Issue link: http://www.bodysensemagazinedigital.com/i/35198
Massage as a Wellness Strategy Partnering with Your Therapist Key to Best Results By Ruth Werner Every now and then we all need a special treat. Here are some of my favorite indulgences, and I’ll go out on a limb to suggest that I’m probably not alone on some of these: • A big piece of cake (dark chocolate, with raspberry preserves oozing between the layers). • An evening with a silly movie or two—as mind-numbing as possible, please. • Shoe shopping—OK, any shopping. I’m not picky. • A massage. In the words of the old song, “One of these things is not like the others …” How many indulgences can you think of that don’t have profoundly negative consequences on your waistline, your time management, or your credit card bill? How many luxuries can you think of that both promote health and improve productivity? Surveys suggest that people today get massage for one of three reasons: to address a specifi c injury or condition, to manage stress, or as a self-rewarding luxury—a pampering treat. These motives might be determined by the setting in which massage is delivered. It seems reasonable to think that massage in a spa or resort might be viewed as a luxury, while massage in a multidisciplinary clinic—maybe along with a session of physical therapy or a chiropractic adjustment—would be viewed as a medical treatment. In actuality, the recipients of massage don’t always make that distinction. Lots of people go to their spa therapists for help with sometimes complex medical conditions, and those in medical clinics 2 Body Sense summer 2011