Since what seems like the beginning of time, massage has been used as way to heal and pamper. The practice of massage dates back to the Pharoahs of ancient Egypt, and has been used by the Chinese, Greeks and other legendary cultures. As time has passed, we have learned more about the true benefits of massage therapy and how they can impact the health and happiness of our everyday lives.
In today's hustle and bustle society, many people are looking for wonder drugs and quick fixes. As we have seen time and again though, taking shortcuts will usually lead nowhere. While massage therapy has been growing in popularity throughout the United States, South Florida has become a hot bed of activity. Hollywood, FL, with its tourist destinations such as the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Hollywood Beach, draws a multitude of tourists every year. While many of those tourists see massage as simply a way of pampering themselves on vacation, there are significant benefits of massage therapy for all of us which make massage therapy more important than just a once in a blue moon activity.
Those of us living in Hollywood, Dania Beach or anywhere else in South Florida know how crazy life can be here. Whether you're shopping at the Oakwood Plaza or jumping to Publix on Griffin Road for some groceries, it seems like we are always in a rush. The heat and stress of the our many congested highways can leave many of us feeling nervous, anxious and overwhelmed. Massage therapy is one of the best ways to get your life back into balance and prepare yourself for the future.
As most people know, massage therapy can help loosen tight muscles and decrease general pain, but the benefits are far more wide-reaching than that. It is one of the most effective ways of relieving stress and anxiety, which has a major impact on our overall health. Other benefits include improving range of motion, boosting the immune system, promoting tissue regeneration and even lessening the effects of depression and withdrawal. Special modalities and techniques in massage therapy can help anyone from pregnant women to senior citizens with arthritis.
From my own personal experience, I have identified several key points to consider for people with different ailments. For those with arthritis, particularly older people, the pain can be temporarily relieved by icing the area and then using massage. The client will usually be relatively pain free for the first few days to a week after getting the massage. These people are in a constant state of pain, so they are grateful for anything that can help them.
Massage is also a helpful healer for a person with the common cold or flu. The best time to get a massage is when the person has just passed the peak of the sickness. The treatment will help stimulate circulation of the lymph system and blood with a one hour massage equal to 24 hours of normal lymph circulation.
For those with hypertension (high blood pressure), I have found that massage is a wonderful way to help them to relax, which in turn can calm and reduce their blood pressure. Often times, people with high blood pressure are greatly affected by stress and anxiety. Massage is one of the best ways to relieve that tension and make them feel better.
Finally, many Americans today work long hours in front of a computer, whether at the office or at home. From that, they engage in constant holding patterns, or remain in one position for a long time which has a major effect on the muscles. My husband has this issue and constantly complains from a tight neck and shoulders. In addition, this tightness can develop trigger points and knots, which manifest themselves as migraines and other headaches. The best treatment for this is heating and massage as much as possible. This will loosen up those tight muscles and prevent the headaches from occurring.
One important thing to remember is that a therapist can't be expected to cover the entire body and focus on a certain area during a standard one hour massage. If a client needs to address a specific area, they should either extend their time or schedule another massage to make sure the therapist can spend the proper amount of time on the area.
Just as we have advanced over the years in our understanding and practice of massage therapy, it is very likely that we will continue to learn and discover more about the benefits of massage into the future.
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