How can massage therapy help you ? 　Many sports injuries, accidents, repetitive actions at work and tension from everyday stress can cause problems that will cause pain, headaches, decrease range of motion, lower your resistance to illnesses and ultimately compromise your lifestyle.

 Massage can help you. Massage is a gentle touch therapy that can relieve pain
and bring balance to your life. Massage is not a substitute for medical care, but it
can reduce or eliminate the need for medication or surgery.

Massage therapy will calm your nervous system and give you more energy. It will
relieve many types of muscle tightness, especially the back and neck area where
most of us store tension. Muscles can become so contracted that they press on
nerves to the arms, hands and legs, causing pain, tingling and numbness.
Massage can release muscle spasms and tightness in the shoulders or hips to
bring relief. Massage will relieve headaches caused by trigger points, eyestrain,
lower back pain during pregnancy, or the protective tensing of healthy muscles
around an injury.

Many of today's health problems arise from stress. Because stress upsets the
delicate integral balance of all your body's functions, regaining this balance
requires a holistic approach.

Massage therapy is safe and effective if used for stress management, but it is
also widely used to help clients obtain relief from many specific problems,
including the following:

  * migraine post injury rehabilitation

  * whiplash

  * respiratory problems

  * frozen shoulder

  * neuritis/neuralgia

  * tendonitis/bursitis

  * neck and shoulder tension

  * arthritis

  * lower back pain

  * digestive/lower bowel problems

  * muscle spasms

  * pseudo-sciatica (leg aches)

  * circulatory problems

Massage can benefit people of all ages and conditions - babies, children, pregnant
women, the elderly, those in chronic care and those who need palliative
consideration.

 What to expect during your masssage session ?

Firstly, you will be asked to fill out a confidential general information sheet. Your
massage therapist will then ask you some general questions as there are

conditions for which massage is not appropriate. For a body massage, you'll need
to wear just your underwear. Your massage therapist will give you privacy to
undress, and you will be fully draped through your session except for the area
being worked on.

You will relax on a specially designed table that is designed for stability and
comfort. Different pillows and bolsters can be used to make your position more
comfortable. The room will be warm, quiet, and filled with gentle music and
Japanese atmosphere. A professional massage oil blend will be used to ease the
friction and will absorb well in case you have other commitments after the
massage. The massage will start gently to calm your nervous system and begin
to release superficial tension. Gradually, your massage therapist works more
deeply into the tissues and addresses specific areas. Massage therapy is the
manipulation of the soft tissues of the body to gain a therapeutic response. Soft
tissues include muscles, skin and connective tissue, tendons, ligaments and
membranes. Swedish massage is presently the most common form of therapy
practiced, however, massage therapists may use a variety of therapies and
techniques, depending on your needs and their specialties.

Your therapist will help you understand that ultimately your body has the
capacity to heal itself and will work with you to learn how you can become part of
this process.

 What to do during a massage session ?

Make yourself comfortable and relax. Your therapist may move or adjust your
body at certain times or will tell you what is needed. You can change your
position any time to make yourself more comfortable. Many people just close
their eyes and relax, others prefer to talk. Do not hesitate to ask questions at any
time.

 How will a massage feel ?

Massage on healthy tissue feels good. Some people are surprised that massage
does not tickle. Working on an area of injury or chronic pain may cause some
amount of pain or discomfort, which will usually lessen shortly. Always tell your
therapist if you feel any discomfort or pain so they can adjust the treatment.

Massage therapy usually lasts one hour. This gives enough time to relax the body
and to address specific problems. A half-hour can be used as an introduction to
massage or to address a specific area only.

After your massage you should feel relaxed. Give yourself time to slowly get up.
Many people experience freedom from pain and aches that have built-up over
months or years of tension. After an initial period of feeling slowed down, many
people experience an increase in energy that can last for days.

 How often should I get a massage ?

At the beginning, a few sessions one week apart are the best to provide maximum
benefits as every massage session accumulates the gains from previous sessions.
After that, about once every ２〜４ weeks a 1hour ~ 1hour & half massage seems
to be the most beneficial to keep its positive effects.