Once seen as a luxury for serious athletes and the rich and famous, massage therapy is now widely accepted as an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.

There are many benefits to getting a massage. It can relax your muscles, relieve pain and stress, and improve circulation. Physically, this hands-on relief therapy stretches and loosens muscles; facilitates blood flow and removal of metabolic wastes throughout the body; increases the flow of oxygen; and stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, reducing anxiety. And emotionally, it satisfies the basic human need for that nurturing touch.

Three popular types of massage are Shiatsu, Swedish, and Sports. The Shiatsu/Acupressure type is an Asian-based finger-pressure massage to treat special pints along acupuncture “meridians”, channels of energy flow in the body. It aims to open blocked channels, which can cause discomfort. It is best for those who suffer from tension in specific areas–shoulders, back or neck.

The Swedish technique was developed by a Swedish athlete in the 19th century. It incorporates long strokes and a kneading and friction technique to target superficial layers of muscles. This technique is good for everyone, especially if it’s your first time. It promotes better circulation, reduces muscle tension, and alleviates stress.

The Sports technique is deeper and more vigorous than the other techniques. This is a pressure massage to prepare you for a workout, competition, or performance, or to help recover after. It is designed to move lactic acid out of the muscles to prevent soreness and cramps, and is best for fitness buffs who constantly suffer from sore muscles.

Before undergoing any of the above techniques, here are some inquiries to make:

1 If you’re pregnant or have any kind of cancer, the therapist will most likely recommend that you first get permission from your doctor.

2. Discuss any known allergies to scents or oils (paba and almond oil are common allergens). Migraine and sinusitis sufferers should identify themselves, as certain essential oils will be chosen to help with these ailments.

3. Bring up any kind of back problem, sore muscle, especially recent injury or surgery.

4. If you’re a sports enthusiast, tell the therapist what you participate in so he can concentrate on the muscles commonly used in that sport.

5. Skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, or even bruises should be pointed out, because the therapist can avoid direct contact, but work around the affected areas to enhance circulation.

The more often you receive massage therapy, the more sensitive you become to your own body. As a result, you become more aware of the stress signals your body sends out, and you can respond more quickly and effectively to those signals.

More and more companies are bringing massage into the workplace. Although at first it seems like a major investment in time, money and space, they’re discovering that those costs are far outweighed by the benefits they’re seeing in reduced employee stress, as well as increased morale and productivity.

If you’re wondering why so many companies are finding ways to fit massage therapy into the workplace, read on for the answers to some common questions:

Why would a company bring in a service reserved mostly for the spa and for sports teams?

Although massage therapy really can feel like a luxury, the benefits go far beyond pampering or sports injury therapy. One of the major benefits is stress relief, which also happens to be a major cause of workplace absenteeism.

These days it seems as though everyone is stressed, particularly with the way the economy has been in the past year or so. Our bodies are designed to react to that stress by either fight or flight; in other words, we’re programmed to burn off stress with physical activity. As the stress occurs, the hormonal system kicks into action: insulin is secreted to open up pathways to the muscular system; and cortisol, the protection hormone, is secreted. Next, the digestive system diverts blood from the intestines to your muscles; and your liver diverts blood to the muscles and secretes blood sugar. All for the anticipated exertion.

In other words, stress is more than just a feeling – it’s a complicated response and our muscles are the system that is supposed to control it.

Unfortunately, in our society today, we don’t handle stress with any kind of physical activity, particularly not while we’re sitting at a desk dealing with the latest job pressures. You end up with a body that is primed for intense physical exertion, and contains damaging levels of cortisol, with no outlet.

This is where massage comes in. Recent studies have shown that a therapeutic massage has benefits far beyond that feeling of well-being:
• Reduced cortisol levels
• Lowered blood pressure
• Reduced heart rate
• Reactivated digestive system (you’ll know that when your stomach gurgles)
• Released tension in the muscles

When you combine all of these positive reactions from a massage, you get a much more productive employee. Studies have actually shown that when employees get a quick massage at work they are able to complete math questions faster and more accurately than they could before their massage.

So if productivity is something your company is looking to improve, on-site massage could be a program to look at.

But, how much space is needed?
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Perhaps you’re wondering whether you’re going to need to set aside a private space big enough to house a massage table. Well, the good news is that a massage table is no longer the only way to receive a massage.

On-site massage is now almost always done on a massage chair. This is a chair designed specifically for workplace massage and the space required is minimal; usually a small meeting room will work quite well.

To measure the space needed, take the chair you’re sitting in right now, put it in the middle of the room and walk around it. That will give you a fairly accurate idea of the space you’ll need for the massage chair. You should also have room for a table where the therapist can write receipts and place a laptop for managing the schedule. So, your massage therapist can work quite comfortably in a room as small as 10′ by 10′.

What about privacy?

Massage chairs were designed, not only to address space issues, but also to negate any privacy concerns. When you get a chair massage you remain fully dressed and you might only need to remove an outer jacket for example. The massage chair is even skirt or dress friendly. This means that the room doesn’t necessarily even have to be window free, either. Any room can be used as long as it is separated from others walking around, although the more privacy that can be offered the better.

How much time is this going to take?

Many companies worry about how long their employees are going to have to be away from their desks. Doesn’t a massage usually take an hour?

The answer to that is that on-site massage sessions are usually somewhere between 10 minutes and 30 minutes, depending on the massage company and how they schedule their services. Generally 15 or 30 minute massages work best for the workplace.

So for the same amount of time it takes for a coffee break any company can offer massage in the workplace.

Scheduled on a weekly or monthly basis, that is a minor amount of each employee’s time, in return for a huge potential gain in productivity.

A silver bullet to increase productivity and morale?

This is the golden question, and I’m afraid the answer has to be no. Most companies are looking for ways to improve productivity and morale but there isn’t any single service that can guarantee that.

However, massage can be an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to building a healthy, productive workplace. Used in conjunction with other productivity tools, it helps to create a well-rounded environment that supports employees in many ways.

So don’t hesitate to look into on-site massage for your workplace. Even though massage may not be for everyone or every workplace, it is a service that can be offered to employees, with minimal space and positive results.

Finally, if your company is interested in starting up an on-site massage program it is critical to have buy-in at the executive level. The best health-friendly offices come from the top down, and when executives participate by getting a massage themselves and sending out reminders to employees, the best results follow right behind.

You can now find a number of helpful therapies contained in today’s massage chairs. Technology is enabling more types of therapies to be included into these recliners. They are perfect for home use on a frequent basis. Here are some of the more beneficial therapeutic treatments you can find in a massage chair.

Traction or stretching of the spine helps with greater mobility. Mechanical traction is defined as the application of a mechanical force to the body in a way that separates or attempts to separate the joint surfaces and elongate the surrounding soft tissues. There are a number of ways to accomplish traction.

Spinal traction is used to distract joint surfaces and stretch soft tissues. Joint distraction is defined as the separation of two articular surfaces perpendicular to the plane of the articulation. Traction applied to the spine or spinal traction is performed by some massaging chairs.

A massage chair uses supine segmentation traction. This is a 3-point bending method for spinal traction. It causes tensile stresses in the anterior spinal region directly above the roller. The subject is supine and the rollers push up vertically against the spine. The body weight on each side of the roller (cranial or caudal) is pulling the spine by gravity. The subject’s weight towards the surface of the earth, while the rollers push upward in between. The force of the traction is affected by the subject’s body weight and the angle of the chair back.

Leg elevation can also be performed by a massage chair. Leg elevation is defined as having the calves in the case of edema above the elevation of the heart. The massage chair is reclined while the leg rest is raised. The patient can adjust the level of the legs at or above the level of the heart.

There are some massages for the cervical spine such as the kneading massage. The kneading massage is a side to side motion performed by the rollers. The rollers use side to side strokes of 3 inches for each roller.

The kneading motion is used for pressure and deeper penetration. It delivers long strokes for the major back and shoulder muscles. The kneading motion helps to elongate the muscle fibers. Elongating the muscle fibers is believed to help reduce muscle tension, increase flexibility and improve blood flow.

Rapid tapping is used to loosen the major back muscles. Massage chairs perform an invigorating tapping massage. The tapping massage is a rapid succession of quick little blows. The rollers gently invigorate the muscles and loosen up the soft tissue areas.

Rapid tapping can help improve blood flow and to relax a muscle group. When the spine is misaligned, then the other muscles must pick up the slack. In addition to their normal load, they must also carry extra weight from a misaligned spine. The tapping massage helps to reduce this tension.

Heaters have been located in the leg rest, seat and the chair back. Each heating area has independent controls. Heat is applied by activating the heating elements in the chair. Heat is an aid to reducing stiff muscles or joints and is also used to increase flexibility and range of motion.

It is great that so many new therapies are being included into massage chairs. These are some of the more important therapies that are now available. I think that massage chairs are the most convenient way to get regular massage therapy.

Very few of today’s mothers-to-be can afford the luxury of being a stay at home mom, even during their pregnancy. Having to cater with the increasing pressures of a fast paced life style, between work and home, leaves the modern mother-to-be a very stressed out individual. While dealing with the rigors of daily life, home life, and her pregnancy, she is well aware that the wellness and health of her forthcoming child is crucial and depends a lot on how she handles these daily pressures. If she wants a smooth delivery process and the birth of a healthy happy baby it is essential she finds some way to deactivate some of these stresses and pressures.

Many seek holistic alternative approaches in addition to the traditional health services they are already receiving. Pregnancy massage therapy is alternative medicine therapy which offers therapeutic stress reduction value. Additionally, it enhances the function of joints and muscles, while improving blood circulation and relieving mental and physical fatigue.

Pregnancy massage can be provide prenatal, postnatal, and during the labor process. The rule is generally to refer massage either prenatal or post natal, however, its benefits can be enjoyed throughout the entire pregnancy and after. Most mums-to-be equate prenatal and post-natal massage to mean massage that takes place a few days or a few hours before or after the delivery.

During prenatal massage, the massage is focused on reducing pregnancy discomforts and aimed at enhancing the physiological and emotional well-being of the mother and the fetus. This produces a relaxed mother-to-be and aids in the development of a brainy, happy, healthy baby. Prenatal massage also helps to strengthen and prepare the muscles that are used during natural childbirth delivery process.

With a desire to have as natural a delivery as possible, without the use of an epidural or any other drugs, as well as shortening the delivery process as much as possible, a lot of pregnant women are now seeking alternative medicine therapies to assist them to that end. Experienced massage therapist with a strong focus in pregnancy massage utilize massage techniques which aid in shortening the delivery process and easing the pain and anxiety which is associated during labor.

The focus of post-natal massage is on toning the newly delivered mother’s body. Her body need to be brought back into balance and gotten back into shape. Post-natal massage helps reduce fluid retention, rejuvenate and re-energizes the mother which promotes healing, increases recovery, and enhances her ability to bond faster with her new baby.

With the major objective being the establishment of a good mental state and excellent physical health for herself and her new baby, more and more moms-to-be are opting into including holistic alternative medicine approaches as apart of their birthing experience. As the number of doctors participating in blended medicine discover the suitability and benefits of these alternative therapies, they readily refer and encourage them to do so.

We have all experienced the benefits of a great massage. We all know that it helps reduce stress by helping circulation. It is also common knowledge that it helps prevent injury by strengthening and conditioning muscle and tendons prior to rigorous physical activity. Some people have even experienced how relaxing a massage can be when done by someone who knows what they are doing. However, only a precious few actually know what to do to achieve that perfect massage.

To be able to conduct a perfect massage session, one must be an expert in a person’s anatomy. He or she must also have dexterous hands to put into effect the many techniques of this science. The intuition must also be present in order to know what the subject wants and needs from the massage. He or she must also possess the passion to give that once in a lifetime massage that everyone dreams of.

One final thing a person needs to give a great rubdown is knowledge. All the other elements is dependent on the innate ability of the person giving the massage but this can be taught and it can be learned. Here are some of the directions you can follow to get to the best ever rubdown you will have ever experienced. Just remember to generously apply massage oils before you even begin on any body part.

The Back

The back is the perfect place to start when giving the best back rub ever. Start with the mid to lower back area, because it supports our weight whenever we run, walk or just simply stand where we are. After kneading the muscles from that area, move lower to the buttocks area. After which, it is time to rub the shoulders, making sure to remove all the knots.

The Legs and Feet

The legs are one of the largest muscle groups in the body and it takes a great deal of punishment through the course of the day. With the subject still facing face down on the massage table, knead the muscle of the calves and thighs by gently stroking down along the grains of the muscle. Repeat the same step on the other leg and have the subject turn around to work on the front of the legs.

As for the feet, you begin your massage by bending the leg at the knee and working the ankle joint in a circular motion. Then, hold the foot with one hand and massage the bottom of the foot with your fist moving from the arch of your foot, down to the heel. Once you get to the heel, squeeze. Then, with both of your hands holding the foot, move back up again while massaging in a circular fashion using the thumbs. Finally massage the toes and move on to the other foot.

The Arms and Hands

The arms are often used in daily activity and are often the first body parts to become sore. They however do not have the same muscle size and density as the back and legs. Start by lifting one arm and placing it at a right angle to the body, letting the hand flop down. Hold the elbow down, making sure to hold the elbow and shoulder for support. After stretching the muscles in the arm lay the arm back along the body and massage the muscle slowly and gently until the hands reach the wrist.

To massage the hand, begin by massaging the palm of the hand using the thumbs of both hands. Then, massage the back of the hand using your thumb and fingers in between the bones of the hand. Finally move your thumb and forefingers across each of the subject digits, gently tugging each. Once you are done, feel free to move to the other hand.