Getting massage therapy will decrease the blood cortisol level significantly and give relief from the hustle and bustle of life.
We all heard it, even from Medical Practitioners; but, have you ever thought how?
You didn’t get time to think, Right?
No Problem, You came to the right Article.
Today, every doubt is going to get solved as Massage therapy ,from basics till the advanced level, will be covered in this article. ..
Let’s learn…
What is Massage?
- An ancient practice of rubbing, pressing or kneading the skin or deep tissues - Muscles, tendons or ligaments.
- In several ancient medicines, it is claimed to be beneficial for Pain relief, Sports injuries and insomnia.
Types and Science of massage: -
1) Trigger Point Therapy: -
- Loosening up of muscle knots is the most common benefit for which people seek to get Massage therapy.
- But, what is the cause of muscle knot? Let’s learn it first….
Guarding - When any muscle in the body gets injured, it will tighten up.
Also, muscle tissue around a painful area will get bunched up.
The whole purpose of it is to prevent further muscle damage. ‘Guarding ’ is one of the protective mechanisms of the body.
- The type of massage that helps to relieve it is called Trigger Point Therapy.
- The massage therapist will locate the muscle knot and will try to loosen it up and relieve the tension.
- The way he does it is via applying firm pressure and making small circles around it with their fingers.
Important: - Lifting and Kneading of the soft tissues will turn off the gene responsible for inflammation - NFkb and turn the gene for mitochondrial regeneration On - PGC-1 alpha.
This is the basic science of Swedish massage and Deep Tissue Massage. In both of it, creams and lotion are used by the therapists for smooth long strokes.
2) Swedish Massage Therapy: -
- Generally, Swedish massage(Classic Massage) is for those expecting tension relief and relaxation.
- This massage will normally start either from the stomach or back and after half procedure, the client will turn around.
3) Deep Tissue massage: -
- Deep tissue massage is for those expecting a good and fast recovery from sports injury.
- In this, the therapist will apply more pressure to reach all the layers of the muscle and increase its blood flow.
- He will use his forearm, fist, knuckles or elbow depending on the pressure required.
- After Deep tissue massage, the tissues will be sore for 1-3 days, which is part of the process.
Important: -Most therapists believe that pain during the process will have a negative impact on the outcome of the therapy; so communicate with your therapist about when the pressure becomes pain and till what level you can tolerate it…!
4)Light Touch Massage: -
- According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the root cause of disease is a blocked energy within the body that is caused by a stressful surrounding, life problems or traumatic experiences.
- Light Touch Massage will help get rid of the blockage;so, the energy can flow freely in the body.
- Also, free flow of energy between Brain and Extremities will help all the body tissues to heal well and provide relief from stress and anxiety.
- Also, it will provide a feel good factor to clients by release of Endorphins - Feel-good hormones of the body.
- It could be customized as per the client needs - some therapists use creams and lotion, though not absolute necessity.
- Light Touch Massage could be done, while sitting in the massage chair or lying in the massage table.
- Apart from that those who cannot withstand the pressure of Swedish massage, can try this one.
Fun Fact : This type of massage could be done while wearing clothes; so , new clients uncomfortable in getting undressed , have no problem with this technique.
Massage at Home: -
- Taking massage sessions in Parlour or Spa is expensive, so why not to get it at home only?
- For that, you have three options…
1). Massage Chair for Full body massage:
- It massages the whole body with the airbags incorporated into it.
- You just have to sit there and switch it on.
- Below pictured Massage Chair has 4D technology, which is able to massage your body from all the sides and get you relaxed.
- You can purchase it by clicking on the picture below..
2). Massage Gun for Sports Injury:
- This one is a massage gun for those targeting only one body part.
- You just have to hold it on that body part. This will massage the deeper tissues and will help you loosen up the muscle knot.
- You can purchase it by clicking on the picture below..
3). Foot Massager:
- Foot massager is like a ball that you have to press with your feet.
- As per acupressure, it will help sooth the pain and will improve the blood circulation throughout the body.
- Foot massage for 5 minutes a day at home by the below linked foot massager can work wonders - Keep you healthy, Reduces inflammation and Decreases the muscle soreness.
- You can purchase it by clicking on the picture below..
- Rather than asking about massage places near me or massage in near me, people should have one of these massage tools at home or they should ask for the best massage therapist because getting it done from an unskilled therapist can do more harm than good.
Benefits of Massage: -
- Increase in lymphocyte count that will boost immunity
- Premature babies can have better brain development, immunity boost,quality sleep and better bowel movements if massaged.
- Decrease in vasopressin hormone - Responsible for High blood pressure level
- Relieve muscle pain
- Help in recovery from injury
- Make the person healthy
- Provide calmness
- Improved Lymph drainage
Massage Therapist: -
- They are qualified people for providing massage therapy, who have professional degree in that field.
- Most massage certifications are from 300 - 1000 hours long.
- During their training, they learn about physiotherapy, Nerve course, Aroma science for relaxation and Techniques for massage.
Communication with therapist: -
- If you require extra care for certain body parts, talk with your therapist regarding that - Stiff neck or back.
- He can design his therapy centered on that part to offer you maximum benefit.
Contraindication of massage: -
- Those who have the following condition, should not take massage theray.
- Osteoporosis
- Hypertension
- Bleeding Disorder
- Cancerous tumor
- Burns
- Fractures
Conclusion: -
- Getting massage therapy is the great way to get rid of muscle pain, anxiety and stress. There are mainly 4 types of massage, with the common one being Swedish Massage.
- Getting massage tools at home will be the most valuable investment of your life. If you prefer to get it done outside, go for a Qualified massage therapist.
So, it is all about massage.
If you have any question, feel free to leave a comment below….