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Archive for the ‘Massage’ Category

Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that espouses the belief that aromatic smells or fragrances influence the brain and alters the mood of the client. This practice which traces its origin to ancient times uses essential oils for treatment and or prevention of diseases.

Essential oils are the basic requirement in an aromatherapy treatment. These oils are extracted from plants or their parts by using any of the following methods: cold expression, fixed oil extraction, steam distillation, and alcohol extraction.

These oils are are highly concentrated therefore therapists will not use this directly on the skin. To reduce their potency they are diluted through what is called aromatherapy blend or through synergy.

In a blend 3 to 5 essential oils are combined and added to the carrier oil (or massage oil) or lotion. An example would be combining the following oils: geranium, lavender, and clary sage to an apricot carrier oil. In synergy, essential oils are also combined but the carrier oil is omitted.

Here are two recipes for using oil blends for massage:

As basic massage oil, you can blend 8 drops of essential oils to an ounce of sweet almond oil as carrier oil. For relieving stress mix the following essential oils: 5 drops of clary sage, 2 drops of lavender, and 2 drops of lemon to an ounce of sweet almond carrier oil.

The types of therapy that uses essential oil blends are: cosmetic, massage, and olfactory. Of the three, the best practice of taking advantage of essential oils is through massage.

When the oils are blended together and massaged onto the body, it immediately influences the brain through the olfactory glands or the sense of smell. The scent of the oils work by activating the limbic system, the part of the brain that influence emotion, long-term memory, heart rate, and blood pressure.

The benefits of an aromatherapy therapy massage are the following:
a) It relieves insomnia and stress.
b) It decreases anxiety, tension, and depression.
c) It increases white blood cells and blood circulation.
d) It relaxes muscles and promotes faster healing of strained muscles and ligaments.
e) It reduces the formation of scar tissue in the muscles and reduces pain and swelling.
f) It moisturizes the skin while relaxing the whole body.

Before starting a massage session using oil blends, the therapist should start with clean hands and does a patch test to determine how a client’s skin will react to the oils. Next he makes sure that the room and his hands are warm and asks the client if he feels uncomfortable.

Finally aromatherapy massage is not advisable for those who have skin diseases, rashes, open wounds, those who have epilepsy, and those who suffer from asthma.

Receiving a massage therapy is more than just pampering yourself. It is based on the principle that when the body is calm and relaxed, emotional and mental anxiety is reduced.

The use of human touch to rid the body of physical and emotional stress has been around for ages. In the modern world, we see massage therapy techniques being used that can be traced back to India, China, Japan, and Egypt to name a few.

A massage is good for the tensed and stressed individual because it improves blood flow thus increasing the amount of fresh oxygen that flows to the tissues. Further, it strengthens the immune system making the body less prone to diseases, relaxes and tones the muscles, and increases joint flexibility.

For simple enough situations such as headache, sinus, and shoulder relief, or if you’re on a budget, one doesn’t have to visit a spa as there are massage techniques that a person can do to himself. For instructions, visit various video streaming sites which have tutorials for doing self-massage.

Although self-massage is generally okay for relieving stress, receiving a massage from a certified therapist is extremely relaxing because you get more coverage. For removing tension, relaxation, and getting rid of stress from the body, the most recommended massage modalities or types are Shiatsu, Swedish, and Hot Stone Massage.

Deep Tissue Massage and Sports Massage are not recommended because their aggressive quality makes them less effective for stress relief. With these types of massage therapy, many clients have reported being sore for days which is not really comforting.

Shiatsu or acupressure uses the Chinese meridian system to locate pressure points on the body. These pressure points are massaged with the thumbs, fingers, and palms through tapping, rubbing, and applying pressure to places where there is a blockage of chi or energy.

The Swedish massage is a classic massage that uses a variety of motions to the muscles and bones: percussion, shaking, long strokes, vibration, kneading, and friction to apply pressure to the muscles. This not only gives an overall sense of relaxation but also works at enhancing the blood circulation, lessening the time needed for muscles to recover during injuries, stretching of tendons, stimulation of the skin and lowers blood pressure thereby giving the client an improves sense of health inside out.

In a Hot Stone Massage therapy, special stones are heated and placed on specific areas of a client’s body to remove the tension from the deeper muscles that a therapists fingers cannot reach. Depending on the therapist, there may be times when cool stones are alternately used with the hot stones.

For the therapist to be able to make the necessary skin to skin contact needed in any modality of massage, the client is required to disrobe and wear only minimal clothing. Clients should not worry about their modesty since a sheet will always be provided to cover areas the therapist is not currently working on.

The number of physicians who extol the benefits of massage therapy have grown through the years. This is not only because massage has been around for ages, but because the benefits are clearly seen and felt.

Nothing can help you relax more than a nice, stress-relieving foot massage. Learning how to give one can be a great gift for a friend or loved one. It’s not very hard to do.

Before you get started have the person wash their feet. You should also make sure your hands are clean. Check their feet for any open sores, swelling, or signs of fungal infections, like athlete’s foot. If any of these things are present you shouldn’t give the massage.

Soak

Have the person soak their feet in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes before you start. You can add some bath salts or soothing essential oils to the water to make the soak more luxurious. The warm water will help soften the rough skin on the feet making them easier to massage. When they’re done soaking dry them well with a soft towel.

Gliding Strokes

Use your full hand to stroke the foot from heel to toe on the top and bottom. This simple stroke is used to warm up muscle tissue, get the person accustomed to your touch, and spread the oil or lotion you’re using. This initial stroke will relax the muscles so they can be worked more easily. Do this a few times. Make sure the persons feet are loose and relaxed.

Circular Strokes

Use your fingers to make circular strokes around the ankle bones, balls of the feet and heels. These strokes follow the contours of the bones of the feet and help loosen connective tissue.

Deep Strokes

Use your knuckles to massage the deep muscles in the sole of the foot. Make a loose fist and place it in the arch of the foot. Gently twist your fist back and forth in the arch. Use 1 or 2 knuckles to press into the center of the foot then slowly drag them across the arch.

Toes

Don’t forget the toes. Gently massage each toe between the thumb and forefinger.

Finish your massage with a few more gliding strokes and your done. You’ve given a nice relaxing treatment that anyone would be thankful for.

For certified massage therapists, buying the right portable massage tables should be a prime consideration because this how you make a living most especially if you also do on site massage. This is because the right tools of the trade are very important to be able to give quality service to your clients and for clients to be able to have the best massage of their life.

Portable massage tables enable you to treat your clients to a relaxing massage at any time and in any place especially if your client is more comfortable receiving massage at a familiar environment. If you are new to this business portable equipment can certainly help you start out without having to rent office space.

Professional therapists are not the only ones who can greatly benefit from portable massage tables. The ordinary individual can buy this massage equipment so that they can prepare themselves for their MT’s visits.

Also, those who are going to massage therapy schools are expected to have their own equipment. Owning a portable table is their best option because they can carry it with them during classroom instructions because they are easy to lug around and they considerably cheaper than the stationary massage tables.

With these in mind, what then are the things buyers should look for when they decide to buy portable massage tables?

Height – This is an important factor to consider in buying portable tables. The height should be high enough so that you will not have to bend down too much and put strain on yourself as you are giving massage.

Weight – You will be constantly lifting and lugging around your portable table so its a must that you buy a table that you will be comfortable lifting without causing back injury.

Strength and stability – A portable table has naturally foldable parts therefore the buyer should check if the folds are able to support weights of up to 600 lbs. Check if there are locking mechanism in place as you don’t want your table to fold unexpectedly as you are giving massage.

Durability – You will be carrying your table wherever you will go. Your table should be able to withstand not only various types of clients but the constant lugging around.

It’s best too that your table comes with an easy carry bag. The bag will protect your table for snags when you put it inside the car.

Functionality and Comfort – Always consider the functionality and comfort of your clients. Your table should be adequately padded because different massage modalities require different quality of surface, i.e. Swedish massage works best on soft surfaces.

Budget – Extra features can have positive and negative impacts to your massage business. The more features the more it’s going to cost but can spell more clients because of the level of comfort you are willing to provide.

Of course you have to ensure that you buy only the best portable massage tables so that they will be functional for many years to your massage business. In that regard don’t sacrifice quality over price because there are plenty of portable tables out there that are reasonably priced but made of durable materials.

There are many massage therapy benefits for the patients or clients of skilled masseuses and masseurs. Although massage therapy is most often associated with alleviating lower back pain and improving the range of motion for those who undergo regular treatments, there are many other conditions that it can help with. Whether you are an athlete, someone living with chronic pain or just an office worker with tight muscles from sitting down during the day, you can benefit in many ways from massage therapy.

There are massage therapy benefits for expectant mothers including assistance with shorter labors and maternity stays, as well as for pain medication users who want to reduce or eliminate their dependence on prescription drugs with the release of endorphins. It can even help migraine headache sufferers. Athletes can benefit from it as they prepare for and recover from strenuous workouts ranging from marathons to basketball games to cardiovascular dance classes. Depressed people often find that massage therapy can help to reduce their anxiety and depression, and people who have undergone surgery often find that regular massages can help to reduce adhesions and swelling.

Massage therapy benefits don’t end there. Many also firmly believe that regular massage treatments can boost the immune system by stimulating lymph flow and that it can increase joint flexibility, improve skin conditions, reduce muscle spasms and cramping, promote tissue regeneration, and reduce scar tissue and stretch marks. It has been proven to exercise and stretch weak, tight or atrophied muscles and it helps to relax and soften muscles that have become injured, overused or just plain tired. It also helps to improve circulation by pumping oxygen and nutrients into the tissues and vital organs of the body.

There are clearly many benefits, but it is important to be sure you are working with a skilled, trained and licensed massage therapist. You must also be consistent with your massage therapy treatments and come back as often as your therapist suggests for your particular conditions. This way you can get the maximum benefits and truly get your money’s worth.