Tranquility
Health
& Beauty
Owner Nicolette Henderson
The value of massage is immeasurable, but this is often only realised after having had a particularly good one. “I should do this more”, I hear on a daily basis, but people don’t always return because the blissful memory fades and is quickly replaced by the bustle of daily life and the stresses of work which again become our focus. In the meantime, the aches and pains return until they become unbearable once again.
So what can massage actually do for us?
- Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
- Assist with shorter, easier labour for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.
- Ease medication dependence.
- Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body’s natural defense system.
- Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
- Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.
- Improve the condition of the body’s largest organ—the skin.
- Increase joint flexibility.
- Lessen depression and anxiety.
- Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.
- Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.
- Reduce post-surgery adhesions and swelling.
- Reduce spasms and cramping.
- Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.
- Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body’s natural painkiller.
- Relieve migraine pain. (1)
Is massage, self-indulgent or self-care?
With all these benefits, what stops us from having regular massages?
Two factors come up constantly, price and time.
To address both of these issues, the topic of self-indulging will be addressed.
Massage is seen as a luxury to enjoy on one’s birthday or other special occasions only. This makes massage appear self indulging and only to be enjoyed when it is deserved, which is rare.
If a child excels in an exam he or she is rewarded by parents, when an animal acts in a positive manner it is given a treat, if a friend does us a favour, a gift is given. Perhaps if we see the body for what it is, a highly intelligent and complex organism, we would understand that it too, needs to be rewarded. When the value of something is fully realised, time and money will always be set aside for it.
Take your health for example, an ancient proverb comes into mind;
“The youth spend their health to make wealth, and as they age wealth is spent to regain health”.
We usually wait until a condition becomes unbearable and then suddenly time and money become available to treat it, when it could easily have been nipped in the bud.
In Asian cultures massage is a part of daily life and is easily available. Within our own communities massage is also fairly common, but price is normally linked to quality, although there are always hidden treasures where massage is both great and the price is low.
References:
Nicolette Henderson
Nicolette started her business, Tranquility Health and Beauty Spa, at the age of 20 while studying health, skincare and holistic therapies at Camelot International in Durban, South Africa. She is accredited with ITEC, SAAHSP, CIBTAC and CIDESCO and has extensive experience in business as well as specialising in muscle injury rehabilitation. Writing comes naturally as she loves to share her knowledge with others.
Visit her website: www.tranquilityhealth.co.za
Readers may not know that massage is actually an ideal therapy for preventing and treating many variations of illnesses:
- Bad Posture, Postural Distortions, & Functional Scoliosis
- Aches & Pains
- Neck Pain
- Shoulder Pain
- Arm, Wrist, and Hand Pain
- Upper & Mid Back Pain
- Low Back Pain
- Hip Pain
- Leg and Knee Pain
- Foot Pain
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Hammer Toes, Claw Toes, Mallet Toes
- Golfer’s Elbow, Tennis Elbow, Medial Epicondylitis, Lateral Epicondylitis
- Trigger Finger and Dupuytren’s Contracture
- Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Headaches, Migraine headaches, and Tension Headaches
- Temporo-Mandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD) (a.k.a. Jaw Soreness, TMJ)
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- Frozen Shoulder
- Whiplash
- Sciatica & False Sciatica
- Strains & Sprains
- Tendonitis
- Asthma
- Constipation
- Sleeping Disorders
- Shin splints
- Achilles Tendonitis (2)
Massage for Better Health!
by Nicolette Henderson
Owner of
Tranquility Health and Beauty Spa,
15 Neville Road, Westville, Durban Kwa-Zulu Natal
Tel: 031-837-1360
Website/blog: www.tranquilityhealth.co.za
Instagram: Tranquilityhealth
Facebook. www.facebook.com/tranquilityhealth