Massage – don’t wait until you need it!

Are you the type of person who puts off getting a massage? Do you think that if nothing actually hurts, you don’t need to worry about it? Many people think the same way and then end up at the massage clinic in pain.

Massage is wonderful if you do have an injury or are already in pain, but why wait until there’s something wrong before you take action? Massage can be part of your preventative therapy, a way to stop aches and pains from developing into anything more serious.

Keep on keeping on
If you, like most of us, have to work for a living, looking after your back and your musculoskeletal system will save you and your employer a lot of stress and money in the future. It’s frightening, but did you know that according to the Global Burden of Disease 2010, a staggering thirty-one million Americans say that they are dealing with the symptoms of low back pain at any one time, costing over $50 million dollars in conventional medical treatments, worker’s compensation, and absence from work?
Why risk it when a study that was carried out in 2011 proved that having regular lower back massages helped to relieve the pain before it got to the stage where it needed medication or taking time off from work?

Stress busting massage
Another cause of time off work is stress and/or anxiety, so you’ll be pleased to hear that a regular massage session can help you beat the build-up of stress and keep you calmer for longer. It’s well known that many conditions are brought on or made worse by stress.  Scheduling time for regular massage therapy helps to lower your body’s cortisol levels and increase happy hormones serotonin and dopamine, which puts you in a better mood. On top of this, it’s also thought that because massage helps to get your lymph fluid moving, it can help boost your immunity. This means less coughs, colds and illnesses, which is all good.

Beat the pain of inactivity
I know, most of us can’t help it, but the average American sits still for eight or nine hours every single day. If your job means that you have no choice but to sit at a wheel or desk, it will pull your shoulders forward and cause them to become rounded. This has the effect of weakening your upper and lower back muscles, which is why you’ll be feeling that pain in your upper body. If you can manage to get up regularly to do some exercise and team this with a regular massage, your posture will thank you and you should reduce any pain you feel from sitting still for so long during working hours.

Have we convinced you to make a massage part of your regular routine? Of course, it’s not all about preventing illness or relieving pain, having a massage is a comforting and beneficial therapy in itself. Many people book regular massage therapy sessions just because they know they will leave the clinic with a smile on their face, feeling amazing.