Is Massage Therapy For Me?

Throughout life you are constantly putting stress on your body. We are told how smoking is bad for our lungs, alcohol is bad for our liver, and how stress is bad for our heart. We are told to wear sunscreen to protect our skin from the possibility of skin cancer, and to wear a hat to prevent sunstroke. So with a society so focused on prevention and protection, why do most of us neglect our muscles? Why do we wait to take care of our low back pain until it’s difficult to move? Why do so many people undervalue stretching as part of a workout? Our muscles are such an important part of our daily living and yet we tend to take them for granted — wait until they aren’t working properly to pay attention to them.
Our muscles are designed for one action — pulling. Depending which muscle pulls determines how the body moves. Imagine your muscles as a rope. Every day by using your muscles you tie tiny knots in the rope. Now, if you don’t untie those knots that you make every day, the piece of rope becomes filled with them; terribly knotted after a lifetime of tying. Considering this, is it surprising when you wake up in the morning with a kink in your neck? This is a direct result of all those tiny knots that we’ve made in our muscles. Most injuries that massage therapists see on a daily basis are repetitive movement related. So that means everything you do each day impacts the health of your muscles: sitting in a desk all day, painting a wall, playing video games, playing softball, carrying your child, or breast feeding. No matter what you’re doing on a daily basis, you are using your muscles. This is why it is important to stretch on a regular basis and take advantage of massage if you are able.
So you may ask yourself again, “Is massage therapy for me?” Massage therapy is definitely for you if you need relief from stress and anxiety, if you suffer from tension headaches, and if you require treatment for muscular injuries. Massage also helps people who have trouble sleeping and it can help to improve circulation. These are some of the benefits of regular massage.
It is important to know that there are some medical conditions that require special physician approval before massage treatment can occur. Because of this, it is very important that you keep your massage therapist updated on any changes in your medical history, so they can refer to you a physician if necessary.
Massage therapy is one piece of the puzzle that can lead you to a healthier life.