When to get a massage

You should get a massage when you feel like it. For most people that would be rather frequent, but often it is an expense which most can't afford as regularly as desired. To maintain the best health, try and get a massage when you start to notice the symptoms of stress, or when your muscles feel sore. It is best not to wait until you experience muscular pain in your body, since by then the anomalies are so severe it will take several sessions to relieve the muscular tension. It is always easier and more efficient to address problems in the beginning than to wait.

When your soft tissue starts to feel sore and strained it is a warning from your body to you that there are problems that you need to pay attention to. It can be things such as poor posture, repetitive movements and overuse. Pain is our body's way of telling us that we need to stop up and relax, that we are pushing our body too far and that we need to stop what we are doing.

For many people it is not possible to change our jobs to heed the warnings from our body and we need to find alternative ways to address them. That is where massage enters the picture. Massage is one of the most effective methods to deal with work related soreness and pains when it is treated early on. If you wait too long it might end up being necessary to get surgical treatment and long rehabilitation.

Stress can cause muscular pains and other health issues, which can easily be addressed by massage. A regular massage will help you cope with stress, increase your productivity and increase your overall health. Should you face a particularly stressful period, take the time to get more frequent massages while it lasts to counter the negative effects stress has upon your body and psyche.

By getting a massage when stress, soreness and tenderness begin, it becomes a preventive healthcare to normalize your body before problems arise which needs medical attention. Don't ignore the warnings of your body.

Massage can't replace medical treatment unless directly instructed by your doctor. If you are sick, just have had an injury or surgery or have a medical condition, check with your doctor to see if a massage is appropriate in your situation. If not, wait until your situation have improved and the doctor no longer sees a risk. Be sure to inform the massage therapist of any such things before the massage begins.

Why get massages

Many ask why should they get a massage. One would think the answer is obvious. A massage feels good, it is relaxing and nice to be pampered and given full attention for an hour or more. It feels wonderful to have skilled hands address all those sore points and just be able to let go and forget about worries and concerns for a while. But there is more to massage, and getting regular massages should be part of any wellness plan.

Massages are not only relaxation. Though receiving a full relaxation massage regularly will greatly improve your wellness. Massage is a preventive health care to improve life quality, release muscular tensions before they become serious problems and increase the overall health.

As discussed in previous articles, stress can cause a wide range of physical and mental problems which can become serious health issues if it is not addressed in time. Stress often reveals its presence by causing tense and tight muscles, which in return causes headaches, muscle pain, stiffness and insomnia. Massage can relieve the symptoms of stress, relax tight muscles and help decrease pain.

Our daily lives place a lot of strain on our body. Repetitive movements and poor postural positions in front of the computer, at the desk, doing housework, taking care of children, lifting etc. causes discomfort, pain and eventually become problems that can significantly decreases life quality and might need medical treatment. Those symptoms will reinforce themselves as pain causes stress which again causes the muscles to tense even further.

By addressing these issues and potential problems early on, several trips to the doctor can be spared and the daily aches that many of us experience can be relieved and avoided. Massage normalizes tense muscular tissue and can help you bring your body back to its natural posture and alignment.

In our modern lives we often experience strains and pains in our backs, shoulders and neck due to working positions. Our body is pulled of the planes of posture and muscles are shortened and stretched unnaturally. Many of our work positions cause our shoulders become internally rotated, our neck to bend and back to slouch. Our range of motion is impaired and can it can easily become painful.

Massage is the most effective method to normalize abnormalities in the soft tissues and restore its range of motion. Medication only addresses the symptoms, but does normally not deal with the cause of the pain. Massage strengthens and stretches the muscles, makes tight shortened tissue relax and gives the lengthened tissue a chance to return to the normal position. Massage helps the body get into its natural alignment.

When the soft tissue has been relaxed and strengthened and the body posture naturally aligned, it needs to be maintained. Here the massage therapist can give advice upon how to keep a good posture, point out what habits you need to change and what you can do to achieve such. Once the body and soft tissue has been normalized, a regular massage will aid you in maintaining your posture and can be used to relieve those anomalies before they become serious problems.

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Seated massage (chair massage)

Chair massage is a quick and energizing massage form that is performed while the client is fully clothed. The clients sits on a chair specially designed for comfort and access to the body. Pressure and massage techniques are used to work out the knots and tension which are located in the body. In particular the shoulder, neck and back area are easily accessible for treatment during a seated massage.

A massage typically lasts 15 minutes, which is no more than a coffee break. It can be performed in any location; from your living room, to the office, parks and malls, the garden, beaches. With or without people and distractions around you. It is an ideal massage form for those too busy for a full massage, or as a break and nice treatment while at work or meeting up with friends.

Longer massages can easily be given with a seated massage, it all depends on the time and needs of the client. Half an hour is not uncommon for a massage and they can last up to 1½ hours. During the longer massages not only the back, neck and shoulder area are treated, but also arms, hands, scalp, thighs and calves. Stretches are employed to aid the massage and the client will participate actively in the treatment. The chest and stomach can also be massaged and facials are a given.

The massage chair can be used in many ways and it is a very flexible tool. The chair itself is compact and can easily be set up. Many chairs weigh very little, which makes them ideal for transportation and visiting the client at their location. Once set up they don't take much space and almost any home and office can find a corner with room enough for the massage. Often an unoccupied office or meeting room is used. The only preparation needed is to move a few chairs aside.

Since the client is fully clothed there is no need for a strict privacy, nor a room that is specially heated. The goal of the massage is often therapeutic. Knots and sore muscles are treated, as opposed to the table massage, where the aim is to make the client fully relax and completely let go while treating muscular tensions. This also eliminates the need for an undisturbed room. Instead a room a bit out of the way, a quiet corner in the house or office, or even a peaceful spot in the park can be used for the massage.

The techniques used in a chair massage are very similar to those used on the massage table and they can easily be adapted to suit the seated massage. There are some distinct differences. The most notable difference is the lack of oils or creams during the massage. The hands of the massage therapist presses and pushes the muscles, lifts them and tap them. Long soft strokes over the skin are usually not employed due to clothing.

Chair massage is ideal for back, neck and shoulder problems as well as arm, wrist and hands. People working in offices, mothers carrying infants and others with particular strain to those areas of the body can benefit greatly from a seated massage.

Oriental Massage

Oriental massage takes its inspiration from the Hammams found in Morocco and the other North African countries. The objective of the massage is to stimulate the blood circulation and relax the muscles in depth. This style of massage is often found in the Hammams and will typically last 20 to 30 minutes.

The massage is very energetic and profound, urging the body and spirit to let go. This massage is in particular recommended to relax the mind and spirit of hyperactive and overworked people, as well as people who feel burnt out and are in need of an energy burst.

From the beginning the energy of the massage is notable. The music and scents brings associations with the mystery of the North African world. The gestures are quick and energized and there is a rhythm and flow in how the massage is performed that correspondents with the the spirit of ancient oriental practices.

Both hands and forearms are used during the massage, tapping of feet and muscles as well as stretches that affects the entire body. There are quick light strokes to apply the massage oil as well as in depth work on the body.

By the end of the massage you feel energized and relaxed, the blood flowing quicker through the veins and tensions gone. It is a very rejuvenating massage style.