North Burnaby Massage Therapy

By Author: Mohan Chen
Total Articles: 434
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Massage has many benefits that affect both our bodies and our minds. Almost everyone can safely receive Massage Therapy. Amongst its many other benefits, massage increases body awareness so that any issues can be addressed before they get more serious in nature. At Burnaby Massage Clinic we provide safe, effective and professional treatment that provides the following.

Basic physical benefits of massage
Improves circulation
Helps relieve muscle tension and stiffness
Promotes faster healing of strained muscles and sprained ligaments; reduces pain and swelling and reduces formation of excessive scar tissue
Reduces muscle spasms
Provides greater joint flexibility and range of motion
Enhances athletic performance
Promotes deeper and easier breathing
Improves circulation and movement of lymph fluids
Reduces blood pressure
Helps relieve tension-related headaches and effects of eye-strain
Enhances the health and nourishment of skin
Improves posture
Strengthens the immune system
Psychological ...
... benefits from Massage therapy.

Massage as a healing tool has been around for thousands of years in many cultures. Touching is a natural human reaction to pain and stress, and for conveying compassion and support. Think of the last time you bumped your head or had a sore calf. What did you do? Rubbed it, right? The same was true of our earliest ancestors. Healers throughout time and throughout the world have instinctually and independently developed a wide range of therapeutic techniques using touch. Many are still in use today, and with good reason. We now have scientific proof of the benefits of massage - benefits ranging from treating chronic diseases and injuries to alleviating the growing tensions of our modern lifestyles. Having a massage does more than just relax your body and mind - there are specific physiological and psychological changes which occur, even more so when massage is utilized as a preventative, frequent therapy and not simply mere luxury. Massage not only feels good, but it can cure what ails you.

One of the many reasons people come to me is for the relief of pain caused by arthritis. I tell them that there is nothing that I can do for the arthritis itself, nor can I make it go away. However, what I can do is to help the muscles nearby to relax and thereby reduce some of the pain.
What I cannot do is to change the arthritic joint, especially when it is affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis can sometimes be helped by North Burnaby Massage Therapy: the increased circulation to the joint helps it to heal itself a little and to make the arthritis itself back down somewhat. I use it on my own finger joints when they start to act up and get stiff. I perform some frictions and other firm techniques along the joint line and so far, it has worked remarkably well to keep my hands mobile and functioning. When you consider the attrition rate for massage therapists at the ten year mark is somewhere around 70% and I have been doing this for 10 and a half years, then you can see how effective massage can be for maintaining joint function.

As a society, we are touch deprived and this can lead to disease or emotional dysfunction. From the cradle to the nursing home, tactile stimulation and the emotional assurance of caring touch bring about a sense of well-being and security. In numerous studies conducted on massage for infants, TRI researchers have found improved weight gain and development in pre-term infants, improved weight gain and motor behavior in cocaine-exposed infants, and improved weight gain and decreased stress behavior in HIV-exposed infants. Full-term infants also benefit with increased alertness and social behavior, less crying and increased weight gain.

Osteoarthritis is caused by general wear and tear on the joints, especially on the hyaline cartilage which coats the end of each bone and prevents bone to bone contact (if I remember my schooling correctly). When the cartilage wears down, the bones lose their buffer and begin to rub together, causing pain and inflammation as the body reacts to the new stresses. The surrounding muscles may become tight and tense to act as a splint, helping the joint to function. Splinting can be a helpful thing, but there are times when muscles become too enthusiastic and the tightness becomes stiffness and an inability to move easily. This is where massage therapy can help.

Massage is a perfect elixir for good health, but it can also provide an integration of body and mind. By producing a meditative state or heightened awareness of living in the present moment, massage can provide emotional and spiritual balance, bringing with it true relaxation and peace.

The incredible benefits of massage are doubly powerful if taken in regular "doses." Dr. Maria Hernandez-Reif, from the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami, is known for her massage research, along with colleague Tiffany Field. Together, they and other researchers have done outstanding work proving the value of massage. While their studies have shown we can benefit from massage even in small doses (15 minutes of chair massage or a half-hour table session), Hernandez-Reif says they know from their research that receiving bodywork 2-3 times a week is highly beneficial. And if we lived in a fantasy world, Hernandez-Reif has the answer. "I feel a daily massage is optimal."
Deep Tissue massage is designed to relieve severe tension in the muscle and the connective tissue or fascia. This type of massage focuses on the muscles located below the surface of the top muscles. Deep tissue massage is often recommended for individuals who experience consistent pain, are involved in heavy physical activity, such as athletes, and patients who have sustained physical injury. It is also not uncommon for receivers of Deep Tissue Massage to have their pain replaced with a new muscle ache for a day or two. Deep tissue work varies greatly. What one calls deep tissue another will call light. When receiving deep tissue work it is important to communicate what you are feeling.