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You’ve
got a crick
in your
neck, your
left elbow
is throbbing
and the pain
in your
lower back
is making
its way down
your left
buttock.
It’s time
for a
massage!
 Think
of massage
as an
opportunity
to get back
a bit of
what daily
stresses and
strains take
out of you,
slowing a
busy,
overworked
mind and
inducing a
feeling of
calm. Even
for those in
tip-top
health,
regular
massage
therapy acts
as a form of
body
maintenance
essential to
good health.
Whether it's
your kids
rubbing your
neck and
shoulders at
the end of a
long day or
a regular
professional
massage, a
massage is a
necessity—not
a luxury—and
there are
very real
health
benefits,
psychological
as well as
physiological.
Benefits of
massage
According to
the Canadian
Massage
Therapists
Association,
massage
stimulates
blood
circulation,
lowering
heart rate
and blood
pressure,
reducing
swelling and
promoting
faster
healing
through
better
delivery of
nutrition to
cells as
well as
removal of
cellular
waste
products.
Since
massage
improves
lymphatic
fluid
circulation,
it also
stimulates
the immune
system and
improves the
delivery of
nutrition
to, and the
removal of
debris from
all organs.
Massage
lengthens
muscles and
increases
lubrication
between
muscle
fibres,
making them
softer and
more
flexible,
easing
stiffness
and pain. It
also helps
rid the body
of chemicals
such as
cortisol and
adrenaline,
which are
released
during times
of stress
and are
responsible
for the
"fight or
flight"
response.
Over time,
constant
release of
stress
hormones can
be harmful
to health.
Similarly,
the
stress-busting
aspect of
massage can
be highly
effective in
reducing
emotional
stress.
Gentle
massage can
soothe a
racing mind,
increase a
sense of
well-being
and even
boost
self-esteem.
A
'mini-vacation'
Coleen
Quinn, a
registered
massage
therapist
who has busy
practices in
both Toronto
and
Vancouver,
says massage
is an
opportunity
to be
nurtured.
"When a
client comes
to me, he or
she is
usually
exhausted.
When clients
leave, they
look
energized,
refreshed
and rested."
Quinn has
observed
that massage
acts as a
kind of
'mini-vacation'
that can
transform a
person's
sense of
well-being
quickly and
dramatically.
Quinn calls
what she
does
"restorative
muscle
therapy". By
lengthening
short, tight
muscles, she
makes it
possible for
tension to
be released
from the
body,
freeing up
energy. "It
requires a
lot of
energy to
hold onto
the tension
in tight
muscles",
notes Quinn,
who had her
first
massage when
she was on
Canada's
national
volleyball
team. "If I
can relax
and lengthen
that muscle,
it requires
less energy
to do all
the things
you need to
do."
And since
the soothing
and healing
effects of
massage are
cumulative,
regular
massage
brings the
most
benefits.
Even if you
can only
make a
commitment
to have a
massage once
a season (or
four times a
year), it's
going to
improve the
way you move
and feel,
says Quinn.
Different
types of
massage
Here is a
sampling of
some of the
many types
of
therapeutic
massage:
* Swedish
massage—developed
in the
1700's by
Swedish
physician
Pir Henrik
Ling to
relax
muscles by
rubbing them
in the same
direction as
the flow of
blood
returning to
the heart.
* Shiatsu—an
ancient form
of Japanese
massage in
which the
practitioner
uses thumbs
and palms to
apply to
pressure to
some 600
acupressure
points.
* Sports
massage—performed
either
before or
after
exercise to
stimulate
muscles and
increase
flexibility.
*
Reflexology—a
Chinese form
of
acupressure
massage that
uses thumb
pressure on
certain
points of
the feet.
*
Aromatherapy—massage
using
essential
oils,
including
rosemary,
lavender and
eucalyptus,
to stimulate
or relax.
Visit the
Canadian
Massage
Therapists
Association
for a
listing of
provincial
massage
therapy
associations
and
accredited
massage
therapists.
Source:
Canadian
Health
Network
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