Who Kneads a Massage
Alternative Stress Management
Some people wonder who needs massage therapy? A better question might be, WHO DOESN'T?
A few years ago a friend of mine took off his wrist watch, rubbed the obviously untanned portion of his wrist that the watch usually occupied, and asked me, pointing to the white skin wrist band, "What do you call this?........ Stress management!!" His point? Time consciousness. Always having to be somewhere, accomplishing something, making money, making ends meet, family responsibilities,...Did I mention making money? Wouldn't it be nice if there was some respite, some escape, some-thing that could help you cope with our twenty first century life? A stress buster if you like? Granted, there are a great many paths that one can take, alcohol, drugs,....becoming a hermit. There is, however another alternative, when added to other regimens, that can greatly reduce and help you control and cope with the stress factors and anxieties that modern life demands. That alternative is massage therapy.
Note some of the following examples regarding
the physiological effects of Stress:
"Under heavy tension, the human being performs wonderfully for a while. Then, he just collapses."Now, note a few examples of what the medical community regards as necessary actions to cope with stress." Recognition of stress is important because many of the causes are remediable...Stress management may even foster the healing process in a variety of conditions."" Regular exercise,....triggers the release of hormones that combat depression and stress.""Specialized techniques and approaches are used to aid the body in releasing endorphins to diminish pain and anxiety...including deep tissue massage."
"Since message, like cocaine, stimulates the production of endorphines, lack of touch may lead to addictive behaviors.""Massage improves body image in people suffering from eating disorders. As one anorexic says,"I told myself, If this person thinks my body is OK enough to touch me, maybe my body is OK.
Quoting from "Life" magazine, 8-97: "The idea that touch can heal is an old one.......The effect of even the most casual touch has been seen in numerous studies."
"Massage therapists are accomplishing more in 15 minutes than psychologists can do in an hour or two". (regarding massage to exhausted rescue workers, numbed survivors and overworked pathologists.)It stands to reason, if massage therapy can "heal", think what it can do for relaxation,(not to be confused with recreation) and stress.
This introduction is not designed to detract from the many real medical benefits of massage therapy, from Fibro-myalgia to Parkinson's, but is to address this one extraordinarily beneficial aspect of the massage trade. One, I believe, though probably not quantitatively verifiable in so many percentage points, is as important in a holistic approach to stress management and mental and physical wellness as any other viable therapy.
Please call me if you think I can help you,or contact me on line.
- Gary Lobdill (LMT, NCMT)
