Why Massage

Pain and Stiffness
A torn rotator cuff or dislocated shoulder can make it difficult to move your arm. Massage is an effective way of increasing your range of motion, because it increases the supply of fresh blood to your muscles, providing them with oxygen-rich nutrition. Deep tissue massage across the grain of your muscles, or Swedish massage with the grain, can provide relief of stiffness, tension and pain.
You might feel some lumps giving way under the pressure, which indicates that the muscle and tissue adhesions causing your pain are breaking up. Your Massage Envy professional therapist can recommend the right amount of pressure, but your input is the most important in ensuring that you receive the best possible massage.

Preventing Shoulder Problems
Elaine Calenda of Boulder, Colorado’s College of Massage Therapy identifies the leading causes of shoulder pain as weak muscles, bad posture and occasional bouts of intense activity.
“By increasing neck and shoulder range of motion,” she concludes, “massage helps prevent future strain.”

Reflexology is the practice of applying pressure to the feet and hands utilizing specific thumb, finger and hand techniques without the use of oil, cream or lotion based on a system of zones and reflex areas that reflect an image of the body on the feet and hands with a premise that such work effects a physical change in the body. Reflexology works as the pressure techniques applied to the feet or hands interact as a part of the body’s nervous system creating: relaxation, improved circulation, exercise of the nervous system and the benefits of touch.

Foot2In general terms, the benefits of reflexology have to do with the reduction of stress. Because the feet and hands help set the tension level for the rest of the body, they are an easy way to interrupt the stress signal and reset homeostasis, the body’s equilibrium. Reflexology is a complement to standard medical care. It should not be construed as medical advice. It should not be a replacement to medical help. Please use it wisely. We care about your safety.

Shiatsu or “finger pressure” massage, sometimes called Zen shiatsu, is a Japanese form of physiotherapy. It is often described as the equivalent of acupressure, but this comparison is not entirely accurate, because the technique looks beyond specific pressure points, incorporating other methods such as stretching, breathing and rotating for a more whole-body approach to restoring energy balance.

Although many of the claimed benefits have yet to be conclusively proven, advocates assert that it can work to treat many different spiritual, physical and emotional problems. Generally considered to be safe, its roots are thousands of years old, and today, the technique is growing in popularity around the world.