Swedish Massage Ottawa by Gilla
Swedish massage (Ottawa) is exceptionally beneficial for relaxing the entire body. Swedish massage uses five styles of long, flowing strokes to massage.
The Healing Benefits of Massage Ottawa
The healing benefits of massage go far beyond simply helping you to relax. Massage has been used for thousands of years as a non-invasive form of both therapy and healing. Today, doctors, therapists, and other medical professionals are becoming more aware of the health benefits that massage can offer a wide variety of patients. Since the early 1990’s, several studies have been done regarding the healing power that touch can have on both the body and mind. Here at Esthetics by Gilla, we have long recognized the healing power of touch. Our skilled massage therapist is trained in the art of Swedish massage, which has long been recognized as one of the most beneficial forms of massage.
In Swedish massage, the massage therapist uses a combination of light, short, rhythmic strokes with softer kneading strokes in order to relieve muscle tension. This is combined with gentle pressure and movement of the joints. The therapist is trained to combine four common elements in order to provide the desired results:
- Effleurage – a gliding, smooth motion that helps you to relax the muscles and relieve soft tissue pressure.
- Friction – deep pressure and circular movements cause the muscle tissues to rub against each other, improving your blood flow and reducing scar tissue.
- Petrissage – a kneading, squeezing motion that is used following effleurage to help provide friction.
- Tapotement – a short tab made with the fingers, hand edge, or cupped hands in order to release your tension, relax muscles, and improve your blood flow.
These movements can not only help to leave you feeling relaxed, renewed, and re-energized; they’ve been proven to help reduce pain and speed healing following an injury.
Lower Blood Pressure
Even a massage as short as 10 minutes is enough to result in significant physiological changes. For example, your heart rate slows, which helps lower your blood pressure. This is particularly helpful for those who suffer from chronic high blood pressure. Your stress levels are also lowered, which can reduce cortisol levels in your body, at times as much as 50 percent. This can help reduce feelings of chronic anxiety.
Reduced Chronic Pain
Several studies have been conducted that show just how effective massage ottawa can be for patients who suffer from chronic pain. In some cases, massage can even be more effective than spinal surgery and other procedures such as acupuncture for persistent pain. In most cases, patients who were prescribed a massage saw a 36 percent reduction in their need for pain medications.
In addition to lessening body pain, massage has also been shown to be affective for chronic headache sufferers. Massage therapy helps reduce stress hormones and improve sleep quality, which can have a significant impact on the number and severity of migraines a person suffers from.
Finally, massage may also be quite effective in the treatment of joint pain and stiffness for patients who suffer from osteoarthritis. Recent clinical trials have shown that a one-hour Swedish massage once or twice per week could reduce pain, lessen stiffness, and increase function in the knee joints. Patients who resorted to medication only with no massage, did not show the same kind of improvement.
Complement Cancer Treatment
When used alongside traditional medicine, massage can be an excellent complement to cancer treatment. Not only can it help to increase relaxation and improve patient symptoms, it can also help to reduce the negative side effects of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Getting a massage can help to reduce nausea and fatigue, lessen pain and swelling, and help to improve immune function. In fact, a study involving breast cancer patients found that getting a massage not only lowered cortisol levels, it also raise the levels of what are known as natural killer cells. These cells have been shown to kill not only bacteria and viruses, but cancer cells as well. Breast cancer patients who received three 30-minute massages a week for five weeks were found to have lower instances of depression, and increased dopamine, serotonin, lymphocytes, and natural killer cells.
Improve Mental Health
If you suffer from chronic depression or anxiety, getting a massage can help. By reducing Coriolis, the stress hormone in the body, and increasing levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and feel-good chemicals like dopamine, massage can help to reduce the symptoms of these mental disorders. Massage also helps to release endorphins, similar to what you might experience after a long run. This can help elevate your mood, and can work in concert with various antidepressant medications.
Improve Sleep Quality
Regular visits to a massage therapist can help improve the quality of your sleep. By leaving your muscles pain-free and relaxed, reducing stress levels, and increasing the amount of feel-good chemicals in your bloodstream, massage can help you spend more time in the most important deeper stages of sleep. It is during this time that your body takes the time to heal itself and deal with the daily mental challenges and stresses that you face. This can not only help you feel more energized and alert throughout the day, it can also help you have a greater sense of clarity and perspective. In fact, one study found that participants were better able to solve higher level math problems after receiving a massage.
Reduce PMS Symptoms
If you suffer from PMS or PMDD, receiving a massage can help greatly improve your symptoms. Women who regularly receive massages have reported that they retain less water and experience less cramping before and during their monthly period. In addition, they experienced fewer headaches, less anxiety and depression, and reported more stable moods after receiving a massage. This can greatly improve the quality of life for women who suffer from more extreme symptoms each month.
Conclusion
The healing power of touch has long been touted by practitioners of natural healing arts; today, many medical specialists are beginning to recommend this service to their patients as well. It’s not necessary to wait for word from your doctor, however. Esthetics by Gilla is proud to offer the services of a highly trained Swedish massage ottawa therapist in our Ottawa facility. By taking the time to receive a massage, you can improve your immune function and reduce your chance of becoming ill before it even happens. Not only that, but the reduced levels of cortisol can make it easier to lose weight, you’ll feel better after exercising, and you’ll have more energy and mental clarity throughout the day.
Getting a massage isn’t only for the rich. We offer affordable massage rates to all of our customers. We consider it a privilege to serve each of our clients. While you’re here, feel free to take advantage of any of our other professional services as well, such as a body wrap, mani/pedi, cellulite treatment, or facial. Massages also make excellent gifts for the holidays, birthdays, or other special occasions; why not treat someone you love, or enhance your relationship by coming in together for a day of relaxation and pampering? No matter what your aim, we can offer you the services of our skilled Swedish massage ottawa therapist. Our style of massage is the perfect choice for someone who is experiencing massage therapy for the first time, or for those who can’t make it to our facility very often. For those who want deeper work with more pressure, we offer deep tissue massages as well.