Healing Hands Massage

04/04/2025

Champaign, Urbana, Savoy, Tolono and surrounded areas, come to see me at Best Life Therapeutid Massage, I have oppenings on Monday 07 check it out at https://www.vagaro.com/us04/bestlifetherapeuticmassage

06/17/2024

Starting tomorrow I will be offering my services only in Savoy. Best life therapeutic massage is the place, you can book online with vagaro https://www.vagaro.com/us04/bestlifetherapeuticmassage I will be glad to see you again!

Our bodies are muscles in motion.

12/01/2023

Explaining heat and cold effects in the body

In the world of massage, we use different tools to help the treatments according to the symptoms of the client. Our body needs to be in homeostasis for a correct function. Based on that principle, we can use heat or cold therapy to help with the healing process.
Heat therapy is also called thermotherapy, and it has many benefits. Heat stimulates circulation, relaxation, and tissue elasticity. It can be the answer to muscle soreness, stiffness, and aches. The application of warmth also speeds up the recovery process for athletes and active individuals, heat treatment can aid in getting back to normal activities. For example, placing a heat pad in the base of the neck can help to reduce headaches, and smooth the muscles of the neck and shoulders. There are different ways to apply heat to the body, soaking in a hot bath is relaxing, electric heating pads that you can find in the pharmacy, as well as some patches. Pads made of rice that you can warm in the microwave or just a towel soaked in warm water.
There are some important restrictions for heat in the body. You should never sleep with a heating device because it can cause a burn if it is left unattended. Pregnant women should never place a heat source near the abdomen. Diabetic condition can create a misjudge whether the temperature is too hot for the client. It is recommended to not use any heat source straight to the skin to avoid burns. Under any neuropathy condition this therapy is limited to 30 minutes at the time in unaffected areas.
Cold therapy is called Cryotherapy. It is used as a natural analgesic help at any time. The local application of cold is beneficial for painful, inflamed, and swollen areas. It will reduce inflammation by decreasing blood circulation to limit swelling and consequently reduce pain. A secondary effect happens when the cold is removed from an area. The blood then rushes into that area to normalize the temperature and therefore increase the circulation. To apply cold therapy, you can use Cold compress, an ice pack (crushed ice in a plastic bag), ice massage, compressor units with thermal packs, coolant sprays, or immersion baths. If you have a sprained or strained muscle you can practice the acronym P.R.I.C.E. which means Protect the area, Rest the area, Ice the area, Compression in the area, and Elevate the affected area. This reduces swelling, pain, and the secondary tissue damage that results from excessive swelling. After 48 to 72 hours of treatment, limit the usage and include massages for healing the tissues. Is important to remember that prolonged use of cold applications has a depressing effect on the body and must be used with caution and supervision.
Contrast Therapy
The alternate application of heat and cold is one of the most effective methods of increasing local circulation, it causes contraction (cold) and dilation (hot) of the blood vessels in an area. Increased circulation relieves stiffness and pain from trauma and stimulates the healing of injury and wounds during the late stage of healing. First start with hot and finish with cold.

06/17/2023

Deep Tissue Massage
Deep tissue massage is similar to Swedish massage, but it goes farther and is intended for a different purpose.
Deep tissue massage is best suited for:
Athletes: People who work out at gyms, Pilates, or practice any sport that involve moderate
physical activity.
Runners: Cross country, marathon, jogging, even people who stand on their feet for a long
time without rest.
People with injuries: Promotes faster healing by increasing blood flow and reducing
inflammation.
It can also work for people with chronic pain conditions such as:
Fibromyalgia: A chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain and other symptoms such as
fatigue, muscle stiffness, and insomnia.
Lower back pain: As consequence of being sit down for a long time, keep a bad posture while sit or stand up.
Deep tissue massage targets the inner layers of your:
Muscles and tendons, fascia, or dense connective tissue: Work out the knots from stressed, overworked muscles and connective tissue (fascia) to alleviate immediate pain, as well as chronic joint and muscle pain.
Deep tissue massage uses many of the same stroking and kneading movements as Swedish massage, but there’s far more pressure. This pressure can sometimes be painful.
In order to reach the deep muscle tissue, a therapist will massage layer by layer of muscle, applying more and more pressure and employing special techniques with the fingers, fists, and maybe even elbows to reach and stretch that deep tissue.
This type of massage facilitates healing by releasing contracted areas of muscle and tissue. It can help increase blood flow to the soft tissues and may help to reduce inflammation.
What happens during a deep tissue massage?
Before a deep tissue massage, you will discuss your problem areas with your therapist. A deep tissue massage can be full-body or focused only on one area. You will begin lying on your back or stomach and under a sheet. It’s up to you to determine your level of undress.
Deep tissue massages begin as a more traditional relaxation massage. After the muscles are warmed up, your massage therapist will begin to work deep into your problem areas.
In addition to their palms, finger tips, and knuckles, your therapist may use their forearms or elbows to increase pressure.
It’s important to be open with your massage therapist about the level of pressure and discomfort you wish to endure. This may be different for certain areas and throughout the massage. Feel free to communicate with your massage therapist before and during the massage.
Some massage therapists find pain to be counterproductive to the process and expect you to speak up if the pain is too much.
You should expect a fair amount of soreness in the days following your deep tissue massage. Your therapist may recommend treating with:
Ice: in case of inflammation because an overuse of the muscle, ice therapy will numb the area
reduce pain, reduce swelling, promotes healing and desensitize trigger points.
Heat: Alleviates pain while the massage helps increase blood flow, releases toxins and
encourages tissue regeneration
Stretching: Mild movements will avoid the appearance of knots or contracture of muscles,
increase relaxation of tense muscles and maintain flexibility in the body.

06/17/2023

What is a Swedish Massage?

Swedish massage is one of the most offered massage techniques. It’s sometimes called a classic massage. The technique aims to promote relaxation by releasing muscle tension.

Swedish massage was invented by a Swedish fencing instructor named Per Henrik Ling in the 1830s. When he was injured in the elbows, he reportedly cured himself using tapping (percussion) strokes around the affected area. He later developed the technique currently known as Swedish massage. This technique was brought to the United States from Sweden by two brothers, Dr. Charles and Dr. George Taylor in the 1850s. The specific techniques used in Swedish massage involve the application of long gliding strokes, friction, and kneading and tapping movements on the soft tissues of the body. Sometimes passive or active joint movements are also used.
Swedish massage is better suited for people interested in relaxation and tension relief, it may loosen up tight muscles caused by daily activities such as sitting at the computer or exercising. It can be very helpful for people who hold a lot of tension in their lower back, shoulders, or neck.
What happens during a Swedish massage?
During a Swedish massage, therapists use:
• Kneading: In massage is also known as Petrissage. It comes from the French “to knead or mash” and is applied on all the flesh areas of the body, this technique enhances fluid movement in deeper tissues and muscle mobility to avoid muscular atrophy
• Long strokes: Along the vertebral column, arms, and legs (front and back) Depending on the intensity: It will increase superficial circulation (soft stroke) or create heat on connective tissues of muscles making them more pliable and as a consequence increase mobility.
• Deep circular movements: With fingers and thumbs, the therapist will identify where the body has “knots” or muscle contraction, then apply pressure to restore the fibers to a normal condition.
• Passive joint movements: Allows the therapist to move parts of the client’s body, while at quite the table, as an exercise to stretch, or as an assessment to verify the range of motion of the body.
These techniques are meant to relax you, stimulate nerve endings, and increase blood flow and lymph drainage. A traditional Swedish massage involves the whole body. You will begin on either your back or your stomach and flip over at the halfway point.
If you have a particular concern, such as a tight neck, you can ask your therapist to spend more time in this area. Depending on your preferences, you can ask your massage therapist to use light, medium, or firm pressure.
During most full-body massages, the expectation is you’ll be undressed. Your massage therapist will ask you to undress for your massage while they wait outside. It’s up to you whether to keep your underwear on.
Your massage therapist will drape a sheet over your body. They will pull back and adjust it as they work their way around. You will be covered most of the time.