With all the stress you’ve been under these past few months, you’re probably ready to say these two words: Spa Day!
Why do massages feel so good? “Stress increases your cortisol levels, which in turn can cause a lot of health problems,” says Cymbelene Nardo, massage therapist at Atlantic Health System’s Chambers Center for Well-Being. “A massage relieves that stress, which decreases those cortisol levels and increases endorphins, the feel-good chemicals in your brain.”
In addition, massages improve blood flow, which can help create healthier skin. They boost your immune system. And they even burn calories. “It’s a passive form of exercise,” Nardo says.
Choosing the right massage for you begins with knowing the different types.
-
Express Massage
-
Who it’s for: People with tightness in specific muscles (such as a limited range of motion in the neck)
What it is: During this 45-minute massage, your massage therapist will focus specifically on your area of concern.
How you benefit: You’ll relieve the tension causing your limited range of motion and experience more mobility in that area.
-
Relaxation Massage
-
Who it’s for: Anyone. It’s perfect for people new to massage.
What it is: Also called a Swedish massage, a relaxation massage is
the most common type. During the one-hour full-body massage, your massage
therapist will apply light-to-moderate pressure to your muscles.How you benefit: You’ll feel more relaxed and alleviate muscle tension.
-
Deep Tissue Massage
-
Who it’s for: People with chronic pain, or those with specific types of muscle tension (such as a frozen shoulder).
What it is: During this one-hour massage, your massage therapist will use acupressure techniques that go deep into layers of muscle in the affected areas. For example, a desk worker may benefit from deep tissue massages in the chest, shoulders, back, neck and lower back.
How you benefit: You’ll relax sore muscles and gain better movement.
-
Warm Salt Stone Massage
-
Who it’s for: Anyone.
What it is: During this 90-minute massage, your massage therapist will use Himalayan salt stones to help loosen your muscles. You can receive a relaxation or deep tissue salt stone massage—your choice!
How you benefit: The Himalayan salt stones help loosen muscles and improve skin condition.
-
Sports Massage
-
Who it’s for: Athletes whose muscles feel tight after a sporting event.
What it is: This one-hour massage includes deep tissue and stretching techniques to help ease the tension of overused muscles (such as a cyclist’s calf muscles).
How you benefit: You’ll improve blood circulation, lengthen your muscles back to normal and give your muscles the nutrients they need.
-
Oncology Massage
-
Who it’s for: People diagnosed with any type of cancer.
What it is: During this one-hour massage, your massage therapist will use light to moderate pressure. Tell your therapist if you’re currently undergoing treatment so they can avoid any areas affected by radiation or other therapies.
How you benefit: You’ll feel more relaxed.
-
Lymphatic Massage
-
Who it’s for: People with edema, lymphedema, or people who need surgery.
What it is: This 90-minute massage uses a light technique designed specifically to drain lymphatic fluid manually.
How you benefit: It helps activate the flow of lymphatic fluid in your body, which reduces inflammation and may shorten recovery time after surgery.
-
Maternity Massage (prenatal and postnatal)
-
Who it’s for: Women in their first trimester of pregnancy or women who have already given birth.
What it is: This 60-minute massage helps improve blood circulation and reduce tightness.
How you benefit: A prenatal massage helps relieve stress for a mom and her unborn child. A postnatal massage relieves muscle tightness experienced during delivery.
-
Scalp Treatments
-
Who they’re for: Anyone; most beneficial for people with dandruff or thinning hair.
What it is: During this 15-minute treatment, a massage therapist will use argan oil to massage your scalp. This is an add-on to massage services.
How you benefit: You’ll nourish your skin and hair.
-
Foot Treatments
-
Who they’re for: Anyone; especially beneficial for people who stand or walk for long hours at a time.
What it is: During this 15-minute treatment, a massage therapist will use reflexology to relieve tension in your feet.
How you benefit: You’ll soothe your aching feet.
To limit the spread of COVID-19, massage therapists at the Chambers Center disinfect massage tables and all equipment after each use. They also wear masks and goggles. If you’ve scheduled a Spa Day, please wear your mask.
Check out our complete menu of medical spa services>