Benefits of massage.. it's good medicine!

Benefits of Massage
Good Medicine


As you lie on the table under crisp, fresh sheets, hushed music draws you into the moment. The smell of sage fills the air and you hear the gentle sound of massage oil being warmed in your therapist's hands. The pains of age, the throbbing from your overstressed muscles, the sheer need to be touched -- all cry out for therapeutic hands to start their work. Once the session gets underway, the problems of the world fade into an oblivious 60 minutes of relief and all you can comprehend right now is not wanting it to end.

But what if that hour of massage did more for you than just take the pressures of the day away? What if that gentle, Swedish massage helped you combat cancer? What if bodywork helped you recover from a strained hamstring in half the time? What if your sleep, digestion and mood all improved with massage and bodywork? What if these weren't just "what ifs"?

Evidence is showing that the more massage you can allow yourself, the better you'll feel. Here's why.

Massage as a healing tool has been around for thousands of years in many cultures. Touching is a natural human reaction to pain and stress, and for conveying compassion and support. Think of the last time you bumped your head or had a sore calf. What did you do? Rubbed it, right? The same was true of our earliest ancestors. Healers throughout time and throughout the world have instinctually and independently developed a wide range of therapeutic techniques using touch. Many are still in use today, and with good reason. We now have scientific proof of the benefits of massage - benefits ranging from treating chronic diseases and injuries to alleviating the growing tensions of our modern lifestyles. Having a massage does more than just relax your body and mind - there are specific physiological and psychological changes which occur, even more so when massage is utilized as a preventative, frequent therapy and not simply mere luxury. Massage not only feels good, but it can cure what ails you.


The Consequences of Stress
Experts estimate that 80 percent to 90 percent of disease is stress-related. Massage and bodywork is there to combat that frightening number by helping us remember what it means to relax. The physical changes massage brings to your body can have a positive effect in many areas of your life. Besides increasing relaxation and decreasing anxiety, massage lowers your blood pressure, increases circulation, improves recovery from injury, helps you to sleep better and can increase your concentration. It reduces fatigue and gives you more energy to handle stressful situations.

Massage is a perfect elixir for good health, but it can also provide an integration of body and mind. By producing a meditative state or heightened awareness of living in the present moment, massage can provide emotional and spiritual balance, bringing with it true relaxation and peace.

The incredible benefits of massage are doubly powerful if taken in regular "doses." Dr. Maria Hernandez-Reif, from the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami, is known for her massage research, along with colleague Tiffany Field. Together, they and other researchers have done outstanding work proving the value of massage. While their studies have shown we can benefit from massage even in small doses (15 minutes of chair massage or a half-hour table session), Hernandez-Reif says they know from their research that receiving bodywork 2-3 times a week is highly beneficial. And if we lived in a fantasy world, Hernandez-Reif has the answer. "I feel a daily massage is optimal."

It's undoubtedly a wonderful thing when your therapist begins unwinding those stress-tightened muscles, and your day's troubles begin to fade away. But it's the cherry on top to know this "medicine" only gets better with frequency.


What You Already Know: The Benefits of Massage
In an age of technical and, at times, impersonal medicine, massage offers a drug-free, non-invasive and humanistic approach based on the body's natural ability to heal itself. So what exactly are the benefits to receiving regular massage and/or bodywork treatments?

- Increases circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs.

- Stimulates the flow of lymph, the body's natural defense system, against toxic invaders. For example, in breast cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase the cells that fight cancer.

- Increased circulation of blood and lymph systems improves the condition of the body's largest organ - the skin.

- Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles

- Reduces spasms and cramping

- Increases joint flexibility.

- Reduces recovery time, helps prepare for strenuous workouts and eliminates subsequent pains of the athlete at any level.

- Releases endorphins - the body's natural painkiller - and is being used in chronic illness, injury and recovery from surgery to control and relieve pain.

- Reduces post-surgery adhesions and edema and can be used to reduce and realign scar tissue after healing has occurred.

- Improves range-of-motion and decreases discomfort for patients with low back pain.

- Relieves pain for migraine sufferers and decreases the need for medication.

- Provides exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles and reduces shortening of the muscles for those with restricted range of motion.

- Assists with shorter labor for expectant mothers, as well as less need for medication, less depression and anxiety, and shorter hospital stays.


Other Body Therapies
Alexander Technique - A movement re-education therapy that was created by a mid-19th century actor who tried to understand his own movement dysfunctions on stage. The emphasis is on observing and modifying improper movement patterns, thereby reducing physical stress on the body.

Craniosacral Therapy - A gentle method of manipulating the body's craniosacral system (consisting of thin membranes and cerebrospinal fluid which surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord) in an attempt to improve the function of the central nervous system, dissipate the negative effects of stress and enhance health and resistance to disease.

Reiki - A therapy based on universal life energy that serves to align chakras and bring healing energy to organs and glands. Utilizes visualization as practitioner acts as a channel for the life energy.

Rolfing - Used to reorder the major body segments, this technique utilizes physical manipulation and movement awareness to bring the body into vertical alignment. Treatments are offered in a 10-session series.

Shiatsu - A deep, finger-pressure technique using the traditional acupuncture points of Asian healing. Works to unblock energy flows and restore balance to meridians and organs.


The Need for Touch
As a society, we are touch deprived and this can lead to disease or emotional dysfunction. From the cradle to the nursing home, tactile stimulation and the emotional assurance of caring touch bring about a sense of well-being and security. In numerous studies conducted on massage for infants, TRI researchers have found improved weight gain and development in pre-term infants, improved weight gain and motor behavior in cocaine-exposed infants, and improved weight gain and decreased stress behavior in HIV-exposed infants. Full-term infants also benefit with increased alertness and social behavior, less crying and increased weight gain.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Treatment Of DOMS


There have been many different treatment strategies to help reduce the intensity of DOMS and to return the athlete to training as fast as possible. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, have demonstrated dose-dependent effects but can be influenced by when the dose was given.

I am not against all NSAIDS for there are times when the patient might need them on a temporary basis to relieve the symptoms, but I would suggest only using these when other methods have failed. Many problems can occur with the over medication of these drugs that far outweigh their usage. The key word in the use of NSAIDS is TEMPORARY.

Massage has also shown some varying results that can be attributed to the time and type of massage technique used. I love the benefits of massage and tell my patients that weekly massage treatments will do a lot of good for their overall health


n a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training in 2003, ten healthy subjects (5 men, 5 women) with no history of upper arm injury and no experience in resistance training were asked to perform 10 sets of 6 maximal isokinetic eccentric movements of the elbow flexors with both arms.

One arm received 10 minutes of massage 3 hours after the exercise; the other arm received no treatment. They concluded that massage was effective in alleviating DOMS by approximately 30% and reducing swelling, but it had no effects on muscle function.

According to a study published by the School of Community Health and Sports Studies: Cryotherapy (ice packs), stretching, homeopathy, ultrasound and electrical current modalities (muscle stimulation) all have demonstrated no effect on the alleviation of muscle or other DOMS related symptoms.

Exercise is the most effective means of relieving pain during DOMS, but the analgesic effect is temporary. If you have to train on a daily basis, then you should reduce the duration and intensity of exercise for 1-2 days following the exercise that caused the DOMS. You can also train less effected body parts to allow time for the body to recover.

Another key is to train a hard day/light day after you start a new program or routine. Rest is often overlooked in the training regime and you should plan for it. I believe that we usually over train and never give our bodies the required "rest" that it needs to rebuild and repair itself. I know that the "burn" feels good after a workout but it isn't the best thing for you.

Your body is designed to adapt to whatever stress is imposed upon it so if you want to grow, or get in better shape, you have to make changes periodically in your routine to stop from hitting a plateau and getting bored. Any significant change in your workout can increase the risk of DOMS. When it happens, use the suggestions provided above... and don't let your kids decide that today is "wrestling day".

Who chooses which sex of a massage therapist

IT’S often the first, and most awkward, question at a spa: “Do you prefer a male or female massage therapist?”

The therapist Robin Duffy says women like masseuses because they see it as a chat session.
Various thoughts may swirl through a client’s head. For many women, it brings up body issues and safety concerns: Will a male therapist be attracted to me? What if I forgot to shave my legs? Will they see my stretch marks?

For many men, it makes them self-conscious and tongue-tied: Will a female therapist be strong enough? If I choose a man, will they think I’m gay? What if I become aroused?

These are all valid questions, said John Ellsworth, a massage therapist in New York with 10 years’ experience. “You’re completely naked and someone is rubbing oil all over your body,” he said. “It’s a level of intimacy with a stranger that is unfamiliar for most people.”

Most women ask for female massage therapists, spa managers say. The same goes for men. Lynne McNees, president of the International Spa Association, attributes it to basic numbers. “Seventy percent of spa-goers are female, and there are more female therapists, so it makes sense that this would be the preference,” she said. Indeed, 85 percent of massage therapists in the United States are women, according to the American Massage Therapy Association.

But culture and nationality also play a role. American and Middle Eastern women tend to ask for masseuses, while Europeans often don’t care either way, said Sandra Sadowski, the spa director at the Ritz-Carlton in New York, which has a large international clientele.

Certain religions also dictate whether a client picks a male or female therapist. The concept of negiah, practiced by Orthodox Jews, restricts physical contact between those of opposite genders who are not related by blood or marriage. Islam also forbids a man to touch a woman who is not in his family, even with a barrier.

But in most cases, massage therapists say, clients choose a masseuse because of their own comfort level and biases.

Even women who see themselves as open-minded prefer a woman to give them a massage. Bettina Barrow, 31, a recent U.C.L.A. Law School graduate, believed she had no preference, until one experience changed her mind.

“I had a massage from a really good-looking therapist,” said Ms. Barrow, recalling an experience in Los Angeles. Being with a man made her nervous. “With a woman, I don’t think about it as much and I’m able to relax,” she added.

Robin Duffy, a massage therapist with private practices in North Carolina and New York, points to another reason that women prefer a female therapist. Many of her clients, she said, treat their visit like a chat session among gal pals. “It’s actually their way of relaxing: telling you all of these intimate details of their lives,” she said.

Men seem to prefer female therapists for different reasons. Some don’t want another man massaging their bodies, because it brings up uncomfortable associations with being gay. Ken Morris, spa director at the Canyon Ranch Spa in Tucson, Ariz., said that American men have very little physical contact with other men, apart from handshakes in a business setting or contact sports. “When do men physically touch each other?” he asked rhetorically.

But there are some instances where both women and men request a male therapist. The most commonly cited reason is that masseurs are stronger and can deliver a deeper massage.

Whether that’s true is up for debate. Ben Brown, a massage therapist at a Bliss Spa in New York, said this is a misconception. “Really good massage is about leverage,” he said. “You don’t have to be a male or female. You just have to be good and know how to use your body.”

But Jay Anthony, a guest services counselor at the Ashram retreat in Calabasas, Calif., said he had seen guests gravitate toward male therapists over the course of their stay. “Many men will only wish to have a gentle, nurturing female therapist,” he said. “But by the end of the week, they want the strongest possible male therapists that can get into their muscles as deep as possible.”


Some women ask for male therapists because they feel competitive around other women. “They want to avoid the judgment they might feel from another woman,” said Mr. Ellsworth, the New York masseur. Other times, he added, “they want the attention of someone who might find them attractive.”

Then there is a more embarrassing reason for preferring a male therapist. For heterosexual men, having a guy give the massage may lessen the chances of becoming aroused, Mr. Ellsworth said. “If you’re not sexually attracted to the person, that is less likely to happen,” he added.

Not everyone agrees. George Powell-Lopez, general manager of the Red Door Spas Elizabeth Arden in New York, said that arousal during a massage is common, and sometimes has little to do with sexual attraction. “We’re moving blood around very quickly, and this happens sometimes,” he said.

When it does, therapists rely on their training. The first step is usually to ignore it. If that fails, they may redirect the massage to a neutral part of the body. And if the therapist senses that the session has taken on an inappropriate sexual tone, they may gently remind the client of the boundaries, saying, “This is not that type of massage.”

Therapists can just as easily end the massage, and report the situation to the spa manager or security. Cases of appointments being terminated are few, said Ms. Sadowski of the Ritz-Carlton, adding, “If the therapist is uncomfortable at any moment, they can simply leave the room.”

“You don’t want to lose a massage client for the rest of their life because they were embarrassed,” Mr. Powell-Lopez said.

The question of masseuse or masseur seems to matter less over time. Experienced spa-goers say they care less and less with each visit.

When Allan Share, president of the Day Spa Association, gets a massage, he said, he simply asks for the best therapist available. “I always get a chuckle from the receptionist like, ‘Oh, someone who gets it,’ ” he said.