Thursday, August 19, 2010

Stress Reduction with Massage Therapy Treats

Today’s fast-paced world creates a highly stressful environment. Stress-related ailments increased in number at the end of the 20th century. These disorders commonly involve the autonomic nervous system, which controls the body’s internal organs. Disorders that can be caused by stress include hypertension (high blood pressure), headaches, back pain, skin disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcers. Stress is also believed to contribute to coronary heart disease (atherosclerosis, or narrowing of the heart’s arteries) and some cases of cancer.

Physicians have long recognized that people are more susceptible to diseases of all kinds when subjected to great stress. In order to preempt such disorders, people can turn to alternative medicine for answers—one alternative option is massage therapy.

A well-known Clearwater massage spa has long been promoting the benefits of massage therapy for treating stress-related ailments. It is believed that regular body massages regulate blood pressure and endorphin production, that in the end, lessens feelings if stress and anxiety.

An Oldsmar massage therapist shared some studies on the effectiveness of body massage in reducing stress-related disorders among employees. One case study was conducted in a Florida company, whose employees were given 15-minute back massages for a month, and observed for stress and other behaviors. Results showed that the control group felt less anxiety and headaches due to the regular massage sessions. Furthermore, evidences of the use of body massage to treat diseases can be seen in ancient artifacts and scrolls, clearly showing the process of muscle manipulation and touch therapy to make people feel better.

There are various massage techniques that can cater to specific physical and mental conditions, according to a massage therapist from Trinity, FL.

One of the most popular among these body massages is the Swedish massage. A Swedish massage makes use of the 5 basic strokes of massage therapy. According to a massage spa in Safety Harbor, these are effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapotement, and vibration. These strokes are then combined in different variations to perform other massage techniques.

A deep tissue massage uses deep and long strokes, namely: friction, effleurage, and petrissage. This massage technique is ideal for people experiencing chronic pain on their back, neck, and head (migraines). A deep tissue massage is known for being a bit uncomfortable, but the feeling of soreness after a session is a natural occurrence. Make sure you get a certified massage therapist to carry out a deep tissue massage on you. It is often mistaken for a sports massage, but a sports massage uses faster and lighter strokes, mainly, tapotement and vibration to warm up our muscles.

Other massage therapy techniques, according to a Clearwater massage spa are: acupressure—for better energy flow; reflexology—for correcting internal organ functions; aromatherapy—for stress and respiratory-related problems; and pregnancy massage—for treating pregnancy symptoms like nausea, mood swings, cramps, and headaches.

Stress-related disorders can be prevented by early onset management, and regular massage therapy sessions is one effective way of detoxifying your body of the physical, emotional, and psychological stresses brought about by work and other sources of negative feelings and energy. Set an appointment with your nearest Clearwater, Oldsmar, Trinity, and Safety Harbor, FL massage spa now.

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