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Prevent Pain with Therapeutic Massage

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Most people wait until they’re in pain before coming to see for a massage, but did you know that regular therapeutic massage treatments can actually prevent the pain and soreness from happening in the first place?

It isn’t a big secret that life can be stressful. Massage therapy can be an excellent way to relieve the daily pressures that work, home, and family place on the mind and body, reducing physiological stress responses such as anxiety, mild depression and fatigue. This is a first step and goal in massage, because you must relax the mind, relieve the tension, calm the nervous system and the muscles will follow.

The time to address chronic patterns of tension in the muscles is after you’ve achieved a deep state of relaxation. Treating stress with massage helps to relieve the pain caused by muscle tension, as the soothing touch also promotes a feeling of well-being and calm. After creating the right relaxing atmosphere with music, using essential and carrier oils for scent and touch, our massage therapists will include a focus on and reduction of generalized body aches.

During a massage, your soft tissues, skin, tendons, and muscles are manipulated, which provides stress relief by stimulating the body’s relaxation response. Experts have scientifically proven the link to stress and the exacerbation, and sometimes the cause, of various diseases people suffer from regularly. The normal wear-and-tear of time on our bodies is bad enough, but nothing ages us quicker, internally and externally, than high stress. While eliminating anxiety and pressure in this fast-paced world may not be achievable, massage can help reduce stress to manageable levels. This directly translates into decreased anxiety, enhanced sleep quality, reduced fatigue, higher levels of daily energy and improved mental concentration.

Beyond just immediate stress or pain relief, a massage can also accelerate our own natural healing process by increasing healthy blood flow throughout the body and releasing various helpful hormones.

Relief from pain is the most common reason people seek massage. Our massage therapists integrate a variety of methods which may include a variety of pressure levels from light to deep targeting restoration of normal blood and lymphatic movement, normalizing connective tissue pliability to reduce stiffness, reducing trigger point activity and quieting the nervous system. Muscles can become so contracted that they press on nerves to the arms, hands or legs, causing pain or tingling.

Regular therapeutic massage can prevent these muscle spasms. Shoulder joints are at a high risk of sustaining injury from tight muscles. Due to our modern sedentary life, if you frequently slouch at your desk the muscles in your chest will tighten and contract which pulls the joints in your shoulders forward and causes joint problems to arise. Ankle joints are also at an increased risk of injury, reduced mobility and pain from tightened calf muscles.

Athletes, dancers, seniors and people who live an active lifestyle usually find that regular treatments of proper massage therapy improves the functions of their muscles, connective tissues, tendons, ligaments and joints. Joint flexibility is critical in creating balance in the body and improving mobility. Tight muscles constrict and prevent a joint from performing its full range of mobility and over time the joint may start to weaken. Adhesions are formed in muscles due to tightness and tension. They can cause knots and restrict flexibility. Massage helps to realign the muscle fibers and break down these adhesions. This release restores movement and increases flexibility.

The benefits of massage treatments are many, but in most cases, most of these will not be achieved by a single visit. Taking part in regularly scheduled self-care can play a huge part in how healthy you’ll be. Consider regular therapeutic massage treatments a necessary piece of your health and wellness plan, and work with our massage therapists to establish a treatment schedule that best meets your individual needs.

Five Gold Medal Reasons Olympic Athletes Get Massage Therapy

During the Rio Olympics, there was a lot of discussion about massage therapy and how many Olympic athletes incorporate regular massage as an integral part of their hard work and training. What do they know that keeps them strong and healthy through all their years of practice?

Sports Massage is their “Secret Weapon”

Research shows that massage therapy can benefit athletes of all fitness levels, and Olympic Athletes are no exception. So how can a massage strategy keep both the Olympic and average athlete strong and pain free?

1. Reduce DOMS

DOMS is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness which is an ongoing problem for every athlete. Inflammation is one of the reasons an athlete’s overused muscles ache 48 hours after strenuous activity. Massage will increase the blood flow to the muscles to speed healing and reduce toxins. Combine this with gentle, low-stress activity and the pain goes away.

2. Increase Agility

Agility, the ability to move quickly in another direction, is part of most Olympic Athletes’ requirements. And this agility can be improved with a massage focused on critical stress points, both before and after the action. In fact, some studies have shown that a shorter massage on only the specific muscle groups was more effective than the longer, more relaxing Swedish Massage.

3. Injury Prevention

Injuries are often prevented with a short, pre-activity Sports Massage, tailored to the particular muscle group that will be stressed. Tendons and ligaments are relaxed and more likely to stretch than tear, while blood flow keeps the harmful chemicals from building as fast.

4. Speed Healing

The human body is an amazing machine with the ability to heal itself when provided with the right tools. Massage improves circulation which allows this fast healing while carrying away the chemicals that cause muscle damage. Combine massage with healthy eating which provides the proper fuel, and this human-machine runs (and heals) smoothly and quickly.

5. Reduce Inflammation

Inflammation is the body’s immune response to injury, infection, or toxic chemicals. It’s the localized buildup of white blood cells, dead red blood cells, and bacteria, which cause that area to redden, swell, become hot, and is often painful. It’s a sign that something is wrong (both good and bad), and will usually clear up over time. However, a massage after strenuous exercise will reduce the inflammation quickly, and allow the healing to occur sooner.

So take advantage of the secret Olympic athletes know and include the Sports Massage benefits as part of your personal workout plan. You’ll get better results and enjoy your activities more than ever. That’s a gold medal reason to incorporate massage therapy into your routine.

Stress Relief With Therapeutic Massage

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Our experiences in life are reflected in our bodies. Our pleasures and pains, the ups and downs of daily life affect the body profoundly, often in ways, we’re not aware of. Stress is more than a household word these days – it’s something everyone feels to one degree or another. Let’s take a look at the mechanics of stress and the role therapeutic massage can play in stress management.

Understanding The Stress Response

Stress is an unconscious and automatic reaction to anything we believe may be threatening to us. In the stress response, the body is primed for fight or flight by messages carried by the sympathetic branch of the nervous system. Whether we are confronted by a mugger in the street or find ourselves in a long line at the bank or a short lunch hour, the effects are the same, impacting all levels – physical, mental, and emotional.

We are at full readiness as our body tenses and our breathing gets shallower and more rapid. There is an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and adrenaline production, with a corresponding decrease in blood flow to the extremities, digestive function, and immune system activity.

Ideally, this defensive reaction will subside once the situation has resolved, allowing our body to return to its normal state of affairs. We often help this process with some rest, the right exercise, or massage therapy.

However, a person who is frequently under stressful influences will tend to remain locked into a pattern of the stress response, unable to relax or let go. This type of pattern is damaging to the body; as it escalates, it ultimately leads to discomfort or pain and is a contributing factor in most disease processes.

The longer one is in pain, the more likely one will try to block it out. It is at this point that alcohol and drugs often enter the picture. Unfortunately, as one uses substances that deaden the nervous system to reduce the perception of the pain, awareness of oneself and others are reduced in the process.

In Our Everyday Experience

Like driving a car with one foot on the gas and the other on the brake, we experience stress whenever we initiate action and hold it back at the same time. Our ever-obedient muscles try to obey both messages and work against each other.

In the same way, we have our own unique muscular responses to the expression of emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, and exhilaration. We use our muscles to block, control and restrain these strong feelings and our reaction to them. Even though we may be unaware of the amount of tension we store within, it puts extra wear and tear on both mind and body over time.

Maintaining these patterns of chronic tension is like leaving the lights on all night – it takes energy; but once it’s a habit, we no longer recognize it as such. What we do notice are aches, pains, fatigue, headaches, digestive problems, PMS, or a host of other stress-related symptoms. These symptoms are important signals to be heeded, rather than ignored or bypassed. Accumulated stress and tension always diminish the amount of energy and vitality we have to enjoy life, be creative and productive, and strive for better things.

The Relaxation Response

The antidote to stress is known as the relaxation response, which is triggered by the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system. This action sends messages to the body to relax, slow down and take a deep breath: saying in effect, it’s time for rest and healing.

There are a number of ways to promote this response, such as exercise, meditation, listening to calming music, guided visualization, biofeedback, and of course, therapeutic massage.

Massage takes place in a comfortable and safe environment, which is generally away from the source of most stressors. As massage stimulates the relaxation response, muscular tension is released, circulation is increased and sensory receptors are activated. Areas that have been “cut off” by accumulated stress can begin to feel once again. Massage teaches us to tune in to body signals and soothes us at the same time.

All of this results in greater body awareness which can help you to more carefully monitor your own body’s responses and needs. Then you can release tension before it becomes chronic and damaging. Living in a more relaxed and balanced body will enable you to better handle the stresses in your life, and nothing can take you back to that state of well-being more quickly than massage.

Pain Management With Massage Therapy

A growing body of research shows massage therapy can be an effective part of pain relief and management. This research data, and the experience of our physicians, massage therapists, and patients, should encourage pain specialists to consider incorporating massage therapy into their pain management programs.

Some hospitals are including massage therapists in patient care teams to fight pain. Their teams may include a physician, several nurses, a nutritionist, a yoga instructor, a chaplain, and a massage therapist. Often, the hospitals are including massage because of public demand. These massage techniques are not only being incorporated into hospitals for serious injuries but can also be used to combat certain discomforts which someone may have. Contact Precision Wellness to evaluate the effectiveness of massage pain therapy and to determine which combination of therapies works best for different types of patients and different types of pain.

The effectiveness of massage lies in a simple and direct strategy: we work from the external, outer mechanisms of pain to the primary, root cause. Precision Wellness’ massage therapists utilize a holistic approach, focusing on the entire body system and its relationship to soft tissue. Our care isn’t focused only on the site of pain.

Another benefit of massage therapy from a patient perspective is how it helps our patients become more aware of their bodies and better familiarize them with the pain they experience. Our massage therapists not only help relieve muscle and other soft tissue pain but also have an impact on the patient by virtue of human touch. One of our massages can help you feel comfortable with your body once again. This comfort level can improve your confidence and allows you to better deal with pain while benefiting from various other forms of massage that focus on lymph drainage and muscle pain, as well as other pain management therapies.

The potential for a positive impact on patients with acute or chronic pain is clear. As it stands, enough research exists to encourage pain management specialists and massage therapists to forge professional relationships. These pain management relationships should exist in the hospital, in clinics, in private practice offices, and in-home care, as it exists in our team’s strategy.

Benefits of TMJ Massage Therapy

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TMJ Disorder or Syndrome is a term used to describe temporomandibular disorders (TMD), which happen as a result of problems with the jaw, the joint, and the surrounding facial muscles that control moving the jaw and chewing. The temporomandibular joint is the hinge joint that connects the lower jaw to the temporal bone of the skull. This bone is located in front of the ear on each side of the head. When working correctly, the joints are flexible, which allows the jaw to move smoothly side to side and up and down, also enabling one to chew, talk and yawn. Muscles attached to and surround the jaw joint to control the position and movement of the jaw.

People with TMJ disorder experience severe discomfort and pain that can be temporary, or it may last for many years. More women than men experience TMJ and this disorder is seen most commonly in people between the ages of 20 and 40.

Massage therapy is a healing technique that has been around for thousands of years and is practiced all over the world. It has been proven to help alleviate a variety of medical conditions, including TMJ disorder.

What Causes TMJ Disorder?

Asymmetry of the muscles of mastication, which is also known as chewing, tightness of the back of the neck, forward head posture, and many myofascial trigger points can cause TMJ disorder problems. Injury to the jaw, the temporomandibular joint, or muscles of the head and neck can cause TMJ disorder. However, something as simple as grinding or clenching the teeth puts a lot of pressure on the TMJ and can cause TMJ disorder. Also, the jaw is a ball and socket joint, and dislocation of the cushion between the ball and socket can result in TMJ disorder. Finally, TMJ disorder can result from inflammation caused by another illness, stress, which can cause a person to tighten facial and jaw muscles or clench the teeth.

What Are the Symptoms of TMJ Disorder?

There are several symptoms that are indicators one is experiencing temporomandibular joint disorder, including:

Pain or tenderness in the face, jaw joint area, neck and shoulders, and in or around the ear when chewing, speaking, or opening the mouth wide
Difficulty chewing as if the upper and lower teeth are not fitting together properly
Jaws that get “locked” in the open- or closed-mouth position
Limited motion to open the mouth wide
Clicking, grating sounds or popping in the jaw joint when opening or closing the mouth

What Happens at a Precision Wellness Massage Therapy Session for TMJ Disorder?

While treating TMJ, our 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 refer 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 our 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 therapist are experts in providing relaxation through a full-body Swedish massage can have a huge impact in reducing jaw tension, as stress contributes greatly to TMJ disorders.
Neuromuscular Therapy – This technique involves our therapist applying pressure to trigger points in the jaw muscles to help relieve tension and return muscles to a relaxed state.

How Will Massage Help With TMJ Pain?

Massage is the manual or mechanical application to alleviate pain or induce relaxation in the muscles and other soft tissue of the body. The term massage therapy covers a group of techniques that we at Precision Wellness practice. In all of the techniques, our therapists press, rub, and otherwise manipulate the muscles and other soft tissues of the body, often varying in movement and pressure to satisfy each individual’s needs. Usually, the intent is to relax muscles, increase blood and oxygen to areas, and decrease pain.

Benefits of Thai Massage Therapy

In comparison with Swedish Massage, which generally focuses on the physical aspect of kneading the muscles, Thai Massage therapy focuses on combining aspects and techniques that focus on trigger points, neuromuscular therapy, manual therapy and myofascial treatments. Thai Massage therapy is made up of physical aspects as well as energetic which allows a full body and deep treatment that starts at the feet and progresses up to the head. Throughout a Thai Massage, there are gentle and flowing movements by moving the body and stretching the joints as well as the muscles. This type of massage is very unique in the way that it focuses on the flow of energy in the body by applying acupressure on the sen energy lines, which allow the body to harmonize and energize.

The traditional Thai Massage is authentic and sticks to its traditional ruts which go back to 2000 years ago. It is a healing art form of therapy throughout the body and was developed by people who used this massage therapy as not only to maintain health and wellness but also to treat illness. It combines the stretching of yoga, exercise movement and focuses on the reflexes while also focusing on the calmness of meditation.

Some of the physical benefits are helping detoxification of the body, increase circulation and lower blood pressure, increase flexibility and improve breathing, improves posture and balance, helps with arthritis and back pain, slows the aging process and prevents illnesses.

Some of the mental benefits include improving your outlook towards life, building an emotional balance, calming your mind and helping you gain creative and mental clarity.

Some of the psychological benefits are reducing and relieving stress and anxiety, help boost energy levels, develop self control, increase stamina and health and vitality.

Pain Management Through Massage Therapy

An increasing amount of research shows massage therapy can be a very efficient part of pain management and possibly relief. The data that was collected and the knowledge from patients that the doctors received should encourage them to advise the use of pain specialists to incorporate massage therapy into their pain management programs.

Throughout the data collected, one source stated that “massage is effective for providing long-lasting relief for patients suffering from chronic low back pain.” The next source stated that work done by Quinn, Chandler and Moraska “showed muscle-specific massage therapy is effective for reducing the incidence of chronic tension headaches.” Another source stated that “Recent studies have confirmed the findings and others indicate positive effects for massage in decreasing pain intensity among cancer patients.” The vast amount of information gathered regarding pain management in relation to massage therapy has shown that it is very effective and helpful for patients.

Massage therapy works in a direct and simple strategy: working from external sources, outer workings of pain to the primary root cause in each individual patient. Massage therapists use a holistic approach, as opposed to a traditional approach, focusing on the entire body and its relationship to tissue. With a traditional approach a doctor or caregiver would focus only on the site of the pain.

Another benefit of massage therapy is how it helps patient’s awareness of their bodies and familiarize them with the pain they experience in a different way using human touch. Human touch is especially pronounced for women facing mastectomies because they are losing soft tissue that can be painful but massage therapy can help them feel comfortable with their bodies. The comfort level they experience with their massage therapist improves their confidence and allows them to better deal with pain. There are various other forms of massage that focus on lymph drainage and muscle pain, as well as other pain management therapies. With individual patient’s pain becoming harder to treat, people are finding relief in massage therapy through the human touch and understanding of the human body by massage therapists.

Does Massage Help with Weight Loss?

You may be surprised but the answer is YES! Scientists now confirm what massage therapists have always known: massage can be a powerful and effective weight-loss tool. By improving your body’s resilience, aiding muscle nutrition and flexibility, and supporting your mental and emotional well-being, massage can take your weight-loss plan to a whole new level.

Massage on its own can’t help you lose the pounds but with exercise and diet massage can boost the results you see. The relationship between massage and weight loss is the result of many things working together, including better injury prevention and healing. Massage helps in breaking down scar tissue and other adhesions. This aids in recovery time and over all muscular health. Massage therapists also work to improve your flexibility and range of motion. This makes you less likely to hurt yourself, meaning more productive and pain-free hours in the gym. But the benefits don’t end there.

When you receive a massage, you’re directly impacting the circulatory system. By constantly moving blood to body tissues, your massage therapist increases the amount of oxygen and nutrients your muscles receive. Recovery is just as important as the work you put in.

Make It Work For You
We all know losing weight isn’t easy. But, it can be easy to incorporate massage into the healthy lifestyle you’re building. Make sure your massage therapist about your new goals and fitness plan so that treatments can be customized to your body’s specific needs. The more information you can provide to your therapist the better off you will be. A lot of this will be covered during the intake process with questions about your medical history, injury and any medications you may be on. This only aids your therapist in tailoring a treatment just for you.
Weekly massages are ideal, but you can reap plenty of benefits from monthly visits, too. Your massage therapist will work with you to set a specific schedule of appointments that fits with your workout routine, as well as your finances. Don’t be concerned if your MT wants to see you more often at the beginning of your plan–this is normal, and helps him or her to get to know your body’s way of handling stress and exertion.

It’s Ok to be a little self-conscious
While, it’s natural for anyone to feel a little self-conscious at first about undressing for a massage. If you’ve put off massage therapy because you’re embarrassed about your body shape, take heart: massage therapists are sensitive to your concerns and don’t want you to feel ashamed. They are used to seeing all shapes, sizes, and conditions of the body. A well-trained massage therapist has an entirely clinical perspective, no different than any other health-care worker.
Throughout the course of a massage, clients are discretely draped under a sheet, with the therapist only uncovering the body part being worked on. Of course, you can always wear swim attire or undergarments during your massage, it’s all about what makes you feel comfortable. Although, some undergarments can hamper the therapist’s ability to treat curtain muscle groups. Remember, rest easy in the knowledge that your massage therapist has been trained to nurture and help you without passing judgment. It is there job to make you comfortable and to address any issues you may have.

The Power of Touch

It’s easy to overlook your emotional health when planning a new diet and exercise regimen, it’s the primary factor determining your weight-loss success. Massage is a way to stay mentally on track as a reward and as a tool to keep your body healthy. Your massage therapist can also act as a cheerleader who celebrates your victories with you and helps keep you positive and committed.

Regular massage is all about connecting your mind with your body. As you continue to get massage you’ll naturally become more aware of your body’s needs and more motivated to meet them.

Adding massage to your routine is one way to treat yourself while still staying on track.

Alleviate Chronic Pain With Massage

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Massage therapy can help clients manage a variety of health conditions, from arthritis to chronic pain.

Dealing with these conditions, however, requires you not only to understand the health condition and its symptoms but also what information you might need to tell your therapist to make the massage session more effective.

Massage and Chronic Pain

More and more research is confirming the benefits massage therapy offers people dealing with chronic pain, whether because of injury or as a symptom of another condition. Some people who are looking to use massage to help manage pain can only come in once they’ve been cleared for massage therapy by their physician. It’s best to openly communicate any chronic pain issues with your therapist including fibromyalgia, chronic myofascial pain syndrome, and arthritis, to name just a few.

Fibromyalgia and chronic myofascial pain syndrome (CMPS)

According to the National Fibromyalgia Research Association, more than six million Americans suffer from fibromyalgia—90 percent of whom are women. Fibromyalgia is often characterized by numbness in the upper and lower body, joint stiffness in several areas of the body, and widespread musculoskeletal pain. The condition is diagnosed when 11 out of 18 tender points are painful to the touch, and some clients might also experience other symptoms, including headaches, anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to environmental stimulation such as bright lights, loud noises, and strong odors. Massage can help. It reduces stress, helps relieve pain, decreases feelings of anxiety, and increases general overall well-being, all of which are great for people with fibromyalgia

CMPS (Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome) typically occurs when a muscle has been contracted repetitively, often due to repetitive motions (usually from a job or hobby) or stress-related muscle tension. Those with CMPS tend to have a persistent, deep aching pain in their muscles and may have difficulty sleeping. Unlike fibromyalgia, CMPS tends to affect both genders equally. Neuromuscular therapy and Myofascial release are just some of the massage techniques that have been proven to be effective in treating CMPS.

Arthritis

Arthritis is characterized by an inflammation of one or more joints. The most common symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, so understanding your client’s individual pain is essential. Massage can ease your arthritis symptoms. Recent studies on the effects of massage for arthritis symptoms have shown regular use of massage therapy led to improvements in pain, stiffness, range of motion, handgrip strength, and overall function of the joints.

Whatever your chronic pain issue may be massage can be a useful tool in helping manage and reduce the day-to-day symptoms that can stop you from doing the things you enjoy.

Benefits of Sports Massage

The sports massage actually came from the Swedish massage technique. Geared specifically to the athlete, this massage focuses on muscles that have seen a large degree of stress and use, often to the point of overuse. Normally, these are muscles that have seen repetitive and aggressive movement as a part of the overall sport or competition.

Sports massage is now recognized by many in the training industry as an accepted component of an overall regimen of training and competition. This means the athlete can enhance pre-competition and reduce the required recovery period, which means a better and more intensive training session after a competition. Flexibility, a necessary component of any athletic completion, is also a part.

Many do not realize it, but sports massage has certain characteristics that make it ideal for athletes. The targeting of the muscle and tendons within the body is key for athletic training. A study in 2010 in America found athletes who had massages before and after strength training saw a definite decrease in soreness after activity.

There are several key elements to sports massage. To better understand each of these, let’s look at them separately.

Motion and Flexibility: Professional and superior athletes often overtrain and this leads to muscle rigidity. Sports massage can help relax overly tense muscles and provide additional flexibility. Used before a competition, it will relax the muscles for flexibility, improving performance.
Shortens Recovery Time: Exercise and competition is stressful on the body. This will lead to injury if proper precautions are not taken. Sports massages are ideal to help the body deal with this stress and injury prevention. A proper massage increases blood flow and lymph fluid, both assisting in the body’s natural healing process, speeding waste removal and general health improvement. Swelling and inflammation associated with physical activity is also reduced. Scar tissue, normal from a severe injury, can be lessened with massage.
Supply of Oxygen and Nutrients: Blood flow into muscles is vital to creating new tissue and increased strength and stamina. Massage increases blood flow for additional oxygen and nutrients.
Helps Eliminate By-Products of Exercise: Lactic and uric acids are natural by-products of exercise. Each can be lessened with blood and lymph flow in the body and increase the waste output by a sports massage.
Psychological Benefits: There is much to be said about psychology and sports. Many do not realize the value of a massage with sports and how a quality massage has more than just physical benefits. The body is only as strong as the mind, so having a strong mind that is relaxed and focused is a definite edge in highly competitive sports. A stressed athlete is not nearly as capable as one with a clear mind.
Reduces Pain: A body in pain is a sign of overworked muscles and is not healthy. Massage increases blood and lymph fluid flow, thereby speeding the injury rehabilitation process. A massage also helps with pain from spasms and cramps, common with elite athletic training.

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