The Magic of Massage

Depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and insomnia all can benefit from the magic of message, which has been around since before recorded history. Why it works still remains a mystery and the link between today's medicine and massage is by far a new science in the making.

Massages range anywhere from $60 ~ $90 for a sixty minute session. You can save considerably, however, by going to a local Institute where the art is taught, receive an hour for half and the students can benefit from your feedback. And no ... you won't be a guinea pig as the students are trained and supervised before ever working on a live subject. Just click here to find a school closest to you endorsed by the American Massage Therapy Association.

Here's a brief guide of the most common practices and how they can help relieve what is ailing you:

Swedish

Long, smooth strokes that push the flow of blood toward the heart. Great for relaxation, stress reduction, improved circulation and aids in hypertension. It may also help dissolve scar tissue and reduce swelling from some injuries.

Deep Tissue

Applying more pressure to work tissue in the sub-layers of muscles. Therapists may use an elbow or leverage their body weight to elongate the muscle fibers and loosen hard-to-budge tension. May help in recovery from soft-tissue injuries, increase range of motion and reduce the pain of arthritis and tendinitis.

Shiatsu

Incorporates pressure points and done on the floor instead of a massage table. A therapist uses leverage and gravity to apply pressure to specific points around the body using acupressure to relieve tight muscles. Helps overuse injuries and can possibly strengthen the body's immune system.

Reiki

A resting of the hands lightly on various parts of the head, back of the torso and limbs. May help with pain and anxiety along with relief of tension.

Sports Massage

Designed to help athletes perform better and recover faster by concentrating on a specific trouble spot such as a sore shoulder or leg using combined techniques of Swedish and deep-tissue massage. Also good for those weekend warriors. Great for reducing soreness after participating in an athletic event.

Pregnancy Massage

Using techniques from Swedish massage, this type of therapy should only be used by a therapist trained in pregnancy massage. The focus is on parts that suffer most during pregnancy: neck, shoulders and lower back. Can reduce aches and pains as the body changes during this time and also through labor to ease pain and speed healing after delivery.