There are numerous mental health-related areas where float therapy has shown real positive impact for many people, and one such area is various eating disorders. Many major eating disorders have a direct connection with mental health areas like anxiety, OCD and related concerns, and because float therapy is often able to dig into these areas and provide assistance, it’s shown real benefits to many with eating disorders as well.
At Body Balance Massage and Float, we’re proud to offer a wide range of float therapy tank services for a variety of clients with differing needs. Here are some of the basics on the connection between float therapy and assistance with eating disorders, including the research that’s out there and how this area might benefit you if you’re struggling with such a concern.
Anxiety and Eating Disorders
As we noted above, many eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia and others have shown significant connections in research to mental health conditions. Individuals may begin to experience severe anxiety related to their appearance, obsessing over improving it even when this involves taking extremely unhealthy steps like severely restricting food, ridiculous amounts of exercise or other similar themes.
In fact, mental health professionals will tell you that eating disorder commonly co-occur with anxiety disorders. This may make symptoms worse and could make it tougher to recover, which is why addressing the underlying mental health areas is so important.
How Float Therapy Helps
Floatation therapy is one of several treatment methods that’s shown significant benefit to those with various mental health disorders, including those underlying many eating disorder cases. Through a state known as interoceptive awareness, those who participate in float therapy are able to heighten their internal sensory intake, helping ground the mind in a more realistic place moving forward.
For those with major body image issues, the potential impact here is large. The ability to change one’s personal body image and be more realistic about appearance can go huge lengths toward limiting or even preventing eating disorders from forming or continuing.
Study Data
In fact, there’s research data to back this up. In a recent study, participants suffering from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa were first asked to describe their own body using an image outline corresponding to very thin, average or overweight figures – they were asked both how they currently look and how they wished they looked based on these templates. From here, they were put through several float therapy treatments, then asked the same questions after each treatment.
The results were clear: All participants involved selected a less exaggerated version of themselves after at least one float therapy session compared to their initial opinion given before the trial. While more research is needed, other studies have also reached similar conclusions.
For more on how float therapy benefits those with eating disorders, or to learn about any of our massage therapy or float therapy services, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage and Float today.
In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the basics and benefits of involving essential oils in massage therapy. There are several forms of aromatherapy massage that utilize essential oils for numerous patient benefits, whether we’re talking about relaxation, pain management or several other areas.
At Body Balance Massage and Float, we’re happy to offer a wide range of upgrades to our numerous massage services, including essential oils and various aromatherapy massage formats. In today’s part two, we’ll go over some more of the common essential oils used during such processes, including the benefits they may hold for you and why you’d choose them over others.
Geranium
Geranium is derived from a flower known as a rutagraveolens, also commonly called rue. This is a wood-based perennial with fern-like leaves, and it’s known to produce significant aromas.
When fashioned as an essential oil, geranium has a flowery aroma that’s great for relaxation during a massage. It also provides several direct skin benefits, so it can be used for direct skin application if desired. There are several different kinds of geranium essential oils you might find today, each offering benefits in areas like circulation, nervous system maintenance and revitalization of various skin tissues.
Hinoki
Hinoki essential oil is one that has been used in some form for centuries. It’s derived from one of what’s known as the Five Sacred Trees of Kiso within Japanese culture, a high-quality timber format that was used in ancient times for creating structures.
This essential oil has a spicy, lemony smell that is known for a combination of energizing and relaxation. It is often used to calm stressed nerves during massage therapy, or may be used as an aroma for general stress relief among those who require such services.
Angelica
Another essential oil that’s great for soothing nerves and muscles is Angelica oil, which has been used in Germany for many years in several processes. This essential oil is known as a calming, pain-relieving substance, one that’s often used for those who struggle with sleep on a regular basis. In the past, it’s also been used as a digestive tonic or even as a stimulant.
Coriander
Finally, there’s coriander, which is derived from the common cilantro plant found in many areas. Coriander provides several relaxation benefits, like many other oils, but is also highly valuable for digestive issues and the circulatory system. Those who have been dealing with stomach issues or any similar concerns with digestion often utilize coriander to help deal with these problems.
For more on the various essential oils often utilized during massage therapy, or to learn about any of our massage or float therapy service, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage and Float today.
At Body Balance Massage and Float, we’re proud to offer our clients not only a diverse array of massage therapy services, but also several massage upgrades as well. We offer various additional areas that many find enormously beneficial during their massage session, from premium towel treatment to relaxing magnesium and many others.
One of our most popular such upgrades is the use of essential oils to create what’s broadly known as an aromatherapy massage. If you’ve never experienced one of these massages before, they come with numerous potential additional benefits on top of those you already receive. In this two-part blog series, we’ll go over the basics of infusing aromas into your massage therapy session, plus some of the best and most common essential oils chosen for this process and how they might benefit you.
Aromas and Massage
As anyone who has experienced one is aware, massage involves the use of the hands to manipulate the body’s soft tissue, helping with relief of muscle tension and also assisting with vital blood circulation stimulation. One of the primary physiological impacts here is the release of endorphins, or natural painkillers in the body, which is triggered by several forms of massage.
And as it turns out, aromas can have a major impact on this process. Essential oils, for instance, can penetrate the skin because they are extremely small molecules. This allows them to pass through skin layers other products would not, making their way all the way into the bloodstream and assisting with circulation.
Benefits of Essential Oils With Massage
So what kind of impact can these aromas have during a massage? The answers are detailed and varied.
The focus of an aromatherapy massage involving essential oils will be on relaxing strokes and the proper oil choice for the patient’s body and mind. These oils will either be applied directly to the patient’s skin or used as accompanying aromas (sometimes both), and they hold major relaxation and healing benefits for many individuals. Particularly for those who struggle with blood circulation and responses to chronic pain, essential oils have shown to be extremely beneficial.
Your massage therapist will have a detailed knowledge of the best essential oil types and how they’ll influence your body. Our next several sections will go over some of the different essential oil types they might consider for your aromatherapy massage.
Lavender Oil
One of the single most common and popular essential oils on the market, both for massage and numerous other purposes, is lavender oil. Known as a soothing, calming element, lavender essential oil is often used by those looking to decrease stress, promote sleep or similar areas. It’s commonly used in massage for those struggling with stress or energy levels.
For more on essential oils and their uses within massage therapy, or to learn about any of our massage or float therapy services, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage and Float today.
In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the direct benefits associated with massage therapy for a given employee workforce. Massage therapy and related spa services are one of several areas many companies have realized hold major value for employee health, happiness and related productivity areas, and it can bring several distinct positives in this realm.
At Body Balance Massage and Float, we offer a variety of massage therapy techniques that can help employees with the rigors and stresses of their job, from deep tissue massage to trigger point therapy, Swedish massage and many others. In today’s part two of our series, we’ll go over a few more of the specific plusses associated with massage therapy offered to employees – both in terms of the employees themselves and the trickle-down benefits your company sees as a result.
Morale and Goodwill
Like many other areas where owners or management go out of their way to institute a program that benefits employees, this will reflect well around the office. This begins with the simple goodwill that comes with such actions – employees will know that management isn’t only in it for themselves, and appreciates and values the contributions employees make by rewarding them in a small way.
Furthermore, massage therapy – as we noted in detail in part one of this series – is known to help improve stress factors, mood and general happiness. Employees tend to feel happier and content after even a 15-minute massage session, and regular such sessions will keep their overall mood in a good place.
Reduction in Missed Work Days
Did you know that roughly half of the work days lost in the US each year can be connected to stress in some way? When you combine this with what we learned in part one about massage therapy’s major positive impact on stress, you can understand another major benefit of these services. Many employers who offer regular massage programs find employees are absent less often based on improved health and lower stress levels.
Healthcare Cost Benefits
Are you an employer who offers healthcare benefits to employees? Not only could offering additional massage programs decrease the number of missed days your employees need, it could even save you a few dollars here or there through employees whose overall health is improved by regular massage programs.
Improved Employee Retention
Through each of the areas we’ve gone over here, managers and business owners take real strides toward employee retention. Happy employees who know they are valued are much more likely to remain in their position rather than looking for changes, and this sort of thing often grows exponentially when the entire workplace is a positive, friendly place.
For more on the value of massage therapy in the workplace, or to learn about any of our massage or float therapy services, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage and Float today.
For some women or couples who are trying to conceive a pregnancy and have a child, the process may be stressful. Conception isn’t always easy, and some couples have to spend significant time working at it before they’re able to achieve it – and worse yet, the stress that comes with this process can actually make conception itself even more difficult, a cruel cycle indeed.
At Body Balance Massage and Float, we’re proud to offer multiple services that provide direct benefits to these kinds of stress and anxiety themes. We offer several massage therapy techniques you might consider, along with float therapy services that many have found enormously beneficial in this area. Let’s go over some of the specific struggles associated with stress, anxiety and the TTC (trying-to-conceive) process, plus how float therapy may help relieve many of these stressors.
Stress and Anxiety
As we noted above, stress itself is often a major contributing factor in limiting a woman’s ability to become pregnant. It often leads to other related behaviors or bodily responses that are not conducive to conception, from sleep and energy issues to limited exercise, lower interest in sex, or attempts to cover stress through the use of substances (alcohol, smoking, coffee or drugs).
Many women, for instance, have experienced a late or irregular period due at least in some part to stress or anxiety. When you combine this with the nonstop flow of information and advice many women receive in this position about what they should eat, the temperature they should live in and all the other steps they should take to increase conception chances, it’s easy to understand how stress can be such a big factor in becoming pregnant.
Depression and TTC
While certain pieces of information regarding conception are meant to increase positivity and hopefulness, they may have the alternate effect for some women or couples. Many health service organizations, for instance, like to promote the frequency of couples getting pregnant if they have regular sex and do not use contraception methods – and while this information may encourage many couples, it may also become a burden to those who have done this for several years and still have not succeeded in conceiving.
Sadly, this kind of shame and secrecy is often a major factor in infertility itself. It makes it difficult for many to seek the required help, as well.
How Float Therapy Helps
Luckily, float therapy is one excellent method of reducing these kinds of stress, anxiety and depression during the TTC phase. Numerous areas of research have connected float therapy with decreased stress, anxiety and depression, which in turn increases the chances of conception.
For more on how float therapy benefits those struggling with stress or anxiety during the TTC phase while attempting to get pregnant, or to learn about any of our massage therapy or other service, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage and Float today.
Within today’s modern world, a valuable theme that’s become more and more popular among all kinds of individuals is self-care. Whether for aesthetic areas, physical ones or even mental and emotional elements, many people have daily, weekly and other routines for staying comfortable, relaxed and pain-free.
At Body Balance Massage and Float, we’re here to tell you about one excellent addition many are choosing to make to their self-care program: Various types of therapeutic massage therapy, from deep tissue massage to sports massage and numerous other techniques available from massage professionals today. Today’s blog will focus on what therapeutic massage is, how it compares to other kinds of massage, and the benefits it brings as part of a standard care routine.
Defining Therapeutic Massage
Therapeutic massage is actually a broad term, one that encompasses several distinct types of massage (more on these in our next section). It may refer to a variety of potential techniques, including various levels of pressure, goals and eventual benefits.
It’s important to note the difference between therapeutic massage providers and lower-level massage parlors you might see while driving around. The former, facilities like ours, include highly-trained and medically certified therapists who can provide specific techniques and therapies to benefit your health and well-being. The latter are generally one-size-fits all massage parlors, many of which even utilize items like mechanical massage chairs instead of trained human hands.
Types Available
There are numerous types of massage that may fall under the umbrella of therapeutic massage depending on your needs. Some of these that we offer include:
- Deep tissue massage: Meant to relieve muscular tension and pain, deep tissue massages are slightly more intense – but bring fantastic relaxation benefits.
- Swedish massage: Based on lighter pressure, Swedish massage relaxes and stimulates nerve endings, increasing blood circulation.
- Cranial sacral therapy: Also a lighter touch format that aligns the body and helps with natural healing capabilities.
- Sports massage: For those who are regularly active or have suffered a recent injury.
- Trigger point therapy: Great for pain and stiffness, this format directs itself to specific pain areas and helps relieve them.
General Benefits
There are numerous benefits to various forms of therapeutic massage, starting with relaxation and soothing. Those with significant levels of stress, anxiety, depression or other related concerns often find major relief.
In addition, therapeutic massage also helps with pain management and even preventing future pain. It also assists with blood circulation, plus helps limit chronic conditions like joint pain or migraines. Finally, it’s shown success with decreasing chronic lung disease and assisting with digestive concerns.
For more on adding therapeutic massage therapy to your self-care program, or to learn about any of our massage therapy or float therapy services, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage and Float today.