What is Massage really about and is it right for you?

There are many differing thoughts on when massage originated, some say over 3000 years BC in India as part of the ayurveda practice or over 4000 years ago in China either way it was a very, very long time ago. Evidence has shown us that massage was used back then to heal injuries, reduce pain, prevent and cure illnesses with practises being passed down through the generations. We arrive today with a myriad of choices such as hot stones, Swedish, sports, Indian head, deep tissue massage etc etc. All have their own nuances but really it comes down to what you like and want to get out of having a massage treatment.

What is the benefit of massage?

In modern times we want to know the science, facts, statistics about everything and I was truly shocked by what I found. As part of the research for this blog post I was surprised to find that there has been very little comprehensive study into massage, largely due to the complexity of creating a comparable study group, because we are all so different. Our anatomy, pain levels, healing rates, nutritional intake, exercise regimes etc. The bit I found shocking was that some schools of thought believe that massage has very little or no effect on the repair and rehabilitation of injuries, that what the body only needs is a change in exercise routine and a little rest.

Having been a massage therapist for over 12 years now, you can imagine, this concept completely blew my mind and made me question whether I was on the right path or not? As part of your massage training the benefits of massage are continually drummed into you, reduction of muscle pain and tightness, increased range of movement, improved blood flow, circulation and immune system, reduced stress, removal of toxins and increased relaxation. This then becomes indoctrinated into your daily practice and a large part of what you talk to clients about.

Now, whether massage is just a placebo effect, I am not qualified to say but what the experts do agree on is that massage can have a positive, albeit temporary, relief from pain and an enormous effect on our emotional well-being. As an experienced sports massage therapist, I can feel the difference in the density of the muscles, easily identify areas of ‘tightness’ and or ‘knots’ and very often find areas that my client had been unaware of needing attention. I work with my client to understand the root cause of the issues they are experiencing and offer advice with practical solutions and there is likely to be ‘homework’ to continue the healing process.

I was feeling quite emotional about this new discovery, fortuitously, I had an old friend booked in for a treatment that weekend and we arranged a 3 hour session which consisted of nutritional review and advice, full body massage, Indian head massage, reiki healing, finished off with a grounding meditation and obviously a lot of chatting. She arrived looking quite tired and feeling down about her recent perimenopausal weight gain and a personal matter. She left looking brighter, feeling rejuvenated and stress free and left me a fantastic review. I checked in the next day when she reported that she had slept really well, her shoulders were not crunchy and she was energised to make changes to her food choices. This feeling continued for the next few weeks. For me, I was able to move forwards from these revelations, faith restored in the healing process.

What is the purpose of massage?

I have never been someone to believe that my massage treatments are a one stop shop and believe that it is really important to look at a person as a whole and understand what’s going on for them. High levels of stress, our work lives, intense or no workout regime and emotional trauma can deeply affect our mental and physical health, whether we are aware of it or not. Our natural bone structure may make certain moves easy for some and impossible for others. Poor posture can put stress on other parts of the body and maybe the poor posture is a result of an injury forcing us to stand or sit differently. Inadequate eating habits/patterns affect our body’s health systems and may cause them to work in a lower or even a higher capacity impinging the body’s ability to heal. It is important to combine massage treatments with a personalised rehabilitation action plan, stretching and or strength training with appropriate rest periods or down days to support the journey to full recovery.

I ran a mini experiment with my 28 year old son who had recently picked up an injury in the back of his right leg from football. I firstly asked him to mindfully perform a series of stretches and think about how his muscles felt. I measured his range of movement and then gave him a deep tissue massage to both legs (because one could be causing the problem with the other) and identified the issue was stemming from his right abductor longus muscle (inner thigh area). We then did some PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) which is an assisted stretching technique to the abductors. After the treatment, we repeated the same stretches and measurements. He felt a noticeable difference in how his muscles reacted and there was an increase in range of motion. Later that day he played a game of football and as a midfielder he has to do a lot of running, he said that the difference in his ability to move had greatly increased and he really enjoyed the game as was not concerned by the niggling pain in his leg. We followed this up with some more stretching after the game. Obviously his injury is not completely healed and he will need to continue rehabilitation for the next few weeks.

Conclusion

In my opinion, I know that my clients leave me feeling much better and looser then when they arrive. I am aware that I am only a part of their progress to recovery and there are many other factors that will need addressing both mentally and physically. Massage is not a replacement for modern day medicine but is complementary to a person's rehabilitation, another tool in the box of health and wellness. A massage treatment is about an experience that helps to soothe the soul by allowing the all important skin connection with another person in a positive and safe manner, it's about the rapport built with your therapist and the emotional journey that you take together to activate the healing process. Now taking a rest is vital, necessary and always welcome but a massage is a much more stimulating and positive experience, maybe our ancient ancestors were on to something very powerful.

At the Healing Shop we have many options that support you to reach your chosen life goals which include massage, journey work, mindful stress relief, reiki and hypnotherapy. Have a look at our treatments and book in