Posts tagged stress management
The Use of Massage
Why pay to have your back rubbed, is it a waste of money? Or are there real benefits from having a massage. The art of massage is much more than just a back rub. The benefits are very similar regardless of the type of massage given, although certain types of massage are better for sports and muscle injuries.
Well, what are these benefits? and is a massage worth the money? Although massage therapy was used for thousands of years by the Greeks, Egyptians, Romans and Chinese as part of their healing tradition, in the Western world it is fairly new. This therapy has only been used for a couple of hundred years in Europe, and for the majority of that time was only available to wealthy people.
In traditional healing, medicines would have been given, as well as advise on diet and exercise, and often massage with oils was also reccommended. Sometimes massage was given as a stand alone therapy and a variety of oils would have been prescribed.
In the West a variety of massage techniques are used incorporating the traditional techniques of the Middle and Far East. Over the last couple of centuries western massage has evolved and some new techniques have been incorporated into more traditional massage therapies. Gradually scientists proved the efficiency of massage and over the years main stream medicine has become more accepting of its benefits.
Massage is great for relaxing you, but it does far more than that, the benefits can be felt throughout the whole body. Each different type of massage will bring its own unique benefits, and all of the different types will give some benefits that are common to all of them.
It is important to get used to listening to your body, we are all individuals and are changing all of the time. Maybe you have tried massage and thought that it was ok but didn't find any real benefit, then maybe it was the wrong type of massage for you at the moment.
If you are a fan of meditation then you know how to relax, for most of us relaxation is a big problem. Although our ancestors led stressful lives, their stress was in short bursts and not for the prolonged length of time that we in the modern world live with. Maybe you wake up stressed and go to bed stressed, and spend all of the time inbetween rushing around trying to get things done.
Today's stressful world causes you a great deal of harm, there is a hectic pace of life, where you may feel you must be doing something all the time, this takes a toll on you both mentally and physically. You may often feel exhausted, but feel you have to carry on for fear of loosing your job to someone else.
Unless you live in some remote mountain top, you live with air pollution, chemicals in your food and water, and so much stress you may wonder how you will cope. The result of all of this is toxins in your body and tense tight muscles. One way to combat all of this pressure on your body is to have a regular massage. The first thing you will notice is the you feel more relaxed and more able to cope with the everyday hassles of life. More subtle is the removal of excess toxins which will benefit your health now and in the future.
On the physical level a good massage will leave you feeling invigorated, when you have finished your massage you may feel as if you are walking on air.
A good massage will increase the circulation of blood and lymphatic fluid through the muscles, assisting in the removal of any accumulated toxins. These toxins can interfere with cells working properly, the toxic load of the body can build up to such high levels that great health is not possible. One of the ways to help the body is to have a massage.
The physical manipulation of muscles can increase mobility and reduce stiffness, especially of the large muscle groups. This additional mobility and toning can help prevent injury, especially if you work out, but only if you use massage therapy as part of your regular training, the odd massage will not help very much.
Many scientific studies confirm that massage therapy can:
Reduce heart rate.
Lower blood pressure (if high).
Increase blood circulation and lymphatic flow.
Stiffened and tense muscles are relaxed, and weak and inactive muscles due to lack of movement when you have an illness or an injury are stimulated.
Increases endorphins.
There is a reduction in anxiety and tension.
Although this list looks impressive there is still a lot of research needed to find out what else can be helped by massage therapy.
The type of treatment offered by skilled masseur combines healing techniques which will work with the natural healing powers of your body to bring about wholeness to your mind, body and spirit.
Of course, it is recommended that anyone with any severe condition or chronic pain should consult with a licensed medical professional before embarking on a massage. Also any well trained massage therapist will be able to tell you if it is wise for you to have a massage or not.
Review for the Human Touch HT7120 Massage Chair Recliner
This product review will evaluate and show the salient features of the HT-7120 massage chair. The HT 7120 massage recliner is made by Human Touch. Human Touch is one of the larger American manufacturer's of massage loungers. This particular massage recliner comes with advanced features and with a sleek contemporary design. Human Touch also has integrated its patented massage system in the HT 7120. Let us take a look at the HT-7120.
We are first always concerned with the warranty of massage chairs. These are big ticket items and you want to be sure that you have adequate protection from the possibility of problems down the road. We always advise buying your chair from the top manufacturers because there are many cheap imports that promise the world and then just do not deliver. Human Touch is one of the best companies in the industry and has national distribution.
The HT 7120 model comes with a warranty the covers the following: 3 years of coverage on the chair's structure, 1 year coverage on parts and 90 days coverage on labor. The labor is factory labor and not in home service, which is an extra charge. This is a rather weak warranty for a massage chair in this class. We are surprised at the stinginess of the warranty from Human Touch on the HT 7120.
One of the more famous features from Human Touch is the flipping leg rest. The leg rest has a flat side and a calf massager side. You can actually flip the leg rest to use the calf massager and then flip it back to hide the calf massager. This innovative and patented feature helps to hide the fact that your recliner is actually a massage chair. This enables you greater flexibility in where you can place the massage chair in your home.
Care for a full body stretch? Just take a seat in the HT-7120 and hit the full body stretch button. The chair will grab your legs in the calf massager and hold them. Next, the chair starts the chair recline. You full body starts to get pulled which helps to decompress your spine. As you are stretched out, more blood will flow to your spine and you will start to feel much better.
Can you take some heat? The HT-7120 comes equipped with dual lumbar heat. These heating elements are precisely positioned to focus on the lower back to relieve aches, pains and swelling. If you have discomfort in the lumbar area, then let the HT 7120 heat your up and then massage you down.
Let us talk about the massage therapy of the HT-7120 massage chair recliner. The HT7120 comes with a 15 automatic massage which is adjustable for the upper back, lower back or full back. You can also adjust the comfort control to 7 different levels of intensity. You will also find 4 manual massage treatments. These manual treatments include rolling, compression, kneading and percussion. You have quite a few options to really target the areas in most need of attention.
One important element of the HT 7120 is its design. It is a sleek, contemporary looking massage chair recliner. Human Touch brings a designer's touch to the HT 7120 with its oval base that can swivel 30 degrees. This chair can compliment most any room in the house. If you are considering a massage chair in the mid range level, then the HT-7120 is certainly a contender worthy of your attention.
