Are Massages Luxury Services?

Massages can be considered luxurious if you’re purposely splurging to go on a trip to a fancy spa. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that as long your overall trip provides a positive experience. We’re all for having something that takes our minds off the mundane daily tasks we’ve grown so accustomed to do.

Why would I get a massage?

There are two broad reasons one opts to get a massage. The first is the most commonly known: to relax. The second is to treat and decrease muscular pain. Many patients want both benefits in their treatment so massage therapists typically make ask the person their goals for the treatment to offer a fully customizable session.

Massage and bodywork therapy can look very medical since some of the techniques used in treating muscles crossover into the territory of say, a physical therapist or athletic trainer. Depending on the modality that your bodywork therapist is trained in, you may be able to get treatment that is more therapeutic in nature such as stretching and testing for muscular dysfunctions, which have less flow than a spa treatment.

What is “flow” in massage and why do I care?

Well, this is where massage gets artistic. Some Licensed Massage Therapists (LMTs) have been trained to have a more delicate touch when beginning a treatment or transitioning to and from another limb. This means that they gently introduce their hands, stones and other tools with a more careful approach. Without flow, think of the abrupt, choppy treatment you would get at a doctor’s office where multiple steps are required to get the service completed and along the way there is waiting and nurses suddenly knocking on your door, until the physician steps in, completes their assessment and exits your room indicating it’s finally time to leave. The flow of a massage treatment will leave you in a more relaxed state of mind and it only takes 15 minutes to activate a parasympathetic state.

Parasympathetic changes brought on by massage

The benefits to massage lie in both relaxing and therapeutic modalities. There are many benefits to being able to relax and slow down from a society that has us constantly riding on the “high setting”. Some benefits that may be experienced with massage are:

• increasing blood circulation and lymph movement
• reducing edema/swelling
• increasing nutrient delivery to skin
• aiding in flushing wastes away faster
• keeping skin soft by facilitating sebaceous secretions
• mechanically altering texture and consistency of skin
• reducing fibrous scar tissue
• loosening connective tissue, gel matrix, tendons, ligaments, adhesions/knots
• increasing range of motion
• decreasing muscle tone (resting tension)
• decreasing muscle spasms
• decreasing blood pressure (vasodilate)
• decreasing heart rate
• reducing respiratory rate
• reducing stress
• reducing anxiety/depression
• decreasing pressure placed on neurons due to muscle compression
• stimulating proprioreceptors
• reducing pain