How convenient and luxurious is it to be able to get a full body massage therapy session in a shopping center? Well, you can indeed get a relaxing and therapeutic massage at the Arboretum Shopping Center in Charlotte NC. Just how lucky can you be?
The Arboretum Shopping Center has more than 90 specialty stores, shops and dining establishments. Located among these is a body massage spa where you can get Swedish massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy and sports massage therapy. If you happen to be pregnant, they have pregnancy massage therapy, as well. You can finish a day of shopping with your choice of therapeutic massage right there in the middle of all the action in Charlotte NC.
While the Arboretum Shopping Center is located at Providence Road and Highway 51 in Charlotte, it is named after the North Carolina Arboretum which is actually located at 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way in Asheville, inside the Pisqah National Forest’s Bent Creek Experimental Forest.
An arboretum is a facility where a large variety of trees, shrubs and other woody plants are cultivated and exhibited for scientific, educational and ornamental purposes. The North Carolina Arboretum is also a botanical garden, though, and goes beyond trees, shrubs and woody plants to include all other plant varieties, as well.
Historically, in 1898, the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted wanted to build an arboretum at the Biltmore Estate – a chateau-style mansion also in Asheville. Olmstead was hired by the Estate owner, George Washington Vanderbilt II, to design its grounds. Olmsted’s arboretum was not to be, though.
In 1986, the Arboretum was established as a facility of the University of North Carolina. In 1989, it was officially named as the North Carolina Arboretum.
Although still undergoing continuous development even as it is already open to the public, the 434 acre facility has 65 acres of cultivated gardens, among these the Quilt Garden, Heritage Garden, Stream Garden, Canopy Walk, Plants of Promise Garden, Cliff & Betty Dickinson Holly Garden, National Native Azalea Collection and Plant Professional Landscape Garden.
There are more than 10 miles of hiking and biking trails for visitors to enjoy, ranging from easy to moderate and difficult.
The collection of trees includes 59 year old Metasequoias planted in 1950. Measuring over 100 feet or 30 meters tall, these trees are reportedly the tallest Metasequoias in the south.
The North Carolina Arboretum also takes pride in its bonsai collection. Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing trees in pots and keeping them dwarfed by the careful pruning of roots and stems which also creates aesthetic shapes that give the illusion of great age.
A huge donation of bonsai plants from Mr. and Mrs. George Staples in 1992 started the Arboretum’s collection which now numbers about a hundred on display, with more then a hundred others in development stages. The collection has Asian trees including the Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants including the willow leaf fig, and American tress including the limber pine and bald cypress.
Indeed, a visit to the North Carolina Arboretum is enriching, refreshing and calming. It is quite appropriate for a shopping center named after the Arboretum to also provide a place for serene rest and relaxation amid the hustle and bustle of city life. So take a break from your shopping spree and fit in a body massage therapy session at the Arboretum Shopping Center at Charlotte NC. Spread the wellness spirit, too, by giving away massage gift cards to your shopping buddies from Charlotte NC. You could even set a group date to enjoy a massage all together after one of your exhausting shopping sessions.
The beneficial effects of therapeutic body massage services on health is recognized by even the practitioners of mainstream medicine these days. Aside from providing such health benefits, therapeutic body massage services also feel good on muscles that are tired out and aching from work or rigorous sports. Professional massage therapists can actually customize therapeutic body massage services based on the particular health needs of each and every client. You just need to specifically explain your condition to your massage therapist and choose among therapeutic foot massage, therapeutic back massage, therapeutic reflexology massage, therapeutic Swedish massage, therapeutic deep tissue massage and therapeutic sports massage. You can even spread the benefits of therapeutic massage by giving away therapeutic massage gift cards in Charlotte NC.
Make sure your massage therapist is professionally accredited, though. Going to untrained masseuses or masseurs may prove to be dangerous to your health condition because they may not know which massage techniques are actually contraindicated for your specific situation. You can only be assured that your massage therapist is truly qualified if you go to a reputable professional massage facility like Massage Envy in Charlotte NC.
You can expect professionally accredited massage therapists to conduct an in depth interview with each patient prior to each and every massage session. Aside from eliciting information on known health conditions, the professionally accredited massage therapist conducts further investigation while the massage session itself is ongoing. The patient’s physical reactions to each stroke may show the therapist other hidden health implications.
Among the different massage modalities, Swedish massage is usually resorted to by many clients for relaxation. This is because Swedish massage uses long and gentle strokes that flow in the same direction as the muscles. Additional stimulation is provided by tapping, kneading, stretching and bending techniques. Because of its pleasurable effects, Swedish massage is a favourite for those who are new to the experience of massage. It also encourages them to return for further massage sessions.
Deep tissue massage is the choice of clients who seek treatment for pain and other discomforts brought about by chronically tightened and knotted muscles usually located in the back or the legs. In deep tissue massage, the therapist uses fingers to dig deeply into muscles, seeking the knots and working them into release. The experience is very intense and may feel quite uncomfortable for some. The client may even feel sore for a day or two after the massage session. This soon passes, though, and along with it goes the chronic pain. With regular deep tissue massage, the recurrence of chronic pain is prevented, as well.
For athletes, sports massage is recommended. This can help them prepare for training or a sports event and then also help them recover from training and an event. With sports massage, blood circulation and muscle flexibility is improved, extending range of motion and endurance. Peak performance is, therefore, achieved both in training and in competition. The muscles are prepped and are, therefore, less prone to injury. In case of accidents, sports massage can also help athletes heal and recover faster.
For pregnant ladies, pregnancy massage is a must as part of the general prenatal treatment. Pregnancy massage will relieve the usual aches and pains experienced during pregnancy. This is the preferred option by obstetricians over pain relief medication which can be harmful to the baby in the womb. Pregnancy massage also conditions the body of the mother for the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth.
There are customized therapeutic body massage services appropriate for any health condition. Just ask reputable professional massage therapists to customize your therapeutic foot massage, therapeutic back massage, therapeutic reflexology massage, therapeutic Swedish massage, therapeutic deep tissue massage and therapeutic sports massage in Charlotte NC.Massage Envy Arboretum
To live long, healthy and happy lives, we need to build good lifestyle habits. Jen Bondeson lists some of them in her article in the Summer 2009 online issue of Massage Envy Magazine. The magazine adds body massage therapy as an important habit to put on your list. People in Arboretum and Charlotte NC can easily do this.
Bondeson identifies five tasks that she believes you should include in your daily habits in order to achieve and mainatain your best health status for the long term.
Proper Diet
Bondeson advises eating the right kinds of food at the right time. This means not skipping breakfast and eating it at the start of your day. She considers this the most important meal of all since it provides you with instant energy while revving up your metabolism and enabling you to burn more calories.
All other meals should be properly monitored, as well, Bondeson says. She advises using the natural color of food as your guide. This is because food of various colors represents different vitamins and nutrients. Meals should, therefore, be colorful, with more colors meaning a wider mix of nutrients and vitamins.
Bondeson also cites the recommendation of the American Dietetic Association to choose more nutritious sweet potatoes over white potatoes and deep-green romaine lettuce over iceberg lettuce.
Proper Exercise
Bondeson refers to the findings of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that 70 percent of adults in the United States do not get active enough to reap health benefits. She quotes the American Heart Association spokesman, Richard A. Stein, M.D., saying, “Exercise is one of the best things you can do to live longer and better.” Stein explains that exercising vigorously for 30 to 40 minutes three to five days a week can increase and extend energy throughout one’s day, decrease weight, improve quality of sleep, lower the risk of heart attacks and depression, and raise self-esteem.
No Smoking
Once again, Bondeson refers to the findings of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that 440,000 premature deaths each year are caused by smoking. She also quotes Dr. Stein as saying, “The benefits of stopping smoking are extraordinary. Simply put, you’ll add years to your life.”
More Laughter
Laughter is not only the best medicine but is also the best preventive medicine, it seems. Bondeson recommends integrating more laughter into each day because it increases the flow of blood to the heart and the amount of oxugen in the blood while lowering blood pressure. She cites a study of cardiologists from the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore saying that “a strong sense of humor may even help protect you against a heart attack.”
Enough Sleep
Bondeson says the National Institutes of Health requirement for adults is an average of eight hours of sleep every night. She points out that this is also very critical to your health and recommends that you sleep early in order to have adequate rest.
Regular Massage
Massage Envy Magazine adds regular massage to the list because it not only relieves stress but also lowers blood pressure, increases circulation and reduces pain from a variety of conditions. If you are able to have daily massage sessions, you would be very fortunate indeed. A weekly or monthly schedule would also be very beneficial if this is more practical for you.
Therapeutic massage comes in various styles. You can avail of Swedish massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy, sports massage therapy or pregnancy massage therapy from reputable body massage clinics. You may also purchase body massage gift cards from these massage clinics in Arboretum and Charlotte NC. Make it a regular part of your healthy lifestyle.
Many of us love to get therapeutic body massage services such as reflexology massage, Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage, back massage and foot massage. We even purchase massage gift cards for ourselves, our loved ones and our friends. But did you ever consider that massage can be dangerous if given by massage therapists who have not undergone proper training? To check if the massage therapists you go to in Charlotte NC have the proper training and accreditation, you should know the national standards for such training and accreditation.
What does a person have to go through in the United States in order to become a licensed massage therapist? The prerequisite is, of course, getting the proper educational background. He or she should take full courses in massage therapy in a school recognized by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA). The required course work covers an average of 500 hours of study on physiology, anatomy, kinesiology, pathology, massage theory and techniques, hydrotherapy, clinical practice, first aid and CPR, sanitation, business, communication, ethics and legal issues. On top of this, he or she should have actual hands on experience in massage therapy.
Thirty eight states in the US require massage therapists to be registered, certified or licensed in order to practice. Such registration, certification or licensure is in turn offered in 39 states. Most states require massage therapists to be Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCTMB). This is achieved through the certification program and tests of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. One may also be certified by providing documented proof of specified amounts and quality of training and experience.
When a massage therapist is said to be registered this means he or she has attained a specified educational requirement. When a massage therapist is said to be certified this means he or she has attained specified higher educational requirements. When a massage therapist is said to be licensed, on the other hand, this means he or she has met the most rigorous process of all since this is the highest regulatory level.
Thirteen states in the United States accept the MBLEx certification exam given by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards. A large number of states also allow State Endorsement from another state, meaning the massage therapist has already been licensed in that other state. The requirement, however, is that the standards of the previous state in its written and practical examination is comparable to or more severe than those of the second state.
If the massage therapist has not been previously licensed in any other state, he or she must meet the minimum required educational attainments in the state and then pass the required written and practical examination in order to get a license. The required educational attainment may vary among states. In some states, holding a license in an approved health related field in that state has credited value and only a certain number of hours of course work in massage therapy has to be added. The approved health related licenses usually include those of a medical doctor, physical therapist, occupational therapist, registered nurse, doctor of chiropractic or licensed practical nurse.
The first thing you should do when you choose a therapeutic body massage clinic, therefore, is to ask for official documentation on the accreditation and training of their massage therapists. Do not even consider getting reflexology massage, Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage, back massage and even foot massage services from untrained persons who call themselves massage therapists. You may end up worse off than you were to begin with. You will certainly find the accreditation and training you seek from professional massage therapists if you go to a reputable massage clinic in Charlotte NC.
According to a study, therapeutic deep tissue body massage can lower the blood pressure and heart rate of its recipients. Perhaps local patients who are hypertensive and have problems with their heart rates can check out the effects of therapeutic deep tissue body massage services given by professional massage therapists in Charlotte NC.
The study entitled “The Effect of Deep-Tissue Massage Therapy on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate” was conducted by Alan David Kaye, M.D., Ph.D., D.A.B.P.M.; Aaron J. Kaye, Jan Swinford; Amir Baluch, M.D.; Brad A. Bawcom, B.S.; Thomas J. Lambert, M.D.; and Jason M. Hoover, M.D. from the Health Sciences Center of the Louisiana State University Department of Anesthesiology, New Orleans, Louisiana. The study was also sponsored by Lindsay’s Day Salon and Day Spa in Lubbock, Texas. Documentation of the study and its results were first published on March 1, 2008 on pages 125-128 of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
The aim of the study was to examine the effect of deep tissue massage therapy on diastolic, systolic and mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate. It covered 263 participants, all volunteers, with the average age of 48. They should have been experiencing significant moderate to severe muscle pain or spasm and should have experienced massage therapy previously. The group of participants was 88 percent female and 12 percent male.
Before any intervention was done, the baseline diastolic, systolic and mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate of the participants were measured using an automatic blood-pressure cuff. A HEM-704C blood-pressure monitor was then used to store the blood-pressure and heart-rate data electronically.
The participants were given 45 to 60 minutes of deep tissue massage in separate sessions from November 2004 to March 2006. The massage sessions were given at Lindsay’s Day Salon and Day Spa in Lubbock, Texas. A professional massage therapist with 22 years of experience administered the massage sessions. Each time, relaxing music was played very softly in the background. Selections were taken from 21 different CDs.
After each massage session, the participant’s blood pressure and heart rate were again measured. Before and after massage measures were compared and then processed through analysis of variance with post-hoc Scheffe’s F-test.
Results of the study showed that deep tissue body massage reduced the blood pressure and heart rate of the participants. There was an average decrease of 10.4 millimeters of mercury in systolic pressure, an average decrease of 5.3 millimeters of mercury in diastolic pressure, and an average decrease of 7.0 millimeters of mercury in mean arterial pressure. There was also an average decrease of 10.8 beats per minute in heart rate.
The researchers did not do any correlation between the music played during the massage sessions and the decreases in the participants’ blood pressure and heart rate. They reported that the music most likely did not have any effect on the participants’ hemodynamics because it was played at barely audible levels.
In conclusion, the researchers summed up: “The present study demonstrates a high correlation between deep-tissue massage and reduction in blood pressure and heart rate. These data are encouraging and positive, representing optimism and a hopeful outlook for future research in this area.”
The study focused on the beneficial effects of therapeutic deep tissue body massage. It would also be good for patients to test the beneficial effects of various other therapeutic body massage services such as reflexology massage, sports massage, Swedish massage, back massage and foot massage given by highly trained massage therapists. You can help them try out these massage services by giving them massage gift cards to a reputable massage clinic in Charlotte NC.
