Massage Therapy
What is massage therapy?
Whether you realize it or not, we’ve all experienced some kind of massage therapy. Have you ever:
• Received a head scratch?
• Rubbed someone’s hands together to keep them warm?
• Put pressure on a sore limb by squeezing it?
Healing and helping through touch is instinctive. A massage therapist uses this instinct to soften tissue throughout the body, which in turn may reduce pain, lessen restrictions in the muscles, facilitate relaxation and promote wellness.
Experts estimate that upwards of ninety percent of disease is stress related. How does this happen? Humans respond to stress by activating the sympathetic nervous system – the “fight or flight” response. Our heart rate and blood pressure increase. Proper digestion and immune function take a backseat. We can’t focus properly. The mind gets overwhelmed. The body can’t accomplish what it needs to because it’s constantly in combat mode. This is a great response – for combat. Unfortunately, this is too often becoming our normal state.
But massage helps to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system – the “rest and digest” response. The effects of this can be huge and widespread throughout the entire body. Decrease in stress and anxiety. Higher energy. Better sleep. Deeper breathing. Increased digestive functioning. Stronger immune system. Improvement in cardiovascular health.
Self-Care
Of course, one can’t overlook the effects of massage on the muscles and soft tissue it directly manipulates. Massage can help to reduce muscle pain, improve posture and balance, and speed up recovery from injuries by properly managing scar tissue and improving joint range of motion.
Massage is a great solution for one of the most overlooked necessities in life: self-care. Self-care is important when recovering from an acute injury or taking care of overused muscles, but it has benefits beyond the obvious. It can be an hour of unwinding after a particularly stressful week. It can mean taking time out for reflection. It can allow you to reconnect with your whole body.
The benefits of massage are too great for it to be just a rare treat or a vacation-only experience. Massage should be a basic form or self-care, just as necessary for a balanced life as going to the doctor or working out at the gym.
Request an Appointment
You now have several convenient ways to schedule an appointment at Grain Integrative Health.
You can request a specific doctor or healthcare specialist or we can help you decide who would best meet your medical needs. We are happy to help. Click the link below or call (503) 445-8114.
