The Gift of Massage

I received a fabulous gift recently: a gift certificate for a one-hour massage. I have spent the better part of my summer driving, driving, driving, and my upper back feels like it is full of marbles. Add to that my long hours of running to prepare for an upcoming race and I feel strung tight, top and bottom!
Touch is very beneficial and one of the oldest therapies known to man.
Consider what you do when a child has been injured. After treating the obvious wound, you hug and rub the same with upset tummies and wounded feelings. While touch is human, massage borderlines on divine.
Today’s massage therapists are trained, licensed professionals and their skills can be an effective treatment, remedy or complement to a wide variety of ailments.
Because muscles in the head, neck and shoulders tend to tighten up when stressed, causing the dreaded tension headache, massage can be a remedy and a preventive measure. I’m hoping to get my appointment to deconstruct my driving tension before the headaches begin.
Massage therapy increases blood flow to the capillaries, small arteries, veins and lymphatic vessels, bringing nutrients and removing waste material. This is a real boon to the regular exerciser. Massage also can prevent the micro-tears associated with exercise from becoming scar tissue that reduces range of motion and increases the chance of injury.
And then there is the pamper factor. Let’s face it. Having someone do nothing but pay attention to your needs for an hour feels pretty good. A great massage therapist will chat if you want to chat, or leave you in blissful silence. The real pros will sense when what they are is a little too intense and back off a bit. But every therapist should at least ask, “Is this amount of pressure good?” Wouldn’t it be great if your boss asked that!
Is massage expensive? It depends on your values. I value my health. I treat my body better than my car. I can always repair my car or purchase a new one. My body, on the other hand, is very expensive to “fix” and getting a new one isn’t an option. I will happily pay a professional for routine maintenance.
You won’t have to take off a stitch of clothing and, most likely, you will find yourself adding “gift certificate for a massage” to your next holiday wish list.

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