8 Signs You Need a Massage

The human body is a pretty smart little machine. Thousands of functions work in synchronization with each other inside our muscles, nerves and organs to pull off the demands of daily activity, exercise and even just breathing properly – and the body does this all on its own! (With a little help from food, hydration, oxygen and sleep.)

After continuous wear-and-tear, your body may begin to tell you it needs something. Headaches, bad posture, poor digestion and chronic pain or inflammation are all examples of “red flags” your body may throw out there to get your attention. It’s saying, “HEY! Help me out here!”

The Most Common Signs You Need a Massage

For most of us, desk jobs and jam-packed schedules are part of the daily routine. No matter what your lifestyle or daily routine consists of, it’s important you stop and take a moment for yourself.

Massage therapy is a great way to relieve pain and stress and restore range of motion by targeting tension in muscles that might be “holding up the show” in certain areas of your body. Take a look at these 8 common “red flags” and see if these signs you need a massage are true in your life.

1. Your posture is off.

Whether you’ve noticed you have a raised shoulder or you look like Quasimodo, posture can be a great indication of the tension you’re holding in your back and neck. Massage works naturally not only to relieve tension, but to help muscles relax to their natural position to support your spine.

2. You work a sedentary desk job.

It’s no secret that working at a desk in front of a computer or hunched over paperwork will do a number to create a build-up of tension, bad posture and headaches. If you work at a desk, you may not even be aware of the havoc this is wreaking on your postural and spinal health.

3. The symptom of “sighing.”

Believe it or not, sighing loudly can be a major sign it’s time for a massage. Some people breathe in and (because of tension in the ribcage) hold their breath rather than immediately and naturally exhaling. The loud sigh that results tells us massage therapists it’s time to release these muscles that are holding too tightly and impeding regular breathing.

4. You’re getting frequent headaches.

While some headaches can be hormonal and others related to improper nutrition or dehydration, headaches and migraines can also be as a result of tension in the back, neck and head. If you’re getting frequent headaches, give massage therapy a try. Essential oils and a good understanding of pressure points are just a couple of massage therapist natural tools for headache relief.

5. You’re in pain or don’t have full range of motion in some part of your body.

Inability to move your neck from side to side or extend your arms all the way are just a couple examples of common range of motion issues. Further, chronic back pain can be addressed with massage therapy. If even a simple hug or pat on the back causes you pain – this should be a no-brainer.

6. You’re stressed out.

Stress can be a multi-faceted problem borne of emotion, a packed schedule, family situations, work deadlines, obligations and health problems. No matter what area of life you’re feeling stress from, massage therapy is a great, natural way to decompress and take a time out both physically and mentally.

7. You’ve never had a massage.

Many clients come to us who, after decades and decades of pain, stress, prescriptions and other pain management treatments, have just never tried massage therapy. Take care of yourself! If you’ve never had a massage, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

8. You just started working out.

The new year is upon us, and resolutions for the healthiest, fittest year are flying. Working out means building new muscle (which can mean tearing the muscle, by the way, and then letting it heal). It may also mean high-impact cardio and putting strain on the entire body. This is fine, if done in moderation and with good form. Do yourself a favor and help solidify your fitness goals by committing to caring for your muscular system just as much as you put strain on it. Massage therapy is good for deep stretching the muscles, improving range of motion and releasing tension which, if left unaddressed, may lead to injury.

Hope to see you in for a massage very soon!

Donni Tompkins

Licensed Massage Therapist/Muscle Detective

Botanica Day Spa

January 26, 2015 in Massage