Why massage?
These days there is almost too many health treatment choices you can make: do I see my doctor or their nurse? Do I go to a physiotherapist or an osteopath? If this is an old injury, do I go back to the treatment provider I saw initially, or someone new? Each of us finds our own path through these decisions, educating ourselves along the way. Massage is beneficial for both one’s mental health and physical health. Massage connects you with your body and makes you aware of muscle(s) that may need more of your attention. Massage creates better blood circulation which contributes towards injury prevention. A type of “body maintenance” that doesn’t involve lifting weights at the gym.
Massage is both relaxing and remedial. Collaborating with your massage therapist will enable you to have a mix of these qualities to meet your needs. In more severe cases, receiving massage can be quite emotional. Anecdotally, I can tell you that feelings and stress get “held up” or “trapped” in our soft tissue, only then to be released and processed when the soft tissue is manually manipulated. The tearful result can be quite cathartic for the receipient. Usually, however, massage makes the recipient feel good, relaxed, and content in their body. While they relax on the table, their soft tissue is able to be worked through, alleviating pain and stiffness. Releasing dense muscle and often increasing the recipients range of motion. Some clients use regular massage as a means of ongoing self care for their mental health, others use massage as a means of living better in their body. Either way, massage bridges the gap between resting and the need to see other clinicians.
If you see a doctor or physiotherapist they may tell you what your injury is, give you exercises to do (or not do) at home, and maybe prescribe medication or supplements to aid in your recovery. However, often there is more that your body needs to regain full range of motion, heal from the trauma of falling or injuring yourself, integrate your healing with the rest of your body, and/or release tension caused by other muscle groups compensating for the initial injury. In this way, regular massage is an ideal way to heal your body and prevent further injury in between Physiotherapy appointments or doctor visits. Massage appointments are often longer than the 15 minute doctor visits that always seem a little rushed, which means you have time to account for how your injury is effecting your whole body and even relax your mind while doing so. This relaxation process is key in the balance we all strive for in our health.
Health and “wellness” in modern life is often about doing more exercise and eating more greens. Sometimes, however, the perfect cure is to do less. Massage provides the perfect oppurtunity to passively connect with your body, detoxifying your system while you let your mind unwind. Instead of gritting through a gym workout full of judgements and critiques for your body, massage is a way of saying thank you to our musculoskeletal system, and being grateful for our incredible anatomy.
Why massage? Over the years, I increasingly promote the idea “why not massage?” There is so much to gain from receiving massage work for both your mind and your body. Massage works well along side other treatments and clinical work, and gives you the chance to rest and rebalance. Book your massage today with Luna Therapeutic and have your massage experience taylored to you and your needs.
