Did you know that different types of massage can serve you better than others? The way to get the right kind of massage for you is to be conscious of your body and talk with your massage therapist. It’s easy to go in for an appointment and say, “I need stress relief.”
However, many times stress relief alone is not enough. If you have bodywork done that addresses a specific pain your body, you can make sustainable progress towards better health. This will encourage more positive healing in your life in other areas as well. By addressing the sources of pain in your life – a job making you miserable that causes you to hunch for instance – you can begin a regimen of holistic healing.
So how do you start being more proactive about the bodywork you receive? Ask yourself what your goal(s) are that you would expect bodywork to help you achieve.
Here are a few specific questions to help you get started.
- Do you endure regular headaches?
- Have you been recently injured?
- Do you have limited flexibility?
- Do you have numbness or tingling in your hands or feet?
Try to specifically identify where the pain is coming from. Giving your massage therapist feedback and information will help them help you.
Do you have:
- Low back pain?
- Neck pain?
- Shoulder pain?
- Pain in your feet?
By determining where massage will make the most difference for you, you can see more tangible benefits of each visit. For instance, if your hip is giving you trouble, massage can help get the nerves firing so your muscles start acting the way they are supposed to and loosen your hip enough so you can take action yourself to fix the problem.
Helping you care for yourself between massage appointments is crucial, so if your massage therapist isn’t advising you on proper post-appointment actions to take, ask for recommendations. In our hip example, appropriate actions to take might include starting a exercise practice such as yoga to strengthen the muscles, buying new shoes that will help fix your posture, or a few stretches you can easily do at home for a few minutes everyday.
Myofascial work and deep muscle massage can help move you towards your overall goal of being more healthy. But it’s up to you to take action and responsibility for getting what you need from your provider.
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Foundation Bodyworks 