Benefits of Massage Therapy

Practitioner's Biography - Lisa Hendry
Practitioner's Biography - Alexis Wright
Understanding Stress
Massage In Stress Management
Massage and Pain Control
Conditions Massage Treats
Massage Rate Sheet

Two of the greatest physiological changes produced by massage therapy are an increase in blood circulation and an increase in lymphatic fluid circulation. Consequently, there are several benefits from the increased circulation of these two vital body fluids.

The lymphatic system is essentially the immune system, containing white cells, killer and T cells, among other guardian and soldier cells. Massage can increase the effectiveness of the immune system by increasing the distribution of lymphatic fluid.

Increased blood circulation will bring about reduction of swelling (edema); faster healing (better delivery of nutrition to cells and removal of cellular debris); lowered heart rate and blood pressure (increased volume of blood) and enhanced overall health (smooth delivery of the body chemical messengers, nutrition and removal of debris to and from all organs).

British Columbia has the highest professional standards for Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs) in North America. RMTs in BC complete at least 3000 hours of training at an accredited college. The program includes a comprehensive medical program in addition to hands-on training. Massage Therapists are part of the Provincial health care program - they have knowledge of the intricate details of how the body works and the qualifications to identify health problems. A massage therapist is trained to assess and treat most soft tissues of the human body (muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and other connecting tissue).

Once a pattern of muscle dysfunction is assessed and treated, a massage therapist will provide advice and tools such as specific exercises and stretches to lessen or eliminate the soft tissue problem.

If a person's physical or emotional health is challenged, massage therapy can produce benefits whether the situation is acute (immediate) or chronic (long-standing). Many people also use regular massage therapy as a form of body maintenance, receiving massage faithfully for the continuance of good health.

Each session is based on the individuals' specific needs. The number of treatments will depend on the nature of your condition. We work with our patients to alleviate the cause of their stress or imbalance through manual and active therapies.Your optimal health is our primary goal.

Everyone can benefit from Massage Therapy. Some conditions we commonly treat with success include:

• anxiety/stress
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• chronic pain syndromes
• constipation and other digestive concerns
• disc problems / back pain
• fatigue / insomnia
• fibromyalgia
• headaches/migraines
• motor vehicle accidents / whiplash
• muscle/joint pain or stiffness
• muscle strains or spasms
• numbness and/or tingling
• overuse injuries, ie. tendinitis
• poor circulation
• poor posture
• pregnancy (prenatal, postnatal and baby massage)
• respiratory concerns ( asthma, bronchitis, emphysema)
• sciatica
• sprains ( ligament )
• thoracic outlet syndrome