Dear Clients

We hope you’ve been doing well. To continue feeling your best, think about the following question before your next appointment:  

What benefits do you want from your massage sessions? Be sure to consider what you really want to be getting from each massage and communicate your goals before each session. 

No matter what your personal goals, it can be helpful for you to understand some of the benefits that are commonly experienced from regular massage. Often when you are aware of what changes your body may be undergoing, you can greater appreciate each massage and even be able to contribute  to achieving the best results.  

For instance, if you have a chronic pain (say, shoulder pain), through discussion we may discover a work habit (like holding the phone with your shoulder) that may be helping to create the problem. Sometimes a certain stretch you can do at home or the office will help you to keep your massage results longer as well. Remember, your good health and comfort are our goals for you

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Touch-The Mother of the Senses

Our sense of touch is something we can take for granted, yet it is intimately involved with our survival. The first sense to develop, touch actually plays a much greater role in our overall well-being than most people realize.  

Following are references drawn from the book Touching, The Human Significance of the Skin by educator Ashley Montagu. 

The skin of an adult male is about 19 square feet and contains some 5 million sensory cells. More than a million skin cells shed every hour, and about every four hours, the skin forms two new layers of cells. The nerve fibers that carry the information on tactile sensations are generally a larger size than those associated with the other senses, suggesting the importance of these messages to proper body function. 

There have been numerous studies involving a variety of animal species that indicate regular sensory stimulation through touch improves life functions. For instance, when rats were regularly handled and “gentled” (treated in a soothing way), they produced higher levels of the hormones that lessen stress. Dr. Montagu states that all of the gentled animals’ systems tend to function more efficiently and, regarding skin stimulation, “... we are quite evidently speaking of a fundamental and essential element in the healthy development of every organism.”

Regarding human responses to touching, a study of ten infants (starting at ten weeks old), whose mothers were taught to stroke their infants’ backs, reported that at six months of age, these babies had fewer colds, sniffles, vomiting and diarrhea than infants in the control group, whose mothers had not been taught to stroke their infants.  

These type of tactile experiences have proven to play an important role in the growth and development of all mammals that have been studied. 

Dr. John D. Benjamin of the University of Colorado Medical School carried out a series of experiments in which one group of twenty lab rats, supplied with exactly the same kinds and amounts of food and living conditions, were caressed and cuddled, while the other group was treated coldly. The petted rats learned faster and grew faster. 

Dr. Montagu’s conclusion of these studies is that “... the living organism depends to a very large extent upon the stimulation of the external world for its growth and development. Those stimuli must for the most part be pleasurable ones, just as they must be in learning...” 

The numerous studies done on humans—especially infants—support the above statement. The physiological effect seems to be that people who are nurtured through warm human touch develop stronger immune systems, healthier overall constitutions, and are more mentally/emotionally prepared for life and its challenges. 

What about as we grow older? Even though we have noticeable loss in nerve fiber and decreased acuity in the sense of touch over the years, it appears our needs for tactile stimulation may actually increase. 

Unfortunately in our society, human contact is often perceived as inappropriate, more so among males than females. Imagine what a difference it would make if sincere affection could be warmly displayed between caring individuals without the concerns of misconception that have been assigned by our culture to close physical contact. 

“One has only to observe the responses of older people to a caress, an embrace, a handpat or clasp, to appreciate how vitally necessary such experiences are for their well-being,” Montagu says. He goes on to suggest that “the course and outcome of many an illness in the aged has been greatly influenced by the quality of tactile support the individual has received before and during the illness.”  

When you appreciate the benefits to your health and very survival brought about through regular human contact, you can have a greater appreciation for the benefits your regular massage sessions can offer you. The therapeutic nature of regular massage can provide the positive stimulus to keep those tactile connections humming from head to toe!

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We look forward to seeing you soon.