Sherwood Holistic Collective
The Massage Journey
Relaxation Massage
Pain Management
Stress related disease has experts estimating that upwards of ninety percent is causing the issues. And perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. It would be great if we could eliminate all of the anxiety and pressures of life. Massage without a doubt can help. This translates into: *Decreased anxiety *Enhanced sleep quality *Greater energy *Improved concentration *Increased circulation *Reduced fatigue.
Furthermore, clients often report a sense of perspective and clarity after receiving a massage. The emotional balance bodywork provides can often be just as vital and valuable as the more tangible physical benefits.
The body can produce an unhealthy buildup of hormones when we're stuck in traffic or meeting a work deadline. Pent-up levels of the "stress hormone" cortisol can lead to sleeplessness, headaches and even digestive problems. Massage has been shown to decrease cortisol in the body. This allows the body to
enter a relaxing rest-and-recovery mode: an effect that lingers long after the massage is over. In fact, massage triggers a host of brain chemistry responses that can result in lasting feelings of relaxation, lowered stress and improved mood.
Transformations offers a variety of relaxing massage therapy styles and techniques to help kick start the relaxation process. Ongoing massage therapy can reduce pain, increase energy levels and improve overall physical and mental performance.
Benefits of Improved Relaxation: Improves mental outlook, promotes relaxed states of mental alertness, enhances calm and creative thinking.
We've all suffered from the soreness associated with an overly energetic exercise session. But did you know that most Americans experience neck, back and muscle pain from, surprisingly, sitting. Chronic back pain, which is the second most common cause of disability and a top reason for missing work, can be the result of improper posture while sitting and standing. Additionally, carrying extra weight, poor posture, and repetitive or overuse movements can put strain on the back and other sensitive areas. This strain often results in spasms, tense muscles and pain in your upper back, hips, glutes and hamstrings.
Massage (or muscular therapy) gets to the root of the pain by relaxing tense muscles and increasing flexibility. Massage also encourages blood flow to the affected muscles, which can bring increased oxygen and nutrients,. All of this activity reduces swelling and stiffness and increases flexibility to help eliminate pain. Muscular therapy also releases endorphins and boosts your levels of serotonin and dopamine, all hormones your body produces to help you feel good, promote healing and pain management, and calm your nerves
Reduce Anxiety and Depression
Massage can greatly reduce anxiety and depression. Below is a study that was conducted:
Study on Depression and Anxiety and the Benefits of Massage
Twenty-six adults were given a chair massage and 24 control group adults were asked to relax in the massage chair for 15 minutes, two times per week for five weeks. On the first and last days of the study they were monitored for EEG, before, during and after the sessions. In addition, before and after the sessions they performed math computations, they completed POMS Depression and State Anxiety Scales and they provided a saliva sample for cortisol. At the beginning of the sessions they completed Life Events, Job Stress and Chronic POMS Depression Scales. Group by repeated measures and post hoc analyses revealed the following: 1) frontal delta power increased for both groups, suggesting relaxation; 2) the massage group showed decreased frontal alpha and beta power (suggesting enhanced alertness); while the control group showed increased alpha and beta power; 3) the massage group showed increased speed and accuracy on math computations while the control group did not change; 4) anxiety levels were lower following the massage but not the control sessions, although mood state was less depressed following both the massage and control sessions; 5) salivary cortisol levels were lower following the massage but not the control sessions but only on the first day; and 6) at the end of the 5 week period depression scores were lower for both groups but job stress score were lower only for the massage group.
Field T; lronson G; Scafjdi F; Nawrocki T; Goncalves A; Burman I; Pickens J; Fox N; Schanberg 5; Kuhn C.Massage therapy reduces anxiety and enhances EEG pattern of alertness and math computations. mi Neurosci (ENGLAND) Sep 1996,86 (3-4) p197-205.
Improves Flexibility
Muscle injuries are more common now than they were 50 years ago. That's not because we're exercising harder. It's because we're more sedentary. What's worse, as we age our joints tend to tighten, making range of motion and flexibility even more restricted. Massage therapy is a beneficial treatment for maintaining and improving flexibility and motion. By working on muscles, connective tissues, tendons, ligaments, and joints, regular massage can improve your flexibility and range of motion, keeping your joints more fluid and making them less injury prone.
One benefit of stretching is an improvement of blood circulation, which aids in illness recovery and disease prevention. Elongating muscles will also improve posture and your joints' range of motion. Stretching and massage are even more important for someone who is physically active. Loose muscles are less prone to strains and sprains during a workout, according to ACE.
Incorporating massage and stretching into a fitness routine also will help reduce soreness after a workout. Stretching beforehand will allow greater freedom of movement when exercising and longer workout periods because it helps prevent a buildup of lactic acid in your blood. Regular post-workout massages can then aid in the recovery and relaxation process.
Relieves Tension Headaches
In the United States alone, more than 60% of the 45 million Americans who suffer from chronic headaches suffer from migraines. The disorder can be debilitating and typically results from high stress levels and/or lack of sleep. So it's no wonder why so many people want to know how to relieve tension headaches.
Massage has two roles when it comes to treating migraines and tension related headaches: In a proactive role, massage treatments are performed on a or tension related headache. By focusing on the neck, shoulders, and head, massage can decrease the pain and discomfort brought on by migraine or tension headaches.
A recent study showed that massage therapy recipients exhibited fewer migraines and better sleep quality during the weeks they received massage, and the three weeks following, than did participants that did not receive massage therapy. Another study found that in adults with migraine headaches, massage therapy decreased the occurrence of headaches, sleep disturbances and distress symptoms. It also increased serotonin levels, believed to play an important role in the regulation of mood, sleep and appetite.
Strengthens the Immune System
Regular therapeutic massage sessions provide significant benefits beyond the immediate relaxation we enjoy. People who experience high levels of stress tend to get sick more than others. Combine stress with lack of sleep and poor nutrition, and our immune system's ability to naturally protect itself against bacteria and infection is greatly reduced. So the question is: What are the benefits of massage on immune system?
Clinical studies have indicated that regular massage not only helps alleviate stress, but can naturally increase the immune system's cytotoxic capacity (the activity level of the body's natural "killer cells") and decrease the number of T-cells, which improves the body's immune functioning overall. In one study by Gail Ironson, M.D., HIV positive men were given 45 minute massages five days a week, for a month. They showed an increase in serotonin and an increase in cells that are viewed as the first line of defense in the immune system.
Manages Pain of Chronic Conditions
People with chronic pain often turn to massage therapy to help naturally improve their quality of life. Notes Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Florida:
"Most people go to massage therapists to reduce pain. There's a release of serotonin, which is the body's natural production of anti-pain chemicals. Additionally, an aggravating factor in pain syndromes can be a lack of deep, restorative sleep. Massage is very effective at increasing deep sleep. With more deep sleep, you have less pain."
Fibromyalgia and arthritis are two chronic pain syndromes that can be positively impacted by massage therapy. In a study of massage therapy for knee osteoarthritis, a group receiving massage therapy for the pain showed significant improvement in pain, stiffness and physical function. They increased their range of motion and reduced the time it took them to walk 50 feet.
In another study, conducted by the Touch Research Institute, people with arthritis in their wrist and hand reported less pain and greater grip strength after massage therapy. They also had lower anxiety and depressed mood scores.
For people looking to naturally manage their chronic pain, massage therapy can improve quality of life by impacting mood as well as manage the pain. When you live with chronic pain, having a toolbox of strategies you turn to for pain relief is important. Massage can be a powerful tool for relaxing both mind and body.
Stress related disease has experts estimating that upwards of ninety percent is causing the issues. And perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. It would be great if we could eliminate all of the anxiety and pressures of life. Massage without a doubt can help. This translates into: *Decreased anxiety *Enhanced sleep quality *Greater energy *Improved concentration *Increased circulation *Reduced fatigue.
Furthermore, clients often report a sense of perspective and clarity after receiving a massage. The emotional balance bodywork provides can often be just as vital and valuable as the more tangible physical benefits.
Massage Therapist:
Deb Taylor, LMT
License #18739
503 267-8273
