We are winding down to our final benefit of massage (although we feel like we could go on forever), and this one is our favorite, and also the #1 reason people worldwide go to the spa: Massage is a serious stress buster.
There are endless sources of stress in our daily lives and you may not realize it, but stress could be causing more than just a heavy foot on the gas. Poorly managed stress is one of highest causes of physical and emotional ailments. The signs and symptoms of stress overload can be almost anything. Stress can drain the joy from your life, lead to heart disease, cause inexplicable fatigue, and leave you less able to enjoy your relationships and the things you once enjoyed.
Massage therapy is one of the best antidotes for stress. Stress shows itself in the form of firmness and stiffness in muscles, and massage can remove this tension. Prolonged periods of tension weaken the muscles and can bring about a state of chronic fatigue and tiredness. Massage also brings in fresh nutrients and helps in purging the body of toxins accumulated due to long periods of stress and tension. It causes more oxygen to flow in the body, which helps the body to revive and rebuild itself. With this flow of fresh oxygen and nutrients to the entire system, the immune system is strengthened. Additionally, massage clears your mind of exaggerated anxiety and makes you capable of thinking with an unclouded mind. When you are bodily and mentally relaxed, you are capable of taking a more balanced and fresh perspective of your life situation.
This emotional release and improved balance in body, mind and emotions, will not only reduce stress, it will increase energy and improve your outlook on life. Coupled with modest changes in nutrition and activity levels, massage can be the start on your road to wellness.
Here are some final stories from Spa Week spas’ massage therapists and their love work of healing both body and mind.
“All clients have different needs and wants they seek from the massage. Helping clients relax for an hour, sleep or just forget about their stress is rewarding on its own. We all need R&R time.” — Rebecca Scallan, Rejuv Massage Therapy Center in Metairie, LA
“Being able to provide relief and renewal to stressed out Americans is very rewarding. Just the other day I gave a massage to one of our frequent spa visitors and was using her favorite essential oil, eucalyptus, giving her an aromatherapy face massage, she would breathe deeply and express relief. She then told me that every time I would apply more eucalyptus she could see colors. This simply is a testament to how massage and aromatherapy affect us physically and mentally.” Jennifer Robles, Rio Spa in Las Vegas, NV
“Recently I had a woman who was under extreme stress. After the massage she said the massage was like having a friend who listened to her whining and irritating complaining, but no judgment was rendered. For me whenever I hear something like that, it gives me a sense of relief. I know I not only fulfilled my job as a massage therapist, but also I was being human in the most compassionate way I could.” Dareyth Thornton, Rio Spa in Las Vegas, NV
“I love being a massage therapist very simply because I get to make people feel good…for a living! And to be a part of something that teaches people how to manage their stress and their health & fitness goals is tremendously satisfying! Bodywork has been an amazing journey for me.” Angi Kempken, Well Spa in Indian Wells, CA
All of these massage therapists will be massaging for $50 during Spa Week next week, so be sure to click through to each spa to see which massages are being offered, and take advantage of their magic hands!
While some of us would like to have a cause of weight problems other than overconsumption and under-exertion, the thyroid is a source for many metabolic problems for many frustrated people. The thyroid gland is located on the front part of the neck below the thyroid cartilage and produces thyroid hormones, which regulate body metabolism, as well as regulate body energy, the body’s use of other hormones and vitamins, and the growth and maturation of body tissues.
A skilled massage therapist can do much more than eliminate stress and work out knots; they can help boost the body’s natural healing abilities. Michael Greenspan of 
We’ve all heard someone say that their [insert body part here] is not what it used to be. As we age our bodies feel the test of time and pain is, unfortunately, a common symptom of growing old. Almost 80-85% of people past the age of 65 
experience some form of pain. Pain in the elderly is usually treated with drug therapy, but with the often complex combination of drugs a person can be on, seeking alternatives or aides for painkillers could be beneficial. Alternative therapies like massage is being more widely accepted and, in some cases, is replacing drugs to relieve pain.
Marika Eckhardt of 
“One day I was just about leaving in the evening when the front desk attendant rushed to me and asked me if I could give a 15 minute reflexology on a client’s back. I immediately went to meet her. She was an older lady with a cane in her right hand and appeared fragile. She told me she was in so much pain she could hardly walk. I instructed her to lay down and I noticed how tight she held her body and her breathing was extremely shallow. It was obvious that her body was under tremendous stress. After feeling her back I realized her back muscles were so tight that they were probably constricting all the nerves in her spine, which was the cause of all the pain. I started by asking her to breathe deeply all the way down to her diaphragm while giving her gentle friction with my thumbs along the sides of the spine. I was able to slowly release the tension even in her gluts. Thirty minutes later I helped her get up from the table and I noticed immediately how bright she looked, she looked at me and said she felt so good. There was hardly any wobble as she walked out of the room. She was back next day.”
A massage therapist needs to be sensitive to health conditions of a person in order to be effective. When a therapist considers elders’ unique needs, a massage can improve their physical and emotional well-being, and emotionally, a massage can become an anticipated and cherished part of their life.
“My most memorable client was a woman with spina bifida. Her previous treatment methods provided little relief. She could barely walk, but after administering deep tissue massage over time, she greatly increased her mobility while decreasing pain.” Dalesa Trent, 
