Clinical Massage

 

The Magic Of Touch

From assembly lines to corporate headquarters, Americans are discovering the magic of Massage. Companies are finding that headaches, back strain and fatigue have all fallen since they started bringing in Massage therapists. Ballerinas at the American ballet Theatre in New York are calling their weekly Massage sessions as essential as stage makeup and Pointe shoes. Doctors have started prescribing Massage to help patients manage stress and pain. And a few HMOs have begun sharing in the cost. Massage is medicine, not merely an indulgence.

 

Anyone who has rubbed a stiff neck knows intuitively that Massage relieves pain and muscle tension, but the benefits don't stop there. Scientists are now finding that Massage can reduce blood pressure, boost the immune system, dampen harmful stress hormones and raise mood-elevating brain chemicals such as serotonin. And you can't beat Massage for relaxation. Babies fall asleep faster when Massaged than when rocked - and they stay asleep, rather than waking the moment Mom tiptoes away. All of these factors put Massage in the same category with proper diet and exercise as something that helps maintain overall health.

 

Many of the benefits stem directly from physical manipulation. Skilled hands can press lactic acid out of muscles after exercise, easing the pains of marathon runners and triathletes. And by dispersing fluids, Massage can ease the inflammation that follows sprains and other injuries.

The effects are not always so straightforward. Massage can also stimulate nerves that carry signals from the skin and muscles to the brain, triggering changes throughout the body. In a groundbreaking 1986 study, scientists showed that premature infants who were Massaged three times a day for 15 minutes gained 47 percent more weight than other preemies and were released from the hospital six days earlier. It wasn't just that Massaged kids felt more secure for being coddled. In later research, it was shown that Massage (as opposed to light touch) stimulates the brain's vagus nerve, causing the secretion of food-absorption hormones, including insulin. Nerve stimulation probably explains other benefits as well. Every nerve cell in the body has some connection to every other nerve cell.

 

Even brain waves are altered by Massage. Studies have shown that even people who are Massaged for 15 minutes twice a week had lower levels of alpha and beta waves - indicating greater alertness - than their colleagues who did relaxation exercises for the same amount of time. When both groups tackled math problems after treatment, the Massage group worked faster than the relaxation group, with half as many errors. Massage is working similar wonders for children with learning problems. It is being used to successfully enhance basic language and social skills in abused, neglected and handicapped kids.

 

Massage is not a single discipline but a family of related arts, each offering different advantages. At the Therapy Center I use a variety of techniques to address soft tissue problems. What is soft tissue? Soft tissue is muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia (connective tissue that permeates muscles and forms protective sheets throughout your body). Muscles move joints, while ligaments and fascia supports joints. If, for example, you go to a chiropractor for an adjustment and a subluxation is adjusted without addressing related soft tissue problems, you may still experience pain. In addition, your tight muscles and shortened fascia can pull your joint out of alignment again. Soft tissue pain can actually spread because it causes protective muscle tightening in surrounding areas. Over time, tight, inflamed muscles and fascia (together called myofascia) suffer poor circulation and can develop glue-like myofascial adhesions which prevent muscles from lengthening completely. Painful trigger points can also develop, often referring pain or tingling to other areas in the body. In extreme cases, tight muscles can compress nerves just as painfully as a subluxation.

 

If you are plagued by insomnia or simply need to relax, Swedish Massage, with its long soothing strokes, may be all you need. But if you suffer from painful muscle spasms or need to rehabilitate an injured joint, "deep tissue" Massage may be more helpful. The technique uses greater pressure to penetrate to deeper muscle groups. "Trigger-point therapy" can help relieve pain by prodding and stretching out sensitive spots that cause aches in other parts of the body.

 

Sports Massage combines all these techniques to reduce soreness, prevent injuries and treat sprains, strains and tendonitis. In general, Massage increases circulation. This reduces painful swelling and inflammation and promotes healing by removing waste products and bringing nutrients to your tissues. Like a sponge absorbing water, both fascia and muscles begin to soften and lengthen.

 

What makes The Therapy Center different from other Massage centers?

Since most therapists combine techniques, what really counts is not method but competence. In some states all it takes to open a Massage business is a paintbrush and some cardboard.

 

At The Therapy Center all of the Massage Therapists are trained as Clinical Therapists with a minimum of 1000 hours of formal training, including classes in anatomy, physiology and ethics.

 

 

 

 

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