Article by Massage Envy – Clearwater

Massage therapy has become an important part of the Clearwater, FL lifestyle. For the past 3 years, more and more Americans have sought the help of massage spas and massage therapists as a form of alternative means for maintaining good health and well-being.

Body massage is a great way to keep your mind and body conditioned for your day to day activities at work, school, and at home. Massage therapy is beneficial for you physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Aside from the fact that it relaxes our muscles and relieves us of pain and stress, the constant skin-to-skin contact has been known to have positive effects on one’s self-esteem and self-image. The US Medical Association calls massage therapy complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM). Different variants of body massages target different physical needs.

For example, a Swedish massage promotes relaxation and release muscles tension through smooth and gliding strokes called effleurage. Aromatherapy body massage, on the other hand, uses essential oils to reinforce the relaxing effect of a massage. These essential oils can either energize, reduce stress, or balance hormone levels. This type of body massage is suitable for soothing stress-related ailments.

There are also certain body massages that are designed to help heal injured muscles and connective tissues. The deep tissue massage is one particular technique that caters to such a need. A deep tissue massage is a technique that focuses on deeper muscles and connective tissues. Sustained muscle injuries can heal faster with properly applied pressure and strokes from a deep tissue massage. Chronic muscle pain brought about by bad posture, physical habits, and even arthritis can be reduced with the help of this treatment.

Slow friction strokes against the muscle grain is used during a deep tissue massage. Because of the pressure and deeper strokes, patients would often feel sore after the session, but this is a natural side effect. The soreness from a deep tissue massage should subside after a day or two.

Another type of body massage that deviates from the normal relaxation stroke is the sports massage. The effects of this body massage technique are increased blood flow, increased range of motions in the joints, greater flexibility, decreased muscle tension, relaxed nerves, decreased muscle spasms, shorter recovery period, and less incidences of injury.

Studies conducted on the relationship of sports massage to muscle function have shown that individuals who got underwent this massage prior to working out or competing have experienced less fatigue and took shorter time to recover. Decreased anxiety, improved mood and well-being were also noted. 30% of the time during the observation of a control group also indicated delayed muscle onset soreness due to pre-game sports massages.

The research has shown that the strokes employed in a sports massage reduces lactic acid that causes muscle spasms and cramps during physical activities. Athletes often asks their massage therapists to be there before and during competitions because it helps them warm up for the upcoming activity. When muscles are properly warmed-up, they are also more likely to perform better. The key to a good sports massage is to focus on the muscle to be used. For instance, arms, back, and legs are targeted for boxing matches, while legs and feet muscles are the focus for ice skaters and hockey players.

Now that you know the basics of body massages and massage therapy, why not set an appointment with your favorite massage spa near your areas of Clearwater, Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, and Trinity, FL.