Massage therapy offers clients an all-natural approach to dealing with stress and physical ailments in a day and age where all too often people seek a magic pill to solve their problems. We have developed into a society that packs in so many responsibilities into each day. Between our careers and family, it is all too often that people don’t take the time to take a breath and do something for themselves. Massage Therapy and Bodywork offers that release from those day-to-day responsibilities, even if it is just for 30 minutes or an hour. This is a time of healing and a recharging of our batteries so that we are better equipped to tackle the everyday tasks in our lives.

As massage can be a source of stress relief, it is equally as effective in resolving recurrent physical injuries. Whether you lift weights, run, do CrossFit, work a physically demanding profession or sit at a computer all day, we all deal with muscle pain and other physical ailments caused by our day-to-day activities. Massage therapy offers an individualized approach to each client, and each massage session can be catered to treat specific problems clients are facing. This underscores the importance of having a massage therapist who is in tune to the client’s needs and is able to address those needs during a massage therapy session. There is no greater feeling as a massage therapist than seeing clients benefit emotionally and physically from massage and bodywork.
Besides increasing relaxation and decreasing anxiety, massage lowers your blood pressure, increases circulation, improves recovery from injury, improves sleep and can increase your attentiveness. Studies have shown we can benefit from massage even in small doses, like a 15-minute chair massage or a half-hour table session. Getting a deep tissue, Swedish, hot stone or Thai yoga massage does more than just relax your body and mind. There are specific physiological and psychological changes, which occur even more so when massage is utilized as a preventative, frequent therapy and not simply as a luxury (Body Sense Magazine, 2001).

Massage offers a drug-free, non-invasive approach based on the body’s natural ability to heal itself. So what exactly are the benefits to receiving regular massage and/or bodywork treatments?

• Increases circulation, allowing the body to generate more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs
• Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles
• Reduces muscle spasms and cramping
• Increases joint flexibility by breaking up tissues and knots that develop over time
• Reduces recovery time and helps the body prepare for strenuous workouts and eliminates subsequent pains of the athlete at any level
• Releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller, which assists the body in dealing with chronic illness, injury and recovery from surgery to control and relieve pain
• Reduces post-surgery adhesions and can be used to reduce and realign scar tissue after healing has occurred
• Improves range-of-motion and decreases discomfort for clients with lower back pain
• Relieves pain for migraine sufferers (Body Sense Magazine, 2001)

The medical field has established a direct correlation between high stress levels and the decrease of the body’s ability to fight diseases like cancer. If you could do something to decrease stress and increase your overall sense of wellbeing and immune system health, would you do it? If you answered yes, then massage therapy and bodywork can fill that role in your life, as it has been proven to offer much more for your health and wellbeing than you may have though

All of the benefits of massage therapy and bodywork can be found through Market Street Massage Bodywork and Gift Shop where services such as deep tissue, Swedish, sports massage, chair massage, hot stone, pre-natal, myofascial release, reflexology and Thai yoga massage services are offered.

Angie Shiflett, LMBT No. 7151, is a massage therapist at Market Street Massage Bodywork and Gift Shop located at 141 N. Market St. in Washington and can be reached for appointment by calling 252-946-8989. Angie provides massage therapy services to cancer patients, survivors and caregivers through funds provided by the Shepard Cancer Foundation. Angie will be recognizing her annual event Everybody Deserves a Massage from July 27–Aug. 7. Individuals who bring in pet food and school supplies as a donation will receive a free 15-minute chair massage or $5 off any massage service. Please take this opportunity to experience the many benefits of massage therapy and bodywork as we give back to those in need.