Most of us are familiar with some of the benefits of massage. We are familiar with the feeling of relaxation, lightness and well-being that it brings.
Benefits of the massage for the body and mind
Now you have a better understanding of the body’s mechanisms and the many benefits of massage therapy. Remember that taking care of your body brings well-being on both a physical and psychological level.
In addition to all the physiological effects, massage also contributes to the circulation of vital energy throughout the body.
Benefits of massage on the body
Massage is an age-old therapeutic method that has exceptional virtues and provides undeniable benefits to the body.
Thus, massage :Promotes sleep.Acts on constipation by improving digestion.
Allows a better blood and lymphatic circulation.Helps to prevent diseases.
Dispels fatigue and improves the circulation of energy.
Contributes to the treatment of serious diseases such as cancer and helps to better treat asthma.
Benefits of massages: psychological aspects
By acting on the body, massage has positive effects on the mind, attention and awareness of emotions. The massage can also brings new energy by :
Giving him a total well-being.Relaxing him.Bringing him relaxation and good mood.Helping him to fight against stress, anxiety and depression.
The combined effects of the different types and techniques of massage offer a more than satisfactory result. However, it is important to know how to choose the right type of massage for your body’s needs.
Flexibility and mobility
Massage actively contributes to the preservation of the body’s tensegrity.The body is an assembly whose solidity and mobility come from the flexibility and interaction of all its structural components, which are the tendons, ligaments, muscles and fascias. Numerous causes, both endogenous (disease, sedentary lifestyle, aging) and exogenous (sport, repetitive movements, interactions between organs), can alter the properties of these components. The result is contractures, inflammation, stiffness or tension. Massage is a mechanical intervention that helps restore flexibility and mobility.
Letting go and quality of sleep
A deep tissue massage is able to soothe and relax the body and mind.It’s proven: the deep, sustained strokes of massage help stimulate the production of endorphins and serotonin – the hormones of pleasure and relief. Scientists have also found that the production of cortisol, the stress hormone, is strongly inhibited, and blood pressure drops.Sometimes sleep is denied because the brain is not ready for it. The massage favors a letting go that shows the way to a quasi-meditation, or a quasi-hypnosis. A state that the brain remembers in order to return to it later, when it is time to sleep in the evening.
The solicitation of the sensitive body
The caring touch of massage opens the door to self-acceptance.Massage sends a message of “sensitivity”, or even “sensuality”, to the body and the brain, which will prove to be a discovery or, more often than not, a re-conquest, a re-authorization, of the acceptance of oneself as a “sensual being”. With the immense advantage that this reconquest does not come from oneself or from another person that one would have to manage. The masseur is there for that: his gesture has this particularity that it can be received with benevolence while remaining neutral. A very comfortable situation for the receiver, who allows himself a reappropriation without risk and without commitment.
A precious tool against stress
Today, it is coming back in force in the wake of alternative medicine, the need to take care of oneself and to curb the stress of modern life.
According to a survey conducted in July 2012 by the Ipsos Institute on behalf of the Rééduca salon, only 5% of French people would indulge in the benefits of massage. Of course, without a medical prescription, the sessions are a bit expensive but when the practitioner is of high quality, they are neither a comfort nor a simple luxury.
Beyond the pleasure and relaxation it provides at the time, massage has undisputed curative virtues, both in the short and long term. Numerous clinical studies have noted the relevance of certain maneuvers in reducing joint stiffness and chronic neuromuscular pain, soothing headaches and digestive disorders, stimulating the immune system as well as blood and lymphatic circulation.
An anti-inflammatory power
Canadian researchers have deciphered the intimate workings of their modes of action on humans. And, surprise, they would be even more efficient than we imagined insofar as these manipulations are likely to generate biochemical chain modifications in the organism that propagate to the heart and to the cells.
For their study, biologists from the Department of Neuromuscular and Neurometabolic Diseases at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, recruited eleven young athletes to ride a stationary bicycle for seventy minutes at full speed.
Who can perform massages?
But for a massage to have real health benefits, it must be properly performed.
In France, the legislation is strict in theory. Only masseur-physiotherapists have the right to perform massages, explains Christophe Fosseur.
Certainly, a perfect knowledge of the gestures and the anatomy is essential so that the result is up to the mark. But all massage aficionados will tell you that it is not the diploma that determines the practitioner’s aptitude.
Choose expert hands
During the first few sessions, the practitioner should not attack his massage with a ball in his head, but ask you about your physical state and your expectations. If he doesn’t do this, run away!
Whatever the technique used, the practitioner should always begin with broad, gentle strokes to establish a gradual contact with your body.
You should feel that he is fully engaged in what he is doing and not just going through the motions. Rely on your own feelings. A masseur may be right for your friends and not for you.
A good massage should put you in a state of relaxation. If you have a weak neck, let the practitioner know and make sure the table has a hole to keep your head upright.
What are the contraindications?
A massage can have catastrophic effects if given incorrectly. If you have allergies, find out the composition of the oil used (almond, sesame, camphor…), especially if it contains essential oils (lavender, lemon…).
