Archive for the ‘Massage Therapy’ Category

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Thai Massage Techniques And Benefits

Friday, June 4th, 2010

Thai massage techniques have been practiced for ages. Thai massage is one of the branches of Thai medicine. It includes unique massage techniques, medication, meditation, and spiritual or ritual ceremonies. The techniques were developed on the basis of the belief that all diseases that occur in the human body are due to an imbalance in the energy levels of the body. Therefore, it focuses on achieving an energy balance in the whole body.

Some of the Thai massage techniques are:

  • The first and the foremost technique is to apply pressure on the area of the body being treated. This pressure is applied on what is termed as an Energy Channel. The pressure applied is considerably less as compared with other forms of massage techniques.
  • The principles of Thai massage state that certain points on the bottom of the feet can be used to cure the ailments in any part of the body. Therefore, maximum attention is paid to the feet and legs during the course of the massage. This technique is also termed as reflexology.
  • Another Thai massage technique is to stop the flow of blood. In this technique, one of the major arteries is pressed in such a way that the flow of blood stops. This stopping of blood can be from a few seconds to one minute.  This technique is based on the belief that stopping blood in a major artery will result in elevated blood pressure and the heart will contract slower in order to keep the balance. When pressure is released, the sudden inrush of blood in the area will cause the heart to relax. However, this technique is not used with patients suffering from any cardiac disorders.
  • Passive stretching is another part of the Thai massage techniques. Passive stretching means that you do not have to do anything. It is only your therapist who will manipulate your body to perform the stretching exercises for you.
  • Yoga postures are also included in Thai massage techniques.

A Thai massage session is quite comprehensive and time consuming as compared with other massage techniques. A typical session could last for as long as three hours.

Some of the benefits of Thai massage are:

  • Relaxation from stress and strain.
  • Improvement in flexibility of the muscles and joints.
  • Improved circulation of blood.

If you suffer from any preexisting medical conditions, it is necessary that you consult your doctor before you opt for a Thai massage.

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Massage Therapy For Neck Pain Relief

Friday, May 21st, 2010

Neck pain is one of the common ailments these days. Some of the common causes of neck pain are improper sleeping postures and jobs that involve continuous writing work or working on a computer for hours together. Sometimes, even leisure activities can cause pain in neck. Accidents which may cause a sudden jolt to your neck, also referred to as whiplash, can also cause pain in the neck. Sudden jerks while doing routine exercises in the gym can also affect your neck. Neck pain is accompanied by stiffened muscles and poor blood circulation in the neck area.

The best way to avoid neck pain is to practice stretching often during your routine work and improve your posture while sleeping. Despite taking all the precautions, if you happen to suffer from neck pain, you might like to opt for massage therapy for obtaining relief from the pain instead of going for the usual medicinal treatment. Massage therapy for pain management is becoming increasingly popular. Not only do you get relief from the pain, you also feel mentally relaxed after undergoing massage therapy.

Here are some of the various types and techniques of massage therapy to relieve neck pain:

  • Swedish massage: The Swedish massage technique helps relieve the muscular tension in the neck. In this technique, mild pressure is applied on the painful region to relieve the soreness. The curative effects of Swedish massage are gradual.
  • Deep tissue massage: Deep tissue massage involves the application of intense pressure on the neck. It can be performed along with Swedish massage.
  • Trigger point massage: Trigger point massage is a massaging technique that involves the exertion of steady pressure on the neck muscles to release tension and relieve spasms in the neck, thereby curing neck pain.
  • Shiatsu: Shiatsu is a Japanese massaging technique which involves the exertion of pressure due to the body weight of the practitioner. This technique is a kind of acupressure therapy which involves the pressurizing of the acupressure points on the neck to relieve tension and pain.

Massage therapy is a good way to relieve neck pain as human touch can do wonders. However, massage therapy to treat neck pain must only be performed by a specialist or trained practitioner and in consultation with a doctor. The benefits of this therapy are completely negated if the massage is performed in an improper manner by an untrained person.

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Massage Therapy During Pregnancy

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Pregnancy is a phase that is full excitement as well as anxiety for a woman. There is excitement over the impending arrival of the new born baby, but this is coupled with anxiety because of the physical changes that occur in the body and the fear of labor.

Pregnancy is accompanied by a lot of symptoms like nausea, vomiting, pain in the body, and abrupt or sudden cravings for foods. Body pain is a major problem for pregnant women. Massage is a good way of relieving these symptoms and ameliorating the pain and fatigue that plagues the body during pregnancy.

Pregnancy massages can be segregated into three categories:

  • Prenatal Massage: Prenatal massage is a newly discovered and highly effective technique of relieving pregnant women of pain in the neck, back, hips, and feet. During pregnancy, the skeletal structure of women has to support the growing baby and the organs of the body shift slightly for this purpose. This is the major cause of pain during pregnancy. Prenatal massage technique involves the manipulation of shifting muscles to relieve pain. It relieves pregnant women of pain as well as other symptoms of pregnancy like depression, anxiety, insomnia, and cramps. It also enhances blood circulation and improves skin and muscle tone.
  • Labor Massage: Labor massage is meant to ease labor pains, by calming and relaxing the nerves and muscles of the cervix and pelvis. This massage can be given on the belly of the pregnant woman by using a pregnancy pillow. This is not a very popular technique of easing child birth as it needs to be performed by a trained specialist.
  • Post pregnancy Massage: Post pregnancy massage is a way to balance the muscle and skin tone of a woman. After pregnancy, the skin loses some elasticity as it has already expanded quite a lot to accommodate the growing baby. As such, the basic purpose of post-pregnancy massage is to restore the elasticity of the skin. Post-pregnancy massage also enhances blood circulation and metabolic processes, and hence, is a boon for lactating mothers. It also helps relieve post-pregnancy depression.

Massage is a great way to ease the stages of pregnancy as human touch can do wonders. Pregnancy massages not only relieves pain, but also help alleviate other symptoms of pregnancy.

However, you must consult your gynecologist before opting for massage during pregnancy. Incorrectly or improperly performed pregnancy massage can be dangerous. For example, prenatal massage can be performed only in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. If performed in the first trimester, it may lead to miscarriage.

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Knee Joint Pain Relief With Massage Therapy

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Knee pain is something that can really cause a lot of discomfort. Apart from the constant pain, problems in the knee also severely restrict mobility. Though the knee is a strong joint, it is also one of the most used and most injury prone ones. Since the knee also carries the entire weight of our body, the wear and tear is also quite extensive.

As your age increases, the joint of the knee naturally deteriorates, causing additional pain and discomfort. In the long run, knee pain can be extremely frustrating and difficult to manage. Fortunately, there are many home remedies which can be used to ease the pain and increase the range of motion. In some cases like injuries and fractures, the knee requires medical attention. Those who suffer from chronic conditions like arthritis and rheumatism may also need medical attention.

Some of the common causes of knee pain include arthritis, injuries of the ligament, meniscal tear or ACL tear, injuries of other surrounding cartilaginous tissue, patellar tendonitis, dislocation of knee cap, Osgood Schlatter disease, chondromalacia patella, Baker’s cyst, plica syndrome, bursitis, gout and osteochondritis dissecans.

Knee massage is one of the most effective ways of decreasing knee pain. You can gently massage your knee with your hands.

  • Before you massage your knee vigorously, warm it up, using both your hands. With your left hand, massage the outer part of the knee with gentle and slow moving strokes, and with your right hand, stroke the inner portion of the knee. Move your hands along the length of the mid calf to the lower part of the thigh, repeating the slow gentle motion.
  • After a brief warm up, continue with a more invigorating massage. Press the muscles firmly against the bones, applying pressure on the muscles.
  • Now, moving your hands along the length of the knee, use the fingers and the thumb to pick and pull at the muscles. As you pull, also give a gentle squeeze to the muscles. While doing this, keep your fingers relaxed so that you don’t end up pinching yourself hard. Repeat this for some time, moving your hands from the top of the knee to the groin and then moving back to the knee, reaching down to the middle of your calf.
  • Follow this with an even deeper, friction massage. For this massage, simply use the tips of the middle finger of both the hands. Just like before, start applying pressure from the top of the knee and move towards the inner part. Continue making a circle around the knee, using the force in your middle fingers. Repeat several times for maximum comfort.

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