Massage story online: November 2009

The Basics of Aromatherapy and Aromatherapy Massage

As the name suggests, aromatherapy is the art of healing someone using smell, mostly that of plants and its various parts. But aromatherapy is not just limited to healing but is also used in relaxing and energizing the body. It is one of the oldest forms of therapy and is still one of the most sought after alternative therapies worldwide.

In aromatherapy almost all the parts of various plants are used according to the needs of the client who visits an aroma-therapist. This would include:

Flowers
Barks
Roots
Fruits
Seeds
Nuts

Aromatherapy Oils

The oil extracted from different parts of the plant form the basis of the treatment. Now this oil can be extracted from the flower, or the fruit or whichever part of the plant that has proper medicinal value and will relieve the patient of his problem.

There are various methods in which this oil is extracted. Some of them are:

steam distillation
cold expression
alcohol extraction

Each of these oils extracted in any of the above methods is generally of very high concentration. So it is advisable not to use the oils directly. Instead, what is done is that the oils are blended to achieve what is called a synergy. Often this synergy is believed to be more potent than the individual oils. What one then needs to do is to decrease the potency of the oil and make it more usable by mixing it with carrier oils.

How Does It Work?

As the aroma of a particular oil enters your body, either through the olfactory system or through the skin, it gets into your bloodstream and starts making its effects felt. While one variety can relax you of all your strains and worries, another might energize you and charge you up, looking for more work.

Some of these oils are also used for their cosmetic properties and many apply them as skincare and hair-care products. Apart from that, they are also renowned for their antiseptic, anti-viral and antifungal properties.

Ways of Application

There are various ways in which this oil can be applied. While some oils may require you to inhale the vapors, others can also be massaged to your body so that the oil gets easily absorbed into your bloodstream. Then there are those which you can add to your bath or shower. Some can even need to be sprayed in the room for maximum effect.

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Tania Penwell provides information on aromatherapy massage and other massage methods for Massage Savvy - your guide to all types of massages.

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Using Aromatherapy to Relieve Fibromyalgia and Back Pain

The use of pure essential oils from plants has been around hundreds of years, and the health-promoting essences are commonly used for treating and relieving many conditions.

Although the label of 'Aromatherapy' is a relatively new one, ancient physicians were skilled in the use of essential oils and understood the volatile and potent effects individual oils had on the human body and mind. Ancient physicians were paid to keep their clients healthy, so they used essential oils on a daily basis to help promote the beneficial effects in daily life, and often helped to reduce or eliminate an ailment before it could become a problem.

Aromatherapy is a very gentle form of treatment, therefore ordinary people can gain greatly from the health-promoting use of essential oils at home without the worry of visiting a specialist. However, for more specific conditions such as fibromyalgia, it is advisable to consult a trained Aromatherapist who can apply their professional skills on a regular basis to relieve the condition. Backing up this professional treatment at home with soothing and relaxing essential oils can only help the fibromyalgia sufferer to manage their symptoms.

The fabulous combination of massage and essential oils is very relaxing in itself, but you are also taking in the healing and balancing scents through your nose as you breath, resulting in a restorative balance to your body and mind. This can often result in better digestion, healthier skin, and an overall improvement in your general well-being.

Regular use of the correct essential oils can go a long way to help support and strengthen your immune system. Something as simple as applying a few drops of oil to a handkerchief and carrying it with you can help to calm you down, sooth your stress, and generally give you a bit of support and resolve to get through whatever stressful situation you may find yourself facing.

Fibromyalgia is believed to be stress-related, so you can help keep the atmosphere calm at work or at home by placing around your office or home a dish of essential oil scented wooden balls.

The use of a vaporiser or oil burner can be very beneficial, and can fill the air with a greater injection of soothing and calming essential oils than using scented wooden balls alone. Care must be taken when using an oil burner because of the obvious fire risks associated with the use of candles.

At the end of a stressful day, taking a relaxing bath with the addition of essential oils can go a long way to help relieve symptoms of fibromyalgia, calming you down and preparing your body and mind for a restful night's sleep.

Our Neglected Sense of Smell

Our modern world is highly dominated by audio and visual stimuli, so we don't rely nearly as much on our sense of smell as we used to.

When a baby is born, it senses it's mother and the security she offers by smell, and as a baby doesn't have fully developed eyesight, smell is its main and keenest of its senses.

We know not to eat a particular fruit, vegetable or other piece of food that doesn't smell quite right even if it looks ok, and it's that 'off' smell that creates a reaction in us, making us feel sick, or giving us a headache.

In the same way, inhaling a potent aromatherapy oil can invoke a reaction of pleasure, calming relaxation, stimulating vigour, or thought provoking clarity.

With fibromyalgia sufferers who by nature are often anxious, or easily stressed, the best sort of essential oils to use are soothing and calming ones that can help ease stress, and in some cases prevent an attack coming on, or lessening the effects.

Easing stress and tension with the following essential oils is recommended, and you can safely use these oils in massage, oil burners or vaporisers, and in your bath at home:
Basil, bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, geranium, lavender, neroli, sweet orange, rose, and ylang ylang.

A suggested blend of relaxing oils for use in an oil burner would be the following:
4 drops of neroli, 3 drops of sweet orange and 3 drops of ylang ylang.

When you seek out a therapist, make sure you check they are professionally trained and qualified to treat your specific needs. You should feel comfortable with your therapist and be able to establish a trusting relationship. Try out sessions with different therapists to find the one you are most happy with before committing to a course of aromatherapy massage treatments.

M Newbold is a prolific writer who loves writing about family matters, health and fitness, food and nutrition, alternative health, natrual remedies, and general well-being. For a comprehensive guide about managing Fibromyalgia and other back problems by a team of experts in back pain care and management, visit: http://www.expertbackpain.weebly.com or http://www.backpaincompendium.com

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3 Types of People Who Can Highly Benefit From a Chair Massage

Anyone can benefit from a chair massage, after all, who doesn't enjoy the occasional massage? But why settle for occasional when you can enjoy a massage everyday in the comfort of your own home with a massage chair? If you identify with any of the three categories below, you may especially enjoy the benefits that a chair massage can offer you on a regular basis.

Athletes - Many professional and recreational athletes already enjoy the benefits of regular massage, especially after a race. But that is not the only time a massage can help. Here are some ways that any athlete at any level can benefit by a regular chair massage:

Recover more quickly from strenuous work outs by increasing the flow of blood to tired muscles.
Improve joint flexibility.
Reduce muscle spasms and cramps.
Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles
Promotes healthy lymph flow which helps the body to remove lactic acid from the muscles.
Overall healthier state of mind which contributes to better sleep, which can help him perform better.

Chronic pain sufferers - having chronic pain is not fun, for the person suffering the pain or for those who have to live with them. My husband suffers from back pain, and he has good days and bad days. On bad days, the slightest movement the wrong way can cause a lot of pain. Everyday, basic activities become difficult. Chronic pain sufferers have to rethink all the basic things that the rest of us do without any thought. Though a chair massage cannot make the pain go away, it can bring relief by alleviating some of the pain. This is a fact recognized by many professionals who use massage chairs as part of their rehabilitation programs and many chiropractors also use them as part of regular treatment plans. Some reasons why include:

Increases circulation which helps deliver nutrients and oxygen to tissues and organs, this helps healing.
Chair massage encourages the body to release endorphins, the bodies natural pain killer.
Relieves stress, which helps a body to relax. Pain seems to be intensified in a tense body, so this can be quite helpful. This can also lead to better sleep.

The chronically stressed - life in the modern world is fast and stressful. Many occupations require decisions that have to be made quickly and that can affect many lives. People juggle jobs, family and community responsibilities. Some people may thrive on the stress on good days, and be pushed over the edge on bad ones. Though everyone feels stress, people react to it differently, and some are highly stressed on a regular basis. Among other things, this affects their general well being, their relationships and their sleep. Being stressed also has real physical affects on your body, such as an increased chance of being sick, higher blood pressure, and an increased chance of heart disease. A regular chair massage can help a person to relax. Through relaxing sore and tense muscles, a massage can prompt the release of feel good endorphins which leads to a happier disposition, it puts the mind and body at ease. This in turns can help a person get a deeper and better sleep at night which also improves well being.

Through many of the benefits listed above, it is obvious that a good massage is beneficial. Though it may play a more obvious roll in your life if you are an athlete, are highly stressed or suffer from chronic pain, but anyone who is concerned about their general overall health will benefit greatly from a regular chair massage.

MJ is a freelance writer for Clickshops, Inc. If you could benefit from a regular chair massage then shop the wide selections of massage chairs available at massagechairs.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=MJ_Marks