For a variety of individuals in today’s modern world, stress and anxiety reduction are top priorities. The hustle and bustle of daily live can create significant amounts of stress, and we naturally look to a number of potential methods to help relieve it, one of which is float therapy, which has shown significant positive results when it comes to reduction of stressors and anxiety.
At Body Balance Massage and Float, we offer a wide range of float therapy services to provide a variety of long-term and short-term benefits, including anxiety reduction. In particular, float therapy will have an impact on what are known as the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems within the body – what are these systems, how do they impact our responses to stress, and how does float therapy help? Here’s everything you need to know.
Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Systems
As their names suggest, the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems are two opposite parts of the body’s autonomic nervous system. They control basic functions you perform thousands of times daily, from breathing and blood pressure to body temperature, digestion and numerous other areas. More importantly for this article, they also regulate our responses to stress, threats and similar perceptions.
When an imminent threat or major stressor comes about, the body’s sympathetic system activates and floods you with hormones. These raise your heart rate, shoot glucose into your bloodstream for energy and dilate your pupils – this is the “fight-or-flight” response present in virtually all mammals. When the threat or stressor is gone, however, the parasympathetic system takes over to calm the body back down, lowering its breathing, heart rate and hormone flow.
Overuse of Sympathetic System
The sympathetic nervous system serves important purposes, but it should not be activated too often. Over time, modern human bodies don’t separate true safety threats from things like work and daily life stress, and many of us have far too much activity taking place within the sympathetic system as a result. This leads to issues with everything from anxiety and sleep to digestion and even overall physical health.
How Float Therapy Helps
Luckily, float therapy is one technique known to help refocus the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. It allows for homeostasis, or an equilibrium within the body and mind, by allowing us to escape the daily grind and be relaxed. The mind has the opportunity to clear itself and move further toward homeostasis from either direction, whether it was previously too stressed or, more rarely, too relaxed.
For more on the differences between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and how float therapy can help even these out, or to learn about any of our massage therapy or other spa services, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage and Float today.
Over recent years and decades, the medical community as a whole has made major strides in recognizing various forms of therapeutic massage therapy for their numerous health benefits. Higher and higher percentages of hospitals and other medical centers offer complementary and alternative medicine as part of their services, including massage therapy in several different forms.
At Body Balance Massage and Float, we’re proud to offer the highest quality in professional therapeutic massage, with services ranging from deep tissue massage to Swedish massage and many others. One technique we offer that may not be as widely-known as these, but that still falls under the umbrella of therapeutic massage, is known as bamboo massage therapy. Today’s blog will go over how this technique works, how it’s similar to others in the therapeutic realm, and the kinds of individuals it benefits.
How Bamboo Massage Therapy Works
Also known as warm bamboo massage, Hot Bamboo or Bamboo-fusion, bamboo massage therapy involves the use of various rolls of heated bamboo material. These smooth rolls can come in a few different sizes, and which are used will depend on the specific needs of the patient. In many cases, lotion or oil will be used to make the bamboo rolling as comfortable as possible.
During the massage itself, these heated bamboo rolls take the place of the hands and fingers of the massage therapist. They allow the therapist to knead deeper into the skin in firmer and higher-pressure ways, often those they would not be able to accomplish with just their hands. In many ways, bamboo massage therapy is similar to hot stone therapy you may have heard of – only bamboo holds its heat longer than stones do, plus is easier to clean and sanitize.
Fusing Techniques
Stone therapy isn’t the only technique that bamboo massage therapy is somewhat similar to. In fact, it’s really a fusion of other kinds of therapeutic massage, including both deep tissue massage and Swedish massage. However, it uses firmer and more extensive techniques to get at knots in the muscles and other forms of tension in the body, often helping relieve stubborn aches and pains that would not go away otherwise.
Those Who Benefit From Bamboo Massage Therapy
There are a wide variety of individuals who might benefit from bamboo massage therapy, including the following:
- Those with mobility or pain issues looking for relief
- Individuals whose bodies struggle to absorb minerals like calcium, potassium or magnesium for skin health
- Those who require antioxidants and anti-irritant solutions for psoriasis or eczema
- Anyone with sleep quality or mind clarity issues
- Those with lymphatic drainage concerns
- Individuals suffering from depression or anxiety potentially related to the body’s release of endorphins, which can be stimulated by bamboo massage therapy
For more on warm bamboo massage therapy, or to learn about any of our massage therapy services, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage and Float today.
In part one of this two-part blog, we went over some of the basics on skin, the layers of tissue, and the body, plus how deep tissue massage brings numerous benefits to both areas. A broad colloquial term for massage that affects a variety of layers of muscle tissue and fascia your therapist will work on, deep tissue massage is one of the most popular styles of massage available today.
At Body Balance Massage and Float, our deep tissue massage services are second to none. We’ll use a variety of tools and techniques to fit your exact needs, helping you work through chronic pain and muscle tension that might be causing a variety of issues. In today’s part two, we’ll go over several other distinct purposes many people utilize deep tissue massage for, including a couple you may not have considered in the past.
Immune System Boost
There are several forms of massage therapy that may help boost the body’s immune system, and deep tissue massage is among them. Continued deep tissue massage is known to increase the number of white blood cells in your body – these are the cells that fight disease and various contaminants, and having more of them means your body is better protected.
For this reason, those who are vulnerable to several different immune disorders, or even just have weaker systems overall, often turn to deep tissue massage to help increase the body’s natural defenses.
Flexibility Increase
In some cases, muscle and joint issues lead to significant reductions in general flexibility and mobility in various areas of the body. This creates a vicious cycle, where limited mobility only worsens with time as the pain grows and larger areas go immobile.
Deep tissue massage, however, is a huge help here. It loosens and lengthens stiff and stuck muscle areas allowing for greater mobility and flexibility. Not only this, but it allows for more efficient movement and less strain on the joints, which can relieve or eliminate the pain present.
Headache Relief
Studies have shown that around 90% of headaches are muscle tension related. This means that most people are suffering from tension headaches that can be greatly reduced or completely removed by deep tissue massage. Trigger point therapy is also shown to have a positive effect for headache sufferers.
Swelling Assistance
Finally, one area some are not aware of when it comes to deep tissue massage is the benefits it can bring for those who have swelling, whether due to recent surgery or some other cause. While this can also be accomplished using sports massage techniques (which can be similar to deep tissue massage), deep tissue massage is often extremely effective at reducing swelling.
For more on the benefits of deep tissue massage, or to learn about any of our massage therapy services, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage and Float today.
If you’ve never experienced massage therapy before, one of your first questions when considering it will be which type you should be looking most closely at. The term “massage therapy” actually covers a variety of specific massage modalities or styles of massage, each of which is designed with different direct specific benefits in mind (though these can cross over and be shared by several types).
At Body Balance Massage & Float, we’re happy to offer a full range of massage options, ranging from Swedish and sports massage to trigger point therapy and many others. One of our most popular styles, and one of the most well-known massage types, is deep tissue massage – what exactly is this, and how does it benefit you? This two-part blog will dig into everything you need to know.
The Skin and Comfort
For starters, it’s important to understand the connection between the skin and your body’s overall comfort level. The skin is the single largest sensory organ present on the body – this means it’s a major player in how your body will react to various stimuli, whether we’re talking about pain, pleasure or any area in between.
The outer layer of the skin is present to protect internal cells against damage. The inner layer, on the other hand, detects stimuli and relays them to the brain, plus interfaces with the nervous system to help produce the proper reactions to stimuli when needed.
The tissue layers of the body in order from outside to inside are skin, adipose (fat), fascia, muscle, then bone. while most are familiar with the skin, muscle and bone layers of the body, many are unaware of this very important layer called fascia. Like the skin, the fascial layer detects stimuli and relays messages to the brain. it also helps keep everything in the body in it’s proper place.
Deep tissue massage therapy, as the name indicates, is bodywork down on these deeper layers of muscle and fascia. Our subsequent sections will go over the numerous areas where it has proven benefits.
Muscle Pain Relief
One of the top purposes of deep tissue massage is relieving and even eliminating muscle pain, which can be felt in a variety of areas throughout the body. One way this is accomplished is through increased blood circulation, which is promoted by deep tissue massage – there’s a direct connection between pain symptoms and blood circulation within the body.
Sleep Improvements
In addition, many people enjoy deep tissue massage for the benefits it brings them in terms of consistent nightly sleep. It has several properties that allow the patient to relax and de-stress in better and more permanent ways, factors that heavily influence sleep and related sleep conditions like insomnia. Many people find that after a few deep tissue massage appointments, their entire sleeping and resting patterns change in positive ways.
Anxiety and Depression Reduction
One of the single greatest benefits of deep tissue massage is soothing depression, anxiety and related mental health concerns. One of the key factors throughout these conditions is stress, and multiple studies have shown that forms of direct human touch like massage provide a friendly, safe stress reduction method. Many people with heightened anxiety or depression find major relief through deep tissue massage therapy.
For more on how deep tissue massage benefits you, or to learn about any of our massage therapy programs, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage & Float today.
Massage therapy has several potential benefits to those who utilize it, and perhaps the single most common is pain reduction. Many people visit massage therapists specifically to reduce pain, whether in the chronic form or based on specific injuries or discomfort areas.
At Body Balance Massage & Float, we’re proud to offer a variety of massage therapy formats, from deep tissue massage to Swedish massage, sports massage and numerous others depending on your needs. If you’ve never experienced massage therapy in the past, you may be unsure which of these methods is best for you or what some of the signs are that a massage might be beneficial – here are several such indicators that often signal a massage can do you some major good.
Recurring Pain Areas
For those who have recurring or chronic pain coming from areas like their back, neck, hips or other central bodily areas, massage therapy is often one of the single best outlets available. This pain is your body telling you that something is out of whack within the system, whether it’s a muscle imbalance, a strain of some kind or another of a variety of issues – and massage therapy helps you respond to those warning signs from your body.
Those who struggle with neck pain, for instance, may require work on the muscles along the spine that allow the head and neck to rest easily and without strain. Your massage therapist will evaluate your recurring pain areas and utilize several potential techniques to help limit it.
Regular Headaches
Those who have regular, persistent headaches, whether in the form of tension headaches or migraines, are often looking for relief. These headaches can be invasive on your day-to-day activities, limiting your ability to perform optimally at work or school.
Luckily, massage therapy can be a huge help here as well. It’s meant to relieve the stress in your neck and shoulders that often causes tension headaches. Even if you don’t feel direct pain in these areas, scheduling a massage to help deal with recurring headaches will go a long way.
Stiffness and Stress
Have you noticed that certain body parts can’t be moved normally without stiffness and pain? In many cases, stiffness is caused or exacerbated by stress, which impacts us for a variety of reasons – and massage therapy assists with both.
For one, it helps relax the muscles that are contributing to stiffness. For another, it helps with relaxation and helps you de-stress on an overall basis, killing two metaphorical birds with one stone.
Sleep Deprivation
Finally, massage therapy is known to have a great impact for those struggling to sleep consistently, including insomnia sufferers. Massages handle not only pain, but also mind areas that need to relax to allow basic functions like sleep to occur peacefully and naturally.
For more on the signs that you might need a massage, or to learn about any of our massage therapy formats, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage & Float today.
If you’re dealing with pain or a variety of other conditions and have never experienced a professional massage, it’s never too late. Massage therapy is incredibly valuable as a pain relief and overall wellness resource for numerous individuals, from athletes to those with specific pain conditions – and anyone in between.
At Body Balance Massage and Float, we’re proud to offer numerous massage therapy options, from sports massage and injury massage services to Swedish massage, Gua Sha treatment and many others. If you’re considering your first professional massage, we’ll be happy to walk you through everything you need to know to ensure you’re properly prepared for the session and get the most out of it. Here are some important areas to keep in mind, from session preparation to what will happen after your first massage.
Comfortable Clothing
For starters, massages are all about comfort – and you should be as well. Wear comfortable clothing, generally of the loose variety that won’t pull or tug during the session. Before your session begins, you’ll be told to undress to your own personal level of comfort, then lie on your stomach underneath sheets, any clothing left on may limit the way the therapist is able to massage the body. Know that you’ll remain covered the entire time, with the exception of the areas being massaged, and our therapists take great care to observe your desired privacy.
Pain Points and Focus Areas
When you arrive for your first massage, your therapist will spend some time speaking to you about your pain points, focus areas and other priorities for the massage. If you have specific areas of pain you want relieved, this is the time to lay them out.
Speak Up
As the massage gets underway, be sure to communicate with your massage therapist about your comfort and how the session is feeling. While they don’t necessarily need a second-by-second update, you should definitely let them know if you feel uncomfortable or have any other concerns, and especially if any of their techniques are causing significant pain for any reason (this is rare). A little pain or discomfort is normal, we are looking for a “hurts so good” type sensation.
Breathing
Do your best to breathe normally during your massage session, with standard breaths or perhaps slightly longer ones. This will help you relax and be calmer, plus will complement the therapeutic benefits of the session itself.
Conclusions
When the massage is finished, plan to spend a few minutes with your massage therapist going over the conclusions they drew, how you felt and other factors. You’d be surprised how much your therapist will be able to tell you after just one session – they may recommend a future massage frequency, plus will go over the specific areas where future massages can benefit you. They may also give you some self-care areas to see to in between sessions.
For more on how to prepare for your first massage, or to learn about any of our massage therapy or float therapy services, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage and Float today.