1. Massage Is for Exercisers
After all that exercise, your muscles
might be sore. While you shouldn’t push yourself to the point of pain,
movement and effort often result in sore muscles, achy joints, and
injuries such as strained ligaments and pulled tendons. Massage
therapists are trained to knead and manipulate the muscles and
connective tissue in the body to help the body find its equilibrium
after exercise.
“Massage therapists are trained to help the body find its equilibrium after exercise.”
2. Massage Is for Nonexercisers, Too
Regular
massage is great even for nonexercisers. It activates muscles and skin,
improving circulation and even organ function. Massage is an excellent
stress management tool. It helps your body and mind to relax as it
encourages the body to help heal itself. Massage can also give you a
feeling of control and mastery over your body as it responds to the
targeted effects of massage. Pain may disappear. Posture may improve.
Muscles and joints may begin to work better and more easily.
3. Make a Habit of It
Consider regular massage as a serious
stress management tool. Massage can equal mental and physical
maintenance. Your doctor may be able to refer you to a professional
massage therapist, and, in some cases, massage therapy and even
acupuncture is covered by insurance. If you are interested in less
mainstream types of massage therapy such as reflexology, acupressure, or
Reiki, talk to friends, a natural health provider, a yoga teacher, or
the employees at your local natural health food store for
recommendations.
4. Experience Swedish Massage
This common form of massage involves a massage therapist applying oil to the body and certain types of massage strokes—namely, effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), friction (rubbing), and tapotement (tapping)—to
increase circulation in muscles and connective tissue, help the body to
flush out waste products, and heal injuries. Swedish massage induces a
feeling of deep relaxation and increases range of motion. Some Swedish
massage therapists also use hydrotherapy, or massage through soaking,
steaming, or applying jets of water to the body.
5. Give Rolfing a Try
If you like
your massages hard, you might want to try Rolfing. Rolfing is a deep
massage designed to restructure the body’s muscles and connective tissue
to promote better alignment. Some people claim that the deep tissue
massage actually releases deeply buried emotions and that emotional
outbursts are common during the course of the ten-session program.
6. Feel the Pressure
Shiatsu is
the Japanese word for “finger pressure” and is sometimes known as
acupressure. Shiatsu is an ancient form of massage, still widely
practiced, that involves the application of pressure through fingers,
palms, elbows, or knees to pressure points in the body. Pressure points
are certain points along energy meridians that the Japanese and other
Asian cultures have defined within the body. Pressure on these points is
thought to release energy blockages that cause pain and disease,
resulting in balance, equilibrium, and greater physical health.
Acupuncture is based on the same principle but uses very thin needles
painlessly inserted into pressure points. Much research has supported
the effectiveness of both acupuncture and acupressure in the relief of
pain and the treatment of certain disorders.
7. Try Reflexology
Reflexology
is a little like acupressure, but in reflexology, all the pressure
points are in the hands and feet. The theory goes that the entire body,
including all the parts, organs, and glands, is represented in a “map”
on the hands and feet, and that pressure applied to the right area of
the “map” will help to balance the problem in the associated area of the
body.
