Muscle Repair Massage » sports massage

Massage Envy

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 17:41:26 +0000

So, how does one explain massage envy? Isn’t envy one of the 7 deadly sins, you bet it is but you can also bet the farm that when you start getting regular massages even if it be for physical therapy that someone you know will have massage envy. So, how do you best combat massage envy? Here are a couple of tips to make sure that your friends and family don’t envy you too much when you step out of the massage therapist office.

You must not brag. No one likes a bragger and you must realize that saying anything like, I had a great massage today,” will immediately sound like bragging and be interpreted as such. Unfortunately very few people want to hear how good you have it. Now walk lightly here because you do not want to sound disingenuous, but complaining, just slightly may be a good way dispel some massage envy.
As mentioned before not many people really want to hear about how good or bad you have it, so one way to combat massage envy is to simply keep it to yourself. I know this may be difficult considering how exhilarating and relaxing a great massage can be, but if you want to avoid those envious stares and jealous prods, keep it to yourself.
This is another to be careful with. If you are getting massage therapy to combat some type of an injury you may want to consider actually faking it. And by this I mean when you are in the presence of others you will put on an act. I know it sounds very L.A.ish, but that is beside the point. You are trying to avoid massage envy here, so the point is to make them feel sorry for you instead. I didn’t say it would be easy or even ethical.
Now here is a real charitable possibility. If you are aware of a certain friend or family member that has some serious massage envy you could consider floating the bill and taking them along to enjoy a massage of their own. The point of this is to build major good will and karma points and maybe even get them hooked. You will at some point have to transition over to getting them to cover their bill but hey, that is why crack dealers hand out samples.

You may not experience any negative aspects of massage envy, but many do and they actually find massage envy to be the only noted side effect of getting a good massage.

Who Can Benefit From Massage

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:44:43 +0000

The Question of who can benefit from massage has an easy answer, everyone can benefit!!!! The real question should be how can I benefit from massage?

The Too Many Responsibilities Person

The everyday person is most people out there, that have to work a job, take care of kids, have responsibilities, don’t have enough time, get to the gym some of the time, have some old injuries, etc. You get the idea. Most of these people suffer from some sort of stress related symptoms, have difficulty sleeping at times, get pretty sore when they get to the gym and and could use some extra relaxation. For these folks an hour long massage could do wonders to assist with all of the previously mentioned symptoms. One hour a month or even just one hour every couple months can be a great reward and looked forward to with eager anticipation. The days after the massage will be luxurious and relaxed, things that bothered you before will slide away.

The Ouch That Hurts Person

For the chronically injured, make sure you get proper medical advice before starting any massage program. You too could make all the same gains as mentioned above but massage could also help relieve pain, increase range of motion, optimize your body to assist with recovery, and give you a better perspective. Pain is a difficult thing to live with and anything that helps improve your quality of life will be greatly appreciated.

The Weekend Warrior

For you this could be a huge benefit. You may go out on the weekend and run a marathon or spend all of Saturday rock climbing and hanging in a harness. Then come Monday you find the office chair to be more uncomfortable and confining than usual. You could certainly benefit from pain relieving, swell reduction, side effects of a good massage, not to mention the mood related benefits. Help your body and mind recover from a the taxing fun you subject your self too.

For the Athlete

You probably already know all of the benefits of getting as good massage but you may have forgotten that the massage could help give you that extra edge you need to really be a competitor. Athletes are able to operate at peak performance only when they are properly optimized and in a good mental state. After all of the physical training most athletes will agree that the battle is largely mental and any mental edge that they can gain will help them out immensely. Go ahead gain the edge and make sports massage a regular part of your program.

To Massage or Not to Massage

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:49:32 +0000

How Effective is Massage

The Jury is out about the scientific benefits of massage but one thing is for certain. Popular opinion is not out about the benefits of massage. People pay big bucks for 15 minutes of massage by a student in a busy airport. It feels good, it relieves stress, reduces stiffness, reduces muscle soreness and promotes a general feeling of well being.

There are many claims about the possible benefits of massage by people with great reputations and enough letters behind their name to be able to make a substantial claim. But the alternative view is also littered with just as much evidence.

My view is that it is important to make up your own mind about the subject and understand a few key points about massage. First, all science aside weather not there is a hormonal response, increase in blood flow, reduction of stiffness, increase in flexibility it doesn’t really matter. What matters is what the subject of the massage thinks. If the person receiving the massage associates great benefit with the massage it doesn’t really matter what the science says. The mind is a powerful thing and placebos have been shown to be as effective as actual treatment.

So, if massage reduces anxiety, elevates mood and improves relaxation there is a very high chance that the athlete will have a better recovery from their workout. It is no secret that recovery is a huge part of the physical conditioning regime. Without proper recovery any time spent in the gym is wasted and if therapeutic massage can give you the edge you need to get that proper recovery, by all means get a massage.

Another often touted claim is that massage increases blood flow to effected areas, maybe, maybe not, but once again if the person thinks it helps then it does. If a person thinks that more nutrition will make it to massaged muscle cells due to stimulation then you can make the argument that they will possibly eat a healthier diet following the massage and the exercise.

In the athletic world wins are measured by milliseconds and anything that gives an edge over a competitor has the opportunity to be the missing ingredient. In the real world anything that makes you feel better or just more relaxed can be the difference between a good week and a bad one.

Truth be told it may be all in your mind but anecdotally it is unlikely that all of the people that swear by massage are wrong. Give the body the tools it need to heal and it can do some amazing things.