Massage Minute

  Epsom Salts. These little miracle granules our grandmothers told us about are an amazing way to relax and relieve stress and sore, aching muscles or to help heal a muscle strain/sprain. The Epsom salts work best in a warm to a hot solution such as a bath to soaking tub. These tiny grains of magic are comprised of Magnesium sulfite and benefit the body transdermally. The magnesium sulfite acts as a nerve tonic and muscle relaxant, bringing about a sensation of calm and serenity, and is a great practice when you have trouble falling asleep or after a massage. During a massage session, the therapist eases and separates muscles, fascia, tendons, scar tissue, and calcium deposits. The hands work to ease tissue pain and constrictions on a macro level. Epsom salts relax and release the fibers and spindles that make up the muscles themselves allowing for further releasing and relaxation of bothersome areas on a micro-level. The warm bath solution also alleviates swelling, inflammatio...

  Optimizing your pre-and post-massage sessions by utilizing steam, Jacuzzi, and baths elongates the effectiveness of the treatments and helps relax the muscles pre-session, and lessens the soreness post-treatment. But when do you use each of these tools in your self-care routine? The following is a general rule of thumb: Steam 10-15 Minutes Before a Massage Session. Warm steam loosens muscles and warms the tissues so your therapist can get deeper into the muscles faster. This way, there is maximum warming and softening of the skin and tissues before the deep work begins. Without steam, the friction of the massage therapist's hands works softly at first to melt and warm the muscles to be released and then frees up stuck, achy spots when the dense, cold tissue can move more easily. This also reduces the soreness of the massage the next day. Take to the Jacuzzi or a Bath with Epsom Salts for 15-30 Minutes After a Massage Session. The buoyancy of the water relaxes the muscle...

  Scheduling the ideal regular massage sessions to keep things moving and eradicate pain and stiffness while creating optimal performance with your proactive healthcare goals can really make a positive difference in your day-to-day activities, sleep quality, and reduction of stress levels. A common misconception is to schedule a one-hour massage once a month for maintenance. While this is great, each person has an optimal ‘sweet spot’ for the greatest benefit from soft tissue manipulation. Primarily the first massage is to loosen up the muscles and any areas that might be sticking together, causing stiffness, pain, or decreased mobility. Deeper, misaligned muscle or repetitious fascial restrictions begin to surface in this massage and are ready in about a week to 10 days for another massage session. This is crucial to follow up, so the initial muscular imbalances that we addressed in the first session do not revert backward. If you wait too long between sessions, we go back to sq...

Requesting the correct pressure of a massage is a regularly misunderstood concept. Knowing how to request a massage session that is right for what ailments you would like to address can make a positive difference in your experience. Deep tissue or the ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality is not the ideal pressure for everyone and can work against relaxing the muscles. A good rule of thumb is as follows: Light Pressure ~ insomnia, recent emotional distress, nervous system disorders, and just needing to relax. Sometimes muscles that are stubborn to release will benefit from a light pressure massage after sessions of deep tissue have not resolved an issue. Moderate Pressure ~ post work out, recent injury where swelling and bruising have subsided, a firm massage preference, cramped, stiff muscles, atrophy, pre, and post-travel. Deep Tissue ~ reconstructive work for an old injury, headache, repetitive motion pain, post-surgery, joint pain, and misaligned muscles from injury. Deep tissu...