Learn About Thai Massage

woman lying on a mat doing thai massage with therapist

What Is Thai Massage & How Does It Work?

The technique of Thai massage differs from traditional massage by its use of the body’s energy line system, known as Sen lines. The massage involves deep massage and stretching, and it happens on the floor on a firm mattress or a mat.

Thai massage is a therapeutic procedure that provides relaxation and restores healthy blood circulation. It can also treat energy blockages, weak or dysfunctional organs, aches and pains, stress and tension, paralysis, and nerve problems, and improve flexibility and posture.

Understanding Thai Massage & Sen Line Therapy

You may be wondering, “What is an energy line?”. Energy lines are invisible and cannot be verified anatomically – they are perceived to circulate throughout the body to maintain health and vitality. There are said to be 72,000 Sen lines.

Thais believe 10 main lines are sufficient to treat the whole body and its internal organs. When this energy flow is blocked or restricted, it creates sickness or disease. To clear these blockages, Thai massage combines the application of pressure with manipulation, counter-pressure, gentle adjustment, and muscle stretching in full-body work to improve overall health and well-being.

Don’t shy away from the unknown, rather experience the benefits of a Thai massage.

What your massage therapist knows about your body

https://ptmassagespringfieldmo.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-waxing-springfield-mo-2/

We know that our massage therapist is going to ease muscle tension and help us work through injuries, but that hour on the table reveals so much more than just the stress we asked them to soothe.

Here are 15 things your massage therapist can tell about your body without you saying a word:

Type of purse you carry – Your body is tighter on one side when you carry a large purse. Glutes, hamstrings, and quads will be tight and you will also have an unnatural pelvic tilt.
When you sit at a computer all day – Weak lower back, one hip higher than the other, tight glutes and legs, means you’ve got a desk job.
The way you sleep – If you are a stomach sleeper, we can see extra strain on your neck.
Drive a lot – When you rack up those miles, you tend to exhibit “hunched shoulders”.
Injuries – New or old. Massage therapist can feel heat and inflammation in an acute injury. Chronic injuries show in the form of dehydrated muscles that feel tight. And with repetitive motion injuries, tendons and muscles feel wiry like guitar strings.
Too much texting – The downward position of your head when texting creates an imbalance in the shoulders.
Dehydration – Upper back trigger points will be tender if you have not had your recommended eight glasses of water each day. Drink up, especially before and after your massage!
Always cold – When you are cold, you tend to hunch up your shoulders to your ears, so it I no surprise when you come in with stress in your necks and the tops of your shoulders during winter months.
You’re a runner – Hips and lower back will feel tight and you might complain about tension in the bottom of your feet.
Allergy sufferer – The tissue around your eyes, forehead, cheeks, and jaw will feel tender and inflamed. So will lymph nodes in the chest, neck and underarms.
Bra is too tight – When you bra strap is too tight and cutting into your shoulder blade, the muscle above the scapula tightens in response to the pressure.
Hormonal – Sensitive area (trigger points) in the lower back that feel stickier, tense, hot, or rubbery to your massage therapist – and painful to you could mean you are about to ovulate or having your period.
Might have skin cancer – As a massage therapist, we have our eyes on the back of your body, where you cannot generally see. We can spot irregularities in places you cannot, and we’ll let you know if we see anything!
You need a new pillow – Sleeping on a pillow that is wrong or too-old can throw off the alignment of your spine. If your head is tilted down or up, it will put a strain on your neck.

These are just a few things we can tell. When you come in with an area you want to focus on, just let us know! Regular massage will help muscle tension and to heal those imbalances.

How To Build Healthy Self-Care Habits That Stick

Lightbox with motivation words for self care, positive thinking, mental health, emotional wellness

Self-care is all about the everyday habits that help you take care of and nurture your health and well-being. It means listening to your body, intentionally tuning in to the thoughts going on in your mind, and challenging your behaviors.

You may love the idea of self-care, and you may be on board with the benefits, but have you recognized the need for self-care? Actually adopting a self-care practice that can improve your life in more ways than you think.

Understand what self-care is and what is not

“The way I define self-care is the intentional, proactive pursuit of integrated wellness that balances mind, body, and spirit personally and professionally,” says Paula Gill Lopez, Ph.D., an associate professor and the chair of the department of psychological and educational consultation at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Self-care is about more than taking care of your physical health. Things are moving so fast around us that we need space to self-care and slow down to rest from all the busyness in our lives.

Ultimately, your self-care routine should make you a better version of yourself. You should get some enjoyment out of the activity. Rule of thumb, if the activities that you choose are adding to your well-being and are not detrimental to the other areas of your life, then there is a benefit. You are better suited to take care of others, foster strong relationships, be resilient, and balance personal and professional responsibilities.

To help you get some direction, I have rounded up some powerful, important tips on self-care. Please take these tips as guideposts rather than commands. Find a way to make them fit that feels comfortable.

Do not do things you hate: This seems obvious but sometimes it is not. When exercising you need to do an activity that you enjoy or it is not self-care. Each self-care habit you engage in must be customized especially for you, and the first step is to stop routines and actives that make you feel like you’re dying inside.
Find out what you love: This also seems obvious, however, when you are not doing what you love, you lose determination. When you lose determination, you are back to square one. Don’t settle for anything less than raw, pulsating passion.
Recover from “expert addiction”: There is a curious and toxic trend in our society to trust outside sources of advice and approval more than we trust our own selves. If you want to build lifetime habits, the ONLY approval you need is your own. Do not allow your path to be dictated by others. Find your own way. You are your own expert.
Develop a daily self-care routine: Speak kindly to yourself EVERY DAY! Move your body, connect with your spirit, eat mindfully. It is much easier to do something EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. When you do something every single day, you develop a habit more easily.
Play with your routine: Commit to structure of the routine while allowing yourself to play within it. Impose a rigid structure with rigid activities, soon you will feel suffocated. To feel free as well as fulfilled, you must allow for structure as well as play in your habits. Allow for your routine to have a basic structure and allow yourself to play with the activities within that structure.
Relax: Remember the feeling of peace. The purpose of caring for yourself is to do it in a way that is graceful, flowing, and kind to yourself. If you begin to get stressed, find a way to relax. A massage or facial can do wonders 😉
Know your worth: Self-care is important to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself as it produces positive feelings and boosts your confidence and self-esteem.
A healthy work-life balance: Contrary to common belief, workaholism is not a virtue. Being overworked with excessive stress and exhaustion can make you less productive, disorganized, and emotionally depleted. I can also lead to all sorts of healthy problems. Professional self-care habits are just as important and personal self-care habits. Setting professional boundaries, avoiding overextending, etc. ensures that you stay sharp, motivated and healthy.
Stress Management: A little does of stress is a healthy way to give us a nudge on deadlines or to finish overdue tasks, constant stress and anxiety can have an adverse effect on your mental and physical health. Eating healthy, connecting with a loved one or practicing meditation cuts down the toxic effects of stress by improving your mood and boosting your energy and confidence levels.

Now, after we’ve decided on new self-care habits, how do we get them to stick?

Start small – if you’re increasing water intake, start by one extra glass. It’s baby steps that will lead to big accomplishments.
Know your excuses – What gets in the way of this habit? Is it because you’re tired? Or you run out of time? Whatever habit you’re failing to form, consider what is preventing your success. Once you nail down your usual excuses, you can address them!
Set yourself up for success – It’s time to nip the excuses in the bud and get to work. If you forget your gym clothes, have an extra pair in your car. If you have a tendency to forget appointments for yourself, schedule them and don’t back out!
You will fail, but try again – Whether you cheat on a diet, skip a work out, or forgot to journal this morning – it’s ok! Just try again tomorrow.
Keep track – What gets measured gets managed. Plus it’s a great way to set goals, smash those goals, and celebrate your successes!

Precision Wellness is here for you, no matter what part we take in your self-care journey. Remember, you’ve got this!

Benefits of Aromatherapy During Your Massage and Facial

esthetician-applying-essential-oils-to-client-during-facial

Before we can discuss the benefits of aromatherapy, you may be wondering “what is aromatherapy?”. Aromatherapy incorporates the use of scented essential oils.

The essential oils are 100% natural, highly concentrated plant essence, they will be diluted before use and are applied along with lotion during the massage or facial. The massage involves alternating between gentle and harder pressure while using essential oils.

Not only is your body benefiting from the direct contact with the essential oils, but the oils are alleged to have specific healing properties upon inhaling after exposure.

Aromatherapy can reduce stress, relieve anxiety, increase calmness and relaxation, increase contentment, decrease muscle tension, provide pain relief, and reduce the symptoms of depression.

Benefits of adding aromatherapy to your massage and facial

Essential Oils are Harmless

Your therapist will evaluate your skin type and discuss any issues you have or what you need to work on and use a selection of oils that will benefit your skin. If you do not have any healing requests such as nerves, muscles, or joints, you can ask for a more general essential oil such as energizing, uplifting, relaxing, or decongesting.

Stress-Relief

Receiving a massage or facial is a way to relax and ease your emotions, by adding essential oils to your massage or facial your experience and results will be enhanced because these oils have stress-relieving properties.

Detoxes Your Skin

Essential oils get down deep into your pores and work on the inner layers. Aromatherapy facial and massage literally purifies the skin from within and not just externally. This washes away all the impurities and hence, skin is detoxed.

Relieves Dryness

There is no better solution if you are suffering from dry skin, especially in the winter, when skin becomes extra dry, essential oils can be used as exfoliators in the form of a scrub or peel. You will soon feel your skin texture turn smooth.

Treats Poor Skin Conditions

Are you looking for that magic skin treatment to deal with blemishes, acne, dark spots, and similar problem? Aromatherapy helps to improve the texture of the skin as it has excellent anti-inflammatory properties. Removing dirt and all other impurities from the skin.

Improves Blood Circulation

A natural and healthy glow is what we all want to see in our skin, right? This is mostly triggered by the betterment of blood flow to the skin cells. The movement of blood to the skin gives it a healthy glow and releases skin cells with necessary nutrients and water, which reduces the presence of wrinkled dry skin.

Want to add aromatherapy to your massage or facial? Book online or call Precision Wellness today!

Self Care during the Holidays

It may sound cliché, but it is true – you cannot pour from an empty cup. If you are not taking care of yourself – physically and emotionally – everything around you can suffer. Especially during the holiday season. Family commitments are on the rise, you’re hitting end of the year deadlines for work, not to mention all the time and energy that go into gift giving – While the holidays are the most joyous time of the year, it can be very very stressful.

Here are some reasons why self-care is so important:

1 – Self Care helps you preform at your best – It’s a way to maintain balance so you can attend to all of your different parts to keep yourself going. Always choosing a deadline over making time for a workout or a nourishing meal could ultimately slow you down.

2 – Self Care supports overall well-being – On some level, we all know that self-care is important. Beyond the basics of eating well, staying hydrated, exercising, and connecting socially, there are activities that we don’t often associate with self-care which are more internal.

3 – Self Care can help maintain self-confidence and self-esteem – It can also help booth your inner strength. Without self-care we compromise our mental wellness and our ability to cope with life’s inevitable curveballs.

4 – Self Care makes us more aware of our personal needs – Awareness around your body’s needs physically, mentally, and spiritually.

5 – Self Care allows us to be resilient – It can ben many of the small things or confronting a big issue, self care is an important tool for maintaining resilience. When we do things to honor ourselves mentally, we are in a better place to take on challenges and stressors we all inevitably face.

6 – Self Care can help you feel well-rested and energized – Practicing self care can reduce stress and increase clarity. Not to mention the countless other benefits like increase energy, sense of purpose, better communication, and better sleep.

7 – Self Care doesn’t take a ton of time – Your plan should be enjoyable, relaxing, or stimulating. A self care activity might look different on different days. Here are some ideas: Walk or hike to connect with nature, relax in a hammock and watch the sky change, yoga class or meditation, workout, take a bath, read a book in a quiet place, listen to music, cook a new recipe, white in a journal, practice gratitude, or book a facial or massage.

8 – Self Care can be a social activity – Some days you might need to be alone, others you might need time connecting with others.

When you take the time for self care, you are in a better place to deal with life’s challenges. If you have not taken the time for you, you are more likely to blow a fuse or be irritable. We would love to be a small portion of your self care. If you’re needing a massage, facial, or just need some me time and want to rest in our sitting room, just give us a call!

Why you should be Dermaplaning

dermaplaning gloved hands with dermaplaning tool

If you are looking for a quick treatment with no downtime, dermaplaning might be what you need for that smooth, glowing skin!

Dermaplaning is perfect before events, special occasions or for those who prefer a face free of ‘peach fuzz’ for easier makeup application. All skin types and anyone with acne scars, dull skin, dry skin, sun-damaged skin, or fine wrinkles can benefit from dermaplaning.

So, what is dermaplaning? Dermaplaning uses a medical-grade blade in short strokes at a 45-degree angle to remove the surface layer of dead skin, debris, and hair. One dermaplaning session can remove about 2-3 weeks of built up dead skin cells and debris from your skin! The blade is being held at a precise angle and the experienced technician uses light, feathering strokes, there is no concern about piercing or scratching of the skin. The dermaplaning procedure is pain free and non-invasive. You may feel a tingling sensation during the treatment.

Your skin is exposed daily to hard environmental toxins, irritants, and sun damage. This can cause the top layer of skin to appear dull, and it can also make you look aged. Dermaplaning clears away those damaged skin cells so newer skin cells are what you see when you look in the mirror.

Dermaplaning provides effective and safe exfoliation treatment that promotes deeper product penetration, this gives your skin better results from your skin care products while making the skin look and feel smoother. It is also beneficial for reducing the appearance of acne scars.

Other benefits of dermaplaning:

Removes the dead surface cells and facial hair that can trap oils and dirt, leaving the skin ultra-smooth, fresh and glowing.
Using vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and retinol post-treatment will be more effective and fast-track the results.
Combined with a peel, dermaplaning can lift dry, dead skin, reduce the appearance of pigmentation, and help dimmish rosacea
Fine lines are softened, and the skin texture is left more even.
Dermaplaning is suitable for all skin types – if you have active acne, a clinical treatment is better, as you will need professional advice.

With a dermaplaning treatment, there is low risk for side effects. Those side effects may include slight redness in your face or whiteheads the day or two after treatment. Infection and scaring are very rare after a dermaplaning treatment.

After your treatment, you may notice that your skin looks brighter – more commonly you will notice these results after the first few days. Results are not permanent. The procedure claims to clear away up to three weeks’ worth of dead skin cells. After three weeks to a month, your results will have faded.

Prenatal & Postnatal Massage

prenatal postnatal hands massaging pregnant woman

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!

All About Microneedling

Learn what microneedling is, how it works, and why it is helpful for your skin to understand if this advanced esthetic treatment is right for you.

Microneedling FAQs

What Does A Microneedling Appointment Involve?

Microneedling is an in-office procedure, where your dermatologist or esthetician, will run a dermaroller wand studded with tiny needles over your skin to even out its texture. In-office microneedling uses sterile needles that puncture the skin deep enough to cause slight bleeding for stronger results. Learn about how to prepare & recover from microneedling with our helpful article.

Does Microneedling Hurt?

Microneedling should not hurt if you are doing it correctly. There are “at-home” devices available however, these are harder to clean so there is a higher risk of infection. DIY devices do not penetrate the skin as deep as an in-office procedure, which makes them less effective.

How Often Should I Get Microneedling?

Microneedling is not a one-and-done procedure. Depending on are targeted area, two to three treatments, spaced out every four weeks, are usually recommended, although sometimes more treatments are needed.

What does Microneedling Feel Like?

Most patients find microneedling to feel like a little buzzing over the skin with a few areas of sensitivity like on the upper lip or forehead.

What Are The Side Effects Of Microneedling?

Microneedling has very few side effects which include some redness, light pigmentation changes, mild swelling, and itchiness at the site of needling (most commonly the upper lip or forehead). These reactions typically disappear within a couple days after treatment and require minimal downtime. Some may notice small whiteheads or shallow cysts forming on their skin following microneedling treatments — this happens if too much pressure was used.

Who Is A Good Candidate For Microneedling?

Microneedling be performed on people who have acne scars, stretch marks, fine lines and wrinkles, and many other skin imperfections. It also helps to reduce the appearance of scar tissue after laser treatments or surgeries (such as burn care or laser hair removal) by smoothing out the surface area.

If you are dealing with an inflammatory condition, such as psoriasis or eczema, or actively tanning, have sunburned skin, or you have a skin infection such as cold sores, microneedling should not be performed.

Have a Less Stressful Day

Life is stressful – There is no way around it. When you become mindful of your stress levels and how to manage them, stress can be easily reduced. Put yourself and your wellness first and implement these tips to instantly reduce the stress in your life.

Prioritize Sleep: We need 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. Make this a priority no-matter-what. Lack of sleep increases your level of stress hormones. Remember, quality is just as important as quantity.
Make a To-Do list: If your busy schedule is a main source of stress, try making a daily to-do list. Keep it simple and only include the top priorities – also realistic so that it can be accomplished in one day.
Breathe: Take a few minutes to just breathe. There are many different meditation and breathing techniques that help calm you down and give your brain the extra oxygen needed to come up with solutions.
Say “no”: This is a hard one for most of us! Learn to say ‘no’ first. You can always change your mind later. Saying ‘no’ to commitments you do not have time for will save a lot of stress for everyone involved.
Eat Healthy: Meal prepping will take away stress on a busy night when you don’t have time to cook dinner or pack lunches for the next day. Focus on nutritious foods that will naturally reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels
Exercise: Getting active causes your body to produce endorphins, which will help your mind and body to relax. Just 30 minutes a day for better sleep, a clearer mind and an improved mood.
Take Breaks: Your mind needs some time to de-compress. Taking small breaks throughout a hectic workday will decrease stress while increasing creativity.
Be on Time: Learning to be on time will save you from speeding to work, skipping breakfast, and those awkward moments of walking into a meeting that started 10 minutes ago.
Simplify Life: Focus on essentials in life and eliminate any unnecessary stressors. Once you simplify your life, you’ll spend more time doing what is most important to your and less time feeling stressed.
Make time for YOU: Spend some time on yourself! Dedicating just one hour a week or every couple weeks for self care with relieve stress tremendously – schedule a facial, massage, or a waxing session.
LET-IT-GO: The most important thing is to NOT stress over the things that you cannot control. Many things that keep us up all night worrying are perceptions on the future or things out of our control.

Do’s & Don’ts of Waxing

Let me be clear, getting waxed will never feel good. It is one of those “beauty is pain” chores that are totally worth it! Here are a few do’s and don’ts before, during and after your wax appointment to make it the best experience possible.

Do research the salon. Smooth skin is great, an infection not so much. Asking friends for a referral is a great place to start. We would also recommend reading reviews on Google or Facebook. Of course, you can trust Precision Wellness for your waxing needs!

Don’t consume caffeine a few hours before your wax. Caffeine can trigger even more nerves and increase your heart rate.

Do moisturize and exfoliate before your wax appointment. Dry hair and dry skin cause your hair to break when removed. To get the smoothest and long-lasting wax results, the skin and hair should be healthy and moisture rich.

Don’t apply self-tanner the day of your appointment. Wait until the day after your waxing to use spray tan or apply self-tanner. Be aware that freshly waxed areas absorb pigment better so your skin will look smoother and color will last longer when you apply the day after.

Do make sure you have enough hair. You want it about the length of a grain of rice. But do not trim, even if you think you need to. Your wax specialist will trim if needed.

Don’t schedule an appoint the before or during your period. Your body is more sensitive to pain. Plan to wax within the first two weeks of your cycle.

Do take something like Advil or Ibuprofen if you have a low pain tolerance. This can be helpful for pain relief and reduce inflammation of the skin after your service.

Don’t fuss with the waxed area. Avoid touching your newly hair-free skin. This will clog pores and transfer bacteria.

Do take a deep breathe and relax! Make sure you communicate with your wax specialist, feel free to ask questions and share preferences so they can serve you best.

Don’t take a hot shower for a few hours of your waxing appointment or get in salty water the day of your wax. Avoid soaking in a tub or jacuzzi, saunas, or anything with high heat due to the area being sensitive, which can be a breading grown for bacteria.

Do make sure your specialist is holding your skin taut. Your esthetician should hold the skin taut to help with the pain.

Don’t exercise after your waxing appointment (or wear sweaty clothes). Your skin is so fresh the pores are still open and susceptible to bacteria. Friction from working out at the gym could cause future irritation on the skin.

Do get on a regular waxing schedule. Waxing every three to four weeks. Getting regular waxes will reduce the amount of hair coming back. Exfoliating and moisturizing between visits every day will remove excess dead skin and keep the skin nourished.

For all of your waxing needs be sure to call a professional, like Precision Wellness – (417) 886-1131

+ Load More