JEDDAH — Getting a massage is relaxing as it works wonders on those persistently aching muscles and is also an excellent stress management procedure. The sequence of strokes helps reduce tension in stiff muscles and aids in pain relief. You can literally feel the knots in your muscles unwind, your physical tiredness fade, and a fresh wave of healing energy flow throughout your body. But that is not all; it turns out that massage has a host of other health benefits as well. Welhamina, who received her training as a massage therapist in the Philippines, has been working at a women's spa in Jeddah for 15 years. Before performing the massage, she applies hot towels on her client's back because heat loosens the muscles and makes them more responsive to treatment. “The movements in the massage stimulates circulation of the blood, which means better delivery of nutrients and oxygen to tissues and organs throughout the body, thus aiding in the healing and rejuvenation processes and giving a general sense of feeling good. “The massage therapist applies deep pressure on certain points on the neck, back, hands, ears, and feet which correspond to certain organs in the body. The stimulation of these points helps energy flow through the body, releases toxins stored up in the corresponding organs, and improves their function,” she said. “Getting a massage decreases the level of cortisol; known as the stress hormone. Several studies have shown the effectiveness of massage therapy in alleviating depression, anxiety, and other symptoms of a stressful lifestyle. “Massage can also induce healthy sleep, boost the immune system, and lower the number of migraine and tension headaches and also reduce the intensity of the pain associated with these headaches,” added Welhamina. More and more research is highlighting the therapeutic benefits of massage. In the United States, the medical community is actively embracing bodywork, and massage is becoming an integral part of hospice care and neonatal intensive care units. Many hospitals are recruiting professional massage practitioners to treat patients with chronic pain and post-surgery patients as part of the recovery process. In addition to the traditional treatment plan, frequent massage has helped arthritis sufferers achieve fewer aches and less stiffness and pain and it gave them a wider range of motion. When massage is applied in pediatrics, asthmatic children show better pulmonary function and increased peak air flow, and preterm infants show improved weight gain as compared to the infants who did not receive massage treatment. Burn injury victims also report reduced pain, itching, and anxiety. For athletes, regular stretching and massage of the muscles is not merely a luxury, but a necessity. Massage works to ease the pain and tightness in sore muscles after a tough work out, and just 10 minutes of massage significantly reduces inflammation. Vigorous exercise causes tiny tears in muscle fibers, leading to an automatic response in the body: inflammation. Massage quickens the process of repairing the injured cells. Researchers found that the massage reduced the production of compounds called cytokines, which contribute to inflammation. Massage also stimulated mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses inside cells that convert glucose into the energy essential for cell function and repair. The researcher who headed this study and is also a professor of pediatrics and medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Dr. Mark A. Tarnopolsky, said: “Massage works better than the usual anti-inflammatory drugs because it relieves pain and promotes healing. The drugs reduce inflammation and pain but they actually retard healing in the long run if the patient becomes too dependent on them. “With massage, you can have your cake and eat it too; massage can suppress inflammation and actually enhance cell recovery.” So go ahead and pamper yourself; schedule an appointment with a skilled and trained massage therapist. A back, shoulders, and neck massage for half an hour costs SR 200 on average, and the full body massage for one hour costs SR400. To immerse the client in a truly relaxing and soothing atmosphere, the therapist usually lights scented candles and uses aromatherapy and soft, calming music. Welhamina often chooses the essential oil of lemongrass for her clients due to its stress and fatigue relieving properties.
