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A 60 minute massage therapy is about
the same as 7-8 hours of sleep
to your body!
... the benefits of massage?
- Helps to improve and increase systemic circulation throughout the body
- Helps to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the cells
- Increases lymphatic flow that helps to remove toxins from the body
- Increases venous flow towards the heart
- Reduces stress by relaxing muscles
- Stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of the nervous system responsible for bringing the body to a state of relaxation
- Increases serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain, hormones responsible for regulating moods i.e. great for alleviating depression
- Increases range of motion in joints
If you've been chilly
Your posture changes in the winter when it gets cold, because you hunch up your shoulders to your ears. It’s instinct. During those months, chances are you come to us carrying stress on top of your shoulders and around the neck, and we know why.
... massage should not be performed during:
- High fever as it can exacerbate the condition
- A cause of pain whether locally or throughout the body is unknown
- Areas of recent strains or sprains
- Consumption of heavy alcohol or drug abuse
- First trimester of pregnancy
- Areas of DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) or thrombosis
When your job is taking a physical toll
Sometimes we see house painters who have predictable indents on both of their shins from leaning against a ladder eight hours a day. Another example: dentists. They have to work in a crooked position all day, so they typically carry their stress on the side of the table they work from.
If you traveled recently
We’re a touch-phobic society. If you spent hours in an airplane, especially with a seatmate who took from your space, you likely sat on only one of your glute muscles and curled yourself away. Your strained spots will have a twisted pattern, caused by a lot of pressure on one side. Likewise, if you have significant stress in your neck, we’ll guess you fell asleep without a pillow, likely hanging your head for hours.
If you're dehydrated
We can always tell if you haven’t been keeping up with your daily eight glasses of water. Trigger points in the upper back will be more tender when you’re dehydrated. Drink up, especially on massage day.
That you're a textaholic
If we rub your shoulders, and you tell us it hurts or it’s tight, we wonder how much you’ve been texting. It’s easy to forget how long you hold your head in that downward position, but be sure to look up and stretch every so often, because that prolonged posture will cost you dysfunction and imbalance in the shoulders.
That you work at a computer
You’ll have a forward roll of the shoulders from looking at that monitor all day, and your back will be strained from remaining still for hours. An easy fix: quick stretches at your desk. Tense your shoulders up around your ears, squeeze for five to ten seconds, then drop and let gravity pull down your shoulders. Or, rotate in your chair like you’re driving a car in reverse, and hold for a count of ten. Believe us, it will make a difference.
If you're prone to low back pain
We’ll know even if you don’t say so. When you lay on the table, we’ll check to see if one hip is higher than the other. That type of misalignment is caused by tightness in the low back, a result of prolonged sitting or poor posture, and usually results in pain. When you’re on your back, we’ll also see how much space is between the table and your low back. Sometimes too much belly weight can cause the stressed gap, which may also lead to aching.
When you need a new pillow?
There’s a lot of trial and error that goes into finding the perfect pillow. You want to have your spine in as perfect alignment as possible. The pillow should support the shoulder enough to not bunch up around your ears. Over time pillows should be turned around, fluffed, or replaced when their appearance gets a bit deflated or you no longer feel supported in your sleep. If your head is tilted down or up, it’ll put strain on your neck. And speaking of strain, we beg: Don’t sleep on your stomach. It places incredible pressure on your spine and neck. Sleep on your back or side. You can tuck a pillow between your knees or under your arms to be more comfortable.