I am an integrated therapist with many years of experience under my belt. Overtime, I have been asked many weird, wonderful and unusual questions, regarding my line of work and how I feel about certain aspects of it. Some are so commonly asked, that I have been able to recollect them and have put them down on paper for you to read.
Is it normal to bruise after a Sports and Remedial massage session?
If the treatment at hand involves structural integration techniques, then yes, bruising may occur. This is a result of the intensity of this type of work and is nothing to be concerned about. However, you should not bruise following a Sports maintenance massage session.
Before a race, when should I schedule a massage?
Ideally a pre-race massage is best conducted three days before the race day/event and two days post racing/event. Triathletes especially need to consider a massage two to three days before an event, to allow their body to receive a moderate to intense level of massage therapy. This will increase thier performance, and not inhibit it. With this in mind no two individuals are the same, and so you as the athlete, knowing your own body, will need to use this knowledge to determine how close to race day you should be receiving bodywork.
What is the difference between a massage for relaxation (Swedish massage) and a sports massage?
A Swedish relaxation massage is non-specific, working on the entire body and is both connective and flowing. A sports massage involves intensity work. It can be vigorous and involves the use of multiple modalities, such a myofascial work and some relaxing Swedish-type massage techniques. A Sports massage is more stimulating, of the two types, and at times must match the intensity of the client. It can be sport-specific, and therefore used as part of an athlete’s regular training schedule.
What can Reflexology treat?
Reflexology can help a lot of ailments and conditions, but it is particularly beneficial for the relief of stress and tension. The fact that an estimated 75% of all illnesses are related to stress, means that the health benefits of using Reflexology to combat stress are a real ‘no brainer’.
What is Hands-on-Healing?
Hands on healing has been practiced for thousands of years. Jesus Christ’s ability to heal using the laying-on-of-hands, is described in countless stories. In the bible he told his disciples: John 14:12 “…he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these he will do…”. This type of healing is being used in many hospitals around the world. It involves laying of hands on a person to help them to heal themselves, through a higher power, and to rebalance their bodies. In such a fast paced world we must understand that our health is in direct relationship with our mental, emotional, and physical energetic patterning. I firmly believe we hold the power of health in our own hands and it is a personal choice to seek out healing to achieve optimum health. The laying-on-of-hands can be such a valuable part of the medicine of the new millennium. After all, the laying-on-of-hands, is one of human kind’s special legacies that we should embrace.
