Do I have to undress for a massage?
You may leave your clothes on, please wear comfortable, loose soft material clothing.
You may change into shorts or undress to your comfort.
Private areas are not exposed.
You are covered with a sheet or towel.
NOTE: If you prefer to leave your clothes on, you may do so. Please wear thin material clothing.
· The exceptions are craniosacral therapy and shiatsu in which you may remain fully clothed.
· You will be asked to undress to your level of comfort and lie down on the treatment table under the sheets.
· Massage therapists are trained to respect your modesty, and will undrape only the part of the body they are massaging. Generally, you may leave your underwear on.
· Notify the therapist for any modesty concerns you may have.
How often do I come in for massage?
· Massage treatment for remediation from a recent injury, the recommendation is two times a week for four weeks than one time every 3 weeks to one time every 4 weeks, etc.
· The same goes for long-term dysfunction like chronic back pain.
· For relaxation and general health improvement the recommendation is once a month or more. Depending on each individual.
How do I choose a type of massage?
· Do you want lighter touch, or deeper?
Recommendation is Swedish or relaxation massage for your first massage.
· For deeper work, recommend deep tissue massage.
· For specific injuries, choose a therapist who has trained in injury treatment or has pain management specialties with certified advance training.
Will massage therapy hurt?
· When you have had muscle pain and dysfunction for some time, your tissue can feel sore to the touch. Mild pain with treatment is common and can be a function of releasing tight muscles to create relief.
· Give your therapist feedback. She will want to know how you are feeling. If the treatment you are receiving is causing you so much discomfort that you are unable to relax, ask the therapist to ease up or stop.
· You are in charge of your treatment and too much pain can be counter productive. Verbalize your feeling and the therapist will lighten up the pressure to your comfort and continue treatment.
· At the end of each massage, you should feel better and the treatments will become more comfortable as your tissue function improves after each treatment session.
· After a session, you may feel some muscle soreness for a day or two until your body readjusts and heals itself.
· Be sure to drink extra water. Putting an ice pack on any sore areas for twenty minutes or taking an Epsom salts bath can be very helpful.
Can massage help reduce stress levels?
· Massage releases tight muscles where tension is held and improves circulation throughout the body. Lying down in a warm place, listening to calming music and having a caring, skilled therapist massage your sore muscles provides a uniquely wonderful way to reduce stress.
· Some of the benefits, you may experience clearer thinking, improved mood, better digestion, and increased energy and vitality.
Is it safe to receive massage during pregnancy?
· Yes it is safe and beneficial and comforting.
· Massage therapy can be received throughout your pregnancy term and after the birth of your child for recovery care. Be sure your therapist has advance training in prenatal massage.
· If you are experiencing complications during pregnancy, discuss your condition with your doctor or midwife first.
How much of my body will be massaged?
For relaxation, Swedish a stress relief massage usually includes the back, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, legs, feet, face, chest (above breasts for women), and hips. Abdomen upon request.
What studies have been done on massage therapy?
o Massage has been studied for its use with
o premature infants, ADHD,
o adults who have recently experienced a heart attack or stroke
o athletes who desire to increase their performance and shorten recuperation time,
o victims of sexual abuse,
o grieving patients and for common soft-tissue conditions like low back pain and neck pain
o geriatrics,
o Fibromyalgia, cancer
Clinical research has shown massage therapy
Is effective for treating chronic back pain than other standard treatments.
Promotes relaxation and alleviates the perception of pain and anxiety in cancer patients.
Reduces post-traumatic headaches
Lessens pain and muscle spasms in patients.
Stimulates the brain to produce endorphins.
Is beneficial for normal growth in premature babies.
What are the Health Benefits of Massage?
o Massage affects the nervous system by relaxing the entire body.
o Blood circulation is enhanced throughout and the muscles are stretched and relaxed.
o Knots and sore areas can get worked out and muscle holding patterns released.
o Relief of physical pain and stress improves your physical well being and your mental state.
o When muscles are massaged, body waste products accumulate, causing soreness, stiffness, and even muscle spasms.
o Improves blood and lymph circulation and brings fresh oxygen and other nutrients to the affected tissues.
o Tense muscles tend to compress blood vessels and stretch nerves, thus restricting blood flow and causing pain. The massaged muscles gradually release the irritated nerves, and the pain eases.
o Massage has shown to increase the body's production of pain-killing endorphins and the mood-altering hormone serotonin.
o Massage enhances medical treatments and may shorten the time it takes for the body to recover from injury and illness.
o Massage can help release chronic muscular tension and pain, increase joint flexibility, reduce mental and physical fatigue, promote digestion, improve posture and reduce blood pressure.
o Relief from headache, neck ache and eyestrain
o Deep relaxation of body and mind
o Freeing of muscle adhesions and softens scar tissue caused by injury
o Aid in healing of scar tissue due to injury
o Relief from muscle spasm or cramping
o Enhanced body awareness
o Nourishment of the skin and improved skin tone
o Improved sleep quality
The health providers who send patients to Restoration Hands of Aloha Massage Clinic, Inc., for clinical treatments. for common diagnoses for which doctors entrust their patients to RHOA are:
o neck pain, cervical strain/sprain
o back pain due to scoliosis
o thoracic pain, rotater cuff issues
o lumber sprain/strain (low back pain),
o sciatica,
o shoulder and arm pain due to muscle tightness
o headache, migraine, TMJ
o knee sprain/strain
o spasm of muscle, muscle cramps
o Fibromyalgia
R E S E A R C H
Body Therapy and Massage Aid in Childhood Sexual Abuse Recovery
Dissociation and lack of bodily self-awareness are common among women who have experienced childhood sexual abuse, according to this study's researchers. "Body-Oriented Therapy in Recovery from Child Sexual Abuse: An Efficacy Study” compares therapeutic massage and body-oriented therapy as methods for eliminating these psychological states that inhibit recovery.
Researchers at the University of Washington’s School of Nursing investigated the effectiveness of body-oriented therapy, a treatment approach that combines hands-on bodywork and verbal therapy.
Twenty-four adult females who were in psychotherapy for childhood sexual abuse were randomized into two groups, one that received standardized therapeutic massage, and one that received body-oriented therapy. Over a 10-week period, both groups received sessions in eight, hour-long sessions in university treatment rooms and in research clinicians’ private offices. Two of the clinicians were massage therapists and two were therapists who teach body awareness.
The body-oriented therapy protocol was delivered in three stages, involving massage, body awareness exercises, and an inner-body focusing process. The massage-therapy protocol was standardized and served as a relative control condition to address the lack of touch-based comparisons in bodywork research. Both protocols were delivered over clothes.
Indicators of three key constructs were measured: psychological well-being, physical well-being and body connection. Symptoms were measured using the Brief Symptom Inventory, Dissociative Experiences Scale, Crime-Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale, a medical-symptoms checklist, scales of body connection, and investment. Results were gathered at baseline, two times during intervention, post-intervention, and at one month and three months follow-up.
Both statistical and qualitative analyses were used to provide both empirical and experiential perspectives on the process. The subjects also completed a demographic questionnaire at baseline, a final questionnaire on their experience of the treatment and perception of its impact, and a follow-up questionnaire about any experience of body-oriented therapy after the study.
Analysis of variance indicated significant improvement for both intervention groups. Although the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant, their answers to open-ended questions revealed that the groups differed on perceived experience of the intervention and its influence on their recovery.
The author states that although the results did not support the study hypothesis, they do provide support for the efficacy of body therapy in recovery from childhood sexual abuse, and that “both massage and body-oriented interventions influence abuse recovery in important but distinct ways.”
— Source: School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle. Author: Cynthia Price, Ph.D. Originally published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, Sept./Oct. 2005, Vol. 11, No. 5, pp. 46–57.
