Massage has often been associated with luxury -- an indulgence that's all about feeling good and relieving stress. It's certainly true that massage therapy can accomplish both of these objectives -- but it can also do much more. This ancient branch of the healing arts is known for its ability to provide many important health and wellness benefits, from relieving acute or chronic pain to boosting your disease resistance.
Mike Michaud, frequently prescribes massage as a complement to spinal adjustment, corrective exercises, nutritional therapy and other natural healing methods. What is so therapeutic about receiving a massage? Actually, there are many different type of massage, each with its own list of beneficial effects and applications. You may already be familiar with Swedish massage, the relatively light form of massage typically offered in spas.
This form of massage therapy does an excellent job of relieving tightness and stress in large muscle groups near the skin's surface, which can release pent-up stress and help you sleep better. It also increases circulation in the areas being massaged, and this makes it extremely useful for helping injured or ailing tissues release inflammatory toxins while receiving extra oxygen and nutrients for quicker healing.
Swedish massage can also improves lymph flow, optimizing immune system strength and response for ongoing wellness. Our Anchorage chiropractor may sometimes prescribes other types of massage for specific conditions.
Deep tissue massage, for example, can treat tissues closer to the bone that Swedish massage cannot reach. These more forceful strokes can free tissues trapped by internal scarring, a common problem for people suffering the after-effects of old injuries. It can also undo the painful muscle knots associated with certain chronic pain disorders.
