Articles

MASSAGE IS GOOD FOR YOU!
A (very!) brief history of massage
Most people have one or two stereotypical images of massage_ either it's a luxury treatment for wealthy people to indulge in at health spa's or beauty clinics - or it is something from seedy backstreet massage parlours. To be fair, both of these images quite accurately portray massage in Britain during most of the last century.

Massage gained popularity during the Victorian era as a medical treatment, but after that it was largely ignored. Developments on pharmaceuticals and surgical techniques focused doctor's attention on specific symptoms of a complaint, rather than viewing it in a holistic, whole body way.Massage was then left in the hands (no pun intended!) of the beautician and ladies of lesser virtue.



'Respectable' massage has largely been seen as a beauty treatment, an indulgence to pamper yourself.It has been marketed in this way for many years, and many people now do not realise the benefits that massage can bring.

If pressed most people would say that massage is relaxing. I agree - relaxation is one of the main aims of massage, but what is meant by relaxation? To me, it is the removal of some of the stress that we all live with today. Removing the knots from shoulders, releasing tight neck muscles thereby reducing headaches and eyestrain, helping to reduce insomnia, irritability and bad digestion. Just allowing yourself to switch off for 30 minutes or an hour can help to restore you.


More than just relaxation........
Other less noticeable benefits accumulate if you have a regular massage. It improves circulation, increases suppleness in muscles, can improve joint mobility, speeds up the lymphatice system therefore quickening the elimination of waste products and helping to speed up the natural healing process of the body.

Now we can see that massage should be seen as a holistic therapy treating the whole person rather than one symptom. On the simplist level this can mean that rather than take a tablet to stop recurring headaches, you try to find what is causing it in the first place. Is stress causing tension to build in the shoulder and neck muscles leading to headaches? Or is the tension in the shoulder and neck muscles caused by poor posture whilst sitting in the office or driving? A good therapist will consider all of these.

Choosing the most appropriate massage for you......
You have to decide which type of massage is the most appropriate for you.

On the following pages I will describe the massages that I practice,as well as some of the benefits. I will also outline the various services that I offer.