How often should I get a massage?
Healthy adults can get massage as often as their schedule and budget allows. Just like regular exercise, the benefits of massage accumulate with every session. That’s why it’s so important to make massage a regular part of your routine – whether it’s once a week or once a month, you’ll feel healthier and more relaxed with every session.

People in poor health should consider shorter 30-minute sessions once or twice a week. For these individuals, less invasive techniques like Reflexology may also be more appropriate.

Why does my massage therapist recommend that I drink water before and after my session?
Effective massage increases blood and lymph circulation throughout the body. This accelerates the removal of waste products from your tissues. Your body needs water to effectively transport and eliminate these wastes.

Our bodies are 70% water – it lubricates our joints, helps with digestion and helps keep muscles supple. Imagine a pot of spaghetti without enough water. The water is cloudy and the strands stick to each other. Similarly, tissues are more likely to adhere if you haven’t had enough water and this makes it harder for you to reap the benefits of your massage.

Sometimes I have discomfort on the day after my massage. Why is that?
When chronically tense muscles are released through massage, the muscles are often sore just like they would be after a strenuous work-out. This is a normal part of muscle recovery.

The best way to ease that discomfort and maximize the benefits of your session is gentle stretching and the use of heat from steam, shower, bath or hotpack. If the tissue feels inflamed, then a brief application of ice may also be helpful.


How do I get the most out of my massage?
Give yourself the time you need. The benefits of your session will last longer if you don’t have to rush before and after your appointment.

Allow at least two hours after eating. Remember that you’ll probably spend a good part of your time lying on your stomach while the therapist works on your back.

Talk to your therapist. Tell her if you need extra work in any particular area, or need a blanket, a trip to the bathroom or anything else. This is your time and your massage therapist wants you to get the most out of it.

Breathe. Use your breath to help stay present and relaxed during your massage. This is a time to tune in and take care of yourself.

I have a particular medical condition. Is massage right for me?
Massage is a great way to help manage almost any condition. Listed below are just a few of the most common conditions that respond well to massage:

• Arthritis
  
• Back pain
  
• Neck pain
  
• Pregnancy
  
• Fibromyalgia
  
• Sciatic pain
  
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  
• Tendonitis
  
• Temporal Mandibular Joint (TMJ) Syndrome
  
• Insomnia
  
• Tension Headaches
  
• Stress
  
• And many more…

WHEN YOU CAN'T GET A MASSAGE

Here are some quick tips for days when you can’t fit a massage into your schedule:

For back strain: Find the point on the sole of your foot where your heel ends at the base of your arch and press for 60 seconds. This point marks the end of the sciatic nerve and can help ease related back and leg pain.

Feeling anxious: With your thumb and index finger, gently pull down and out along the edge of your earlobe starting at mid-ear and working your way down to the bottom. Each ear has more than 120 acupressure points and pressing the lobes activates many of them, releasing anxiety-reducing endorphins.

Stress headache: When you feel a stress headache coming on, squeeze the groove between the thumb and index finger of you left hand with the thumb and index finger of your right hand for 60 seconds, then switch hands and repeat.

Shoulder tension: With both hands, hook your fingers over the tops of your shoulders and apply firm pressure. Breathe slowly and deeply as you slowly pull your hands forward.

Fatigue/Eye strain: Walk it off. Take a 5-minute break with a brisk walk, preferably outside. It will clear your head and give you a lift to get through the rest of the day.


For any questions I did not answer, please contact me.