“The practice of massage therapy is the assessment of the soft tissue and joints of the body and the treatment and prevention of physical dysfunction and pain of the soft tissues and joints by manipulation to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment physical function, or relieve pain.” Massage Therapy Act 1991
Of all your senses, the first to develop is “touch”. The power of touch is of vital importance and is universally recognized as an effective tool for healing. It gives reassurance, warmth, pleasure, comfort and renewed vitality. Massage Therapy is based on the classical Swedish tissue manipulations. The core of Swedish massage is “touch”. Massage therapy can be stimulating or soothing, depending on the speed and depth of the strokes and types of techniques used. It increases blood circulation, helping to bring in oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues, while effectively helping to remove the waste products. Research has shown that the effects of massage therapy are physiological and psychological in nature.
Physiologically, the use of manual techniques applied to the soft tissues (muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons) of the body, increase circulation. Manipulation of the tissues can help relax and tone muscles, soothe the nervous system, reduce or manage pain, encourage lymphatic flow, reduce swelling, improve respiratory function, and increase the activity of the immune system. This type of therapy can be used on healthy, injured or denervated muscle tissues.
Psychologically, it can reduce the levels of “cortisol” (the stress hormone) released in the system. As a result, it relieves stress and anxiety and helps you become conscious of your body as a whole. It can put you in touch with the parts of your body which you feel, and those that have been “cut off”. Emotionally, it can release a lot of energy that was wasted in tension, thus having profound changes on both posture and facial expression. For a large number of people, stiffness and pain are a way of life, to which we have become accustomed. However, once we receive a massage, we come to realize how much our muscles are tight, and how much of our energy is consumed by tension. By allowing ourselves to be soothed and relaxed, it gives the body an opportunity to use it’s own regenerative capabilities, promoting self-healing.
All the therapists at New Directions in Health are trained in Swedish Massage Techniques. In addition, all have taken the time to further their education and enhance their skills as therapists, so you, the client, can benefit from a wide array of massage modalities. Each has their own “hands” which trademark the way they are able to help you achieve complete health and well-being. Let us partner with you to activate your own healing mechanisms and achieve optimum health and well-being.
“Rubbing can bind a joint that is too loose and loosen a joint that is too rigid.” Hippocrates