There are various kinds of massage, but the results are either relaxation or therapeutic. They are both effective and offer benefits, however they have very different purposes.
Typically, a Spa offers relaxation massage on its own or as part of a ‘spa day’ package. The massage will be pleasurable and relaxing but won’t necessarily include a discussion of your health needs, and the person providing the massage may not have a therapeutic qualification.
If you have health needs a therapeutic massage would be more suitable. Always make sure that the therapist is qualified and works within their scope of practice, the therapist should have their qualifications displayed.
So, without further ado, here are some compelling reasons to book yourself in for a therapeutic massage.
- Correcting soft-tissue problems in your body – a therapeutic therapist will assess your body, register changes over time and design client focused treatments. They use specific techniques to address injury, postural or joint issues, to improve circulation, reduce pain and to bring about a general sense of well-being.
- Increase mental alertness – as your body relaxes and de-stresses through massage, your levels of mental clarity and alertness are enhanced.
- Ease tight muscles and reduce pain – massage techniques can release trigger points, stretch and elongate muscles and break down adhesions.
- Increase joint range of movement – by releasing the tension in the muscles surrounding a joint, the range of movement in the joint can be increased.
- Reduce stress – one of the most noted effects of massage is the feeling of calm and relaxation, reducing both emotional and physical stress. The soothing benefits of massage encourage the release of endorphins, the chemicals that are responsible for our ‘feel-good’ factor.
- Immunity boosting – by decreasing stress, the levels of stress inducing hormones such as norepinephrine, adrenaline and cortisol are reduced. This gives your immune system the opportunity to work more efficiently. As massage also increases circulation and improves lymphatic drainage, it thereby further boosts the immune system’s efficacy.