Are you a classic or a beater?
Which would you rather be?
Have you ever wondered how your body can run so long with such little attention? A bit of food, a bit of rest and off we go! That is how some have approached their healthcare, believing it will all take care of itself. We all can agree that if you want a well-running classic car, you cannot just fill it up with gas and grease the wheels. You need to polish it, run it around the block to keep it from seizing up. Not drive it too fast. You get the picture!
Is regular maintenance scheduled?
We are just like those cars, a mechanical being and we need regular tune-ups. We have gone to the doctor for tests to check under the hood. We go to the dentist to make sure our teeth are aligned. What about everything else? Your muscles, your connective tissues, your joints. How about your social and emotional wellbeing?
This is where you might want to include a massage therapist in your healthcare team.
So, what can a massage therapist do for you?
The Massage Therapy Act in Ontario defines the practice of Massage Therapy as the assessment and treatment of soft tissue and joints by manipulation to develop, maintain, rehabilitate, or relieve pain. Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs) are self-employed health professionals who work in various settings, including Massage Therapy clinics and multidisciplinary health clinics. You can find an RMT in your area by going to RMTfind.com Not from Ontario? Reach out to the nearest massage association.
A look at some benefits?
Massage Therapy has been shown to help many conditions that affect all people. With increasing age, more conditions have the potential to begin overlapping. This can lead to discomfort, pain or limitations in physical function and can factor into social and emotional well-being.
Treatments provided by a Registered Massage Therapist can provide a moment of relaxation, reduce muscle tension or attain relief from chronic pain. Massage therapy can also help alleviate musculoskeletal disorders associated with everyday stress, muscular overuse, physical manifestation of mental distress persistent pain syndromes.
Massage therapy can be an important part of your health maintenance plan by:
• Improving joint mobility and enhance range of motion
• Improving lymphatic drainage reducing swelling
• Reducing muscular tension and pain
• Creating a sense of well being.
How can you benefit from a massage?
Massage therapy can also treat both acute and chronic conditions. RMTs work with a wide variety of patients in the treatment of a considerable number of illnesses, injuries, and situations that call for rehabilitation.
• Anxiety and Depression
• Arthritis
• Asthma and Emphysema
• Cancer
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Dislocations
• Inflammatory conditions, edema and swelling
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches – Insomnia
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Muscle Tension and Spasm
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Plantar Fasciitis
• Post-Surgical Rehabilitation
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Sciatica
• Scoliosis
• Sports Injuries
• Strains and Sprains
• Stress and Stress-Related Conditions
• Stroke
• Tendinitis
• Whiplash
Helping caregivers relieve stress
As a caregiver, the ones you care for could benefit from a massage, but you can also benefit from
treatments for yourself. Some caregivers arrange for treatments for both themselves and those they are caring for in a clinic or with a mobile service that can provide in home massage. Self-care practices like regular massage therapy can reduce stress and anxiety, leading to better mental clarity and emotional resilience as well any number of physical conditions. So back to our original question: which would you rather be? A classic – great answer!
Brandy John, RMT is a Massage Therapist and educator who focuses on prevention, medical massage and treatment planning to promote a balanced body and an advocate for the profession, having worked with various groups including triOS College, CMTO, CCMTS, OCPMTC, CMTCA, RMTAO and Orcid Research. She has dedicated her life to helping people and teaching others to do the same.
Photo: iStock
