Massages can be a super rejuvenating and relaxing choice to make, putting you back in touch with your body and wellbeing. Studies have shown that massages can significantly help with disorders such as anxiety, and there’s no better choice than a massage in Davenport, IA.
1. Swedish massage
A Swedish massage is one of the most relaxing choices out there, and it’s particularly great for first-timers thanks to its light manipulation of muscle tissue. Make no mistake, mind you: it’s still a powerful form of massage, all about long strokes and light-to-firm pressure that will leave you feeling rejuvenated.
There are 5 techniques involved in a Swedish massage: stroking and gliding, kneading, rubbing, tapping or pounding, and vibration.
A study by the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program of Emory University looked at the effects of a Swedish massage on people suffering from generalized anxiety disorder, who previously had not received medical treatment.
The anxiety sufferers were split into two different groups for the 6-week trial, where one group received a Swedish massage twice a week, and the other only received a light touch massage.
The Swedish massage group reported significantly reduced anxiety scores at the end of this.
2. Sports massage
Anyone with a physically demanding lifestyle has not lived until they’ve had a good sports massage. Here, the focus is on the impact of the activity on your joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscle fibers. Sports massages generally come with an initial assessment, where you discuss your activity and what the therapist should focus on.
There are dozens of different movements involved in a sports massage. It incorporates Swedish-style massage, with its stroking, kneading, and compression, with a rougher, deeper-tissue percussion and vibration.
Though the traditional goal of a sports massage is to improve athletic performance, it provides a wealth of benefits even to the non-athletes among us. It helps reduce inflammation after intense activity, and other benefits have been reported such as better sleep, increased flexibility, better posture and a greater sense of wellbeing.
3. Shiatsu
Shiatsu-style massage first originated in ancient Japan, roughly translating to finger pressure.
The underlying philosophy of Shiatsu is centered around the idea of energy flow, or ‘Ki’ (sometimes also called ‘Qi’). Practitioners follow the belief that any disruption to this flow of natural energy causes illness and negative symptoms. Shiatsu’s focus is on freeing those blockages or imbalances, rejuvenating the body by restoring energy to where it’s needed.
Though it’s named ‘finger style’, be prepared for much more than that. In working out the knots and kinks of the muscle, your therapist may use their knuckles, elbows, feet and even knees.
It’s a perfect, medium-pressure massage for loosening up those muscles and improving circulation. There are many other reported benefits too, such as easing constipation, stress and tension reduction, and even improving symptoms of insomnia
4. Thai
A Thai massage is one of the most physically demanding types of massage but guaranteed to get the blood pumping and to make you feel alive. It’s one of the few massage types that has you actively participating as you lay on the floor.
Firm to heavy pressure is applied, and stretching is incorporated as the masseuse works the length of your body. There’s a fair number of proven health benefits, too. As stress builds in your body day-to-day, it’s possible to measure the body’s stress marker in your saliva.
One study found that a Thai massage reduces the levels of these stress markers, lending biological weight to that intense feeling of satisfaction you feel as you walk out the door.
Another randomized trial found that a Thai massage helps to reduce sensations of fatigue. This is likely thanks to how a Thai massage helps to fill the body’s tissues with oxygen, boosting energy levels by getting the blood pumping again.
5. Aromatherapy
This light style of massage uses essential oils from plants, such as chamomile, geranium, lavender, tea tree, lemon, ginger, cedarwood, and bergamot. Each one has a different chemical composition, affecting its absorption and impacts on the body.
Roman chamomile has already been proven to decrease anxiety; one study looked to judge the effects of an aromatherapy massage on 58 cancer patients. They found that the treatment helped to ease their anxiety, and offered some relief from depressive symptoms.
One double-blind clinical trial discovered that the therapy is great at easing discomfort from menstrual cramps. Participants saw that their pain level decreased both in magnitude and duration. Whereas the average duration was initially 2.4 days of cramping, after aromatherapy massage, this was reduced to 1.8 days.