By Eva Potter
While you sit hunched typing at your computer, or standing for hours repeatedly performing tasks on an assembly line, or spending too much time bent over pulling weeds, your body is planning its sweet revenge. An aching back, stiff neck or nagging headache—it doesn’t care. It just wants you to know you’ve overdone it and is telling you to cut it out!
You could stretch, take some Tylenol or Motrin, apply ice, soak in a warm tub, or you could choose a relaxing, alternative method of relief—massage therapy. Massage therapists are trained professionals who have gone through a rigorous education and training program, as well as licensure by state boards. Their goal is to help people feel better by relieving pain, stress, and helping the healing process though the hands-on work of massage…and there are many excellent providers in our area.
“The purpose of massage can be anything from relaxation, stress reduction, pain management, injury recovery, and sports conditioning,” said Colleen Kent, licensed massage therapist (LTM) and owner of Bending Willow Massage Therapy in Allegany, N.Y. “I see the purpose of massage therapy as part of a whole complementary wellness and health lifestyle. Massage therapy isn’t just about one or two sessions of one-hour massages a year.”
Daniel Lee, LTM and owner of Anew Beginning Massage Spa in Ellicottville, N.Y., said, “The stress that we have in our activities of daily living can be anything from driving in your vehicle to gardening to sports to sitting at a desk. There’s so much repetition we put in and the body is continuously getting pounded whether we realize it or not, whether it’s the physical stress or the mental stress.”
Massage was introduced in the United States in the mid-1800s by two New York physicians using the Swedish technique developed by Per Henrik Ling. Massage therapy is typically performed while sitting in a special padded chair or lying on a table, and can be applied using hands, fingers, elbow, knees, forearms, and feet.
Therapists help their clients in the areas of relaxation, stress reduction, health promotion, chronic pain management, injury recovery, and dealing with specific maladies. Licensed massage therapists in New York State must complete a minimum of 1000 hours of classroom and practical education as well as pass a state board exam. Ms. Kent advised, “In N.Y. you have to be licensed, but not in P.A. Make sure you know the credentials of the person that you are working with before you receive a massage.”
If you’re a massage newbie, here’s what to expect for your first time. Marie Stachera, owner of Falling Waters Spa at Tamarack Lodge said, “Usually for the first massage it’s a little harder to relax, because you’ve never experienced it before, but we have you come into our locker room where you can take off your clothes. We give you a robe and slippers, and then we bring you to our sanctuary where you can just relax for a couple minutes. Then the massage therapist brings you into the treatment room. They go through a list of questions about any of your health issues or any concerns you may have. They have a sheet and a blanket, and there’s a face cradle. It’s very discreet, very professional. You turn over once during the massage and you’re completely covered at all times by the sheet or the blanket.”
Dana Boser, an LTM who works out of the Hair It Is salon in Allegany, N.Y., said, “Basically, as long as it’s comfortable, you really don’t need to wear anything special.” He said he asks the client to undress to their level of comfort. During the massage, the client’s body is discreetly covered, except for the area he is treating.
Most massage therapists use a medical history form to assess the client’s state of wellness and to determine the course of treatment. Mr. Lee said, “When customers first come in, they will have to fill out an intake form which will ask them a handful of questions about basically what’s going on with them. What’s your intake of sugar? Do you smoke? Do you exercise? Do you have high blood pressure? Do you have any type of symptoms going on today, whether it’s pain, whether it’s inflammation? Have you had any surgery done lately? We need to know what’s going on with that person.”
He and Leah Rusiniak, head massage therapist at Anew Beginnings, use various types of massage modalities. “We also do active isolated stretching. As far as we know, Leah and I in the area are the only ones who do that type of work,” he said.
“The typical effects of massage, if you hydrate properly, should last you, I would say, probably a couple of weeks, depending on how much stress you actually put on your body during those weeks,” said Mr. Boser.
Ms. Stachera said, “Some people come in once a week. Some people come in once a month. It really depends on your stress level and also what you’re looking for—if it is for sports or if you’re an athlete, or if it’s just for relaxation and to de-stress. It’s also something fun to do with friends or on a date.”
After a massage, prepare yourself to possibly feel like you’re in an altered mental and physical state. Joanne Timkey, owner of Ellicottville Oasis Day Spa, said, “It’s a very individual thing. More of the relaxation massages leave the people feeling very calm, very grounded and a little sleepy, yet at the same time energized. It kind of brings together all the parts of the body.”
Ms. Kent said, “Your own body chemistry is producing an effect for you—be it a relaxation effect, a feeling of euphoria or feeling deep, deep stress relief.”
All massage speeds up metabolism and moves toxins out of the muscles, so there is a bit of aftercare involved. Ms. Timkey said, “They (clients) should make sure that they’re good to themselves, that they don’t plan to do anything really crazy for the rest of the day when they’ve had a relaxation massage. They should make sure they stay well hydrated. Depending on the type of massage, and let’s say if they have an injury, the therapist would recommend either that they maybe ice the area or put heat on it, depending on the injury.”
Even though massage therapy has been classified as an alternative and complementary form of treatment, it has taken health insurance companies some time to incorporate this form of wellness into their insurance plans.
Ms. Timkey said that massage therapy definitely complements, balances and enhances Western medicine. “I think that Western medicine tends to put different parts of the body into compartments. Massage therapy sees the body as a whole,” she said. Some spas, like Ellicottville Oasis, now accept some forms of insurance, so check with your health care provider before you book your appointment.
