Your lower back has been giving you issues for a long time. Chiropractor visits may not give you any relief and muscle relaxants can cause issues like possible drowsiness. Physical therapy is an option, but it depends on your insurance, since you might be limited in the number of visits.

There is another possible option: massage therapy. More and more people are choosing this as a way to handle their lower-back issues. What can it do for you?

What Are The Benefits?

This is one of the first things that people want to know before they make their first appointment at a massage therapist. Fortunately, we have several of them to list here:

• You will have improved blood circulation – Do you have sore muscles after exercise or physical activity? The massage will help you recover from that much faster than if you just stretch.
• You will have a better range of motion: Since the massage will relax your muscles, it will allow you to move them around more freely. Also, this a great option if you are suffering from insomnia
• You will have higher endorphin levels – If you have chronic pain, massage is great at helping you feel better since it releases endorphins.

FInding The Place

So, if you are on the fence about massage therapy for your lower back, hopefully this might nudge you to at least give it a shot. A skilled massage therapist at a reputable place could do wonders to restore your range of motion and ease of walking around. How do you find one of those places?

There are several things you can do – talk to family and friends and see if they have any recommendations. If not, you could look around the area or if you see any signs while out driving or walking. Finally, you could look online – just be sure to use well-known review sites.

Once you have found the place, get ready for the appointment. Make sure you have any necessary paperwork and wear comfortable clothes. Then go to your appointment.

What Massage Would Work Best For Lower Back Pain?

Did you strain your lower back muscles? The best solution for you might be to have neuromuscular massage therapy. What exactly happens when you have this type of massage?

Your massage therapist will see where the muscles might be spasming … and then put pressure on those areas. They will use their fingers, knuckles, or elbow to put that consistent pressure on the area. You will feel that pressure for anywhere between 10-30 seconds.

When they first touch that spasming muscle, it will likely feel painful to you. That is normal since the muscle is not getting enough blood flow … and ultimately, oxygen. This results in lactic acid building around the muscle.

By applying pressure to the area, the massage therapist will then release that lactic acid and make the muscle feel relaxed. This will usually get rid of a lot of pain or discomfort. This can depend on other things, which we will talk about a bit later.

What Should I Do During The Massage?

The first thing that you need to do is to have a medical professional examine you to ensure that this is an option for you. There are certain things that may make you ineligible. If you don’t do this, you risk possibly wasting money.

Once you are there at the massage therapist, be sure that you communicate with them. That does not mean just at the beginning when discussing your condition. Tell them throughout the massage if anything is hurting or if the therapy is ineffective – they will be able to adjust as the session continues.

When Is This Not An Option?

If you are suffering from muscle inflammation, then massage therapy is not the solution for you. You can tell this is the case if your muscle does not relax at all when the massage therapist applies pressure. Also, if you are not seeing results from the first two visits, then it is not likely going to work.

There is a reason why massage has been around for centuries, even millenia. It has many benefits for people of all walks of life – whether they are blue collar workers, white collar ones, or athletes. These patients can get both physical and mental results from spending time with a massage therapist.

The human body can be quite complex – especially the lower back. There are so many things that can cause pain or discomfort. Massage therapy is an excellent option, but you may also have to include things like exercise and stretching and even possibly chiropractic care – back walking is becoming popular again – to ensure that you get the best results for a pain-free back.

Massage therapy is one treatment you cannot live without, as it reduces stress and improves your outlook overall.

By scheduling regular massage treatments, you will realize some health benefits that exercises, such as yoga or deep breathing, cannot provide.

To find a massage therapist, see what he or she provides first in massages. Therefore, identify your health goals. By picking the right therapist, you can put an end to sore muscles permanently.

Types of Massages

You can obtain massage services, as follows:

• Deep tissue massage
• Hot stone massage
• Prenatal massage

A Deep Tissue Massage

Each one of the above therapies provides certain benefits. For example, a deep tissue massage relaxes the muscles and provides the following –

• The reduction of muscle pain and discomfort
• Releases tension in the shoulders, hips, and neck
• Enhances muscle recovery for sports-related injuries
• Treats and reduces chronic back pain
• Reduces high blood pressure
• Lessens stress, muscle tension, and anxiety
• Breaks up scar tissue
• Eliminates the symptoms associated with arthritis

If you are an expecting mom, you can relieve prenatal discomfort and anticipate an easier delivery by scheduling regular prenatal massages. When seeking a massage therapist, review their specialties.

A Hot Stone Massage

A hot stone massage is a unique type of massage treatment and is well worth the $150 cost of the 60-minute therapy. During the therapy, you can expect the following:

• River-smoothed basalt stones are heated in sanitized warm water, and used and positioned on specific parts of the body. This optimizes the therapeutic effect of the massage treatment.
• A high iron content in the basalt stone retains the heat in the stone during the massage.
• This type of massage provides both psychological and physical benefits, as the heat from the stone enables you to relax and permits the massage therapist to manipulate deep tissues more proficiently.
• A rich vegan body cream or organic coconut oil is used during the massage treatment.

As you can see, getting a massage is something everyone needs in today’s stress-filled, busy society.

When choosing a massage therapist, make sure he or she offers both deep massage and hot stone massage therapies.

Scheduling a Body Scrub

Besides scheduling a massage treatment, you can also get rid of toxins and rejuvenate your skin at the same time by getting a body scrub.

When choosing a massage therapist, make sure they offer this service as well.

Organic body scrubs often use Himalayan or sea salts that are blended with extra virgin olive oil and a mesmerizing blend of citrus and floral scents – all derived from natural and essential oils.

Customize your body scrub’s aromatherapy by choosing from scents, such as:

• Jasmine
• Orange and rose
• Lemon
• Eucalyptus and peppermint
• Lavender and sandalwood
• Tangerine

Again, when selecting a massage therapist, make sure he or she provides all the above treatments and that they have the proper credentials.

By taking this approach, you can enjoy regular massages or scrubs and their many benefits.

As spas reopen, owners and employees are taking the necessary steps to ensure the safety of their clients. Following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), massage therapists are implementing several safety measures while continuing to offer the same relaxed environment.

Spas are implementing stringent safety protocols as they brave a new world of COVID19 massages. From temperature checks to thorough sanitation, here are the ways massage parlors and spas are keeping guests safe during COVID-19:

Protective Measures During COVID-19

Health Checks

Employees and clients are required to have their temperatures checked upon arriving. Those with temperatures of 100.4°F (38°C) and above, experiencing mild symptoms such as coughing and dizziness, and those who have been exposed to others who’ve been showing symptoms, are advised to stay home. Most spas have waived last-minute cancellation fees.

Protective Gear

Before massage therapists can offer COVID19 massages, they must wear protective facial coverings such as face masks, goggles, and face shields. Some massage therapists even wear full-body PPE (personal protective equipment) for extra safety. Clients are also required to wear masks the entire time they are in the spa.

Strict Schedules

Unlike before, when clients could wait for their turn at the lounge, clients must arrive five minutes before their appointment. A massage therapist will greet them at the door to take their temperature, before guiding them to the lounge. Walk-in COVID19 massages are discouraged during this time, and no one must accompany the client unless he/she is a minor.

Social Distancing

Strict social distancing is observed at all times inside and around the spa. Clients must maintain at least 1.5 meters between each other while in the waiting area. As mentioned before, only clients with appointments are permitted inside the waiting lounge. Couches and chairs have been marked to show which seats cannot be taken.

Cleanliness

To provide a clean and safe environment, spas are taking extra steps to ensure sanitation such as thoroughly wiping down all massage beds with hospital-grade disinfectants, cleaning washrooms multiple times an hour, using linens only once, disinfecting door handles, replacing glassware with disposable cups, mopping floors daily, and much more.

Safety First

Massages aren’t what they used to be and it’s going to take a while for people to get used to this “new normal.” If you’re wondering if it’s safe to get a massage, the answer is yes and no. Spas make it safe, but it’s up to clients to follow the health measures to ensure that it stays safe.

Sacred Splendor now offers outdoor massages in Santa Monica, Calfornia for the health and safety of everyone during COVID-19

HOW OUTDOOR MASSAGE IS SAFE IN SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA DURING COVID-19

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 during late December in 2019, people all over the world had been enforced to stay at home to resist the contagion of coronavirus.

Now, staying at home 24/7 for such a long period of time must have been very stressful and tiring for you, right?

At such time, a good COVID-19 friendly outdoor massage in Santa Monica will help you reduce both pain and stress. But how so with this coronavirus pandemic going on? Well, here’s some good news for you, especially if you are a fellow dweller of Santa Monica in California a.k.a. “The city of Inspiration”.

Spas and outdoor massage therapists are a relatively safe place to go to during this lockdown. If only you can take yourself there following the health precautions, let me show you how the recently re-opened spas in Santa Monica are safe during Covid-19

• The furnishings inside the spas and bathhouses are frequently sanitized carefully since they come in direct contact with your body more often. All of their products are safe and clean to keep you safe from any kind of unwanted contamination.

• The spas in Santa Monica have taken special measures to keep their customers as safe as possible from contact with other customers through spacing out between the furniture to ensure proper social distancing.

• The customers are sanitized thoroughly before entering. You will not be allowed to get in the shop unless you are 100% disinfected.

• You’ll always have to have an appointment with staff before coming to the spa. This will help them keep an account of all their customers coming in one day to avoid unnecessary gatherings. It will also let you have the best service without any rush!

• The spas near your area will open only when the rate of infected patients are low. That means they might not be able to stay open in a regular basis. But you can never be too safe, can you? Plus, you can always check the website of your desired spa and make an appointment in your convenient time.

• After entering the massage shop in Santa Monica, you will not be directly encountered by your therapist. After getting completely sanitized and ready for therapy, the staff will then come to you keeping adequate distance and following necessary safety measures.

• Everyone will try to keep conversations as minimal as possible. The use of masks is compulsory in almost all the spas in Santa Monica. So make sure to be wearing them; regardless of how well you know the place or people.

• Last but not least, make sure to fill up any pre-screening forms provided to let them know that they are working with a completely healthy person!