What is Reiki?

Reiki therapy is a specific hands-on healing process that uses a specially educated practitioner who will use his or her hands, placed on your body, to help free up blocked energy, helping to restore your life force and heal from “within. In this article you will learn information about Reiki attunement, as it is called, so that you will be physically and mentally educated before your first Reiki therapy program.

In general, most Reiki treatments will last from 30 minutes to 1 hour. This will change from one practitioner to another, along with the unique attunements they choose for you. Make certain to find out what certifications and credentials a practitioner has before you make your appointment.

How Reiki Works

When you go into a session, you will be asked to lie on a massage table, fully clothed, and the practitioner will make sure that you are comfortable. Any stiffness in your muscles can keep Reiki therapy from working to the fullest.

At this point, expect the practitioner to move their hands over and near specific areas on your body. They may first sweep energy across your body in order to find blocks in your aura. Others may immediately place their hands on your body, where they perceive energy blocks. The placement of the hands should never hurt; it should definitely be a soothing touch. After you know about Reiki attunement you will understand the efficacy of this energy clearing process.

Contingent on the area of the blocks, the hand placements might be in one region for the whole session or in a variety of different places, and last as long as it takes for the universal energies to transfer through the chakras. During this time, you should feel at ease. It is not uncommon for someone to doze off during the session.

Gemstones and aromatherapy can often accompany the treatments. Some practitioners will also have music playing in the background, or will use toning instruments to assist with the change in energy.

One Visit or Multiple Sessions?

Since you are going for a healing session, it is consequential for practitioners to ask you questions about the state of your health both preceding and after each treatment. This will aid them in determining where you need help in addition to how well the session worked for you.

When you complete your Reiki treatment, you may leave feeling refreshed and relaxed. Whether you decide to utilize a practitioner only once or for a series of treatments, each time will help to release your chakras and free blocked energy so that you can begin to heal. Although Reiki therapy should never replace a full medical checkup, it is considered an excellent type of integrative medicine, used in conjunction with a variety of other healing treatments. If you would like to know more about Reiki attunement, there are a lot of excellent resources on the web. Most towns have an integrative health center or clinic where you can locate Reiki practitioners. Fans of Reiki will all attest to its benefits–helping to reduce stress, diminish pain and give people a sense of relaxation and wholeness.

For more information, check out Absolute Natural Health - Reiki Guide. Unlock your free report on Alternative Medicines at Everything You Wanted To Know About Alternative Medicine. Ron King is a web developer; visit his website Authoring Articles.

Copyright 2008 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links live.

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There is no avoiding this simple fact about massage therapy: Providing or receiving the healing power of touch is intimate. And intimacy, even in the most professional settings, can expose vulnerabilities and lead to uncomfortable and even awkward situations.

It is the responsibility of the massage therapist to create an environment that is conducive to a healthy, relaxing and satisfying experience for the client. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the client to communicate with the massage therapist in a manner that allows the therapist to provide the service in a manner that puts the client at ease.

An experienced massage therapist will be able to guide the recipient through the massage process so that there is little confusion about some of the basic areas that cause embarrassment or confusion.

Take It All Off?

The amount of clothing worn during a massage is dependent on the type of massage being administered. It is normal to be completely undressed during a full body Swedish massage but is not absolutely necessary. If a client prefers to wear panties or briefs during the massage that is fine. Frankly, the client should be able to wear whatever makes them most comfortable. Regardless, the therapist will appropriately drape the client so that only the areas of the body being massaged are exposed.

The therapist will usually instruct the client about what to expect before they begin undressing. The therapist will then leave the room and allow the client to undress and get comfortable on the massage table under a sheet or towel. The massage therapist will then uncover only the area of the body being massaged.

Touchy Feely

There are a variety of reasons that an individual may want a massage: stress relief, relaxation, general wellness, enhance circulation, improved flexibility, etc. No matter what the reason for the massage the therapist is always under the obligation to respect the boundaries set by the client and to establish his or her own boundaries.

Therapeutic massage is, by nature, a sensual experience. However, it is not intended to be a sexual experience. If a client, male or female, makes any overtly sexual requests or suggestions then the therapist is obligated to professionally and forcefully identify the inappropriateness of these comments. Conversely, no therapist should take liberties or make assumptions relative to what parts of the body can be touched.

In general, it is never appropriate to touch the genitals during a massage session. The client cannot expect to be touched sexually and the therapist cannot touch a client in a sexual manner. Either case will betray the trust in the relationship between the two parties…to say nothing of the potential for legal and ethical issues.

And let’s be clear. While there are documented benefits of breast massage, it is not, and should not be, included in a total body massage. Breasts are off limits unless a very special request is made of a qualified therapist. The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork includes a specific policy in its Standards of Practice. The Board states that therapists may “only provide therapeutic breast massage as indicated in the plan of care, and only after receiving informed voluntary consent from the client.” That being said, breast massage is legally restricted in some states.

An experienced massage therapist, male or female, will know how to deflect sexual advances by a client. If a subtle response does not do the job then a forceful statement or ending the session will be the correct response. Any client who feels that they are being touched inappropriately should feel confident in their right to speak up. If it is incidental contact or just an accident the therapist will apologize and continue with the client’s discomfort noted accordingly.

Extracurricular Activity

As stated earlier, touch is intimate. Permission for such intimacy is accorded based on the massage therapist’s professionalism and the trust of the client. At the same time, a relationship is established…a professional relationship but a relationship nonetheless. Understanding and honoring the boundaries of that relationship will allow both parties to fill their roles appropriately.

It is generally accepted that there ought not to be any personal relationship between the therapist and a paying client. Allowing the relationship to expand beyond the massage table to a social or even romantic connection is to invite a host of ethical dilemmas. A therapist could be perceived as taking advantage of a client who might be in a vulnerable state due to stress or physical ailment. In the state of Washington it is illegal to date a client within two years of the last session. That is strict stuff and is as likely to protect a therapist from misunderstandings as it is to protect a client.

Borders and Boundaries

Providing the healing power of touch is an honorable and ancient profession. The benefits of massage therapy are numerous and continue to gain acceptance as a mainstream health practice. No one should ever have to feel uncomfortable about getting a massage and they won’t if they are in the hands of a well-trained and ethically centered massage professional.

J. Terrence McDermott is the administrator of Massage Schools Guide at http://www.massageschoolsguide.com, a website offering resources for prospective massage therapists.

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With ten years of Massage Therapy experience and being the sole owner of Cassidy’s Massage Clinic since 2003, I have been fortunate enough to build some great relationships with clients in tri-athalons and other sports. This has given me the opportunity to understand the inner workings of the athletic mind and body. Although I personally have been maintaining the “recreational tri-athlete” title, I find myself getting increasingly involved in the sport. My experience has proven that the proper scheduling and type of massage therapy not only decreases recovery time, but can be the deciding factor between a successful season and sitting injured on the sidelines.

So how can you implement a proper massage modality and schedule that corresponds to your training?

There are four main types of sport massage: pre-event, intra-event/training, post-event, and injury rehabilitation massage.

Pre-event massages are given directly before an athletic event, or for our sake, within 72 hours of a triathlon. They should be circulatory in nature; stimulating blood flow, opening up/increasing your range of motion, and helping the muscles get ready to fire. Assisting at races such as the Xterras and the Koz Enterprises race Series in San Diego , I have also found that mental relaxation is also a very beneficial component of the pre-event sports massage. It will calm the excitement and nervousness associated with being at the event, allowing for your stored energy to be used more efficiently. When you go to perform, you will be focused. It is absolutely critical that the therapist does not apply any deep tissue techniques, as it tends to leave the muscles sore and feeling heavy, which would impair the ability of your muscles to fire efficiently.

Intra-event/Training massage is the most common form of massage for triathletes. Regular treatments, when performed by a skilled sports massage therapist, can eliminate any chance of chronic or over-use injuries. Unfortunately, we usually have athletes come in for a massage after they have already started to feel the effects of an existing injury. The medical term for this (for those who are unaware) is “not-getting-massage-at-the-right-time-itis,” or, inflammation as a result of not getting a massage at the proper time. All joking aside, in this situation, massage will decrease recovery time and get you back on schedule.

So, when should you plan your intra-event massage? Get your pens ready because this is very important. You should plan your intra-event sports massage the day before or on your day off. If you have a coach(which is not necessary for a recreational tri-athlete), talk with him/her about implementing massage into your training schedule. However, I am not a coaching expert … just a massage expert, so it is best to work with someone you feel comfortable with and someone that is helping you achieve your desired results.

Post-event massage is given directly after the event, and is very effective in decreasing DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), or soreness you feel after pushing your body to the limit. It, like the pre-event massage, is circulatory in nature, with focus on the lower extremities or specific trigger points that your therapist finds in spasm. The decreased recovery time will allow you to return to your training schedule sooner and more refreshed.

Injury rehabilitation massage is the massage that we all wish we will have no need for. I would much prefer working proactively than retroactively with an athlete. However, we do have the bodywork tools to help athletes free themselves from nagging injuries and get them back in training condition. For those that have not received this type of massage, please note that this type of massage does not feel relaxing. Injury Rehabilitation massage tends to be applied to the area around the injury. Please avoid this massage if possible by implementing more intra-event massage. I will go over injury-specific massages in future posts.

Chris Cassidy, LMT, owns and operates Cassidy’s Massage Clinic out of La Jolla, Ca. Cassidy’s Massage Clinic (formerly Elite Bodywork) has been providing high-quality sports and medical massages since 2003. Cassidy’s Massage Clinic opened a new location in Solana Beach inside the Active Wellness Center. CMC has been voted the Best place to get a sports massage by Competitor Magazine http://www.competitor.com for the last 5 years. CMC is proud to provide massage for all the athletes at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Ca. CMC is often seen at endurance events where they offer pre-, intra-, and post-event sports massages for athletes. For more information, visit Cassidy’s Massage Clinic at http://www.cassidysclinic.com

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Massage for Pain Management applies to you, just as well as to professional sports stars. You are a star in your own right. I work on a 300 lb. Carolina Panther Defensive Tackle. He has some of the same pain patterns that I see in business people, students, and people who enjoy (or don’t enjoy) exercising. He just happens to be a lot bigger, and can take a lot of pressure!

I’ve learned a few simple truths:

1) All people from all walks of life have muscular tension, dysfunction, and/or inhibited range of motion.

2) You don’t have to be a pro athlete to suffer from pain, or to gain benefit from massage therapy.

Each person is a Most Valuable Player, and deserves Massage to help them limit or eliminate pain.

In this article, I hope to share a little bit of what you all have taught me. Pain management can be effectively treated through Massage therapy. It is important to rule out serious conditions. The Massage therapist must always defer to the advice of a Doctor or other medical professional. Once your doctor indicates Massage as a viable treatment, here are some things to consider:

1) Limited range-of-motion may indicate a muscular imbalance. This can alter the way that the joint and the muscles interact. Movement outside of this distorted range-of- motion may cause pain and/or injury.

2) Pain in one area can be a local phenomenon or a”tug-of-war” between muscle groups.

3) Your posture adapts to positions that you repeat. Sitting for long hours at your desk in front of your computer, may cause an adaptation, (i.e.: low back pain). These adaptations may cause muscular imbalances that eventually cause pain or dysfunction.

4) Massage can help!

Let’s look at two common pains:

1) Pain in the neck and shoulders

2) Low back Pain

Shoulder and Neck Pain

The shoulders provide a prime example of how muscular imbalance can limit range- of-motion or cause pain. The scapula, or shoulder blade, may be pulled or drawn out of natural orientation by a muscular imbalance, such as tightness in the pectorals (chest muscles). Normally, the shoulder is a very mobile. Obviously, it can move in directions that an elbow or knee cannot. When a joint is compressed, it moves less freely. If the scapula (shoulder-blade) is pulled out of orientation, it compresses and moves less freely. Lots of muscles attach to the shoulder blade. Some of these muscles go up to the neck, causing pain or headaches. Other muscles are between the shoulder blades. You can tell your massage therapist what motions or actions make your neck or shoulder hurt worse.

It might hurt worse when you sleep. Or it might hurt worse when you’re tackling the quarterback. Either way, it helps your massage therapist figure out which muscles to work on.

Massage to rebalance the muscles of the shoulder joint (often referred to as the rotator cuff muscles) may restore function, limit pain, and help to avoid injury.

So, you don’t need to tackle your accountant.

You don’t need to body-check your husband.

You may have just slept “funny,” spent too much time on the internet, hunched over your computer keyboard, or answered the phones for six to eight hours a day, five days a week.

The body adapts.

The massage therapist works with the client to remind the muscles to do what is natural.

Low Back Pain

Low back pain is another example. Low back pain is amazingly commonplace. If you sit at work for eight hours a day, your muscles adapt. Your hamstrings, or thigh muscles, are functionally shortened.

Any muscle group that is attached to your pelvis may adapt and stay tight.

Try this experiment:

1) Stand up. Take note of the natural length of your hamstrings (the muscles in the backs of your thighs). Notice that the gluteals (muscles in the buttocks) are at their natural length.

2) Now sit down. Notice the difference in the lengths of these muscle groups.

3) Now imagine your muscles were to adapt to the length they assume while seated.

4) Now stand up. Imagine the pull these muscles would exert on the pelvis. Just like the base of a Christmas tree, a tilted base would result in a tilted tree.

Massage of the gluteals and hamstrings, as well as local massage on the low back, may help limit or purge your low back pain.

So, remember - You are ALL stars. And you can all benefit from massage. We live unnatural lives, sitting at desks for hours, and then jogging five miles. You need time to return to what is the natural state of the body - Health. Massage can help.

Tom Cohen is a Licensed Massage Therapist in Charlotte, NC. His new office is in the Park Road area. His business website and specials can be found at http://www.charlottencacupuncture.com He is Certified in Acupressure, Licensed in Acupuncture, and is also the Oriental Therapies Instructor in the Massage Department for a Local college. Tom is a Martial Arts Instructor, and is hard at work to complete his book and subsequent course on his Massage theories.

Tom Cohen, LAc, LMBT is also a martial arts instructor, and a part-time massage therapy instructor in Charlotte, NC. His websites are http://www.charlottencacupuncture.com and http://www.martialartsnc.com

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Deposition of fat under our skin leads to a cellulite condition. Cellulite condition can be got rid of in a number of ways. One of the most effective ways is cellulite massage, which if done in a proper fashion can decrease cellulite deposition from the body. For best results, cellulite massage has to be backed up with an exercise regimen and strict dieting. Having said this, one must remember that cellulite massage reduces fatty substances but it does not cure other skin diseases.

If the places where cellulite has accumulated over some period are massaged thoroughly then that results in a rapid increase of blood circulation. As a result that place is heated up and the cellulite cells melt and dissolve into the lymphatic system. Thus cellulite deposition can be reduced.

Cellulite massage helps blood circulation and this has a number of advantages. Inadequate circulation causes the body to retain unwanted fluid. This in turn leads to the combining of thickened skin fibers with collagen fibers that form a network across our body. Thus these form rope like strands beneath the skin that push upwards and form ugly bulges on the surface of the skin. These bulging fatty bodies are cellulites and by increasing blood circulation in these areas the problem of fluid retention is solved which also makes cells soft and tissues smooth.

Nowadays almost all health spas offer cellulite massages, both manual and otherwise. Other non-manual massage options include use of specific anti cellulite equipment such as rollers that can offer massage over a bigger surface area of your body. Massage is also accompanied by what is called “shaking the skin”, i.e. vibrations that enhance circulation.

Ingredients commonly used for cellulite massages are medicated oils or creams. These oils often contain anti-cellulite herbs such as lavender, peppermint etc. these herbs help in skin stimulation and also in the decomposition of cellulite tissues.

Other natural products used to fight cellulite are certain herbs like hoodia goronji, garcinia, gooseberry, terminalia , seaweed etc

So you could go ahead and get a cellulite massage for yourself to get rid of those fatty layers. Here is a simple one to try out:

1. First put an anti-cellulite gel or oil on the cellulite affected places.

2. The massage should be begun from the lowest parts, then work your way upwards.

3. You should put pressure into your strokes but not too much.

4. Either use long strokes or circular moves with your palms, knuckles or fingers.

5. From strokes, move to kneading, that is, take the skin between your thumbs and fingers and massage in a circular way.

6. Grip the skin firmly and pull it in an opposite direction.

7. Lastly without resolving your grasp, pull the skin gently in all directions to conclude an effective cellulite massage.

Dora Takenaga writes on various topics including health, fitness, and beauty. You can catch more of her writings on cellulite and the popular treatments by visiting: http://CelluliteJunction.com/cellulite-massage.html or you can click on this link: Rid Cellulite with Massage The author of this article has authorized its distribution with the requirement that it be published in its entirety, without changes, including the author’s resource box.

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Why include abdominal massage as part of your massage session? You have four layers of muscles in your abdomen, and that doesn’t include the diaphragm, which lies directly under the rib cage, or the psoas, which lies under those four muscle layers (rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, and tranverse abdominis).

Abdominal muscles get tense too! In fact, tense muscles in the abdomen can contribute to back pain and to problems with organs (stomach, colon, small intestine, liver, pancreas, and gall bladder).

Massaging the abdomen can improve blood circulation, help open the abdominal cavity, and release the fascia so the organs can lay unrestricted in their natural positions in the abdominal cavity.

Basic Swedish massage training does include ab massage, but because so few people have had their abdomens massaged, many massage therapists do not offer abdominal massage as part of their usual massage. You may have to ask your massage therapist specifically about abdomen massage.

In addition to Swedish massage, two specialty massage techniques focus on the abdomen:

• Maya Abdominal Massage guides internal abdominal organs into their proper position for optimum health. The technique relieves congestion and blockages to improve the flow of chi and fluids of the circulatory, lymphatic, and nervous systems.
• Chi Nei Tsang practitioners work mainly in the abdominal area with deep, soft and gentle manual techniques in order to tonify, detoxify, and train the internal organs to work more efficiently.

Abdominal massage can potentially help digestive problems (including irritable bowel syndrome), constipation, and female reproductive problems. Of course, if you have a medical condition, always check first with your primary healthcare practitioner to make sure massage is appropriate.

Carol Wiley, LMP, is a massage therapist in Bellevue, WA. Visit http://www.bellevuemassagetherapy.com for more information about massage, wellness, and self-care (including stretching, exercise, stress management, and more).

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Massage for babies is one of the best remedies for relieving stress and tension. If you have been researching ways to relieve symptoms you will have undoubtedly read about the benefits of massage and how it can work wonders for your health and well-being as well as the health of your baby.

But we are not the only ones who can benefit from massage. If you have a new baby, then it is up to you to help them begin their life stress and tension free.

For some time parents have been looking into starting their baby’s lives off in as many positive ways as possible. One way is learning massage because it can benefit the health and growth newborn babies. Babies require a little more than a clean, safe environment and proper nutrition to survive and thrive. Parental interaction and touching are as necessary for their health as food and shelter is for their survival. Some hospital nurseries have volunteers that come in to cuddle and caress premature babies, which helps them gain weight and promote the healthy development of their nervous systems.

Baby experts have reported on the immense power of massage for all newborns, even ones carried to full term. For healthy babies, massage increases the bond between a parent and child. Massage can minimize long-term damage or disability in young children who have some nervous or developmental disorders.

Carefully administered massage can help to calm an infant’s immature nervous and digestive system and alleviate some of the discomfort felt by colicky babies.

All parents trying to relieve their child’s discomfort will appreciate the benefit of reducing the stress on their child and there by relieving their own stress and tension too. Visit http://www.happykidshoes.com for top tips and tricks of parenting.

Some hospitals offer classes and instruction on how to massage an infant, as do community education programs and psychological organizations. You can contact your hospital or midwife to find the nearest class for you. Parents should take as many opportunities as possible to comfort and bond with their newborns, this also increases the parent’s satisfaction and lowers their stress.

If your child suffers from colic, talk to your doctor or health worker for advice on using therapeutic massage to ease the condition. If you’re considering using massage as a therapeutic way of relieving a specific disorder, it is wise to coordinate any treatment with your child’s health worker, to be sure there are no complications.

For more information, top tips and everything you could possibly need as a parent, visit http://www.happykidshoes.com

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With an increasing number of people undergoing cosmetic surgery (nearly 11 million people underwent some form of plastic surgery in 2006 according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons), plastic surgeons are looking for additional methods to enhance the patient’s experience and improve their recovery. Massage therapy is one therapeutic approach that can potentially complement a patient’s postoperative recovery. Massage therapy can help reduce swelling and tightness, improve circulation, and expedite elimination of bruising from the surgical site.

I have embraced the use of massage therapy since my hospital-based spa, Ology in Indianapolis, opened the first location in 2004. Having regular access to massage therapy has allowed me to integrate it as part of many patient’s postoperative care regimens. Massage can improve a more rapid return of lymphatic outflow from the surgery site, which reduces swelling and the clearance of bruising faster. This is most valuable in body surgery such as liposuction and tummy tucks. However, it can also be useful after facial surgery, even if the surgery site is not directly massaged. I usually have my patients begin massage sessions no sooner than 3 weeks after surgery and have a patient undergo them once a week for 4 to 6 weeks. While some patients may initially fear that massages may be too ‘rough’, they quickly find out that a gentle touch technique is used and they start to see its benefits immediately after the first session.

The integration of a touch form of therapy, such as massage, after the trauma of surgery has a great psychological benefit as well. It provides a compassionate and tender form of therapy while the patient is in the healing state. It reflects well on the practice and the plastic surgeon. Some patients after getting postoperative massage therapy become regular massage patients thereafter.

Dr Barry Eppley is a board-certified plastic surgeon in private practice in Indianapolis, Indiana at Clarian Health Systems. (http://www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com) He writes a daily blog on plastic surgery, spa therapies, and medical skin care at http://www.exploreplasticsurgery.com

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I attended a great massage school in the state of Arizona. I say it like that because I now live in Costa Rica with my own massage school. I say it was a great school because I thought I had the greatest teachers and the managers, who were a husband and wife team, took a personal interest in our lives. My fellow students, David and Terri were great people and we shared our lives together for those eight short months, although those months seemed like an eternity mid-way through the program. David and Terri gave some great massages. Other students came and went. Each one touched my life in some way.

I guess I’m writing this article to keep those memories alive.

There was intimacy. After all you are baring your naked body to another person whom you don’t know. There is also the intimacy that develops because of the bonding that develops between each other. You learn trust. You learn boundaries. You learn to respect that other person’s feelings and lifestyle. Most of all, you learn about yourself. You learn about your strengths as well as your weaknesses. In spite of all this, if your intentions are good you evolve into a professional who strictly adheres to a code of ethics that demonstrates honor and respect for another human being.

Those eight months were not easy. I went to class after working all day at my job selling stamps and delivering packages. The last thing I wanted to do was to spend four hours attending classes after work. I was in my 40’s at the time. All I wanted to do was go home but I wanted to do something more with my life. I wanted to touch people’s lives in a positive way and I wanted to feel like I was appreciated.

Selling stamps and delivering packages is a great service. But I never felt appreciated for it. I was like a cipher in the snow, a face with no name.

Those months spent in student clinics were some of the best moments in my training. I worked on a client who was prone to seizures, one who brought in her own oil, a few who had shoulder issues, an athlete who was looking for recovery, construction workers whose muscles screamed for relief, and the elderly who just wanted a gentle and kind touch; the kind of touch that lets them know that someone else cares. There were many others too numerous to mention and each one was so thankful for my touch.

I have been a therapist for some years now and developed into a good one at that. I have appreciated the many compliments and the satisfaction I get from making a difference in my clients’ health.

Great things happened to the three of us.

David went on to college to major in psychology. Terri quit her full-time job and started a private practice. And I started a massage school. That must say something about the quality of training that we received.

It seems everywhere I go I meet other massage therapists who love their careers. I have met therapists who lived in Jamaica, Costa Rica and Hawaii. Massage therapists who work in resorts, private practices and spas. They talk about their experiences and share one thing in common - their love of massage.

You see, massage is as therapeutic for the giver as it is for the receiver. Studies are being conducted on the benefits of giving massage. Some of those studies have shown some healthy changes physiologically. Some massage therapists have reported meditative qualities like a moving meditation. It is no wonder that quite a number of massage therapists are also doing other bodywork practices i.e. yoga, tai chi, chi gung and meditation.

My life has been different because of massage school. It was, has been, and continues to be in all sense of the word -therapeutic.

It is well known that massage therapy can reduce anxiety, pain and tension and generally feels good. However massage can be more than just relaxing. For athletes massage therapy can be a key contributor to their training regime and considerably enhance their performance. More commonly known as “Sports Massage” massage for athletes utilizes deep muscle working techniques that eliminate toxins in muscle fiber as well as remove adhesions.

These techniques applied to athletes, and called Sports Massage, are a combination of Shiatsue and Swedish massage. Some specific methods commonly utilized are pressure point, cross-fiber friction and Swedish strokes. This form of massage can be separated into two sections when it comes to athletes receiving massage: pre-event massage and post-event massage.

Pre-event massage is best done up to two days before your event. A quick pre-event chair massage can stimulate the flow of nutrients and blood to muscles and produce a mental confidence caused by physiological relaxation. A pre-event massage can significantly improve an athlete’s warm up as well. Besides reducing mental tension before competition or training, massage increases circulation reducing the chance of injury. Muscle tension is relaxed and tissue pliability also benefits hugely from pre-performance massage.

A post-performance massage is short and direct in nature. Lasting for approximately 10-15 minutes it usually focuses on the areas specific to the athlete’s sport. This massage utilizes compression, compressive and petrissage techniques to spread and ease muscle tension. Post-performance massage is thought to significantly expedite muscle recovery and reduce muscle spasms. Full range of motion is a main objective while increased blood flow to muscles after a work out is another benefit. Other benefits include a shorter recovery time, and a significant decrease in delayed onset muscle soreness.

Sports massage incorporates the physical, psychological and physiological aspects of the athlete to create balance in the system. The physical effect massage has on the athlete’s body is extreme. Lactic acid and other waste products are expedited more quickly out of the system. The improved circulation increases oxygen delivery to muscles, through deep tissue work, which significantly decreases recovery time. The break down of scar tissue and improved muscle elasticity is another advantage.

Psychologically speaking, massage relaxes the nerves and reduces anxiety and stress. Increased blood flow is generally acknowledged to be good for the immune system, organs and mental health. Physiologically speaking reduced pain will increase the performance of any athlete. On-site massage therapists can make an event more productive for the athletes. The muscle relaxation, which is an obvious benefit of Sports Massage, directly before or after exercise, will increase performance regardless of the type of sport.

Sports Massage promotes recovery and general well being for the serious athlete. Pre and Post massages from trained Sports Massage therapists can greatly reduce risk of injury, improve muscle elasticity and decrease the time it takes to recover from athletic performance.