Massage Therapy Big Lake, MN
Massage Therapy near Big Lake, MN. Do you have lingering muscle pain that won't go away? Did you suffer soft tissue damage in a recent injury? Or or is there simply too much stress in your life right now that's not allowing you to feel your best? Many Big Lake, MN residents are turning to massage therapy for lasting relief. Total Spine Health & Injury Center is committed to helping those in Big Lake, MN return to an active, pain-free lifestyle that many thought was in the rearview. If feeling great every day is something you want to get back to, call Total Spine today at (763) 568-7869 or contact us online.
Massage therapy is becoming increasingly popular in Big Lake, MN and throughout the United States. In 2021, one out of four men and one out of five women had at least one massage appointment. Through numerous different types of massage, it brings much-needed nutrient-rich blood to an affected area, and smooths out muscles that are tight, optimizing your ability to move. It also releases "feel-good" endorphins, which leaves us relaxed and stress-free. While many people seek out an appointment simply because a massage helps them feel better, they've also been shown to help relieve pain and treat and prevent injuries.
A Brief History of Massage Therapy
Massage therapy originated at least 5,000 years ago. It had widespread use in several different ancient civilizations and eventually spread throughout the rest of the world.
The Ancient Origins of Massage
In India, it was used in Ayurveda, a holistic healing system, in approximately 3000 BCE, if not earlier. Textual evidence shows that the practice had begun to be used in China by 2700 BCE. In Egypt, tomb paintings from a similar period show people massaging each other with their elbows, and the Egyptians developed reflexology around 2500 BCE. Around 3,000 years ago, Japanese monks who had traveled in China brought message therapy back to Japan, which over time developed into amna, Japan's unique massage discipline. These ancient practitioners all believed that massage was crucial to optimal balance, whether within their bodies, minds, or with the surrounding environment.
Massage Is Introduced to Europe
Around 800 BCE, massage therapy found its way to Greece, where Greek athletes utilized it to prepare their bodies before competition. In the 5th century BCE, Hippocrates began incorporating it into his healthy living combination of proper diet, exercise, and fresh air. He prescribed "friction" or "rubbing", and created a foundation for its use in the West by noting the positive effect massage has on muscles. Roman physician and Hippocrates believer Galen incorporated massage into his practice between 100 and 200 BCE, and the wealthy began having massage therapists brought to their homes, while the lay people would seek massage in the public baths.
Decline and Introduction in the United States
While massage therapy was not widely used after the fall of the Roman empire, it started to be used somewhat in Europe again in the 1600s. It was introduced in the United States to help World War I soldiers who were experiencing nerve injuries and shell shock, and eventually massage boomed in the second half of the 20th century.
In contemporary society massage therapy is used around the globe to treat countless conditions and disorders, from Asia, to Europe, to Big Lake, MN. While practitioners of massage may have different reasons for believing in its benefits, patients all over the world have found it to bring them relaxation and eased their pain.
Benefits of Massage Therapy in Big Lake, MN
Whether you're receiving one massage, multiple sessions to recover from an injury, or choose to get massages often, massage therapy has countless benefits that last not just for the next few days, but that can benefit your long-term health:
- Reduced stress and more relaxation
- Decreased heart rate
- Increased movement
- Improved circulation
- Reduced muscle spasms and cramping
- Lowered reliance on medication
- Increased immunity through increased lymphatic circulation
- Improved skin condition
- Increased athletic performance
The more you use massage therapy, the more benefits you'll see, and the longer they'll last.
Am I a Good Candidate for Massage Therapy in Big Lake, MN?
Massage therapy is right for everyone in the Big Lake area and beyond. Nothing bad will happen to you; when a massage is performed by licensed professionals, it can do wonders for anyone who is looking to relieve stress, improve their movement health, improve posture, and live a more enjoyable and pain-free everyday life. Many people who play sports choose to have frequent massage appointments to help ensure they stay at peak performance. Research has also shown that massage therapy is an effective treatment method for several specific injuries and conditions:
Injuries From Trauma
Massage therapy can be an essential part of the recovery process for a variety of soft tissue injuries, including sports injuries and injuries sutained in auto accidents. Any sudden injury has a tremendous effect on your body, including pain, inflammation, limited range of motion, and the creation of scar tissue. Big Lake, MN massage therapy can help ease nagging symptoms and encourage the body to heal itself by improving circulation and brining blood and nutrients to an injured area.
Chronic Pain
Some pain and discomfort does not stem from one single event. Often, pain and discomfort are the result of not performing everyday tasks with optimal posture, a small injury that starts to hurt more as it remains untreated, or just the general degradation our bodies fall under as we work or bring in the groceries. Massage therapy in Big Lake, MN can smooth over scar tissue and elongate muscles to bring your body back to a place where it can feel good every day.
Depression and Anxiety
Are physical and mental well-beings are intertwined. A negative mental state can do damage to our bodies, and vice versa. The Mayo Clinic states that depression and anxiety can cause the following symptoms:
- Increased heart rate
- Chest pain
- Frequently being tired
- Muscle tension
- Sleep disturbances
- Gaining or losing excessive amount of weight
- Headaches
Massage therapy in Big Lake, MN can help eliminate the physical consequences of depressions by soothing muscle tension and migraines, stabilizing your blood pressure, and sending out feel-good endorphins and hormones such as neurotensin, oxytocin, and cortisol, which relieve pain caused by stress and encourage you to be more social.
Massage therapy, when used alongside exercise and a proper diet and other treatments, can help you rediscover your optimal total well-being.
Prenatal Massage
An expecting mother's body goes under an incredible array of changes to their musculoskeletal structure. Massage therapy can help alleviate many of the physical discomforts that affect women during all three trimesters of a pregnancy. It will promote blood flow to muscle groups that weren't receiving much blood, alleviate joint and sciatica pain, improve sleep patterns, and release endorphins. Some studies have even suggested that prenatal massage may reduce labor time and labor pain.
While massage is generally safe for pregnant women, it's always important to speak with a doctor before going to see a massage therapist to ensure it's safe for you.
Massage therapy in Big Lake, MN has also been effective at treating:
- Headaches and migraines
- Work injuries
- Digestive disorders
- Upper back and neck pain
- Temporomandibular disorders
Combining Massage Therapy with Chiropractic Treatment in Big Lake, MN
While massage therapy offers great benefits for Big Lake, MN residents suffering from a variety of ailments, for the best results we often recommend including chiropractic care in your treatment. Chiropractic and massage both offer pain relief and improved function, but do so by treating the musculoskeletal system in different ways.
Chiropractic care treats issues from a structural standpoint. By performing chiropractic adjustments, chiropractors improve the overall function of your body. By increasing the space between spinal joints and performing quick, targeted thrusts on the joints, we allow your bones to move with greater ease and elasticity and reduce the strain they put on your nervous system.
Massage therapy targets issues with soft tissue. Soft tissue is a term for the tissue around your bones, such as the ligaments that connect bones and cartilage together, muscles that power the movement of our bones, and tendons that fasten muscles to bones. In essence, our soft tissue is kind of a "pulley system" that holds things in place. Through micro-traumas, such as inappropriate posture or wear-and-tear, or acute trauma, our bodies build up scar tissue that makes soft tissue weaker and less flexible, which has a negative effect on our body's support structure. Massage smooths out scar tissue so the muscles, ligaments, and tendons can act as they should, which then helps the bones function correctly.
Combining massage therapy and chiropractic care prolongs the effects of both and ensure both treatments work optimally. Chiropractic adjustments help the muscles relax for a massage, and massage therapy relaxes the nervous system, enhancing the effects of chiropractic treatment.
Both massage therapy and chiropractic care are safe when performed by licensed, trained professionals. Many have found them to be a better alternative to costly prescription medications for a variety of ailments. At Total Spine Health & Injury Center, we are licensed and experienced in both massage and chiropractic, making us a one-stop-shop for your injury recovery, pain relief, or general wellness needs.
Other services we offer in Big Lake, MN include:
- Herniated Disc Treatment
- Work Injury Treatment
- Family Chiropractic
- Headache Relief
- Auto Accident Chiropractors Near Me
- Chiropractor
- Chiropractic Adjustment
- Whiplash Treatment
- Migraine Treatment
Call Total Spine Health & Injury Center for Massage Therapy in Big Lake, MN Today
At Total Spine, we take a holistic view of your health and wellness; we want to partner with you so that you can feel the best you possibly can. We offer one-on-one attention, aimed at creating a successful treatment plan to help ease whatever ailment you're seeking massage therapy for in Big Lake, MN. Our licensed massage therapist is trained and skilled in deep tissue, Swedish, myofascial, and trigger point massage, as well as cupping. For effective and long-lasting massage therapy in Big Lake, MN, call us today at (763) 568-7869 or contact us online.