What is a Massage? And other popular questions…
By definition of the dictionary, a massage is a kneading or “rubbing” (though I don’t like to use that word) of muscles and joints. It is a manipulation of the soft tissue in order to improve general health, sometimes mentally and other times physically. This does prove true for massages such as Swedish and Deep Tissue but other treatments such as Thai massage doesn’t use the kneading technique and instead focuses on pressure points and stretching the body.
What is the purpose of a massage/ what does a massage do?
Thousands of years ago, massage was used as a medical treatment to heal injuries and prevent illnesses. Massage today is a holistic treatment used mainly for its wellbeing effects, for relaxation and stress relief but it also has many physiological effects on the body. It stimulates vascular, lymphatic, and nervous systems of the body increasing cellular function and regeneration of cells, it stimulates nerve endings which relieves muscle pain and fatigue, it helps the body’s natural process of removing dead skin cells, and can soften and break down localised fatty deposits and loosen scar tissue.
In my opinion, the most popular reason for people to want a massage is to relieve muscular tension and tightness, usually the lower back or shoulders. I also have a lot of my massages booked in the evening as my clients have said the relaxed state they are in helps them sleep. Massage is quite a personal treatment especially since it can be adjusted and personalised to the individual and so the purpose varies for a lot of people.
How do you know when your body needs a massage?
For many people a sign for a massage would be aching muscles whether its from exercise such as riding a bike (i have a lot of bikers with tight shoulders, sore legs and achy hands and arms), stiffness from sitting hunched at a desk or general tiredness and stress. A common belief is massage is a luxury or something you only do on holiday once a year but I believe that everyone should be having regular massage. Not only does it help soothe and relieve tight muscles but it also gives you the opportunity to have a time out.
Having “me time” is really important; a break away from the constant stress of work or home life ensures that you do not over do it or get to a breaking point. Think about your phone, you charge this everyday so it doesn’t run out of battery. Your body and your mind also need charging so you don’t run out of battery!
When should you seek a massage?
All the time, don’t wait to start falling apart before you give yourself some much needed love. Your body is your home, look after it so it can look after you!
Do you have clothes on during a massage?
A lot of Massages need direct contact with the skin in order to work the area so some clothes will need to be removed however, Indian Head Massage can be done with the clothes left on and Thai Massage does not require you to remove clothing.
What is the most pleasurable type of massage?
This question really depends on the person. Some people enjoy the long, gentle strokes and movements of a Swedish Massage, which isn’t a lot of pressure focusing mainly on the superficial muscle and tissue, but helps people relax to the point they can fall asleep, giving them the escape they need.
Other people really like to feel the pressure and prefer the massage firmer, releasing tension in the deeper layers of muscles. These people would find a Deep Tissue Massage more pleasurable. Both these massages involve the use of oil and the removal of clothing.
Some people feel uncomfortable with this in which case a Thai Massage would suit them better. This treatment is clothed and does not need the slip oil because instead of sweeping and kneading movements, this massage uses pressure and stretching, which without the protection of clothes would be too much friction against the skin.
There are so many other types of massage and each may be beneficial at different times in your life and used for different reasons.
Some other massages include Hot Stones, Pregnancy Massage, Sports Massage and Bamboo Massage to name a few. Not all massages are suitable for everyone so make sure to research or speak to a qualified therapist before having a treatment.
What is the most favourite body part to be massaged?
From my experience, a lot of people like their back, neck and shoulders massaged usually because they have a lot of tension here that massage can help relieve. Saying that, a scalp massage is a favourite because it is an area that doesn’t usually get attention. There are also a lot of pressure points around the neck, head and face that get worked on and many clients drift off to sleep during this treatment.
I also believe that a favourite is the feet, however a lot of people are also ticklish, which can cause a giggle during the treatment!
What do you wear to a full body massage?
Wear comfy clothes to your massage, for a Swedish Full Body Massage you will need to remove your clothes for the treatment when you get there and then get changed again once it is done. For a Thai Massage it is important to wear loose clothing as there is a lot of stretching and your body needs to be able to move around and flex.
Should I get a massage or not?
Yes. Just do it!
I hope this has answered any questions you might have had about massage!
If you have any suggestions about future blogs you would like to see or if there are still things you would like to know, feel free to contact me.