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Chicago Massage Therapists Unable to Thwart Misguided Massage Therapy Regulation

Author: Brandon Thomas

Illinois is like most other places in the United States, with the government helping to regulate and ensure the professional quality of the massage therapists who live within its jurisdiction. Indeed, 40 of 50 states now have statewide regulations of their massage therapy industries, whose nationwide, annual income totals between $16 and $20 billion. It is therefore surprising and disappointing that the city recently decided to ban the opening of any new Chicago massage therapy businesses unless they have special permits and locate themselves in "industrial corridors".

Fortunately, massage therapy businesses already licensed in the city of Chicago were "grandfathered in" and do not have to move from their current locations. But it seems unfair that new massage therapy businesses, whose therapists must operate under strict regulation by the state of Illinois with specific professional requirements, must relegate themselves to neighborhoods that feature used-car lots, taverns, liquor stores, and warehouses.

One of the more frustrating aspects of this new ordinance, which officially passed in June of this year, is that Chicago massage therapy professionals rallied to protest it when the ordinance first came up for a vote in April. Mainly due to the pressure of the massage therapy industry, the ordinance was tabled in April. But it eventually passed, without much fanfare or notice, despite the objections of the Chicago massage therapy industry and individual Chicago massage therapists.

What does all this mean? Unfortunately, on a philosophical level, it seems to mean that people still associate massage therapy with other industries that should be tucked away, out of sight and out of mind (thus the ordinance not banning new massage therapy businesses, but restricting them to certain areas of the city). This is maddeningly inconsistent considering massage therapy's strict regulation by the state of Illinois.

From a practical standpoint, this ordinance is bad for the Chicago massage therapy industry specifically and business generally. Indeed, not only will new Chicago corporate massage, chair massage, and any other massage therapy businesses be forced to jump through extra hoops and set up shop in potentially undesirable areas, but it will also be difficult for established massage therapy businesses to change locations, as they would be subject to the new policy if they decided to move. This inconsistent and unfair grouping of a legitimate and regulated industry with other less-desired business will send the wrong message to other companies and industries who may fear similar treatment.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/chicago-massage-therapists-unable-to-thwart-misguided-massage-therapy-regulation-3179054.html

About the Author

Brandon Thomas is a nationally certified massage therapist and founder of JoyLife Therapeutics. JoyLife Therapeutics provides chair massage, corporate massage, office massage, special event and trade show massage throught the US.

Chair Massage and Abdominal Massage Can Help Relieve Digestive Disorders

Author: Brandon Thomas

It is estimated that 25% of Americans suffer from a digestive disorder, such as Crohn’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), constipation and other conditions that affect digestion and elimination.  Although many factors play a role in developing digestive disorders, one common element is stress.  Massage therapy – mainly in the form of chair massage or abdominal massage – is proven to effectively reduce stress and can also mitigate symptoms connected to digestive disorders.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is a condition that can cause recurrent diarrhea, painful constipation or both. Research into the cause of IBS highlights the effect that stress and muscle tension have on hindering the proper function of the organs that control digestion and elimination. The exact relationship between stress and gastrointestinal function is the subject of ongoing research, but many patients with digestive disorders such as IBS report stress as the main trigger for their symptoms.

Massage provides immediate results in terms of stress and anxiety reduction.  This is beneficial for those who suffer from stress related digestive disorders and can also help to keep symptoms from such conditions from becoming worse.  Although an abdominal massage is contraindicated during flare-ups of IBS and Crohn’s Disease, a massage focusing on the head, neck, shoulders and back, such as chair massage, is a valuable tool in relieving tension and pain.  Chair massage can be performed in the client’s preferred setting, in a session lasting an average of fifteen minutes.  A chair massage is an affordable option for those who would like to experience its stress relieving benefits several times a week.

Poor diet choices are also culprits in digestive disorders.  Improper mixing of protein and starches can cause the digestive process to become labored and inefficient, leading to abdominal pain and discomfort.  An abdominal massage prompts the release of hormones responsible for processing food.  Abdominal massage also helps to carry the processed material through the stomach, intestines and colon.   

Effective mitigation of stress is paramount for those who suffer from digestive disorders.  Although there may be other root causes, stress is the most common trigger for the unpleasant symptoms associated with these conditions.  Adding regular chair massage or abdominal massage to a conventional treatment plan is an affordable and proven method to alleviate anxiety and stress.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/chair-massage-and-abdominal-massage-can-help-relieve-digestive-disorders-1108039.html

About the Author

Brandon Thomas is a nationally certified massage therapist and founder of JoyLife Therapeutics. JoyLife Therapeutics provides chair massage, corporate massage, office massage, special event and trade show massage throught the US.

Pain: A Short Guide from Chicago Chiropractor Specialists

Author: Neil Chandler

Aches, pains, and stiff sensations within the various parts of your system really do not go away as time passes, as any Chicago chiropractor will say. These aches and pains become more obvious and more consistent as one ages: it is an important part of growing up. We're human not surprisingly, and what is a little pain: for a few people, pain is simply a signal that you're still living. From the second you were born, you've been suffering from pain, up to your last breath.

The feeling of aches and pains may well be severe; on the other hand, that sensation you receive when you feel these is undoubtedly helpful. Pain is considered the indicator the body will send when it is trying to show you there is something weird and dangerous happening to you. For instance, you happen to be running on a trail and happened to trip over and fall over. Right after getting up, you attempt walking a couple of steps but feel pain in the left wrist. Evidently your wrist is busted. Without having pain, Chicago massage experts suggest that you would have kept on running without finding out your wrist was injured, which might bring on even more injury.

A different type of pain you might feel, which Chicago massage experts are all too knowledgeable about, is chronic pain as a result of fatigue and pressure. Nearly all people understand the rapid pain felt when, as an illustration, they stub a toe or cut a finger. Chronic pain from pressure, on the other hand, might be more dangerous from time to time, specially when folks don't understand what is stressing them out. Without identifying the exact source of pain, they're left to go through its effects, which include depression, sleeplessness, anxiety, and many more.

If you find yourself suffering from pain, the simplest way to eliminate it is to remove its source. Should you be in pain because you got pricked on the finger by a splinter, then you just take away the splinter. Likewise, when you find yourself suffering from continual pain, it is advisable to are aware of the source. It may be through your job, your family members, and even that barista that keeps messing up your day time coffee. One way or another, it is important to clear away this source in order to keep yourself well.

One method to reduce pain, particularly chronic pain brought on by stress, is thru a branch of alternative treatment referred to as Chiropractic treatment, which will be just what a regular Chicago chiropractor gives. This branch of unconventional medicine considers that whatever ails a person might be traced back to that person's central nervous system, mostly the spine. Chiropractic treatment also views the body as being a dynamic organism capable of healing itself; it is only that some of the parts of our body, primarily along the spine, are out of line and require adjustment.

With that in mind, chiropractic experts similar to Chicago chiropractor specialists know just what part of your body is misaligned and causing you chronic pain, and will use a variety of techniques to heal it. These techniques include spinal manipulation, wherein a person's spin and neck are manually massaged and adjusted. This type of treatment promises non-invasive relief for sufferers of chronic pain, and is worth giving a try.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/pain-a-short-guide-from-chicago-chiropractor-specialists-4791458.html

About the Author

Neil Chandler is a business executive that's familiar with the advantages presented by chicago chiropractor treatment, as he has used chicago massage and chiropractor services in the past to treat his stress-related chronic pain.

Los Angeles, Massage Therapy, and California's Statewide Certification

Author: Brandon Thomas

Nearly two years after State Bill 731 was signed into law, the process of becoming certified as a massage therapist in the state of California is still somewhat tenuous. But the momentum in the Los Angeles massage therapy world – and really across the state – has definitely shifted to massage therapists operating professionally under the new state certificate instead of through municipal agencies.

Money is the main reason why it has taken so long for the state to implement its certificate, which allows massage therapists to operate legally across the state instead of just in individual municipalities. While the bill was signed in September of 2008, no certificates were issued until a year later, in September 2009. Instead, the state mobilized its resources to create the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC), which is in charge of issuing certificates to the more than 33,000 massage therapists in California who can apply.

While the state was setting up its council, the thousands of massage therapists in Los Angeles were still paying renewal fees for their massage therapy licenses, which, coupled with the original fees associated with applying for a license and police permit, totaled over $300.

With these fees paid for, many therapists in Los Angeles – and the surrounding areas, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, etc. which have their own licensing requirements – waited for their licenses to expire before applying for the California massage certificate, which entails a $150 initial application fee, and then a $125 renewal fee every two years.

With a large number of massage therapists waiting for their paid-for massage licenses to expire before eventually applying for their new California massage certificates, thousands of therapists have been left waiting for their certificates to clear the backlog of applications that currently exist at the overwhelmed CAMTC office.

However, the wait may be worth it as, with California's statewide certification, massage therapists can now work at cities across the state without having to go through the cumbersome and costly process of registering for a massage therapy license in each municipality where they wish to work.

The statewide certificate is thus a boon for Los Angeles table massage therapists, who often work at different locations across the L.A. area, crossing city lines without even realizing it. But municipal massage therapy licensing bodies shouldn't be expected to go away in the immediate future, as the statewide certificate is a voluntary document available for qualified therapists, and not required. Other therapists may thus stick with their municipal issuing agency, especially if they've recently paid their renewal fees, or provide Los Angeles massage therapy from a fixed location.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/los-angeles-massage-therapy-and-californias-statewide-certification-3137689.html

About the Author

Brandon Thomas is a massage therapist and founder of JoyLife Therapeutics. JoyLife Therapeutics provides chair massage, corporate massage, office massage, special event and trade show massage throught the US.

Gay Chicago: Where Midwest Is Best

Author: Joseph Holmes

Ah, the joys of spring and warmer weather and everything in bloom.  And with it comes the joys of traveling and searching for adventure. Planning that getaway may mean seeing what the good old USA has in store for the adventurous gay male traveler.

What better place to start than that toddling town of Chicago?

Will it be your first time there? Do you need help in getting your bearings before you head out? There are plenty of sites out there to get the adventure kicked off, so relax. You’re only a click away from getting started. Chicago.gaycities.com gives an excellent list of gay bars and clubs and recommended restaurants.

As this site states, Chicago is the nation's third largest city and boasts a large and vibrant gay community. Like New York or Atlanta in their regions, Chicago serves as the Midwest's cosmopolitan hub and attracts young and old alike, and all of them are looking to escape to the big city. Gay life (and gay bars) in Chicago is mostly concentrated in two areas: Boystown (really "East Lakeview") and Andersonville, which is farther up the city's north side. Bars and clubs have one of two licenses: most close at 2am (3am on Saturdays) and a few stay open after-hours until 4am (5am on Saturdays). If you're up for a late night, you'll find the after-hours bars packed after the other bars close.

Want to know what the locals know? What’s the hottest party in Boystown this week? Know gay Chicago at Chicagopride.com! Here you’ll find the top daily lifestyle guide to Gay Chicago for dining, nightlife, travel, businesses, personals, vip events and photos. Constantly updated, you'll find everything you need to know about what is happening in town.

Then there’s “Chicago in a nutshell.” Andrew Collins at About.com offers an excellent guide to gay Chicago as well as destinations for gay travel in Chicago. It’s a wonderful profile of the wonderful, windy city! With so much to offer, Chicago bears further review using your search engine for “Illinois gay travel” or “Chicago gay travel” or “Chicago guide.” And with all the walking and dancing and dining you’ve surely enjoyed in Chicago, there is no better way to end the day than with a relaxing massage. Chicago boasts an impressive (and still growing!) roster of male massage and gay massage listings.

The premier site for Chicago gay massage is Findamasseur.com.  Not only will you find listings for gay masseurs in the greater Chicago area, but you’ll also find listings all over the world.  Just click on ‘Chicago’ under the section where major cities are listed.

Right now, some massage therapists in Chicago are offering discounts to first-time clients. And if it’s your first time, then you’re in for a spectacular treat. Some therapists offer specific types of massage therapies in their services.

Some massage therapists focus specifically on the more athletic client with heavy emphasis on treating sore muscles more commonly associated with sports. A sports massage is also essential for optimum treatment of certain injuries and is excellent for helping prevent sports injuries. So whatever your sport, your first and last stop is with a Chicago male massage therapist at Findamasseur.com.

You may want to go a step further and request a massage where the senses are further heightened in the experience and intimacy is a key factor. This is a massage that is about the sheer pleasure of sensuality.

This brings us to the Chicago massage therapists who may offer tantric massage, which is a type of sensual massage whereby the therapist usually assists you in understanding and controlling the redirection of energy. With a qualified male therapist or gay therapist, it can be of great benefit toward liberation of body, mind and spirit. 

If you need further clarification of such massage services as tantric massage, sensual massage or couples massage therapy, feel free to use your favorite search engine, or contact a Chicago-based male massage therapist or gay massage therapist at Findamasseur.com where you are free to browse and contact a masseur directly through the greater Chicago area. You can also check out the extensive list of massage techniques at Findamasseur - Massage Techniques.

And don’t forget to scroll through the ‘reviews’ button under the profiles of each massage therapist. Don’t be surprised if the massage therapist you contact turns out to be the perfect match for you.

Most male massage therapists or gay massage therapists of Chicago practice their art as a private business usually set up in a comfortable room out of their homes. Some make calls to your hotel room, and catering to your needs at your time and place can be ideal.

The right gay massage therapist is waiting for you. Under the care of a gay massage therapist in Chicago, you rekindle and revitalize mind, body, and spirit. And just like those spring flowers, your soul blooms. With everything from a sensual touch to the ultimate in stress and tension release, allow yourself the joy of a safe and relaxing atmosphere of a gay massage therapist in the bustling hub of the nation—Chicago!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/gay-chicago-where-midwest-is-best-862210.html

About the Author

Joseph Holmes is a freelance writer in Texas and currently a staff writer for FindAMasseur.com.

Chair Massage is an Effective Marketing Tool for Trade Shows in New York City

Author: Brandon Thomas

New York City is a top destination and hub for the world’s most prominent companies.  It’s no surprise that New York’s metro area convention centers and large venues are booked with trade shows featuring the latest innovations and products for a wide variety of applications, spanning across numerous industries.  Spaces at these events are often limited and exhibitor’s fees alone can cost thousands of dollars.  Advertising, furnishing and operating a trade show booth is also costly, and the price for transportation and lodging of employees comes at a premium.

With all of the time, effort and money spent on promoting a company’s products at a trade show, it is imperative that the booth stands out among the crowd.  Most corporate trade show booths offer brochures and promotional gifts to entice visitors to spend a few moments hearing about what they offer.  However, these tactics are proving to be less effective as a means of attracting and retaining potential clients long enough to see a product demonstration or to hear the sales pitch.  More often than not, visitors will give most corporate booths a passing glance and pick up a brochure or free pen, and then continue on their way.  This makes it quite difficult for the sales team to assess whether or not they have made a lasting impression, or generated a quality lead.  Spending meaningful face time with a potential client is the most effective way to produce valuable sales leads.

Offering a free chair massage at a corporate trade show booth is an enjoyable and cost effective marketing tool aimed at providing an exhibitor with increased visibility and face time with future clients.  The massage chair is easily set up and is ideal for a trade show environment because a fully functional station can operate in a very compact space.  Chair massage therapists do not use oils or lotions, which eliminates the need to undress.  The massage is performed over clothing and sessions last for an average of five minutes.  A New York chair massage is an excellent draw to a company’s booth because most trade show visitors have traveled a significant distance and are on their feet for extended periods of time.  These factors can cause visitors to feel fatigued and lacking focus, which take away from the impact of the marketing message.  A free massage is always attractive to weary trade show attendees, and many will wait in line just to receive one.  A small crowd gathered at your corporate booth will attract more attention and the time that guests spend there will increase exponentially.  Your sales team will have an extended opportunity to meet and speak with potential clients as they wait for their free chair massage, resulting in a positive effect on the number of quality leads they can generate while providing increased exposure for your company’s products.

Chair massage is also a great way to garner positive name recognition for your company and products.  A short, thorough session soothes aches and calms anxiety.  Recipients of New York massage services feel relaxed and invigorated with an enhanced sense of wellbeing.  These feelings are long lasting and correlate directly with the company that provided them with the enjoyable experience.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/chair-massage-is-an-effective-marketing-tool-for-trade-shows-in-new-york-city-556765.html

About the Author

Brandon Thomas is a nationally certified massage therapist and founder
of JoyLife Therapeutics. JoyLife Therapeutics provides chair massage,
corporate massage, office massage, special event and trade show massage
throught the US.

Using Corporate Massage to Strengthen Business

Author: Brandon Thomas

With the stock market up 35 percent over the past 15 months and employers beginning to hire again, analysts are saying that a recovery in the U.S. economy has arrived. In a span of two-and-a-half years that has seen the markets shed over half of their value and more than 8 million jobs lost, the green shoots of an economic recovery are opportunities for employers to cash in. Retaining quality employees while attracting new business to your company are the best ways to capitalize in the recovery, and corporate massage can help in these endeavors.

Recessions are great times to pick up highly qualified employees as many highly skilled people are unable to find jobs in the careers of their choosing. As the economy improves, these highly qualified employees may think about moving on to different fields and businesses. Corporate massage can help retain these employees, with chair or table massage therapy showing employees that they are appreciated, while also serving as an important part of a larger corporate wellness program. This is important, as studies have shown corporate wellness programs to be associated with less employee absenteeism as well as higher rates of employee job satisfaction and retention.

Beside attracting and retaining quality employees, corporate massage can also help attract and increase business. Corporate massage, in the form of onsite table or chair massage, can generate interest in your company at trade shows or other events. Instead of trying to persuade people to come check out what your business has to offer, onsite massage therapy can entice them to come on their own. Then, as these potential customers and clients are waiting in line for their free massage, or after they have received their massage, you, or someone with your business, can strike up a conversation or pass out information. Given the unique situation that the free massage provides, your company message should stick out.

Corporate massage is a handy asset, not only because it can strengthen and increase business, but also because it can be made to fit the needs of any company. A company looking for a way to boost worker morale in a small office can have a chair massage therapist come in, with minimal office space sacrificed. A larger company meanwhile can have an entire room dedicated to table massage therapy and a relaxing, stress-busting experience. This convenience extends to massage at conventions and other special events, with people able to come to a self-contained massage station and receive massage therapy through their clothes.

While crisis and opportunity may not always go hand in hand - in the Chinese language or in business - as the economy turns around, companies will start hiring and buying again. Corporate massage can help ensure that your company is in position to both retain high quality employees as well as attract the attention of potential buyers.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/using-corporate-massage-to-strengthen-business-2728748.html

About the Author

Brandon Thomas is a nationally certified massage therapist and founder of JoyLife Therapeutics. JoyLife Therapeutics provides chair massage, corporate massage, office massage, special event and trade show massage throught the US.

Choosing Massage Therapy as a Career Option

Author: Solex Webmaster

Massage therapy is a process to heal physical pain and stress-related disorders. This process of curing has been continuing to attract human being since time immemorial and the history of this therapy can be traced from some archaic Chinese texts and Egyptian paintings. Today, it has become an accepted technique to cure ailments and many physicians prescribe their patients to have massage therapy as a treatment.

Many people prefer attending healthcare centers at least once a month or as per their schedule to get their body massaged by professional therapists. Where some consider it as a way to reduce their stress, other believes the therapy to have therapeutic advantages. As such, there is a boom of professional therapists in the massage therapy centers and health centers.

Now-a-days, many people have started choosing massage therapist as their career option. The probable reason might be their strong desire to help others to achieve healthy style of living. A number of massage therapy schools and training institutes have been established in different parts of the world. By enrolling into the training programs, students receive opportunity to know about the structure and function of the human body parts. Most of the schools provide course contents including anatomy, medical terminology, pathology, kinesiology and other relevant subjects related to massage therapies.

Besides these subjects, there are some schools which deals with educating students about the ethics and management techniques associated with business of massage schools. They teach students about the various ways to design business plan, build networks with related healthcare centers and set objective behind starting the business.

In recent years, dozens of massage schools have been constructed in different nook and corners of the world. As such, many people face difficulty in selecting reliable schools to get proper massage training programs. If you desire to have bright career as a massage therapist, then consider choosing those massage training schools which have been accredited by reputed medical academy within the country it is located. A recognized school assures to provide quality education through latest and comprehensive procedures.

In order to find accredited massage schools, you can consider using Internet rather than reviewing ads on newspapers or any other publications. Some schools operate websites to inform students about the training programs, course duration, certification etc. You can browse different websites and can compare the different educational programs from your home/office or convenient locations.

So, if you really want to choose massage therapists as a profession, then spare out some time to find best massage therapy schools at your nearest point. For sure, you will be able utilize your knowledge for the well-being of people rather than just earning dollars out of your business.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/choosing-massage-therapy-as-a-career-option-4734190.html

About the Author

To learn more about Massage Schools, please visit Massage Therapy Career.

Mid-Size Companies Beginning to Implement Wellness Programs on a Large Scale

Author: Brandon Thomas

It is a well-documented fact that a majority of large companies (businesses with over 8,000 employees) offer health & wellness programs to their employees to keep their employees healthy, motivated, and productive while also lowering their healthcare costs. Employees at mid-sized firms (businesses with anywhere from 1,000 to 8,000 employees) can also benefit from effective wellness programs, but such programs at mid-sized firms haven't been as ubiquitous, until recently.

Small and mid-size businesses may be wary of corporate wellness programs as healthcare costs at such firms may be smaller than at larger firms, and, thusly, the initial costs of an employee wellness program may be seen as too large. Indeed, mid-size companies that do offer wellness programs often offer smaller incentives to their employees than large companies in order to keep down costs, a factor that could limit the effectiveness of their programs.

The lower incentives offered by mid-sized companies can make sense if the business does not have the same amount of capital to invest in a health & wellness program that a large company may have. However, the benefits of implementing comprehensive employee wellness programs can justify the expense of corporate wellness consulting, as the rate of return on investment in such programs can be two-fold or higher.

It is with this in mind that Colorado healthcare providers have created a new health plan specifically for small to mid-size companies that rewards them with lower premiums and employee incentives for effective implementation and enrollment in wellness programs. While this new healthcare plan was launched in response to a Colorado state law that encourages mid-size companies to offer wellness programs, there are also similar incentives offered in the national healthcare reform law that passed earlier this year.

Mid-size companies need wellness programs that are designed to match up with the company's development cycle. While this may mean a smaller program due to the company's financial situation, in reality, every company needs an employee wellness program tailored to that company's specific needs. Appropriate corporate wellness consulting, consisting of executive and employee consulting, company assessments, and measured implementation, should provide a program that fits well for any company no matter its size.

Mid-size companies have an opportunity, with the encouragement of state and national laws, to realize the savings and increased employee productivity that effective wellness programs have been proven to provide. While mid-size and small companies may lag behind in their use of wellness programs, don't expect that to last for too much longer.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/mid-size-companies-beginning-to-implement-wellness-programs-on-a-large-scale-3027489.html

About the Author

Brandon Thomas is the founder of JoyLife Therapeutics.

JoyLife Therapeutics provides wellness programs, for small, mid-size, and large companies, as well as for health insurers, throughout the US.

Massage Therapy Helps Addicted Produce Good Chemicals, Expel Bad

Author: Brandon Thomas

Substance abuse is a serious problem that costs the U.S. an estimated 500 billion dollars annually in increased crime, lost work, treatment and social welfare programs.  While there is no standard cause or cure for addiction, there are psychological, physical and emotional components that must be addressed in order to encourage a successful recovery.  Massage therapy has shown promise in helping recovering addicts to address and manage these issues, while promoting a healthy method of self-care.

Stress, whether internal or external in origin, is a major obstacle to the recovery process.  Stress can cause feelings of anxiety and lead to a sense of being overwhelmed.  This compels the individual to seek an escape, which often results in the downward spiral of addiction.  Many studies have been undertaken to prove the efficacy that massage has on stress reduction.  The Touch Research Institute in Miami has conducted many groundbreaking studies, and analysis of the data concludes that massage has a definitive impact on the amelioration of cravings, depression, agitation, stress and pain.

Stress hormones, such as cortisol, and neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, play a powerful role in addiction.  An individual’s reaction to emotional stress can cause them to start abusing substances, which activates the release of dopamine or keeps it from being reabsorbed.  Prolonged drug abuse further weakens the individual’s ability to negotiate stressful situations, and the release of cortisol can cause the addict to experience troubling emotions.  In the detoxification process, dopamine levels are very low, which can drive the addict toward relapse.

The importance of neurochemical balance during the recovery process is incontrovertible.  A 1998 Touch Research Institute study revealed that a consistent regimen of massage generated a lasting increase in dopamine levels.  This is an important finding, as addicts are accustomed to using substances in order to experience pleasure.  After prolonged periods of drug use, the body ceases to produce its own endorphins.  During the detoxification process, there is a period of time that elapses before the body begins to produce endorphins again.  This can be a period of vulnerability for the recovering addict, sometimes resulting in a relapse.

A Norwegian study published in 1989 showed that massage therapy caused a 16 percent increase in the beta-endorphin levels measured in the blood.  The ability of massage to increase the release of endorphins empowers the recovering addict to feel pleasure without using drugs. 

Massage also has physical benefits that aid in addiction recovery.  Increased circulation and improved lymph drainage help to re-nourish tissues and expel toxins, which aids in the detoxification process as a whole. 

It is important for addicts to recognize and control the triggers that lead them to want to seek an escape.  Massage improves body awareness and helps to identify where tension is being held.  It also helps the patient to negotiate feelings of anxiety and cravings by bringing to light one’s emotions and patterns of resistance.  The improved sense of self-awareness that massage provides helps recovering addicts to have a foothold in the present while experiencing feelings of well-being, and at the same time an awareness that pleasure can be experienced while they are drug-free.

Over the course of addiction treatment and recovery, it is not unusual for the patient to feel a division between mind and body.  Massage can help to reunite the mind, body and spirit, helping those recovering from addiction to feel whole again.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/massage-therapy-helps-addicted-produce-good-chemicals-expel-bad-1127767.html

About the Author

Brandon Thomas is a nationally certified massage therapist and founder of JoyLife Therapeutics. JoyLife Therapeutics provides chair massage, corporate massage, office massage, special event and trade show massage throught the US.

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