Keep Calm

Massage a great present

Therapeutic Massage

Therapeutic Massage

Therapeutic Massage - Touch can be defined by many criteria and can be differentiated by the intent of the application. Within the massage profession, all touch is therapeutic, indicating an intent to promote healing, wellness or general well-being. The techniques employed, philosophies involved, and the intended results can vary widely. Ask your massage therapists to explain these points for you.

Why Massage Is One Of Your Best Recovery Strategies

Taking care of your recovery needs after you put in max effort at the gym is one of the must-do’s to guarantee that you see success with your workout program.

Those who aren’t taking their recovery needs into account are going to end up disappointed with the progress they make because they’ll never be allowing their body that time it needs to grow back stronger than it was before.

One of the most powerful assistors of a good recovery is that of massage. Many people completely overlook massage and simply think of recovery in terms of sleep, nutrition, and rest.

While all three of those are critical as well, massage can help take you one step further.

Let’s look at some of the benefits that massage has to offer so you can clearly see why you might want to consider adding this to your routine.

Physical Benefits Of Massage For Quick Recovery

First you need to consider the physical benefits that going for a massage has to offer. A massage is going to really help you out here because it can reduce all the tension in the muscle, improving blood circulation to the tired tissues, while also increasing the delivery rate of oxygen along with nutrients from the foods you’re eating.  Since both of these are what cause recovery to take place, this will put you one step ahead of the game.

In addition to this, massage will help to loosen up the muscles, reducing the chances that you suffer from great post-workout soreness after a hard workout session.

This can mean you’re much more prepared to enter the gym again the next day or whenever you have your next session scheduled.

Bet he's ready to rock it in the gym next time!

Mental Benefits Of Massage For Fast Recovery

Moving on, you also need to consider the mental benefits of massage in terms of bringing you a faster recovery as well.  On the mental front, nothing can kill stress faster than a good deep tissue massage.

Most people find these to be highly relaxing and even if they aren’t sore or tense from a workout, can still benefit from an overall well-being point of view

Stress is going to have a significant influence on your ability to build lean muscle mass as not only does it place more overall burden on your immune system, but it’s also going to cause you to release cortisol as well. This is a hormone that will work directly against your goal to build muscle, so aiming to minimize it will definitely be a must.

If you lead a high stress lifestyle, massages will help you keep this in check.

In addition to that, massages simply give you something to look forward to. On a mental front, this may cause you to push harder during your workout because you know you have a period of deep relaxation coming up when you go in for the massage.

More effort put in means more results will be seen, so that will put you ahead as well.

So don’t overlook the power of massages any longer. They’re a great recovery technique that can help you get that dream body you’re after.

Do you get regular massages?

THE POWER OF TOUCH

It is impossible to overestimate the power of touch. As babies, we need to survive this contact and find out how much we are loved, first by the quality of touch that we receive from our parents. From this contact starts, we form impressions and draw conclusionsabout ourselves, about others and about life.
As adults, loving contact is vital to our emotional and physical well-being, and use the ringto give comfort and relieve pain, without thinking about the ring as "massage". Massageis actually the oldest healing art, and today we know that by helping us to relax, have aphenomenal capacity to repair the damage that stress causes in our corpo.Está proven that stress and unhappiness prevent the immune system to act effectively against disease.
conventional medicine recognizes that stress is the root of 70% of all diseases, and professionals who use holistic methods to calculate this rate is even higher.
Massage helps reduce stress and prevent the attack of diseases. It also draws ourattention to the fact that being under the influence of stress leaves us unprepared to correct a problem before there is any permanent damage.FONTE: Fiona Harrold- Editora Rideel

Salt Glow Exfoliation Treatment

Salt Glow Exfoliation Treatment

Salt Glow Treatment is the ultimate way to pamper yourself or to provide a great gift for a friend! The therapist will massage your body with a special salt solution that gently exfoliates and rejuvenates your skin. A warm shower eases away tension. Then to top that off, you receive a therapeutic full-body massage with one of our premium massage oils to achieve the ultimate in relaxation and rejuvenation.

Relax

Make the time for yourself

Why Massages are Proven to Reduce Pain

Massage and massage therapy is practiced in almost every culture in the world, and for good reason…people say it makes them feel better. A recent study now supports these feelings.

According to a study published in Science Translation Medicine, massage helps the growth of mitochondria in skeletal muscle and can reduce inflammation. Mitochondria are part of a cell responsible for energy production. If they are defective, your body can’t function properly. The authors of the study say this explains how massage therapy seems to speed up the recovery time in athletes who get injured muscles and inflammation.

The study was conducted by Buck Institute for Research on Aging located in California and by Ontario’s McMaster University in Hamilton. The researchers focused on young men’s quadriceps following strenuous exercise. They had a Swedish massage on one leg, while the other leg acted as the control. They took biopsies from their leg muscles before and after exercise, immediately after massage therapy and then again two and a half hours later. The results…massage therapy lowered the level of inflammation and pain.

Researchers concluded that the massaging set off a series of molecular events in muscles, including the production of mitochondria, helping the body recover from painful activity and inflammation.

The University of Miami Medical School is about to launch a similar study on the effects of massage on HIV positive pregnant women. The researchers involved in this project say they believe it’s possible that massage therapy could have the same pain relieving effect as medications like Advil and Naproxen; both used for treatment of pain and inflammation.

In the United States the number of people receiving massage therapy has doubled in the last 15 years. Most doctors in the United States and Canada recognize massage as a viable therapy for back, neck, leg, and even facial pain. They say enough study has been conducted to lead them to believe that massage has an influence on the activity of the musculoskeletal, circulatory, lymphatic and nervous system.

In the summer of 2011 the Annals of Internal Medicine released a report about massage being an effective relief for back pain. The report went as far as to suggest that this form of massage therapy might be better in the short term than traditional medicine. Researchers found that people who were given a series of relaxation or structural massage sessions were better able to work and be active than those who were treated with pills, muscle relaxants or other forms of physical therapy.

Here is what researchers believe massage therapy has shown thus far:

Improves blood circulation

Improves muscle range
Increases endorphin levels (improves mood)

Reduces inflammation

Why and how does this happen? To answer this we must first take into consideration that there are over 100 different kinds of massage therapy. Aromatherapy, Lymphatic, Shiatsu, Swedish, Hot Stone, Sports, Reflexology, and Myofacial are some of the more popular. Some types of massage target a specific area of the body and thus create a certain reaction.

Light massage strokes stimulate lymph nodes because they are located just under the skin of the arms, face and neck. This increases the flow of lymph, and studies have proven that this can boost our immune system. Stretching a specific area or joint during sports massage helps increase range of motion and causes blood flow. Deep tissue massage therapy can help lower blood pressure. So depending on what technique is used you are stimulating a different system within the body that promotes the healing process.

Despite the evidence proving pain reduction, researchers and doctors do caution people about jumping into massage treatment. There are situations where massage therapy can be harmful to your health. If you have had any of the problems listed below you may want to avoid massage therapy.

Heart failure

Kidney failure

Infection of superficial veins (phlebitis)

Infection of soft tissue (cellulitis)

Blood clots in legs

Bleeding disorders

Contagious skin conditions

Consulting your doctor before massage or any alternative health treatment is always the best approach. This goes for both physical, as well as emotional pain. In addition to studies showing that massage therapy reduces physical pain, evidence indicates it can be helpful for anxiety and depression. Researchers say this is because massage involves gentle touch, comfort and care from a therapist.

Originally published on Thursday, February 9th, 2012

PAIN MANAGEMENT, Pain Relief by Bel Marra Health for Bel Marra Health

Massagem melhora a postura

Stress Relief

Stress Relief – Stress is everywhere. It permeates every aspect of our lives, but few have stopped to consider the overwhelming effect it has on health and wellness. Its effects can be felt physically, mentally, and emotionally. Events associated with the joys of life can be as damaging as the calamities faced every day. As a first line of defense, massage can aid in grounding and centering. Massage can help restore balance providing relief from the sometimes helpless, out-of-control feeling stress can cause. The techniques associated with stress relief are more general in nature, applied in a more relaxed manner and can promote a general sense of well-being.

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Reflexology Treatment

Reflexology is the physical act of applying pressure to the feet and hand with specific thumb, finger and hand techniques without the use of oil or lotion. It is based on a system of zones and reflex areas that reflect an image of the body on the feet and hands with a premise that such work effects a physical change to the body.

Couples Massage

Couples Massage – For that special someone and that special occasion, why not share the massage experience at our facility. Two tables, skilled therapists, soft lighting, relaxing music. You bring the flowers and we’ll help create a memorable experience!

Swedish Massage

Swedish Massage offers a relaxing massage experience which combines both European and Asian techniques. This approach reduces the effects of stress, improves circulation, and encourages an overall feeling of well-being. It is a great way to improve one’s general health and wellness. ½ hour, 1 hour, or longer.

I love sports massage

Sports Massage

Sports Massage is for anyone who is interested in reducing strain or discomfort sometimes associated with intense physical activity. The primary goal is to help individuals perform their activities at their fullest potential. Weekend warriors, amateur, world-class, and Olympic athletes have been given massage therapy by William sports massage therapists. ½ hour, 1 hour, or longer.

Happy Father´s Day

I love massage

Massage

Massage — set of methods of mechanical and reflex effects on tissues and organs in the form of friction, pressure, vibration, carried out directly on the surface of the human body as his hands, and special devices through the air, water or other medium (gel, cream, butter, etc.) in order to achieve a therapeutic effect.

With the help of massage can have an impact on:

skin
joints
circulation
nervous system
respiratory system
metabolism
muscle
constitution

Therapeutic massage is an effective treatment for various injuries and illnesses.

The impact of massage on the skin

1.Through the skin irritation is transmitted to the central nervous system, which determines the response of the organism and its individual organs.

2.Massage helps to remove from the skin surface obsolete horn cells of the epidermis, which in turn improves the sebaceous and sweat glands.

3.In the process of massage improves blood supply of the skin and eliminates venous congestion.

4.Temperature massaged area increases, and thus accelerated the metabolic and enzymatic processes.

This massage massaged the skin becomes pink and firm due to increased blood flow. After the massage increases skin's resistance to mechanical and thermal influences. When stroking the skin during a massage is accelerated movement of lymph in the lymphatic vessels and reduced congestion in the veins.

These processes occur not only in the vessels, which are massaged on the skin area, but also in adjacent areas. This draining effect of massage due to the decrease of pressure in the vessels massaged. Increasing the skin-muscle tone, massage affects the appearance of the skin, leaving it smooth and supple. Acceleration of metabolism in skin tissues after the massage has a positive effect on overall metabolism in the body as a whole.

The impact of massage on the joints

Articular bag has two layers: the inner (synovial) and outer (fibrous). Synovial fluid released by the inner layer, reduce friction and supports nutrition of cartilage that covers the articular surface of bones. In the depths of the outer layer, or near it are the bunch.

Under the influence of massage improves the supply of the joint and surrounding tissue with blood, accelerates the formation and movement of synovial fluid, and as a result of ligaments become more elastic.

Anatomy of the knee in normal (ligament, meniscus, articular cartilage).

Due to overload and transferred microtraumas in the joints may experience stiffness, swelling, shrinkage of joint capsules, changing the makeup of synovial fluid. With the help of massage leading to improved nutrition of articular tissues, we can not just get rid of these painful events, but also to warn them. In addition, the time spent massage prevents damage to the cartilage, leading to the emergence of arthrosis.

Under the influence of massage can increase range of motion in the hip, shoulder, elbow, intervertebral joints.

The impact of massage on the nervous system

Massage affects the peripheral and central nervous system. When massaging the skin nervous system is the first to respond to mechanical stimulation. In the central nervous system sent a stream of pulses from multiple receptor organs, perceiving pressure, temperature, and various tactile stimulation.

Under the influence of massage in the skin, muscles and joints occur pulses that excite motor cortex cells of the brain and stimulate the activities of the centers.

Scheme of segmental innervation on the surface of the body helps to clarify the localization of neuritis and polyneuritis.

Positive impact of massage on the neuromuscular apparatus depends on the type and nature of massage techniques (pressure hand massage, the duration of passage, etc.) and is expressed in the increasing frequency of contraction and relaxation of muscles and skin-muscle sensitivity. Results of experimental studies have shown that Breaching the nerve recovers quickly, if we carry out regular massage the damaged tissues. Under the influence of massage accelerates axonal growth is slowing down scar tissue formation and resorption are degradation products.

In addition, massage techniques can help reduce pain sensitivity, improve nerve excitability and conduction of nerve impulses along the nerve.

The impact of massage on muscle

Muscles consist of muscle fibers, the main property of which - the excitability and contractility.

After intense physical stress enough ten-massage, not only to restore the original performance of muscles, but also to increase it. Such a reaction of muscle fibers in the massage promotes and irritation of special nerve fibers contained in the muscle bundles.

Localization of the typical pain points in fibromyalgia (muscle pain).

Under the influence of massage in the muscles improves blood circulation and redox processes: the increase in the rate of oxygen delivery and removal of metabolic products. As a result, eliminated feeling stiffness, soreness and swelling of the muscles.

The impact of massage on the respiratory system

Various types of massage of the chest (rubbing and kneading the back muscles, neck, and intercostal muscles of the diaphragm attachment to the ribs) improve respiratory function and relieve fatigue of respiratory muscles.

Regular massage, conducted over a period of time, has a beneficial effect on pulmonary smooth muscle, contributing to the formation of conditioned reflexes.

The main effect of massage techniques, performed on the chest (effleurage, hack, rubbing intercostal spaces), is expressed in respiratory reflex deepening and improving the drainage function of bronchi with the improvement of abduction of phlegm from the lungs.

Types of massage:

sports massage

massotherapy

classical massage

Sports massage

This type of massage is used to improve the functional state of the athlete, his fitness level, decrease fatigue, improve physical performance and prevention of injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. There is a division of sports massage for pre-(mobilization) and recovery.

Preview (mobilization) massage is performed before training (competition). The purpose of pre-massage - training the neuro-muscular system, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, accelerating vrabatyvaemosti, prevention of injuries of the locomotor apparatus. Depending on the nature of work, sport, the mental state of an athlete distinguish soothing and invigorating massage.

Restorative massage is usually done after a great physical and mental exertion. The task of reducing massage is to restore the functional state of an athlete, increase physical performance, the removal of total exhaustion. As a rule, conducted a general restorative massage, at least locally, for example, in the intervals between performances of wrestlers, boxers, gymnasts.

After strenuous exercise, he is gentle in nature, and in the holidays - a deeper massage. Frequency of use of restorative massage depends on the degree of fatigue, the preparation phase and other factors.

Massotherapy

Effective treatment for various diseases and injuries is currently the therapeutic massage. Therapeutic massage helps restore normal functioning of the whole organism.

Therapeutic massage is an effective treatment for various injuries and illnesses. Modification of massage therapy vary according to the nature of functional disorders of the body.

Therapeutic massage has its own technique, indications and contraindications:

Diseases of the musculoskeletal system:

injury

massage for scoliosis

massage at the cervico-thoracic osteochondrosis

massage with radiculitis (sciatica)

massage for injuries

massage for sprains knee and ankle joints

massage with stiffness and joint contractures

massage at dislocations

massage fractures of limbs and vertebral bodies

massage in arthritis

massage in deforming arthrosis of the knee (gonarthrosis)

massage in deforming arthrosis of the hip (coxarthrosis)

massage in deforming arthrosis of the ankle

massage in deforming arthrosis of the elbow

stump massage

massage with flat feet

Heart disease:

massage for hypertension

massage at soldier's heart (VSD)

massage for chronic insufficiency of the heart muscle

massage angina

massage for varicose veins

massage with declining heart function

massage for sudden cardiac arrest

Diseases of the nervous system:

massage for intercostal neuralgia

massage with lumbosacral radiculitis (sciatica, neuralgic manifestation of lumbar degenerative disc disease)

massage for neuralgia occipital nerve

massage for trigeminal neuralgia

massage with facial nerve neuritis

massage at the solar plexus neuralgia

Alimentary system:

massage for stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers

massage in diseases of the gall bladder and liver

massage for violations of motor function of the colon

massage hemorrhoids

Respiratory system

Endocrine system

Therapeutic Massage, as a preparatory procedure before the manual therapy, contributes to heating of the muscles, relieve tension, improve microcirculation in the affected areas of soft tissue of the patient.

A list of some common diseases that require medical treatment including the use of massage and manual therapy:

pain in the arm and neck with osteochondrosis

back pain and leg during protrusion and disc herniation

musculo-tonic syndrome (fibromyalgia)

neuritis

intercostal neuralgia

carpal tunnel syndrome

osteoarthritis of the joints

scapulohumeral periarthrosis

Classical massage

This type of massage - the active agent of disease prevention and care for the body to maintain normal functional state, health promotion. Thanks to the classical massage increases the viability of the organism, increases immunity.

Therapeutic massage

Massage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance the function and promote relaxation and well-being.The word comes from the French massage “friction of kneading”, or from Arabic massa meaning “to touch, feel or handle” or from Latin massa meaning “mass, dough.”

If you have never had a massage, you absolutely don’t know what you are missing. Getting a massage can do you a world of good. And getting massage frequently can do even more.

Here is a list of the possible benefits one can get from a good massage:

Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.

Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.

Ease medication dependence.
Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body’s natural defense system.

Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.

Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.

Improve the condition of the body’s largest organ—the skin.

Increase joint flexibility.

Lessen depression and anxiety.

Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.

Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.

Reduce postsurgery adhesions and swelling.

Reduce spasms and cramping.

Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.

Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body’s natural painkiller.

Relieve migraine pain.

Listen your Heart

Just do it

why we dance

I order a massage and it goes away

I don't fear death because I don't fear anything I don't understand. When I start to think about it, I order a massage and it goes away.

- Hedy Lamarr -

Believe nothing

Indulge yourself

Brasilia massage

Live in the present moment

Chakras

There is something perverse...

There is something perverse about more than enough.

When we have more, it is never enough.

It is always somewhere out there, just out of reach. The more we acquire,

the more elusive enough becomes.

~Unknown

The scars...

Take time out...

Massage is Better than a Coffee Break

Stress and work seem inextricably linked. But thanks to a growing trend of offering massage therapy in the workplace, employees of some companies are able to soothe away the effects of stress.

"More and more companies offer massage therapy not only as a perk, but also to increase their employees' productivity and morale," said E. LeBrun, president-elect of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). "You get immediate results - the employees experience stress reduction and greater satisfaction with their jobs."

Indeed, research on workplace massage backs up what individual employees report. A study by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami found that after five weeks, a group of 26 employees who had twice-weekly, 15-minute massages in the office fared better than a control group of 24 employees who were just told to close their eyes and relax. The massaged group experienced reduced stress and improved performance, while the control group did not. Using electroencephalograms (EEG), researchers measured alpha and beta waves in both groups, and found massage recipients to be more alert. Stress hormones in the saliva of the massaged group were lower than in the control group. The massaged workers completed math problems in half the time as normal and with half the errors they had before they were massaged. The math skills of the control group did not improve. The massage recipients also said they were less fatigued and more clear-headed.

That's significant, considering job stress is estimated to cost the economy $200 billion every year in lowered productivity, compensation claims, absenteeism, health insurance and direct medical expenses, according to the International Labour Organization's 1993 World Labour Report.

Every year, more companies are heeding the call. There are no statistics on the number of companies that offer massage therapy onsite, but those that have offered it include law firms, hospitals, manufacturers and major corporations, such as Boeing, Apple Computer, PepsiCo, Sony Music and United Airlines.

"It's increasing in popularity," said Matthew Guidry, senior advisor to the director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "It's become a definite part of disease prevention and health promotion programs in the workplace."

Most companies contract with massage therapists who schedule appointments with employees during breaks. Fully clothed, the employee sits on a specially designed massage chair, while the therapist uses a variety of gliding, kneading and finger pressure techniques adapted from Swedish, shiatsu and acupressure movements.

Benefits of Massage

Research in Massage Therapy

An increasing number of research studies show massage reduces heart rate, lowers blood pressure, increases blood circulation and lymph flow, relaxes muscles, improves range of motion, and increases endorphins (enhancing medical treatment).

Although therapeutic massage does not increase muscle strength, it can stimulate weak, inactive muscles and, thus, partially compensate for the lack of exercise and inactivity resulting from illness or injury. It also can hasten and lead to a more complete recovery from exercise or injury.

Here are some reported benefits of massage: Medical school students at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School who were massaged before an exam showed a significant decrease in anxiety and respiratory rates, as well as a significant increase in white blood cells and natural killer cell activity, suggesting a benefit to the immune system. Preliminary results suggested cancer patients had less pain and anxiety after receiving therapeutic massage at the James Cancer Hospital and Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio. Women who had experienced the recent death of a child were less depressed after receiving therapeutic massage, according to preliminary results of a study at the University of South Carolina. Studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found massage beneficial in improving weight gain in HIV-exposed infants and facilitating recovery in patients who underwent abdominal surgery.

At the University of Miami School of Medicine's Touch Research Institute, researchers have found that massage is helpful in decreasing blood pressure in people with hypertension, alleviating pain in migraine sufferers and improving alertness and performance in office workers. Research has verified that:

•Office workers massaged regularly were more alert, performed better and were less stressed than those who weren't massaged.

•Massage therapy decreased the effects of anxiety, tension, depression, pain, and itching in burn patients. •Abdominal surgery patients recovered more quickly after massage.

•Premature infants who were massaged gained more weight and fared better than those who weren't. •Autistic children showed less erratic behavior after massage therapy.

 According to the American Massage Therapy Association, massage helps both physically and mentally. "Often times people are stressed in our culture. Stress-related disorders make up between 80 and 90 percent of the ailments that bring people to family-practice physicians. What they require is someone to listen, someone to touch them, someone to care.

That does not exist in modern medicine. "One of the complaints heard frequently is that physicians don't touch their patients any more. Touch just isn't there. Years ago massage was a big part of nursing. There was so much care, so much touch, so much goodness conveyed through massage. Now nurses for the most part are as busy as physicians. They're writing charts, dealing with insurance notes, they're doing procedures and often there is no room for massage any more. "I believe massage therapy is absolutely key in the healing process not only in the hospital environment but because it relieves stress; it is obviously foundational in the healing process any time and anywhere." --Joan Borysenko - Massage Journal Interview, Fall 1999 Physical Benefits of Therapeutic Massage

•Helps relieve stress and aids relaxation

•Helps relieve muscle tension and stiffness

•Alleviates discomfort during pregnancy

•Fosters faster healing of strained muscles and sprained ligaments; reduces pain and swelling; reduces formation of excessive scar tissue

•Reduces muscle spasms

•Provides greater joint flexibility and range of motion

•Enhances athletic performance; Treats injuries caused during sport or work

•Promotes deeper and easier breathing •Improves circulation of blood and movement of lymph fluids

•Reduces blood pressure

•Helps relieve tension-related headaches and effects of eye-strain

•Enhances the health and nourishment of skin

•Improves posture

•Strengthens the immune system

•Treats musculoskeletal problems

•Rehabilitation post operative

•Rehabilitation after injury Mental Benefits of Massage Therapy

•Fosters peace of mind

•Promotes a relaxed state of mental alertness

•Helps relieve mental stress

•Improves ability to monitor stress signals and respond appropriately

•Enhances capacity for calm thinking and creativity

•Emotional Benefits

•Satisfies needs for caring, nurturing touch

 •Fosters a feeling of well-being

•Reduces levels of anxiety

•Creates body awareness

•Increases awareness of mind-body connection,