Learn the Truths about Massage Therapy

Myth #1: The sign of a good massage is that you feel really sore the next day

Everyone is different and some people are more sensitive than others, but just because you don’t feel sore the next day, doesn’t mean you had a bad massage.  The number one sign of an effective massage is that you feel better than you did before. It may take a while to feel the full benefits, but you should experience at least some of the following:

• Relaxation
• Renewed energy
• Increased mobility
• Decreased pain
• Better sleep
• Alertness
• Reduction in headaches

Myth #2: Massage is just for adults

Children can benefit from massage just as much as adults, if not more so. For children specifically, significant aspects of their emotional development are established through healthy and appropriate touch. A regular routine of massage therapy for a child promotes integrated physiological, neurological and psychological development and function. Understandably, children have different physical, emotional and developmental needs than those of adults, which is why it is important to receive a massage from a trained pediatric massage therapist.

Myth #3: Massage therapy is only moving muscles

While massage does manipulate and loosen muscles, it can also relax areas of tissue connecting muscles, bones, and organs, otherwise known as the fascia. In addition, it can reduce swelling and make movement easier by moving fluids to loosen joints in the body. Massage releases endorphins, the “feel good” hormones in the body, to help reduce stress and improve sleep.

Myth #4: Massage benefits are merely temporary

Yes, massage does ease immediate aches and pains. However, muscles have memory, and just as holding them in an awkward and uncomfortable position can cause long-term pain, massage can allow long-term relaxation and reduced muscle inflammation that will leave one feeling more comfortable for days afterwards.

Myth #5: Massage can make headaches worse

Massage therapy is actually a very effective complementary treatment for migraines and headaches. By releasing tension in the head and applying pressure to certain trigger points in the neck and shoulders, pain signals are interrupted. It helps to create a more relaxed state that can increase blood flow and address the debilitating pain caused by headaches and migraines, both in adults and children.

To learn more about pediatric massage therapy, one of the many services offered at Boomerang Health, click here.