Babies (and their parents) benefit hugely from the power of touch. just soothing a touching your infant calms and relaxes them, a full or part body massage is going to do them a world of good- just as it does and adult. Studies have shown that massaging a baby can help to reduce crying and fussiness, help them to sleep better and for longer, and even alleviate some painful conditions like colic.  Some experts also believe that baby massage helps fend off germs and illnesses by boosting their developing immune system.

Giving your baby a massage helps to stimulate their central nervous system, which make their brain produce more feel-good serotonin and less stress-inducing cortisol.  this slows down their heart rate and breathing, making them relax.  Baby massage is greal for infants mental well-being as well as their physical health: affectionate touch and rhythmic movement are important tools for parents to use to bond with little ones.

The effects of learning baby massage are also felt by parents- if your feeling stressed and out of control with a crying baby, a gentle massage can help both of you calm down, leaving you feeling in more control.  You can start by choosing a time when your baby is awake and alert but calm. Don’t attempt to massage a baby who is already crying or fussy as you could over stimulate their nervouse system and exaberate the problem. 

Some benefits may include:

• Relaxing and Calming for babies and parents
• Helps with muscle tone and developement
• can help sooth tummy troubles and teething pain
• helps calm baby at bedtime
• encourages parent and baby bonding
• and it’s a great way to involve significant other’s in baby’s routine

I’m including a link highlighting some of the basic research on infant massage

http://pediatrics.med.miami.edu/touch-research

 

Massages are often sold as an indulgent treat that you get when you visit a spa or go on vacation, but there’s so much more to massage that just a feel good treat. Did you know that the symptoms of many health problems can be reduced and even eliminated with regular massage? Here are a few conditions that mssage can work really well on; a few you probably know and some that may surprise you!

STRESS 

It’s no surprise that a regular dose of massage therapy is good for your stress levels, it works by helping to lower your blood pressure, improve your quality of sleep, and by reducing your stress level’s it’s also thought to help reduce the risk of heart disease.  In 2008 the journal Psycho-onclology publshed s study which came to the conclusion “a significant reduction in cortisol (the main stress hormone) could be safely achieved through massage, with associated improvement in psychological well-being.”

LOWER BACK PAIN

This is such a common problem, often caused by bad posture at work, so no wonder many employers are drafting in massage therapists to help.  Poor posture and sitting for too long can cause a lot of lower back problems, as can simply getting older.  Get your massage therapist on the case an you can hopefully wave goodbye to a sore back.

SPORTS INJURIES

Fitness and sport are great for your health but they can sometimes lead to injuries and overworked muscles.  A regular massage can help to heal any wear and tear on your muscles and tendons, and can also hlep you manage the pain from a chronic acute sports injury.  Having well looked-after muscles may also help prevent future injuries-one more reason to book those regular sessions

JOINT STIFFNESS

Massage can be a blessed relief for people dealing with the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis and other joint problems.  Research published is 2013 in the Complementary Therapy in Clinical Practice journal said that people with rheumatoid arthritis reported some relief from pain and sitffness after four once-a-week moderate-pressure massages, topped up with self-massage at home in between treatments.  Massage can also help with your range of motion and flexability, which can relieve pain in  your shoulders, knees, and hips.

CIRCULATION

There are a whole range of health problems that can be caused by bad circulation, so it figures that boosing your circulation will be a bonus for your whole body.  Regular massage helps to get the blood moving, getting essential nutrients to where they are needed in your tissues and  vital organs much faster. The squeezing and pulling acitons involved in a good massage also help to flush lactic acid out of your muscles and improve the circulation of lymph-the fluid that carries metabolic waste away from your muscles and internal organs.

MIGRAINE SYMPTOMS

Noboby really knows what causes migrains, and there isn’t a cure, but if your a migrain sufferer you’ll be pleased to hear that sudies have shown that massage can help reduce the frequency of attacks, and  lessen the severity of the symptoms. Some migraines, especially those triggered by stress, are especially receptive to massage treatment.

SKIN CANCER

Of course, we wouldn’t tell you that massage cures cancer; it can’t. But in some cases your massage therapist can notice abnormalities in your skin that you can’t see or just haven’t picked up on, and alert you to them.  Regular massaage can also be good for your skin as it gets the circulation going and nourishing oils used in a treatment help to keep skin feeling soft

ALLERGIES

A massage helps to simulate lymph flow around your body, which boosts your immune system and can help to reduce the severity of allergic reactions. Sometimes a therapist might be able to tell just from your lymph nodes if you an allergy sufferer as they can feel tneder of swollen. 

Did any of thos surpise you? Of course, you don’t need to make an excuse for wanting a massage, but if you are dealing with any of these health issued, it’s good to know that your regular massage habit is helping

 

There is no escaping the truth; winter is coming around again. The days are going to get shorter and sweaters are going to have to come out of the wardrobe. It’s not unusual for people to get the “winter blues”- which is a condition many people in the northern hemisphere are afflicted with due to the lack of sunlight during the colder and darker winter months.

The good news for everyone is that massage therapy can help increase health happiness for everyone during the cooler months of the year.  Here a few reasons why..

Massage May Help to Banish Seasonal Affective Disorder  As we’ve mentioned, Seasonal Affective Disorder- sometimes known as the winter blues- is a problem for many people when there’s less natural sunlight.  This is because sunlight causes the brain to release a feel-good chemical called seratonin that improves our mood. When there’s less sunlight, less seratonin is produced, which can leas to low mood, lethargy, and difficulties getting out of bed in the morning.  In some people it can even cause serious depression enough to warrent visiting a doctor.  It’s not a happy place to be, but the good news is that booking in a regular massage can help to lift a low mood.  A regular massage session will help to relax stressed mind, and bodies, as well as releasing the seratonin and endorphins, the same chemicals produced by the body when your happy.

It Can Give Your Circulation A Boost  Massage therapy may also help boost circulation during a time of the year when nobody wants to get up and go outside for a run. Everybody knows that getting regular exercise helps keep circulation running smoothly, and also gets the oxygenated blood pumped around our bodies faster. This is all very well, but lack of movement in the winter months can result in feeling sluggish, while poor circulation can lead to lethargy, aches and pains. Here’s where a massage has extra benefits; it can help blood pass through any congested areas and boosts overall flow, which also helps the lymphatic system to remove waste that builds up.  At the same time, massage is well known to help decrease blood pressure.

It May Help Your Body to Fight Off Minor Infections.  For anybody that’s prone to suffereing from colds and infections during the winter season, massage might be the way forward. It’s been found that massage sessions can boost the effectiveness of the immune system, helping to fight off the bugs and viruses that circulate in the offices, shops, and schools at this time. (except COVID19 ) A gentle massage of the area around the lymph nodes also encourages white blood cells to circulate, and as this increases blood flow it also stimulates the white blood cells to start fighting any infection in your body,

These are just a few of the many benefits that massage therapy can bring during the winter.  Of course, there’s also the feel-good aspect of a warmiong hot stone massage, delicious aromatic massage oils and even just the act of taking time out to look after yourself when you need it.

 

 People everywhere, especially women, seem to feel guilty about taking time out to look after themselves. It’s OK when it’s a gym session, because that’s virtuous and ‘hard work’ – but if all we’re investing our time in is an hour or so of being relaxed beyond belief at the hands of a massage therapist, it’s as if we’re committing a deadly sin by prioritising our own wellbeing. Well, we have news for you. Your wellbeing is important and self-care is a vital part of looking after that wellbeing. Even if you’re a busy parent, worker or career, you need to take time to do something good for yourself because if you are depleted and tired, you’ll have no energy to do anything for the other people who need you. You know it makes sense. Sometimes, though, other people can try to make you feel as if indulging yourself in a massage is a waste of time when you could be doing something else (usually what they want you to do). We’ve come up with five good reasons you can give to other people if they ever give you a hard time for getting your regular massage. A good massage will help relieve muscle tension. Muscle tension can lead to headaches, which put you in a grouch. Nobody wants a grouchy parent/co-worker do they? Therefore, tell them you’re going for a massage and that they will thank you for it when you return with a sunny disposition. It helps you sleep! If your insomnia is starting to irritate your family – and wake them up too – tell them you’re going for a massage because you don’t want their sleep to suffer along with yours. It’s true that a massage helps to boost serotonin levels (which have been proven to help with sleep). Obviously, being tired makes you so much less productive at work too, so a decent massage helps you work smarter… Suffering from chronic pain? It’s an expensive business isn’t it? If the cost of your pain meds is starting to mount up, see if getting a massage on a regular basis might help you to reduce the amount of drugs you need to take. Then you’ll be saving money and not using so many drugs, both of which put you at an advantage. Are you constantly getting colds, coughs and infections that you end up passing on to everyone else? Avoid becoming the office pariah for your germspreading and try massage instead. Deep tissue and Swedish massage have been proven to support the lymphatic system which is your body’s defence system against illness. They want you to be happy, don’t they? This has to be the #1 reason for a massage, because the happier you are, the more other people will benefit from your improved mood and general relaxed demeanour. So – you don’t have to make excuses for scheduling in your next massage appointment. Remember, as they say in the commercial – ‘You’re worth it.’

Crystal healing therapy involves placing gemstones on the body to draw out negative energy. … Proponents of this technique believe that crystals act as conduits for healing — allowing positive, healing energy to flow into the body as negative, disease-causing energy flows out

During a treatment session, a crystal healer may place various stones or crystals on your body aligned with these chakra points, roughly in the regions above the head, on the forehead, on the throat, on the chest, on the stomach, on the gut.  The stones used and their positioning may be chosen for the symptoms reported by the patient. This is all influenced by the healer’s knowledge of, and belief in, the chakra philosophy of disease and energy imbalances — a philosophy that is largely dismissed by practitioners of Western medicine

In crystal healing, stones are assigned various properties, though healers have different ideas about which stones possess which properties. Amethyst, for example, is believed by some to be beneficial for the intestines; green aventurine helps the heart; yellow topaz provides mental clarity. Colors red through violet are associated with seven chakra points on the body.