Massage
At UWG, we understand the benefits of therapeutic touch - and see massage therapy as part of an overall wellness program. This may be included as part of your personalized health plan or to help relieve daily stress and muscular aches or pains.
Because it supports the whole body in many of its healing processes, massage can play a very important and complimentary role in holistic care. The reverse is also true: natural medicine can compliment massage by addressing muscle spasticity due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Marya Gendron offers therapeutic massage at Urban Wellness on Tuesdays and Fridays. She particularly enjoys working with people suffering from musculoskeletal problems, structural imbalance, fibromyalgia, and multiple sclerosis. To find out more about Marya's approach to massage, click here.
Dr. Kelly Jennings offers Shiatzu, Deep Tissue, and Craniosacral along with her other holistic care services on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The Benefits of Massage
Massage shifts the patient's nervous system away from the sympathetic "fight-or-flight" stress response and toward the parasympathetic relaxation response.
Massage has been used for thousands of years because it:
- releases postural stress patterns held in connective tissue (fascia)
- relaxes tension held in muscle tissue
- increases blood ciculation in the body, thereby reducing metabolic waste buildup and boosting cellular renewal
- increases the flow of lymph throughout the body, thereby boosting overall immunity
- decreases pain by stimulating the release of serotonin and endorphins
- improves sleep (which plays a crucial role in pain and healing)
- improves digestion and therefore nutrient assimilation
- increases body awareness
New to Massage?
What to Expect from a Massage Treatment
Massage therapy treatments usually last for 30 to 60 minutes or as long as 1.5 to 2 hours. For some conditions (especially chronic ones), therapists often advise a series of appointments.
At the first appointment, your massage therapist will discuss your symptoms, medical history, the results you (and your health care provider, if applicable) desire, and possibly other factors such as your work and levels of stress. She will likely perform some evaluations through touch. If she finds nothing that would make a massage inadvisable, she will proceed with the massage. At any time, you can bring up questions or concerns.
During treatment, you might be fully clothed or partially or fully undressed (in which case you will be covered by a sheet or towel; only the parts of your body that the therapist is currently massaging are exposed). Oil or powder helps reduce friction on the skin. The therapist may use other aids, such as ice, heat, or fragrances. Your massage therapist may also provide recommendations for self-care, such as drinking fluids, learning better movement, and developing an awareness of your body.