Massage Therapy Offers More Than Just Relaxation

You’ve just gone through a week of deadlines and evening meetings, and your son was out of school for two days with the flu. Somehow, you weathered the challenges, but you’re tired, you have a headache, and your neck and back muscles are tense.

If this scenario sounds all too familiar, you know that getting back to feeling more like yourself is all you can think about. If only there is a way to relieve all your symptoms. Think massage therapy, say, the skilled massage therapists at High Quality Home Therapy. 

What is massage therapy?

Many of us have experienced a massage at a day spa, but is a day spa massage and massage therapy the same thing? While both massage therapy and day spa massages involve applying varied pressure to soft tissue, and both typically leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed, that’s where the similarities end. 

Think of a massage as a quick tension and stress reliever and massage therapy as a medical treatment with longer-term benefits. Specially trained and certified massage therapists perform massage therapy by leveraging the power of soft tissue manipulation. 

Massage therapists perform strategic movements and apply targeted pressure to create a specific reaction for muscles, connective tissue, skin, and ligaments. 

Many styles of massage

Our massage therapists are well-versed in various massage techniques at High Quality Home Therapy.  We offer 60- and 90-minute massages in our spa-like medical office, or we can visit your home or office. Our therapists perform many styles of massage therapy, including:

Swedish massage

This most common type of massage is about physiology and core anatomy. During a Swedish massage session, your therapist applies soft, long, kneading strokes and light, rhythmic strokes to the topmost layers of muscles. 

Thai massage

In contrast, Thai massage focuses on the energy lines in your body. During a Thai massage, your therapist uses their body to move you into various positions and taps into acupressure, mobilization of joints, and muscle compression.

Ayurvedic massage

Ayurvedic massage, sometimes called oil massage, combines pressure points and ancient Indian principles of the science of life called Ayurveda, which helps your body heal by restoring your mind, body, and spirit balance.  

Pregnancy and postpartum massage

During pregnancy and the time after childbirth, a woman’s body changes in many dramatic ways. Pregnancy and postpartum massage can address things like leg swelling, muscle and joint pain, insomnia, and stress. 

Postpartum massage can even help regulate a new Mom’s hormones.

Benefits go well beyond relaxation

While connecting massage therapy with relaxation makes sense, massage therapy has medicinal benefits, especially in promoting health and wellness. According to research, 67% of participants surveyed reported that the reason for pursuing massage therapy was medical-related. 

For many patients, massage therapy is part of a blended treatment plan that includes treatment modalities, such as medication and physical therapy for conditions ranging from injuries to cancer and even autoimmune disorders.

Addresses and manages pain 

An astounding one in five American adults lives with chronic pain. For many chronic pain sufferers, massage therapy is a go-to strategy for finding relief and managing pain. 

According to research, nearly half of all people who get massages do so to mitigate ongoing pain.

A great stress buster for your mind and body 

But the benefits of massage therapy don’t stop there. Massage therapy can be an effective stress buster for your body and mind. Massage therapy can ease the physical symptoms of stress, like muscle tension, muscle spasms, and pain, as well as the mental manifestations of stress, such as anxiety and depression.

Massage therapy can help increase the chemical substance released by nerve fibers called neurotransmitters that calm and lower anxiety while decreasing the hormones that trigger anxiety.

Physical symptoms of stress can cause your muscles to tense up, creating pain and a lack of blood flow, triggering a lactic acid build-up. Massage therapy can relieve tense muscles, restore blood flow, and relieve pain.

Boosts your immune system

A great benefit to enhanced blood flow with increased circulation is that it improves the flow of healthy nutrients and filters toxins. This scenario does wonders to boost your immune system, making massage therapy a great way to maintain your overall health.

If you’d like to experience the many benefits of massage therapy, contact High Quality Home Therapy in Stamford, Connecticut, today to book a massage. You can use our online tool to schedule an appointment.