Massages have been proved in multiple studies to be extremely beneficial to your mind and body. Not only that, but it is also helpful to your baby, too!

During pregnancy, a woman’s body changes… crazy amazing changes!  With all of these changes, it can result in several uncomfortable conditions.  There are a few things that you can do to relive those aches and pains, and one of them is massage.  Massage during pregnancy not only makes a woman feel pampered and more emotionally grounded but is offers undeniable physical benefits as well.  The overall goal for prenatal massage is to help minimize stress, promote relaxation, and prepare the muscles for childbirth.

Massage during pregnancy also stimulates your lymphatic system, boosting immunity and removing excess toxins while stabilizing hormone levels. A few other benefits of prenatal massage include:  reduced swelling in your feet, legs and hands, relieve lower back pain including sciatic nerve pain, improve sleep by relaxing the nervous system and releasing feel good hormones, prepare you body for labor and birth, and relief pain naturally.

Women with normal, low-risk pregnancies can benefit greatly from massage by a trained pregnancy massage therapist.  However, women in high-risk pregnancies should consult with their doctor before beginning a massage therapy program. 

Postpartum massage is also super beneficial after giving birth to your baby.  Whether you had a difficult birth experience or your baby’s birth went smoothly, a woman’s body undergoes quite a bit of realignment.  Postpartum massage helps restore your muscle tone in the abdomen and reposition the pelvis.

Benefits of a postpartum massage can include:  Reliving tension from the birthing process, clears excess fluids from the body more quickly, hastens recovery, encourages pelvic and abdominal organs to return to pre-pregnancy positions, promotes shift return to digestive function, increases energy levels and reduces fatigue, aids in returning the uterus to normal size, decreases muscle tension from the exertion of labor, provides emotional support, addresses scar healing protocol after c-section, relieves should, neck and arm tension from breastfeeding. 

One of the biggest benefits in getting a massage after giving birth helps maintain a healthy circulation throughout the body.  In return, this helps the flow of breast milk through the body as well.  And increases the overall product of the breast milk.

If you’re looking for a prenatal or postnatal massage, give Precision Wellness a call!

Are you struggling with arthritis and looking for relief?   Look no further!

Massage therapy has been used widely as an aide to reduce pain and promote recovery of injured muscles.  Massage therapy can also help with moderate inflammation and stiffness associated with arthritis by improving circulation.  This translates to enhanced blood flow to arthritic joints, improved movement, and reduced pain.

Studies have shown that having a professional massage just once a week, and doing self-massage once a day, may help reduce the pain associated with many conditions, including arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and neuropathy.

There are many different types of massage available to you.  The best massage we recommend for arthritis are…

1 – Swedish:  Swedish massage is the most popular, using long strokes, circular movements and kneading to loosen tight muscles.  Pressure can range from very light to deep. With a Swedish massage you really get the blood circulation going.

2 – Shiatsu:  In this form of massage, specific spots are massaged that are said to relieve pain elsewhere in the body.  The areas massaged will depend on what type of pain you are having.  Your limbs may also be stretched lightly.

3 – Lymphatic massage: Also known as lymphatic drainage massage, this massage will use light, patterned strokes to help excess lymphatic fluid drain into the bloodstream.   This is very helpful for people with arthritis because they sometimes have a lot of excess fluid from the inflammatory process.

4 – Petrissage:  During a petrissage, your therapist will gently lift your skin and knead or roll it.  This can help lengthen the tissues that connect to your muscles, enabling them to relax a little.  Adding a little stretch and pliability can cause greater relief from discomfort.

Of course, you can always ask for a customized massage. Do not be afraid to ask your therapist for a treatment that is designed especially for your aches and pains. When you’re ready to work on you, give Precision Wellness a call!

When you invest in yourself, your physical, mental and overall health, by committing to routine massage therapy sessions, you want to make sure that you’re getting the best massage every time.  To ensure this, we suggest adopting the following ten tips to enhance your massage therapy experience.

Tip #1 – Decide what you want to get out of your massage – relaxation or more rehabilitation – before your session can make a big difference in having a satisfying experience.

Tip #2 – Communicate with your therapist before your session about how you are feeling, medical history, and what you expect from the session.  Doing so will help keep your session focused.

Tip #3 – Arrive at least 15 minutes before your appointment time.  This gives you time to prepare your mind and body for the session.

Tip #4 – Be Fully Present.  Try to avoid squeezing in an hour during the work-day or when you have to rush to or from your session.  It will be easier for you to relax and fully immerse yourself in the massage experience if your mind is not worried about missing your next meeting.

Tip #5 – Leave your devices behind.  Getting a massage is one of the few places you can be without any distractions from the outside world.  Clear your mind by leaving your phone and other devices in your car or at home so you can really unplug during your session.

Tip #6 – Drink lots of water. After your massage, you will want to drink plenty of water for the next couple of days.  Your body is releasing toxins and metabolic waste for two to three days after your massage and you’ll need to replenish your fluids.   This will also help you from feeling fatigued.

Tip #7 – Breathe!  Relaxing long breaths from your abdomen does not just help you relax mentally, it also helps your muscles relax as your therapist works out your body’s stiffness and tightness.

Tip #8 – Avoid Stress.  Yes, if it is possible, avoid stressful activities.  This includes your gym workouts.  Try to avoid lifting weights after a deep tissue massage to prevent stressing your muscles.

Tip #9 – Take a bath.  Take a hot bath with Epsom salts.  Epsom salt baths are easy and ideal way to help flush toxins from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate substances.

Tip #10 – Alternate Temperatures.  If your massage therapist uncovered areas of your body that had a lot of tension, you could be feel soreness after your session.  Alternating moist heat and cold compresses on the area of soreness will help.

Now you have the ten tips, you are ready to schedule and enjoy your massage experience with Precision Wellness!

TMJ Massage Helps Reduce Jaw Pain

The jaw or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is vulnerable to joint disorders. Disorders of the jaw are typically referred to by the same name: TMJ or TMJD.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects the mandible to the skull’s temporal bone and allows the movements of biting, chewing, swallowing, speaking, and making facial expressions.

Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD) can cause tooth pain and headaches, or painful popping in the jaw. Pain is the most common TMJD symptom. The pain is often described as a transient, dull ache in the jaw joint and nearby areas, including the ear.

Some clients may not have pain but may find it difficult to move their jaw. Sometimes clients mistake TMJD symptoms for tooth pain, or they may experience headaches or grind their teeth.

A TMJ treatment can help relieve all of these symptoms.

How Can TMJ Treatment Help?

Surprisingly, difficulty relaxing is a common cause of jaw dysfunction. Holding the tension, especially in the jaw, is a common response to stress. Emotional tension can easily manifest as TMJ pain.

TMJ treatment is an ideal massage technique to relieve the pain of TMJD. Our massage therapy is focused on the reduction of tension in the mastication muscles, releasing tension in the fascia of the face and mouth, and eliminating any trigger points.

TMJ Treatment vs Traditional Massage

Our TMJ Treatment is a massage therapy treatment of just the mouth, jaws, head, and sometimes neck to relieve TMJD. Applying pressure to trigger points in the jaw muscles can help relieve spasms and pain.

We use isometric contraction to gently stretch tensed muscle fibers and might use minimal resistance to further stretch the tissue. We follow the treatment with some relaxation techniques to enhance the relief of the targeted muscle.

This massage technique can restore the range of motion that typically regresses with TMJD.

What to Expect from a TMJ Massage at Precision Wellness

While treating TMJ, your massage therapist will focus treatment on the reduction of tension in the masticatory (chewing) muscles, eliminating trigger points—the painful “knots” felt in the muscle that refers to pain elsewhere—and releasing tension in the fascia tissue around the jaw area.

Fascia is the tough, dense connective tissue that surrounds every muscle, nerve, bone, blood vessel, and organ of the body.

Some of the common massages that your massage therapist will use when treating TMJ include:

• Swedish Massage
  • While this is the most common and well-known massage, it has a number of benefits; a primary one being that of relaxation. Our massage therapists are experts in providing relaxation through a full-body Swedish massage that can have a huge impact on reducing jaw tension, as stress contributes greatly to TMJ disorders.
• Neuromuscular Therapy
  • This technique involves our therapists applying pressure to trigger points in the jaw muscles to help relieve tension and return muscles to a relaxed state.