Body massage therapy has been proven to have countless health benefits. It is said to help prevent and treat a host of illnesses and ease a variety of pains. A study has also proven the effectiveness of body massage therapy in easing post operative pain. This can be tested by post operative patients with the help of professional massage therapists from reputable massage spas in Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, Trinity and Clearwater FL.
A study conducted in Indiana has shown that 20 minutes of hand massage and foot massage given one day after surgery has significantly lowered the patientsâ perception of their own pain intensity and distress. The same massage also lowered the patientsâ respiratory rates and heart rates.
The study entitled âFoot and Hand Massage as an Intervention for Postoperative Painâ was conducted by Hsiao-Lan Wang, R.N., and Juanita F. Keck, R.N.. They were both members of the staff of the Clarion Health Partners Methodist Hospital and Indiana University School of Nursing in Indianapolis, Indiana. The paper documenting the study was first published on pages 59-65 of the June 2004 issue of Pain Management Nursing, Vol. 5, No. 2.
The study covered 18 participants, all of whom were aged 20 or older. They had all undergone head surgery, neck surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, urological surgery, gynecological surgery or plastic surgery. They agreed to participate in the study which was done the day after their surgery.
The participants all reported pain, especially from their surgical wound, a day after their surgery and had asked for medication to relieve the pain. After the medicine was given, the participants were asked to rate the percentage of pain relief from the medication. They were asked to measure it on a scale, with 0 percent meaning having no relief to 100 percent meaning complete relief.
One to four hours after the pain medication was given, the same patients were given body massage therapy. Before the massage session started, though, they were again asked to measure their own perceived pain intensity and perceived distress. They were asked to use a scale again, this time with 0 representing no pain and no distress, to 10 representing pain and distress that is as bad as they could imagine. Their blood pressure, respiratory rate and heart rate were also measured.
The same therapist administered a total of 20 minutes of hand massage and foot massage to each of the 18 participants. Each hand and each foot was given five minutes of kneading, friction and petrissage.
Immediately after the massage session, each participant was again asked to measure his or her own perceived pain intensity and perceived distress using the same scale as before. His or her blood pressure, respiratory rate and heart rate were again measured. Furthermore, each participant was asked to again rate the percentage of pain relief, this time from the massage session. The same pain relief scale was used, with 0 percent meaning having no relief to 100 percent meaning complete relief.
Findings showed that after the 20 minute massage, the patientsâ perceived pain intensity and perceived distress were reduced, and their percentage of pain relief were increased. There was also a significant decrease in the respiratory rate and heart rate, although there was no decrease in blood pressure.
According to the researchers, âThe findings from the study indicated that a 20-minute foot and hand massage significantly reduced both pain intensity and distress resulting from incisional pain on the first postoperative day. Foot and hand massage appears to be an effective, inexpensive, low-risk, flexible, easily applied strategy for postoperative pain management.â
Long after they have recovered from post operative pain, patients can still avail of various modalities of body massage therapy for continuous health conditioning. Some of these modalities are deep tissue massage therapy, Swedish massage therapy and sports massage therapy. Highly trained massage therapists from the best massage spas in Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, Trinity and Clearwater FL can continue to assist the patients with their long term health concerns.
Holistic body massage therapy promotes wellness by balancing the body, mind and spirit. You can learn to do some body massage strokes on your loved ones at home and then get the full deal from professional body massage therapists at reputable massage therapy spas in Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, Trinity and Clearwater, FL.
Sara Thomas and Lucy Lidell share their home massage tips in the article “Holistic Massage” at PositiveHealth.com. Sara Thomas is the president of the Massage Training Institute in London, the author of Massage for Common Ailments from Gaia Books, and co-author of The Book of Massage from Ebury Press. Lucy Lidell is a massage therapist and healer trained in various massage and body therapy modalities, healing, dreamwork and yoga, and specializes in helping clients work through emotional problems. She is the author of The Sensual Body from Unwin Hyman, and is co-author of The Book of Massage and The Book of Yoga from Ebury Press.
According to Thomas and Lidell, holistic massage has profound emotional and spiritual effects, creating trust and optimism and nurturing self-acceptance and body awareness. When receiving massage, one is able to let go and reach a deeper connection with one’s self. The authors believe that massage can even create a state of expanded awareness and consciousness. They, therefore, recommend learning basic massage strokes for use in the home as a complement to professional massage therapy sessions.
For headache, smooth soothing strokes can be made on the forehead down to the muscles of the jaw. The fingers can make small circles on the temples. The finger pads can also be used to massage the scalp. This will help release tension and pain. Tension can be released by massaging the back of the neck and the shoulders.
When someone has neck aches and shoulder aches, the muscles at the top of the shoulders can be squeezed with the hands, from the neck outwards. The base of the skull can be pressed with the thumbs and the back of the neck can be kneaded and stroked. The areas between shoulder blades on both sides of the spine can also be massaged with circular strokes of the thumbs.
For backache, the muscles on both sides of the spine can be massaged with long smooth strokes. The palms can then make circular strokes outward from the spine and then over the sacrum or the base of the spine. For particularly tense areas, the thumbs can be used to make smaller circles with deeper pressure.
For leg ache, the long smooth strokes can be made from the ankles toward the tops of the thighs and down, with more pressure on the upward strokes and lighter pressure on the downward strokes. Rhythmic strokes can then be used, alternating your hands on each leg. This will break up and drain lactic acid built up from strenuous activity.
For leg cramps, assist the person in stretching the leg. Knead the cramped muscles to loosen them and release tension. Once the person is able to stand, assist him or her in walking. This will help restore proper blood circulation to the leg.
For menstrual cramps, the palms can make slow circular strokes over the sacrum and the lower back. This may be complemented with slow light strokes over the lower abdomen.
It’s good to exchange body massage services with your loved ones at home, but getting full body massage from professional massage therapists is still the best thing you can do for yourself. Professional body massage therapists offer Swedish massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy and sports massage therapy at body massage therapy spas in Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, Trinity and Clearwater, FL. Surrender your body, mind and spirit to a blissful holistic experience.
Massage has long been part of the treatment process to relieve different ailments and discomforts in oneâs body. Over the recent years, a massage is no longer a luxury but a necessity. More and more people are now realizing the benefits of massage therapy, not only in Clearwater, Fl, but in other places as well.
There are many types of massage therapy available in Clearwater, FL. Each of these massage therapy procedures available in Clearwater, Fl has its health and physiological benefits.
Health benefits of a massage therapy in Clearwater, FL Any type of body massage has benefits that can either enhance or improve oneâs health. A massage or spa treatment has long been known to relieve muscle tension and reduce the effects of stress. However, there are also health benefits in undergoing a form of body massage.
One of the main health benefits of a massage or a relaxing spa treatment is that it helps fight infection. By treating oneself to a body massage, there is an increase in the activity of oneâs white blood cells that target and ultimately destroy infectious agents in our body. If one regularly has a massage spa treatment, then the effects will shift from stimulating the immune system to strengthening it. In this regard, a regular patient of massage therapy in Clearwater, FL can feel more robust and energetic.
A Swedish massage, which is a style of massage, facilitates the increase of the level of oxygen in the blood, helping it to circulate better. This style of massage performed by licensed massage therapists can also decrease the muscle toxins in oneâs body. One of the main health benefits of having a Swedish massage is to increase the oxygen flow in the blood and release toxins in oneâs body.
Deep tissue massage, on the other hand, is used to target knots and release chronic muscle tensions. The deep tissue massage is great in reducing inflammation and it also helps eliminate scar tissue. Licensed massage therapists focus on the deep layers of muscle tissue, tendons and the protective layer surrounding oneâs muscles, joints and bones.
Another type of massage that generates a lot of health benefits particularly with athletes or highly active individuals is the sports massage. With this type of massage, different techniques are combined by massage therapists from different cities in Florida including Safety Harbor, FL and Miami, FL.
A sports massage is often done before, during and after an athletic event since it helps loosen the muscles and increase flexibility. Whether performed on an athlete from Trinity, FL or Orlando, the sports massage helps drain away fatigue, relieve swelling and reduce muscle tension.
Physiological benefits of a massage
Having a massage, whether it is a deep tissue massage or a relaxing spa treatment, has many physiological benefits as well. Receiving regular massages, like a Swedish massage, increases the production of endorphins. A patient in Oldsmar, FL or Clearwater will both feel the same effects from having regular massage treatments. Many of the different massages, like sports massage, reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines that facilitates the reduction of pain and inflammation in oneâs body. Aside from these physiological benefits, a massage therapy in Clearwater, FL also improves the Natural Killer Cell Function which relates to the performance of white blood cells. Improvement in white blood cells also results in an increase in the resistance to infection by oneâs immune system.
A massage is a great stress-relieving and therapeutic treatment that provides many benefits. With all these health and physiological benefits of having a regular massage or spa treatment it is no wonder that more people are now making body massage part of their routine.
