does not provide medical advice. Content contained on this website is for general educational information and purposes only, has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your personal physician or other qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health program described on this website. Information obtained here is not complete and does not cover aspects of any diseases, ailments, physical conditions or their treatment. Information obtained here is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness or medical condition. We can not and do not give you medical advice. We do not recommend the self-management of health problems. Should you have any health care-related questions, call or see your physician or other health care provider promptly. You should never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here. Any use of, or actions taken based upon any of the information contained on or accessed through this website is done entirely at your own risk. Users are always urged to seek professional medical advisement prior to engaging in any complimentary and alternative medical technique or therapy.