Friday 13 January 2017

Injured or ill - how can massage help?

If you’ve ever had a massage you will understand what I’m about to say, but if you haven’t….here’s what you’re missing.

Day to day life can be tough on our bodies.  Through everyday wear and tear, our gait, things we do repetitively or sports we might play, we tighten up in some places whilst in others we might lose some muscle tone.  Where we’ve developed tight areas, they can start to get painful as knots develop, and other muscles begin to compensate.

Then imagine if you’re very sick.  Your body is battling the sickness together with any secondary issues that may trigger, and you feel generally pretty pants.  Low energy, off your food, lethargic, can’t be bothered.

Now go for a massage.

In the first instance, if you have sore or tight muscles, tension in these areas will be released and you will feel your movement become freer.  Your less active muscles have been stimulated.  That nagging ache you’ve been carrying around through your right leg has gone.  You can twist to your left and you don’t feel it pull anymore.  You’ve also just spent the best part of an hour in a totally restful state and feel rejuvenated, ready to start all over again!

For the second example, for you it’s less about removing knots, more about providing comfort and care.  Purposefully allowing time to relax, feel the gentle sweep of hands across your body, gently easing sore areas and allowing your mind to relax and release.  Endorphins are released into your bloodstream which act as natural painkillers and mood elevators.  There is a reason that massage therapy is available in hospices.  It makes you feel good.  It helps you feel better, and your system to reset itself which assists natural healing.  It doesn’t cure an illness but it helps improve quality of life.


Now imagine this is your dog we are talking about.