The fundamental aim of massage therapy is to help the body heal itself and to increase health and well-being. Massage can help to relieve pain and stress. The following are just some of the many conditions that can be helped by treatments at Forest Hills Massage Therapy and a brief explanation of why massage can help you.

• Stress and Anxiety

Massage is one of the best therapies for stress relief. Reducing stress can improve your energy level, enhance your overall view on life and bring more happiness and enjoyment to you. Massage can also be used in conjunction with other stress relief techniques, such as psychological counseling, as an excellent additional therapeutic aid.



• Muscle Pain, Tightness and Soreness

Various types of muscle pain including back and neck pain, short term muscle tightness and soreness due to strong physical activity can be relieved through massage therapy. Muscle pain brought on by repetitive workplace activities can also be greatly alleviated. Different techniques can be used to stretch and knead your muscles, while other practices allow your muscles to relax and increase your circulation.



• Injuries

Massage can foster and promote healing. Massage can also speed up the body's natural healing process. Whether an injury is sustained suddenly or developed over time, massage can reduce inflammation and increase circulation, thus removing bodily waste and encouraging nutritive replenishment to the injured areas.



• Secondary Pain

Secondary pain, such as that headaches from eyestrain or back pain brought on by pregnancy, often multiply the pain of the original condition. These ongoing difficulties can be alleviated with massage.



• Injury Prevention

Massage, by easing tension in tightened muscles and relieving persistent pain, will help to prevent possible future injuries. Particularly for those who are regularly physically active, massage therapy is an excellent precautionary technique.



• Joint Pain and Motion Restriction

By reducing muscle tension, massage eases joint pain by improving circulation, encouraging natural joint lubrication and helping significantly with pain caused by arthritis. Similarly, range of motion can be enhanced because of these benefits.



• Posture

A more natural posture can be obtained as massage relaxes your muscles and joints, freeing your body to restore itself.



• Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

A March 2000 study by the University of Miami School of Medicine found that many premenstrual conditions, such as pain, bloating and mood fluctuations, could be effectively decreased through massage therapy.



• Fibromyalgia

Numerous fibromyalgia symptoms including pain, stiffness, fatigue and depression can be relieved with massage therapy. Studies indicate a dramatic increase in the ability to rest and sleep following massage.

How Massage Works

Massage therapy is one of the most effective means of relaxing muscle tissue and increasing circulation. Increased circulation provides more blood to the muscles and tissues providing the nutrients necessary for your body to heal itself. Tight muscles reduce blood flow, restricting enough blood to enter into the tissue, prolonging or halting the healing process and also causing muscles cells to die.  This will eventually cause atrophy of the muscle tissue. This process can be reversed using massage.

Massage is unique in its ability to reduce and eliminate particular types of muscular pain. The kinetic nature of massage, which breaks down the natural tendency of muscles to adhere to one another, enhances range of motion and diminishes pain and joint problems. It is only through the personalized understanding of your body's inherent functionality and via a qualified massage therapist's knowledge of muscle interaction that these physical problems be addressed.

Massage, on a regular basis will also have a positive, cumulative effect on the immune system. Lymph, which functions as a drainage fluid for your body's bacteria, is substantially stimulated by massage. Done on a persistent basis and depending on the individual patient, massage can increase the effectiveness of filtering this fluid by nearly 4700% (not a misprint), a remarkable stimulant to your body's own immunization capabilities.

And while the benefits of massage are currently well documented, new studies are consistently becoming available that further demonstrate the positive influences that this therapeutic technique has for everyone.

Note: Massage does not replace the need for medical attention or psychological counseling. Massage therapists do not diagnose medical problems.