11 Myths About Massage That You Should Never Believe

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Introduction: People Talk, Know What You Should Listen To

In case you didn’t already know this, a massage is basically a manipulation of your muscles, tendons, ligaments and your skin in order to provide flexibility, wellness of being as well as many other health benefits. But what you might not know is that there are many words that have been spoken about a massage that are not exactly true. The sad truth is that though a massage therapy session can be a wonderful experience, there are a few episodes during a massage session that can go wrong and for that reason, it is best to educate yourself as to what those are in order to be able to avoid them. In this article, it will be discussed what you might want to look out for in order to avoid being taken for a ride by a massage therapist who might now know what they are indeed supposed to be doing. Read on.

A Discussion of the Myths That You Should Look Out For

Massages are the same wherever you go. This is quite frankly a very false statement. As a matter of fact, there exists many different types of massages and each of them may have very different qualities to each other making them polar opposites from another. It is for this reason that clients must be knowledgeable of their options, so as to best decide which massage is right for them. Below are a few of the more common massage practices that you might find at a spa near you. The Swedish Massage – The Swedish massage is a rather gentle massage that uses oil on your bare skin and is given through long strokes with deep movements. It is meant to help you relax and have you feeling energetic once it has been completed. The Swedish massage is also able to lower one’s blood pressure. The Deep Tissue Massage – This popular massage style uses deep and slow strokes that aim at your muscles and connective tissues typically damaged from athletic injuries on the muscles and aids in the improvement of flexibility. The Sports Massage – Similar to the Swedish massage, the sports massage is used to heal injuries but is also often used to get your body ready for a series of events through invigoration. Trigger Point Massage – This massage is most often used when tight muscles need focus due to overuse. Massage Therapy is for people who want to pamper themselves. Wrong! As a matter of fact, massage therapy has loads of benefits and should be practiced regularly even if you are not suffering from an injury nor are you attempting to cure an illness. Massage therapy has been known to reduce the levels of a person’s stress and anxiety, depression and insomnia, and may even help you recover sooner from an injury. Massage therapy helps a person maintain overall wellness and fitness and can also relieve migraines. Lower blood pressure has also been a positive outcome of clients who have enjoyed a good massage. You need to hurt the next day. Nothing could be further from the truth! Though massage therapy can leave you with some tenderness, there is nothing that declares that you must feel pain in order for your massage to have been therapeutic. Naturally, one may feel an element of soreness from the massage and a bit of pain may have positive effects on the body, but for a massage to have plain and simple been painful does not equal that it was an effective massage. Toxins are released from the body during a massage. Here is a common misconception, however, there has never been any scientific proof of this claim. What is known, is that people who receive massage therapy on a regular basis have improved circulation and because of this, your body is able to flush out the waste that your body does not need. Cellulite disappears with regular massage therapy. Not at all. What can in fact help you reduce cellulite would be a number of fitness routines. Proper massage therapy can help your body recover from a rigorous workout but sadly, it does not remove cellulite. Drinking water is a must. No, you don’t have to per se. But we can acknowledge that drinking water keeps the body hydrated and a hydrated body results in having hydrated muscles and these are of course, better than being dehydrated. So, though it is not a must to drink water before and after a massage, it certainly does not hurt. Do not talk to your therapist during massage therapy. There is no being on the fence on this one, this is just plain wrong. As a matter of fact, you should talk to your therapist. Granted, it does not have to be an hour-long chat where you talk about everything under the sky, but you should always let your massage therapist know what you need from him or her in order to make it comfortable for you and to help address any concerns that you may have. Advising on the amount of pressure is not only vital but it is also welcomed by your therapist who may not be able to read your body language. Pregnant women should never receive a massage. This is one of the more controversial argument, but it should be known that a proper and professional massage given by an experienced therapist can in fact be beneficial to both the mother and child. Some mothers tend to not receive a massage in their first trimester and wait for the second and third trimester before seeking the soothing touch of a massage therapist. You should only get a massage when your muscles hurt. Remember that a good massage helps your body become more flexible. That being said, it is untrue to say that a massage should not be given to someone who has no aching muscles. Let us also keep in mind that your massage therapist can also help you reduce your levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. My massage therapist does not need to know anything about me. Sure, you don’t need to tell your massage therapist about your broken heart, but what your massage therapist does need to know is if you have any conditions that may make your session with your therapist worse. For example, if you have recently had surgery, then it would be in your best interest to inform your therapist that way he or she would know that your recently broken arm would need some gentle touches as opposed to massive stretching like what one would experience with a Thai massage. Massage therapy is for the rich. A massage typically lasts for about 60 minutes and costs roughly $60. Though this amount may seem like a lot at first glance, think of all the money you spend on coffee or candy. In the grand scheme of things, the cost of a massage is not all that much, and one must think of the great benefits that come with receiving massages. What is your health and wellness worth? Perhaps the $60 you’re being charged is really nothing and is actually more than worth that amount?

Conclusion: Knowledge Means Getting the Massage You Deserve

It is true that there are many more myths about massages that were not tackled in this article, but you must let it be known that many people will try to debunk the greatness that a massage has to offer. However, with some research and facts, you will see that massages are indeed helpful for everyone and should in fact be practiced regularly. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]