Monday 21 November 2016

6 Signs that You Need to Visit Your Massage Therapist

Not sure if it’s time to go in for a massage? Unsure of how often you should book an appointment? The easiest answer is, whenever you feel like you need a massage! If you need another reason to go visit your RMT, here are a few warning signs that it could be time to book your massage treatment.
  1. Pain
This is an obvious warning sign, but sometimes we feel pain that we cannot explain. Uncertainty in the root cause of pain might be holding you back from seeking treatment.
A massage therapist might be able to help you find the source of your pain, as well as help you to manage it. Massage therapy is one of the few treatments that has been shown to reduce lower back pain, where other therapies benefits are still unclear.
Most of our clients here in Guelph, Ontario book their first appointment because of pain, but we dig a bit deeper and are able to help their pain as well as identify many other areas that we can work on.


  1. Feeling down
It might seem hokey, but a lot of people seek out massage treatment when they are feeling depressed. Massage doesn’t only help you to relax and heal your body, it can treat your mind as well.
It’s widely accepted (there are many, many studies and reviews) that massage therapy is able to reduce symptoms of depression. A couple theories for this include:
  • A hormonal response that reduces blood pressure, heart rate and stress hormones
  • A close bond forms between the therapist and client
  • Reducing pain (even imperceptibly) results in relaxation and stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system
  • Touch stimulates oxytocin hormone (the “feel good” hormone)


  1. Injured
A lot of people hurt themselves and don’t realize that an RMT might be able to help out. Of course, immediately following an injury you should go visit a doctor, but massage might be able to help relieve the pain from an injury and even promote healing.
Muscle or joint injuries that happened as a result from work, sport, or exercise are perfect candidates for massage treatment. And if your RMT can’t help you, they can surely refer you to whomever you should see next. It’s definitely worth a shot!
At Guelph Performance Therapy we offer both Registered Massage Therapy and Certified Athletic Therapy. The combo of both disciplines will definitely help get you back to your day to day activities!
  1. DOMS
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, DOMS is an acronym for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It’s essentially the fancy name for feeling sore the day (or days) after a workout. DOMS is most likely to happen when you first start working out, or get back into exercise or sport after a long break.
Many people might reach for the ibuprofen, but massage may be just as effective for relieving muscle pain. A 2012 study at McMaster University found that massage has a direct effect on reducing muscle inflammation—this means less pain and shorter recovery time.
  1. Headaches
A common reason for seeing patients in the clinic is because of an ongoing headache issue. While headaches can be a result of a number of different things like injury, dehydration, or illness, many headaches have a musculoskeletal source.
For these, a massage may be just what you need to help loosen up and shake free from a pesky headache.


  1. Stressed Out
Similar to helping alleviate depression, massage might also be able to help you deal with stress. Whether your stress comes from work, school, or family, being stressed out could mean that it’s time to pay a visit to a massage clinic.
This one has some science to back it up, as well. A study in the Journal of Neuroscience found that test subjects that had a massage showed lower activity levels in the parts of the brain that signal anxiety. The massage recipients even performed better in math tests after being treated. Very cool!

If you’re still not sure if it’s time for a massage, the very fact that you’re asking the question could mean you’re ready. Guelph Performance Therapy is now happy to provide massage services for whatever reason you decide deserves a treatment. Make use of your benefits and book an appointment online today!

Sources:

A Review of the Evidence for the Effectiveness, Safety, and Cost of Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, and Spinal Manipulation for Back Pain. (2003). Annals Of Internal Medicine138(11), 898. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-138-11-200306030-00011


Hou, W., Chiang, P., Hsu, T., Chiu, S., & Yen, Y. (2010). Treatment Effects of Massage Therapy in Depressed People. The Journal Of Clinical Psychiatry71(07), 894-901. doi:10.4088/jcp.09r05009blu


Massage Therapy Reduces Anxiety and Enhances Eeg Pattern of Alertness and Math Computations: International Journal of Neuroscience: Vol 86, No 3-4. (2016). International Journal Of Neuroscience. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/00207459608986710