One of the oldest techniques of healing, massage therapy is also known as somatic or bodywork therapy to refer to the application of applying movable or fixed pressure, kneading, and vibration for instance. But in as much as being familiar with benefits such as mental relaxation and improved skin tone, how much do you know about therapeutic massage? How much of it is fact and not myth?
A Brief Intro
What makes “therapeutic massage” unlike any professional massage? It’s somewhat more intense than just relaxation massage, aiding too dealing with chronic or long-term problems.
The end-goals of a session vary depending on the client and the message therapists. Your health care provider may have recommended it as part of your larger treatment plan, supplementing it, to get you back in shape. Or the recommendation can be to perform it as a standalone.
As long as it’s a qualified and competent massage therapist performing it, you don’t have to worry about anything, neither your age nor your medical conditions (physical disability, pregnancy, etc.), because they’d take special precautions if needed while providing you a massage according to your needs. But in rare cases, there have been scenarios where a massage caused nerve damage, internal bleeding, allergic reactions, and temporary paralysis. You may want to weigh the pros and cons of the approach with professionals like Living Well Balanced.
How does it Work
There are a lot of ways where this type of massage is the best solution. Although modalities like myofascial and trigger point techniques are better for individuals who suffer from consistent pain due to the strenuous physical activity they’re involved in, it’s not simply undue stress, high blood pressure, anxiety, or injuries that should lead you to think about it but your general well-being and improved function too should be reason enough.
The therapeutic massage is basically a blend of remedial massage and relaxation massage, which means you ease through the “tight spots” in particular and relax the whole body in general to effectively improve circulation and immune system and stimulate a relaxation response.
The duration of the session depends on the soreness of your muscles, but typically for someone who’s having it for the very first time or is following a long gap in the treatment, it’d last for 60-90 minutes if the therapist is allowed to keep a steady pace to prevent negative reactions post-massage. However, you wouldn’t be wrong to expect to feel sore afterward or experience bruising, especially if you’re not communicating with the therapist when they work too deep and it hurts.
Ideally, you may opt for a session regularly like once in a month or two as a precautionary method. But if you’d rather, then having a massage at the time only when you’re not feeling/working at to the best of your potential can be a good alternative. The sort of lifestyle you have should be your guide on how frequently you need it for optimal results.
