Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Benefits Of Advanced Massage And Bodywork

By Etta Bowen


Bodily aches and pains take the fun out of living. Often they come from too much sitting in front of the computer or driving in a car. Sometimes they're from unusual activity, like cleaning the gutters or double-digging the vegetable garden. Advanced massage and bodywork is called for when persistent pain limits physical activity or interferes with normal pursuits.

Youth is usually a time of mindless enjoyment of flexibility, energy, and freedom from care. Later on, bodies that once were taken for granted cease to work so smoothly: joints creak, muscles get stiff, backs refuse to straighten up. Tasks that were easy become difficult or even impossible. People can accept this as inevitable or do something about it. Some choose medication, which carries its own risks. A more positive approach involves one or more of the many forms of manual therapy.

There are good reasons for this decline. One is limited circulation that comes from a sedentary lifestyle, another is too much stress on an on-going basis, and another is injury. Sometimes people can't pinpoint when the problem started. For example, a person might slip on an icy parking lot but save themselves from falling. In the process, a small muscle in the back that responds to the instinctive call for balance may fail to return to its proper position. After the incident has been forgotten, the person notices a new ache that doesn't go away and may worsen over time.

Therapists skilled in manipulation locate locked muscles and get them to release, allowing bones to return to their proper place. Different kinds of therapy demand a variety of manipulation. The therapist will stroke, knead, stretch, or apply pressure to 'trigger points' to increase blood flow and promote relaxation of tight muscles and connective tissues.

Manual therapy promotes relaxation, something many of us have forgotten. A simple relaxation session may help by increasing circulation, which promotes healing and reduces inflammation. Stress reduction is important, because every doctor knows that stress is a killer. Addressing this modern-day epidemic with a soothing touch - which has its own emotional and mental benefits - is a more positive approach than resorting to medication.

Relaxing muscles is the first step in therapeutic work, but advanced methods address underlying issues. Old injuries leave adhesions, which are binding scar tissue within muscles and around joints. Promoting the flow of lymph, another circulatory system of the body, boosts the immune system.

Surface massaging helps people relax and can also make them feel energized. Deeper tissues respond to other kinds of manual manipulation. When adhesions are loosened, pain is reduced and mobility is enhanced. Restoring circulation to the area allows the bloodstream to carry nutrients and oxygen that cells need for repair and renewal.

Fitness and flexibility training is part of bodywork. Stronger muscles support the skeletal system and internal organs and help all bodily systems to function. Often joint mobility depends on regular exercise suited to the physical needs and abilities of each individual. An marked increase in total well-being comes from the services massage and bodywork centers have to offer for stress relief, pain management, better circulation, and increased mobility. Once people realize how much better they can feel, they may be more willing to help themselves rather than depend on pharmaceutical drugs.




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