Anyone who has had a massage likely equates massage therapy to relaxation. Most consider it an added bonus; however, the relaxation aspect is actually an important part of the session. Whether you’re getting a massage for the sole purpose of relaxing, or the main goal for your massage session is therapeutic or medical, you can benefit from all the relaxation aspects.
Tense muscles equal pain and restricted movement
We live in a stressful world, so much so that we often don’t realize how tense our muscles are. For example, take a moment while you’re reading this and check your posture. There is a high possibility that your shoulders are tense. What about your neck muscles? Arms? Stomach? Back? We’ve learned to live with the tension in our bodies and don’t realize how it affects our muscles long term.
Tense muscles during your massage are counterproductive
If you’re tense during your massage, your muscles are actually fighting against your massage therapist as opposed to working with them. This could cause soreness the next day and defeat the original purpose of your appointment which, of course, is to remove or decrease pain and muscle soreness, not cause it.
Feel-good hormones last longer than your appointment
When you receive a massage the cortisol or stress hormone in your body decreases while your endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine (aka all the feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters) increase. These don’t just go away when you leave the office; they stick with you for a while after, allowing you to be more relaxed for hours or days to follow.
Who says therapeutic, medical, or clinical style massage has to be mundane?
Yes, it’s extremely important for your massage therapist to do what they rightfully intend to do which is to facilitate change and bring you some relief. That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the relaxation aspect of it at all. You can still have both. Getting a therapeutic, medical, or clinical massage with the added bonus of relaxation is like getting double the benefits.
Relaxation alone is beneficial
It’s also ok to get a massage for the sole purpose of relaxing. Those feel-good hormones, the stress relief, the time away from the day-to-day responsibilities of life, some self-care time; all of these are powerful enough on their own to be a reason to book an appointment. Your physical and mental health should be a top priority, and relaxation is an essential part of that.
Relaxation is part of therapy. So, lie back, relax, and let your massage therapist do what they do best.
In health and wellness,
Tammy