Talk to Your Doctor About Massage Therapy

Reedsburg Area Therapeutic Spa

Soothing therapy for a more active, pain-free life.

 

Therapeutic Massage  Top

 

Pain or restricted movement can keep you from living the life you want.  Sports injuries, household accidents, repetitive actions on the job, and tension from everyday stresses can all cause problems that, too often, take up permanent residence in our bodies.

 

Therapeutic Massage can help with: stress, painful or tight muscles, delayed muscle soreness, pain or tingling in your arms or legs, injuries, secondary pain, prevention of new injuries, pain or restriction in joints, posture, the effects of forced inactivity, and fluid retention.

 

Massage is a gentle therapy that can relieve pain and, in combination with other appropriate health care measures, can help heal certain conditions and prevent their return.  In some cases massage can reduce or even eliminate the need for medication or surgery.

 

                                                                  

Back Pain and Massage  Top

 

Have you ever experienced a stabbing sensation when you’ve picked up something heavy?  Our modern lifestyle is frequently the culprit in back pain.  Long hours of sitting at work, home, or in cars can lead to an imbalance between muscles that are weak and those that are chronically contracted.  On top of that, tension and fatigue in back muscles are often aggravated by the stress and strain of a busy and demanding life.

 

Massage is well known for kneading away tension and relieving pain in muscles that are injured or in spasm.  It also relieves discomfort in surrounding areas that may be tightening up or ‘guarding’ in response to pain. 

 

Massage improves circulation, increasing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helping in the reduction of swelling and accumulated toxins that can cause irritation.  When swelling and irritation are reduced, injured muscles and ligaments can heal faster with less discomfort.  Finally, because massage promotes flexibility, movement can feel more comfortable right away and the likelihood of future injury is often reduced.

 

 

 

Headache Relief with Massage Therapy  Top

 

Chronic headaches are a distressing fact of life for millions of people.  The need to continually cope with pain often diminishes the quality of a person’s life at work and home.  With it’s ability to relieve muscle tension, promote healing of injuries, and reduce stress, therapeutic massage can be a powerful ally in your battle against chronic headaches.  Headaches can be due to tension, neck injury, migraines, and other post-traumatic headaches.

 

It is important to receive medical attention for these, or any chronic or sever headache.  Also, because there is a chance that a sudden severe headache could indicate an emergency, if you experience head pain unlike anything you’ve experienced before, seek medical help immediately. 

 

Massage to the neck and head can relieve headaches by releasing tight, shortened muscles, trigger points, fascia (connective tissue surrounding muscles and other structures).  When muscles and fascia relax and become more pliable, circulation improves.  This helps eliminate irritating waste products and brings oxygen and healing nutrients to tissues.

 

If your headache is due to an injury, massage therapy can promote healing and make restrictive scar tissue more pliable in the muscles and ligaments of the neck.  If posture is a factor, massage can help by increasing your awareness of tension patterns that affect your posture so that you can take steps to improve it.

 

For migraines, massage may be a powerful preventive measure.  It can help reduce accumulated physical and mental stress and, over time, reduce the frequency and intensity of episodes.

 

 

Chronic Pain and Massage Top

 

Few things are as distressing as chronic pain.  It saps your energy and takes an emotional toll.  The pain cycle is a complex chain of events which reinforce each other.  It often begins with injury or illness, but each element, especially stress, can add to or even start the cycle.  Massage is unique in addressing most of the pain cycle elements. 

 

Massage acts on the nervous system to counteract the stress response, relaxing muscle tension and allowing heart rate, blood pressure and circulation to return toward normal.  Many people sleep better after a massage which helps the body heal and renews emotional reserves.  To the extent that massage interrupts the pain cycle, even temporarily, it reduces stress by giving you some control over your situation.

 

A massage also helps you become aware of unconsciously held tension, and how it feels to relax.  This helps you recognize and release tension later, before it creates a problem.  Massage is one of the most overlooked, yet accessible supportive measures you can seek for chronic pain.

 

 

Arthritis and Massage Therapy Top

 

Even though there is no known cure for arthritis, certain measures can slow down the process of joint inflammation and help you live more comfortably.  Therapeutic massage is one of these measures.

 

Therapeutic massage can help manage the discomfort of arthritis through: pain relief, reduced swelling and improved joint health, improved mobility, support for exercise. 

 

As long as it feels comfortable, therapeutic massage is almost always helpful for arthritis with a few precautions.  Massage therapy should never cause you pain or discomfort, remaining within your tolerance level at all times.  Shorter sessions may be more appropriate if you find you are fatigued or sore after a massage.

 

To make sure you are receiving the most comfortable and effective treatment, keep your massage therapist informed about your symptoms, medications and any changes in your health.  It is always important to let your primary health care practitioner know you are receiving massage.