WHY MASSAGE?

Who are Massage Therapists?

Licensed massage practitioners (LMP) are trained health care professionals. In Washington, we are governed by the State Department of Health and must be licensed and insured to practice legally. Massage Therapists training includes the study of anatomy and physiology, the theory and practice of massage therapy, and elective subjects. We go to school for a minimum of 500 hours, in a nationally accredited school/program, and take a state exam. Massage Therapists are also required to have 24 hours of Continuing Education (CE) every two years and to renew our license annually.

What is Massage and Bodywork?

Massage is one of the oldest forms of therapy, it is the application of touch, using manual techniques of rubbing, stroking, kneading or compression.  Massage produces relaxation, reliefs pain, provides injury rehabilitation, athletic preparedness or recovery, health improvement, and increased awareness of one’s body. Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, and Physicians all use massage to improve their patients health. Massage relaxes the muscles and improves circulation which helps the body do it’s own healing.

Relaxation, or Swedish, massage focuses on relaxation and getting your body back to its healthy state. This massage is generally relaxing and is applied to the whole body.  Deep tissue, or Treatment, massage focuses on a specific injury or client complaint. This type of massage penetrates deeper and allows for more healing as well as relaxation. In this massage more focus will often be centered on one area of the body. This is the massage is often prescribed by doctors.

Massage helps us feel connected and loved by those around us. These connections helps us deal with the common stresses of everyday life. Both good and bad stress can have an effect on our body and, if untreated, can lead to disease or have other negative effects on our bodies. Research shows that over 90% of doctor visits are for problems that can be traced directly to stress.

Stress puts our bodies in a state of “fight or flight”, meaning, the body is producing hormones that give us energy to ether fight “something” or run from “something”.  Prolonged higher levels of these hormones can develop into chronic health problems.  Massage lowers the client’s stress level, and leads to decreased “fight or flight” hormones being produced by the body.

The basic goal of massage or any body-work is to help the body reach homeostasis, a balanced state of mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being. It is a holistic approach which can have profound effects. Received regularly, massage can help us maintain our health, thereby improving our quality of life.

Types of Massage

Massage is most commonly given on a table massage or in a special chair.   There are many different types of massage/bodywork.

SWEDISH MASSAGE

DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE

SPORT MASSAGE

TREATMENT MASSAGE

HOT STONE MASSAGE

PREGNANCY MASSAGE

REFLEXOLOGY

CRANIAL BALANCING

REIKI

SHIATSU

THAI MASSAGE

and many more.


Benefits of Massage

The health benefits are the same for all of the different types of massage and bodywork.  Massage is an ancient healing technique used for centuries to heal and relax.  This is just a partial list of the benefits.  There are many more.

RELIEVES STRESS

ENCOURAGES RELAXATION

IMPROVES CIRCULATION

IMPROVES POSTURE

LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE

HELPS MANAGE PAIN

RELAXES MUSCLES

IMPROVES FLEXIBILITY

IMPROVES BREATHING

RELIEVES TENSION HEADACHES

STRENGTHENS IMMUNE SYSTEM


Here you will find more details and information on the Benefits of Massage


Massage can be simply 10 minutes, an hour or longer. The benefits are best realized by having them on a regular basis. Just taking the time for yourself is powerful in reclaiming you health and peace of mind.