Massage therapy at Calgary Centre for Health
Our massage therapists have a combined experience of more than 60 years.
Effects of massage therapy
Massage is known to:
- Cause changes in the blood. The oxygen capacity of the blood can increase 10-15% after massage.
- Affect muscles throughout the body. Massage can help loosen contracted, shortened muscles and can stimulate weak, flaccid muscles. This muscle “balancing” can help posture and promote more efficient movement.
- Affect the nervous system. Massage balances the nervous system by soothing or stimulating it, depending on which effect is needed by the individual at the time of the massage.
- Enhance skin condition. Massage directly improves the function of the sebaceous (oil) and sweat glands, which keep the skin lubricated, clean, cooled.
- Affect internal organs. By indirectly or directly stimulating nerves that supply internal organs, blood vessels of these organs dilate and allow greater blood supply to them.
Massage therapy benefits
- Helps relieve stress and aids relaxation
- Helps relieve muscle tension and stiffness
- Fosters faster healing of strained muscles and sprained ligaments; reduces pain and swelling; 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 of blood 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
- Fosters peace of mind
- Promotes a relaxed state of mental alertness
- Helps relieve mental stress
- Improves ability to monitor stress signals and respond appropriately
- Enhances capacity for calm thinking and creativity
- Fosters a feeling of well-being
- Reduces levels of anxiety
- Increases awareness of mind-body connection
Massage therapy and athletic performance
For athletes in every sport massage can reduce fatigue and aid recovery from the exertion of working out or playing. Massage enables longer, more effective workouts, thus facilitating better performance and preventing injury.
Massage acts to disperse the by-products of muscle action such as lactic and carbonic acids which irritate muscles and nerve endings causing pain and fatigue. Massage can thus increase muscle recovery rates. When massage has been substituted for rest, an increase from 20 – 100% muscle recovery has been recorded.
Massage counteracts joint pain or stiffness with strokes and passive movement to release the muscle tension and free the connective tissue that can bind the joints.
Massage therapy and stress
Stress causes the release of hormones that create vasoconstriction leading to reduced blood circulation. The heart works harder, breathing becomes rapid and shallow, and digestion slows. Nearly every body process is degraded. Stress can cause migraines, hypertension, depression, ulcers, etc. Researchers have estimated that 80% of disease is stress related. Soothing and relaxing massage therapy can help by counteracting stress effects.
Massage therapy is a form of drug-free therapy that can relieve headaches, insomnia, digestive disorders including constipation and spastic colon, arthritis, asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, sinusitis, and minor aches and pains and many other conditions.
Massage therapy and pregnancy
During pregnancy a woman’s body undergoes many changes, some of them stressful and uncomfortable. Massage is a perfect way to reduce stress and promote general well-being.
- Massage combats fatigue and helps the mother feel more energetic.
- Massage eases the load on mom’s heart and helps keep her blood pressure in check.
- Massage relieves many of the normal discomforts during pregnancy, such as backaches, a stiff neck, leg cramps, headaches and sore, swollen ankles and feet.
Book in for a massage and access some relief today
Contact Calgary Centre for Health to schedule an appointment!
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