The Affects of Massage on Sleep

 

Massage and Sleep

Sleep is an important aspect of health and well-being. Though there doesn’t seem to be any magic number concerning the amount of sleep people require, getting too little is associated with a number of medical conditions, and can negatively impact a person’s overall health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions—such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression—which threaten our nation’s health. Notably, insufficient sleep is associated with the onset of these diseases and also poses important implications for their management and outcome.”

Some Recent Research: Low Back Pain and Fatigue

Some recent research is helping shed light on how massage therapy can be used to help people who have difficulty sleeping. One study of how massage therapy can benefit people with lower back pain and sleep disturbances found that the massage therapy group experienced less pain, depression, anxiety and sleep disturbance when compared to the group using only relaxation therapy.

This study comprised 30 adults with low back pain with a duration of at least six months. Randomly assigned to either massage therapy or relaxation therapy, each group had 30-minute sessions, twice a week for five weeks. On the first and last day of the five-week study, participants completed questionnaires and were assessed for range of motion. Along with the benefits for depression, anxiety and sleep disturbance, the massage therapy group also showed improved trunk and pain flexion performance.

A 2010 study investigated the effects of massage therapy for sleep quality on patients who had coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The study evaluated whether massage therapy would be effective in improving sleep quality in patients.

The 40 participants of the study were randomly assigned to a control group or massage therapy group following discharge from the intensive care unit. For three nights, the massage therapy group received massage while the control group did not. The patients were evaluated the following morning using a visual analogue scale for pain in the chest, back and shoulders, as well as fatigue and sleep.
 
Interestingly, pain in the chest, shoulders and back decreased significantly for both groups from day one to day three. The participants in the massage therapy group, however, had fewer complaints of fatigue on day one and day two, as well as reporting more effective sleep during all three days.

Create a Plan

Is it time to create a wellness plan to combat your nights of endless sleep? Are your aches and pains keeping you up at night? It could be that you may need more frequent, short massages to manage the present health condition. This may increase your sleep quality then allowing you to get back on track with your monthly massage program. 

I offer 15 minute and 30 minute massage sessions to help combat these minor problems. 

Hope to see you soon - Have a great day. 
Nancy

mcshane.massagetherapy.com

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Tackling Migraines Head-On

 

Massage and Migraines

Nobody likes to be in pain, and for people who suffer from migraines, pain can be debilitating, disrupting both their personal and professional lives. Whether migraine hits once in a while or on a regular basis, finding relief—preferably relief that can be counted on—is a top priority.

Massage therapy has shown some success in helping people who suffer from migraine better manage the pain. To help clients who get migraines, I understand the condition and what massage therapy has to offer in terms of pain relief.

The Breakdown of a Migraine Attack

Phase 1—Prodrome

Up to 72 hours before the pain hits, there can be warning signs that a migraine is imminent. These signs can include severe exhaustion or hyperactivity, difficulty concentrating, food cravings, sleepiness and neck pain.

Phase 2—Aura

The most commonly reported aura is visual, although it only occurs in onethird of the migraine population. A person’s vision can be interrupted by sparkly spots, zigzag lines or tunnel vision, lasting between 20 to 60 minutes. An aura can present in other ways, too, such as vertigo, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and even temporary paralysis on one side of the body.

Phase 3—Headache

The pain during this phase is often described as throbbing, piercing or pulsating. The client may also be sensitive to light, sound and smell. Physical activity usually makes the symptoms worse. This phase can be debilitating for hours or days. Most seek refuge in a quiet, dark room.

Phase 4—Postdrome

Once the pain has subsided, the body requires a recovery period. A person might feel exhausted, sluggish, confused and even depressed.

It's important to get the massage in the early stage or Phase 1 of the Migraine. I have found that giving a massage when a client in the middle of a horrible headache only makes it worse. The increase blood circulation causes more throbbing in the head and dizziness. 

So next time you feel a migraine or a headache coming on consider coming in for 15 or 30 mins to simply have neck and shoulders worked on and let's see if this makes a difference. 

Blessings

Nancy

 

Massage and Emotions

Massage can provide stress relief for just about anyone. Yet the benefits of massage go beyond stress relief. Moderate-pressure massage for as little as 15 minutes may offer relief from depression, anger, and anxiety.

Massage therapy can improve a person’s emotional health by reducing stress and stress hormones; by increasing serotonin and thereby reducing depression and pain; and by enhancing immune function and thereby reducing bacterial and viral illnesses. 

Research has also shown that:

• Six 30-minute massages over a two-week period can ease pain and improve mood among people with advanced cancer.
• Massage can help reduce depression in both children and pregnant women. As little as 15 minutes of massage on a regular basis may be beneficial to mood.
• Massage therapy is helpful for trauma victims. Aside from physical pain, victims of trauma, past or present, will often hold memories of such events in their muscle tissues. By receiving massage from a trained professional, one can get back in touch with their body and be able to access the held emotions.

Massage is not just a way to gain stress relief — you can reduce many of the other unpleasant emotions in your life as well. Many studies show that massage therapy reduces negative mood states like depression, anxiety, and anger and their associated stress hormones.

There are a lot of studies out there that show how massage is playing a huge part in managing those emotions and having better health. Another great reason is add massage as part of your monthly health routine. As I mention in the beginning of the post, 15 minutes may offer relief. I offer a 15 minute massage. Let's get you in for some emotional wellbeing. 

I look forward to seeing you. - Nancy 

The Underdog of Massage Sessions - The 30 min Massage

This overlooked massage session. People pass it by because it’s not long enough and yet one of the biggest complaints I hear the from possible clients is that they don’t have time. Say what? 

Often times for a 30 minute massage you won’t need to undress for the session. It can’t get much faster then this. 

Pros

Less time! You might think an hour massage is just an hour of your time, but think again. New clients need to factor in time to complete paperwork, and everyone needs to factor in the unforeseen delay. There’s also the time getting undressed and then dressed, checking out, etc.

A half hour session can be a great way to get the work in that you need without the big commitment. (Bonus: since it’s a smaller unit of time, it’s actually a little easier to get in on short notice.)

Focus. When you go in for a half hour session, it’s understood that there’s only really time to treat one or two focus areas. I won’t be worrying about making time to get in a full body massage. My treatment is focused, and so is my attention.

Treatment. Got a terrible crick in your neck? Is there just one area where you have persistent pain that just needs to be rubbed out? A half hour session might be all you need. Keep in mind, though, that the more chronic the pain is, the more regular massage sessions it will take to heal the problem. You can’t expect to reach your fitness goals after just one workout, right? Massage can be the same way. Having said that, many clients report feeling better after just one focused treatment. Your mileage may vary.

Cons

It’s over already?

If you’re looking for a relaxing experience as well as treatment, you might want to consider going with a longer session. A half hour usually isn’t enough time if your goal is to release the cares of the day and escape your stress for a while. Sixty minutes is enough to get that job done for most people, but have you tried a 90 minute session? That is relaxation.

So I invite you to schedule your next 30 minute massage. Experience that quick and ease this session offers. In a hurry - Don't worry.  Would you like to feel better - Let's spend 30 minutes together. 

Schedule your next appointment here. 

Have a great rest of your day. 

Nancy

CMT, Lightworker, Mystic

mcshane.massagetherapy.com

#mcshanemassage

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