Which Massage For What?

Greeting folks.

Massage, or as it is most probably more accurately called  these days, bodywork comes all different shapes, sizes and techniques. There are literally hundreds of different styles of bodywork, some are very good legitimate techniques and others are just something else rehashed under a different marketing ploy. Some are more effective than others and some aren’t effective at all!

So which kind is best for you and what you are needing? Let’s see if we can shed a little light on that for you then! First off you need to have clearly in mind what it is you want to achieve from your massage or bodywork. Are you looking to simply be pampered and relax? Are you looking for tension to be worked out? Are you wanting your persistent pains and aches to be sorted out? Do you want all of the above? This is what you must first have clear in your mind before seeking out a massage or bodywork therapist.

THE BASICS

Basically there are 3 main categories for massage or bodywork and most of the plethora of style will fit into at least one of them.

1. Relaxation Massage -The whole point of this massage is not to get into trouble spots or work out knots etc, it is to take you blissfully away from the everyday to a place of total relaxation. Swedish, Indian Head Massage, Hawaiian Huna or Lomi Lomi, Hot Stone etc are examples of this type of massage. These are the kind you usually get in a day spa or salon. These are still very therapeutic and great for you but don’t expect any sorting out of problems of a deeper nature.

2. Therapeutic Massage – This is a little more in-depth and will involve the therapist taking a case history before they work on you. These massages generally work into problem areas a little more firmly and are aimed at releasing tension and stress. Not overly firm but firm enough to get into the spots. Style examples include Therapeutic massage, Swedish, Remedial.

3. Deep Tissue Massage – This is probably the broadest range of therapies. Deep tissue involves the therapist taking a comprehensive case history and in some cases X rays can be asked for. These therapists work on the deeper tissues and problem areas of the body as well as the energetic system. This is usually quite a firm to hard massage and will leave you sore for a day or two post treatment but you feel amazing once it passes. This style is all about locating and working away at problem areas and creating healing. Styles in this category include, sports massage, Thai massage, Myopractic/Myofascial release, remedial, Bowen therapy, deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy, acupressure.

Of course there are many more styles of massage in each category than these few examples so look around and see which one appeals to you, these are mean’t as a guide to simplify the understanding for you. Now that you know what you want to achieve from your treatment and what kind of treatment you want you need to locate a practitioner near you. How do you know if the practitioner is any good?

CHOOSING A THERAPIST

Whatever you choose to undertake with any kind of therapy, the best recommendation for a therapist is the one that comes from others who have experienced and been treated by them. Next is the qualifications. Make sure the therapist you are going to has the relevant qualifications to practice their modality and that they are insured to practice. You must show your qualifications to insurance companies to obtain practitioner insurance and be registered with a professional association. These are the main things to look for to ensure your practitioner is legitimate.

Whether or not they offer private health fund rebates, like here in Australia, is really irrelevant. Many of the more elitist and power/money hungry professional associations out there will tell you different but the truth is many therapists are choosing to join alternate professional associationsas they offer better rates for practitioner insurance and cover more modalities for a far smaller fee. Health funds actually charge many therapists for the privilege of offering rebates, some don’t but make them jump through hoops for their provider numbers, most of which are just plain annoying and are not insuring the best treatment for you, the client, at all. The majority of these health funds do not rebate you, the customer, very much at all and are basically a rip off. With this in mind many professional therapists, who are well qualified, are these days opting out of offering rebates and instead pass on the savings to their clients through lower treatment fees due to not having to pay ridiculous fees to bloated associations and private health funds. So whether or not they offer rebates is not a deciding factor in how good a therapist they are. Don’t be duped by marketing! Your therapist will usually have their diplomas/degrees/certificate on the wall but if not and you want to be sure, just ask them. Most will be only too happy to show you their achievements.

Sometimes it can take a few goes to get the right therapist for you but when you do, keep them! Build a repore with them and they will know exactly how to fix your ailments each time. As a professional massage therapist myself, I know only too well the value of having regular clients and how much of a difference familiarity makes to the success of a treatment session. That’s not to say newer client don’t still benefit, they certainly do and a good therapist will make you feel like you have been coming forever anyway!

Massage is a wonderful way to enhance your wellbeing and to enjoy life. When done regularly it has long reaching benefits and is a great part of any wellbeing regime. Try it out today and feel for yourself how beneficial massage can be.

Have a great day!

Craig Hitchens. B.HSc. Dip. Mass.

Massage & Immunity

Greetings folks.

I have been massaging for a number of years professionally and I am often asked what benefits massage has for people. Well, where to begin! Massage has been used for thousands of years to both relieve soreness and tension and to help with healing. Massage benefits the person on many levels but one area I am always asked about it whether or not it can influence immunity.

The answer to this is yes it can! It has quite a positive effect on immunity as massage will stimulate and enhance lymphatic flow. For those of you that do not know much about this, lymph fluid flows between the cells and is what watses etc are passed into from cellular activity. The lymph nodes collect this waste and it is then excreted via the various systems and organs of elimination. Correct elimination means a clear system and no toxins etc to cause infections or inhibit function as the lymph also takes away foreign bacteria and viral particles.

Regular massage helps to keep this particular system flowing and operating at optimum levels thereby making it harder for these nasties to take hold. Massage also stimulates the release of feel good hormones and this also helps with lowering stress and this helps immunity as well. Stress will inhibit the immune system considerably and it is often very stressed and run down people that suffewr from constant immune issues.

Regular massage also stimulate and enhances blood circulation which sees all areas of the body receiving more oxygen and nutrients as well as immune cells and yep, you guessed it, this aids immunity as well. oxygen especially. So apart from providing you with regular relief from tension and stress, massage will also benefit immune functioning. I often have clients come to me with a stuffy nose which I can help to clear by massaging certain areas of the neck. Many of my regular clients report improved wellbeing from massage and far fewer incidents of colds and flu and most all report an improvement in mobility.

Massage is a wonderful and simple way to greatly improve your wellbeing, consider it today as part of your ongoing committment to wellness and good health.

Have a great day!

Craig Hitchens. B.HSc. Dip. Mass. Dip. Reflex. NESCP, ATFTCP

If you would like to book for a massage from me just go to http://www.craighitchenstherapies.com/contact.html and book an appointment.

Massage Therapy Benefits

Massage therapy is a safe and effective way to reduce pain and improve function in adults with osteoarthritis of the knee, researchers at the Yale Prevention Research Center and at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) report in the first clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of this treatment.

The 16-week study conducted to identify the potential benefits of Swedish massage on osteoarthritis patients with pain, stiffness and limited range of motion was published in the December 11 Archives of Internal Medicine. Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition that affects 21 million Americans and causes more physical limitation than lung disease, heart disease and diabetes mellitus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The 68 study participants, who were at least age 35 with x-rays confirming their diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee, were randomly assigned either to an intervention group that received massage therapy immediately, or to a wait-list control group that received massage after an initial eight-week delay. Both groups were encouraged to continue previously prescribed medications and treatments.

Participants in the massage intervention group received a standard one-hour Swedish massage twice a week for four weeks, followed by Swedish massage once a week for the next four weeks at the Siegler Center for Integrative Medicine at the Saint Barnabus Ambulatory Care Center in Livingston, New Jersey. After the first eight weeks of massage therapy, participants had improved flexibility, less pain and improved range of motion.

The primary study outcomes were changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain and functional scores, as well as changes in the Visual Analog Scale assessment of pain. Measures of pain, stiffness, and functional ability were all significantly improved by the intervention as compared to the control group.

Those who only continued with their usual care without massage showed no changes in symptoms. During weeks nine through 16, they received the massage intervention and experienced benefits similar to those receiving the initial massage therapy. When reassessed eight weeks after completion of the massage intervention, the benefits of massage persisted and remained significant, although the magnitude of effect was somewhat reduced.

“Massage is free of any known side effects and according to our results, clearly shows therapeutic promise,” said senior investigator of the study David L. Katz, M.D., associate adjunct professor in the Department of Epidemiology & Public Health at Yale School of Medicine and director of Yale’s Prevention Research Center. “So-called ‘alternative’ treatments like massage are most important when conventional treatments are far from ideal. Currently available non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often not well-tolerated by older adults with osteoarthritis. Cox-II inhibitors like Vioxx were developed as substitutes for traditional anti-inflammatory drugs, but pose highly-publicized toxicity problems of their own.”

Katz conducted the study with Adam Perlman, M.D., executive director of the Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the UMDNJ-School of Health Related Professions. The research was the result of a CDC grant to Katz at the Prevention Research Center at Yale. Perlman, who directed the study at UMDNJ, said the significant improvement in symptoms after eight weeks of massage persisted even after the study was completed.

“Our results suggest that massage therapy can be used in conjunction with conventional treatment for osteoarthritis,” said Perlman. “Ultimately, massage may be shown to lessen a patient’s reliance on medications and decrease health care costs.”

Perlman and Katz say that further study of the cost-effectiveness and the lasting impact of the intervention is warranted. They have begun collaborating on a follow-up study.

“Our hope is to show that this treatment is not only safe and effective, but cost-effective,” said Perlman. “That could serve to change practice standards so that massage is a more common option for the many patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.”

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In addition to Katz and Perlman, other authors on the study included Alyse Sabina, Anna-leila Williams and Valentine Yanchou Njike, M.D., all of the Yale Prevention Research Center.

Citation: Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 166, No. 22 (December 11, 2006)

Yale News Releases are available via the World Wide Web at http://www.yale.edu/opa

For further information please go to:
Yale University