When it comes to relaxing and therapeutic massages, Elements Massage is one of the places that you can trust. Founded by an occupational therapist and certified massage therapist, you can be sure that the company always aims to provide the highest quality massages to all their clients.
In fact, Elements Massage has a very high customer satisfaction rating, which only shows that the company is indeed an excellent provider of therapeutic and personalized massages. The massage therapists at Elements ensure that massage sessions with each customer is tweaked and personalized according to what the customers want or require.
If you have not tried getting a massage at Elements, or have not experienced getting a professional massage before, then it is probably about time that you make it a habit. A massage is not only recommended for people who have aching muscles, it is also now considered as a powerful tool to help you take charge of your wellbeing.
Definition and Common Types of Massages
To better understand how a massage can affect you, let us first look at the definition as well as the common types of massage.
Basically, a massage is a general term that is used to refer to the pressing, rubbing, and manipulating your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It is considered to be therapeutic because it offers a non-invasive and drug-free approach to wellness based on our body’s natural ability to heal. Massages can range from light strokes to stronger ones with deeper pressures, depending on the client’s need or preference.
These days, there are so many different types of massages, with massage parlors also offering combination, but below are some of the most common:
Swedish Massage
This massage uses kneading, long strokes, deep circular movements, vibration, and tapping to help clients feel more relaxed and energized afterwards. This is recommended for those who prefer a gentle form of massage.
Deep Massage
This type of massage is commonly recommended for those who need help with muscle damage resulting from injuries. Deep massage uses slow and forceful strokes to target the connective tissues and deeper layers of the muscles.
Sports Massage
As the name implies, this type of massage is geared towards people who are engaged in sports. It is similar to the Swedish massage, but it aims more on helping prevent or treat injuries.
Trigger Point Massage
This type of massage focuses on areas where there are tight muscle fibers. These fibers can form in your muscles due to overuse or after injuries.
Benefits of Massage
It is common knowledge that a massage can help you feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Aside from that, there are also other benefits of massage that not all people are aware of.
- It helps manage anxiety and depression by reducing the levels of cortisol in the body, which is also known as the stress hormone. This results in lifted spirits and lower blood pressure.
- It can also help decrease stiffness and ease pain that its benefits are comparable to other effective treatments such as acupuncture, yoga, medications, and exercise.
- It can provide beauty benefits as it increases blood flow, which helps plump up slack skin, adds life to a dull complexion and lifeless hair.
- It can help encourage a restful and healthy sleep since it affects the delta waves, the brain waves that are connected to deep sleep.
- It leads to better functioning of the immune system and can help increase your disease-fighting white blood cells.
- It raises alertness by boosting the brainpower.
- It helps alleviate headaches. As a 2009 study showed, a 30-minute massage helped decrease pain for people experiencing tension headaches.
- Massage is also considered as an alternative medicine as it is increasingly being offered with standard treatments in treating the following:
- Anxiety
- Digestive disorders
- Fibromyalgia
- Headaches
- Stress-related insomnia
- Myofascial pain syndrome
- Injuries or soft tissue strains
- Sports injuries
- Temporomandibular joint pain
- Massage has also been shown to relieve fatigue, pain, anxiety, depression, and nausea in cancer patients. It is considered to be particularly helpful for those who are undergoing treatment for serious illnesses.
Aside from these benefits that are particularly aimed at treating specific conditions and diseases, people just enjoy massages because of the positive feelings that it can bring. During a massage, one can feel the care, comfort, and connection that can make your day better.
However, it should be remembered that although a massage has a lot of benefits, it should not be used as a replacement for regular medical care.