Majority of people first see a massage therapist because of some physical pain. One of the most common complaints is back pain. As a therapist, its very rewarding to help someone overcome a painful condition so they can enjoy life pain-free once more. It’s also very gratifying to work with a client on a regular basis to focus on maintaining a healthy body. Massage offers so many benefits to help your body function at its best. I find the clients that enjoy the greatest gains from massage are those who make it a regular part of their lives. For many, modern day living can be very stressful. Make sure you take a little time for yourself to relax and unwind. And the best way to de-stress yourself is with therapeutic massage session.
Maintaining a healthy back is vital to your overall health. Your spinal cord, is like your own information highway. It sends messages that affect every aspect of your health. You want to do everything do enhance its proper function.
An ancient adage from Yoga states, “You are as young as your spine is flexible.” It is estimated that approximately 80 percent of us will experience back pain at some point in our lives. As the most common cause of discomfort and disability for people under 45, it is also the main reason people miss work, second only to the common cold. Anyone who has had serious bout with back pain knows how debilitating it can be.
Several things can cause back pain, among them tension, trauma or strain, improper sleeping positions, and sedentary lifestyles. Pregnancy is often accompanied by back pain due to the added weight the mother-to-be carries in her lower abdomen. If you find your back startig to act up, being aware of potential problems and seeking to correct hem is an excellent first step.
If your job requires you to sit at you desk a good part of the time, you may find quick relief in getting up frequently. An exercise regime including stretching, swimming, walking, or weight training also proves helpful in dealing with back pain.
In today’s bustling world, tension is often found to be the culprit. Whether brought about by stressful situations, poor posture, improper body alignment, etc., the result is the same. Certain muscles tense (the muscle fibers contract) and fail to relax properly. When this occurs in the back, it can begin to affect the body structurally, causing further problems.
Another typical source of back pain is muscle strain. When you overexert a back muscle, it can seize up in an effot to protect itself from further injury. The good news is that most back pain can be prevented by keeping the muscles and joints supple and mobile, greatly aided through regular massage sessions. Through its stretching and relaxing strokes, massage is quite effective for restoring the normal range of motion and for easing muscle spasms. Sometimes a deeper massage is helpful in releasing areas of chronic tension and it increases blood circulation to that area.
Everyone has heard the saying, “Use it or lose it.” It’s all too easy to lose your flexibility over the years through lack of activity. And since many physical changes happen so gradually, one day you find yourself wondering where your mobility went. This lack of movement leads to an achy tightness in those unused muscle groups. As one group of muscles goes unused, your body begins to change position or posture, another set of muscles reacts by becoming tighter. Without proper use, you body tends to adjust more permanently to this new position, further restricting your range of motion. Another cause of tightness through overuse of a muscle or muscle group. We’ve all experienced pushing ourselves beyond our limits of conditioning. Physically, a muscle has some give and take from its normal “at rest” position. According to exercise physiologist, Linda DiCarlo at Georgia Tech, when a muscle clenches, tiny fibers within it slide past one and another like interlocking finges. When it stretches, the fibers loosen their grip and slide back the other way. When used past their comfort point, muscles remain in a semi-ontracted state. Regular stretching exercises can eas the tightness that limit range of motion. But be patient! Just as these changes happen very gradually over the years, you should allow yourself plenty of time to begin correcting these trouble areas. Your regular massage sessions also contribute to improving your range of motion and keeping you limber. If you would like more information regarding stretching, please be sure to ask at your next session. CHANGE A LIFE- INTRODUCE A FRIEND OR LOVED ONE TO THE BENEFITS OF MASSAGE!