Massage Therapy Benefits

Massage therapy is a great way to enhance your health and can help with many of today’s common ailments such as:

  • Arthritis 
  • Back Pain 
  • Cancer 
  • Fibromyalgia 
  • Headaches 
  • Pregnancy & Labor 
  • Reducing Stress & Renewing Energy

Massage is one of the best-known remedies for stress. Relieving stress gives you more energy. It improves the quality of restful sleep, giving your body a chance to repair and restore your energy levels. Massage increases circulation, clearing out accumulated stress hormones and metabolic waste that can make you feel tired and sore, and bathing your cells with nutrients vital for tissue repair.

ARTHRITIS

Therapeutic massage can be a powerful ally in any program for managing your arthritis and maintaining as normal a life as possible. Massage is especially effective in addressing the most common side effects caused by painful and stiff joints. Namely, muscle tension and pain, poor circulation, and limitations on normal movement and exercise.

BACK PAIN

Research has shown that massage can knead away tension and relieve pain in muscles that are injured or in spasm. It also relieves discomfort in surrounding areas that may be tightening up or guarding in response to pain. Massage increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and aids in the reduction of swelling. When swelling and irritation are reduced, injured muscles and ligaments can heal faster with less discomfort.

CANCER

Many people find that when medication doesn’t completely ease their pain, massage helps. There are sound medical reasons for the ability of touch therapy to relieve pain, including increased circulation and release of endorphins. But, the profound relief may come from the deep relaxation you experience with massage. As you focus on the pleasant sensation of caring touch, stress and anxiety loosen their grip, allowing pain to recede to the background. Massage can also reduce the discomforts of nausea, fatigue and insomnia. You may experience a sense of increased energy and optimism, which can extend relief of physical symptoms into the hours and days beyond your sessions.

FIBROMYALGIA

This condition, associated with chronic pain and tender areas in the neck, torso, and hips, primarily affects women. Massage helps by gently relieving trigger points and releasing endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller. Massage can also restore blood flow to painfully tight muscles, eliminating waste products that irritate sensitive tissue. As a result, you may experience less stiffness and fatigue, decreased insomnia, and a reduced need for pain medication.

HEADACHES

Massage helps relieve headaches by releasing tight, shortened muscles, trigger points, and fascia (connective tissue surrounding muscles and other structures) in the neck and head. When muscles and fascia relax and become more flexible, pressure lessens on nerves and blood vessels and circulation improves. This flushes away irritating waste products and brings oxygen and nutrients to tissues, resulting in pain relief.

MASSAGES FOR WOMEN

As a woman, you are likely to be under pressure with your talents in demand at work, at home, or both. You offer a lot of yourself. But you aren’t made to endlessly give and not take the time to replenish your energy reserves. The stream of giving in a woman’s life must become a circle, completed by receiving.

Massage therapy can help to complete this circle of renewal and revival in a woman’s life. Massage can help women cope with stress and provides a positive way to relax and move through life’s challenges and transitions more gracefully. Massage can also help women emotionally and reduces symptoms of insomnia. Additionally, massage has been proven to help during pregnancy & labor, alleviate symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome, and enhance skin tone and facial complexion.

MASSAGES FOR MEN

As a man in today’s fast-paced world, it’s important to keep fit, maintain your energy, and excel in your performance at work, home and play. Men are finding that taking the time for massage can reduce stress, boost overall health, and replenish reserves of energy for all they would like to accomplish. Therapeutic massage contributes to your health in a number of ways.

  • Improved overall performance 
  • Injury prevention 
  • Normalized blood pressure & heart rate 
  • Recovery from injuries 
  • Reduction of muscle tension 
  • Relief of muscle soreness 
  • Stress reduction 
  • Support for exercise regimens

WHAT TO EXPECT

Your massage therapist will begin your massage by taking a health history and discussing any issues of particular concern. You’ll also be asked your goals for massage therapy so the therapist can focus on areas and techniques to enhance your session.

You will privately undress (to your level of comfort) and lie, draped with a sheet, on a comfortable massage table. The therapist will return to the room and begin the massage, using professional creams to facilitate therapeutic strokes. Only areas of the body currently being massaged will be undraped, with utmost respect to your modesty and privacy.

Following the massage, you will be given post-treatment guidelines to follow such as increased water intake and, in some cases, icing of any soreness or inflammation of the tissue. Your therapist may also offer suggestions to maintain the benefits of your massage, such as at-home stretches, postural awareness, exercise education, and methods for incorporating stress reduction techniques.

THE COLLEGE OF MASSAGE THERAPY AT BINGHAM

Did you know that massages are available at Bingham Memorial Hospital? To schedule an appointment to meet with one of their student or professional massage therapists, please call (208) 785-3823.

Student Clinics

Friday and Saturdays: $25.00 for a one-hour full-body massage

Recently Graduated Massage Therapists

Mondays through Saturdays by appointment: $35.00 an hour

Professional Massage Therapists

Mondays through Saturdays by appointment: $55.00 an hour

Looking for a nice gift idea? Gift certificates are available for purchase! Call (208) 785-3823.