| Therapeutic Massage Diana M. Charles LMBT 6193 Call 404-432-2618 1799 Clairmont Rd. Decatur, GA 30033 |
Therapeutic Massage.. Healing Profoundly with Touch
Do you remember how good it felt when you were a child and your Mom rubbed
your back or your head to sooth the pain or chase some worrisome thought away
or sometimes just because she loved you? We have grown up knowing the value
of the human touch, especially when it’s delivered with genuine respect and caring.
Massage is considered to be among the oldest of all treatments used by man. The
health benefits of touch therapies have been recorded for thousands of years,
showing the effects on the health of the person being massaged to be profound --
physically, psychologically, emotionally, even spiritually.
Massage provides relief to people from all walks of life – the weekend or
competitive athlete, the home gardener, and the overstressed executive struggling to
keep pace in today’s economy. Secretaries, laborers, waitresses, housewives,
mothers – anyone can feel a need for massage at some point in time. The older
population, including the bedridden, can also be helped, as it enhances flexibility and
circulation.
Care of your body should be at the top of your priority list. You will feel and look
better if you take the necessary steps regarding health and nutrition. Stress relief
alone can improve your vitality and state of mind. Massage, bodywork, and somatic
therapies could play an important role in your life.
What Are the Benefits of Massage?
Useful for all of the conditions listed below and more, massage can:
• Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion
• Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity
hospital stays
• Ease medication dependence
• Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow – the body’s natural defense
system
• Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles
• Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts
• Improve the condition of the body’s largest organ – the skin
• Increase joint flexibility
• Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks
• Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation
• Reduce post-surgery adhesions and swelling
• Reduce spasms and cramping
• Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles
• Release endorphins – amino acids that work as the body’s natural painkiller
• Relieve migraine pain
• Relieve TMJ pain
And those are just some of the physical benefits!
A Powerful Ally
There’s no denying the power of bodywork. Regardless of the adjectives we assign
to it (pampering, rejuvenating, therapeutic) or the reasons we seek it out (a
luxurious treat, stress relief, pain management, health maintenance), massage
therapy can be a powerful ally in your healthcare regimen.
The incredible benefits of massage are doubly powerful if taken in regular “doses.”
Professionals at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami explain the
more massage you get, the greater the benefits you reap. Here’s why: Experts
estimate that upwards of ninety percent of disease is stress related. And perhaps
nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. While eliminating
anxiety and pressure altogether in this fast-paced world may be idealistic, massage
can, without a doubt, help manage stress. This translates into:
- Decreased anxiety
- Enhanced sleep quality
- Greater energy
- Improved concentration
- Increased circulation
- Reduced fatigue
massage. The emotional balance bodywork provides can often be just as vital and
valuable as the more tangible physical effects.
Profound Effects
In response to massage, specific physiological and chemical changes cascade
throughout the body, with profound effects. Research shows that with massage:
- Arthritis sufferers note fewer aches and less stiffness and pain.
- Asthmatic children show better pulmonary function and increased peak air
flow. - Burn injury patients report reduced pain, itching and anxiety.
- High blood pressure patients demonstrate lower diastolic blood pressure,
anxiety, and stress hormone. - Premenstrual syndrome sufferers have decreased water retention and
cramping. - Pre-term infants have improved weight gain.
Research continues to show the enormous benefits of touch -- which range from
treating chronic diseases, neurological disorders, and injuries, to alleviating the
tensions of modern lifestyles. Consequently, the medical community is actively
embracing bodywork, and massage is becoming an integral part of hospice care
and neonatal intensive care units. Many hospitals are also incorporating on-site
massage practitioners and even spas to treat postsurgery or pain patients as part of
the recovery process.
The information cited above comes from two articles, The Benefits of
Frequent Massage & Bodywork and Why Should I Receive A Massage?,
compliments of Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (abmp).
| There are a variety of bodywork techniques that therapists may use according to the needs and desires of their clients. Know Thyself Healing Center currently offers the following:
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Why Massage During Pregnancy?
Massage during pregnancy not only
makes a woman feel pampered, but
offers undeniable physical benefits as
well. Massage can relieve fatigue,
enhance sleep, and calm an active baby in
utero.
First Trimester
• Relieve headaches
• Help alleviate morning sickness
• Reduce fatigue
Second Trimester
• Alleviate backaches
• Relieve leg cramps
Third Trimester
• Reduce swelling/edema
• Relieve pain from varicosities
• Enhance sleep
• Prepare pelvic muscles for birth
process
During the entire term of the pregnancy,
massage can stimulate blood flow, which
may assist in the prevention of anemia.
An increase in muscle tone and flexibility
will occur, alleviating leg cramps and
muscle spasms.
Massage during pregnancy is also a great
way to relieve everyday tension and the
general aches and pains your body is
suffering. It stimulates your lymphatic
system, increasing immunity and the
removal of excess toxins, while also
stabilizing hormonal levels and balancing
the glandular system.
Are There Times When Massage
During Pregnancy Should Be
Avoided?
Women with normal, low-risk
pregnancies can benefit greatly from
massage by a trained pregnancy massage
therapist. However, women in high-risk
pregnancies should consult with their
doctor or midwife before beginning a
massage therapy program. If at any time
during the massage you experience
discomfort, tell the therapist immediately.
What About Massage After
Delivery Of My Baby?
Massage during the weeks after delivery
helps to restore muscle tone in the
abdomen and reposition the pelvis.
And remember, touch is a very important
part of bonding with your baby. Ask
about receiving instruction in managing
your baby’s massage.
Doctor’s Approval
It is very important you obtain approval
from your obstetrician before receiving
any form of massage during pregnancy.
Information from Maternity Massage
article, compliments of Associated
Bodywork & Massage Professionals
(abmp)
Massage during pregnancy not only
makes a woman feel pampered, but
offers undeniable physical benefits as
well. Massage can relieve fatigue,
enhance sleep, and calm an active baby in
utero.
First Trimester
• Relieve headaches
• Help alleviate morning sickness
• Reduce fatigue
Second Trimester
• Alleviate backaches
• Relieve leg cramps
Third Trimester
• Reduce swelling/edema
• Relieve pain from varicosities
• Enhance sleep
• Prepare pelvic muscles for birth
process
During the entire term of the pregnancy,
massage can stimulate blood flow, which
may assist in the prevention of anemia.
An increase in muscle tone and flexibility
will occur, alleviating leg cramps and
muscle spasms.
Massage during pregnancy is also a great
way to relieve everyday tension and the
general aches and pains your body is
suffering. It stimulates your lymphatic
system, increasing immunity and the
removal of excess toxins, while also
stabilizing hormonal levels and balancing
the glandular system.
Are There Times When Massage
During Pregnancy Should Be
Avoided?
Women with normal, low-risk
pregnancies can benefit greatly from
massage by a trained pregnancy massage
therapist. However, women in high-risk
pregnancies should consult with their
doctor or midwife before beginning a
massage therapy program. If at any time
during the massage you experience
discomfort, tell the therapist immediately.
What About Massage After
Delivery Of My Baby?
Massage during the weeks after delivery
helps to restore muscle tone in the
abdomen and reposition the pelvis.
And remember, touch is a very important
part of bonding with your baby. Ask
about receiving instruction in managing
your baby’s massage.
Doctor’s Approval
It is very important you obtain approval
from your obstetrician before receiving
any form of massage during pregnancy.
Information from Maternity Massage
article, compliments of Associated
Bodywork & Massage Professionals
(abmp)
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| Here's What Clients Say... "When it comes to massage, Diana Charles gives the best massage one could ever want. Greer's loss is Atlanta's gain. Diana positively gives the best massage I have ever had. Any aches or pains prior to the massage are gone when I leave. And the hot stones are great! Nothing is more relaxing!" -- Dawn R., SC "I am as healthy as I have ever been in my fifty years on the planet. Thanks to Diana and the many massages she gave, I have become more flexible and my muscles more relaxed. I already miss her massage therapy and her knowledge of Reiki." -- Harold W., SC |