Win a free massage just by posting a comment here about the type of massage you like the best and why.

Do you like deep tissue, Deep Tissue Massage, Lymphatic work, Swedish, Orthopedic Massage, Reflexology, Massage Cupping, Relaxation Techniques, Sports Massage or Energy Work ?

At the end of the month I’ll randomly pick one lucky winner from all who posted here.

Check out http://www.carefreeservices.org for more massage information.

How to Prolong the Benefits of Bodywork, by Barbara H.

A massage works in wonderful ways, easing stress and pain, calming the nervous system, increasing circulation, loosening tight muscles, stimulating internal organs, and enhancing skin. The multiplicity of physiological responses sends a simple, clear message to the mind: Massage feels good. Of course, you want to hold on to that just-had-a-massage feeling -- total body relaxation, muscles relaxed and at ease, and fluid movement restored -- for as long as possible.

But how long that bliss lasts depends on the state of your body. If you're suffering from chronic pain or recovering from injury, then it may take more sessions and perhaps different modalities before optimal health is restored.

If massage is part of your regular health regimen, then it's more likely the effects will endure. In other words, the effects of massage are cumulative, like any healthy habit. The more often you get a massage, the greater and longer-lasting the benefits.

Massage Frequency How often you receive massage depends on why you're seeking massage. In dealing with the general tension of everyday commutes, computer work, and time demands, a monthly massage may be enough to sustain you. On the other hand, if you're seeking massage for chronic pain, you may need regular treatments every week or two. Or if you're addressing an acute injury or dealing with high levels of stress, you may need more frequent sessions. Your situation will dictate the optimum time between treatments, and your practitioner will work with you to determine the best course of action.

"You need to consider how you felt before the session and how you felt after, and then look at how long you maintain that," says Pieter Sommen, the chair of the eastern department in the Swedish Institute School of Massage Therapy in New York.

In general, experts say "regular" is preferable, but how regular depends on your situation. While daily massage would be delightful, practical considerations such as cost, time, and physical need likely determine the frequency of treatments. "It's best to maintain a schedule," says Eeris Kallil, CMT, a shiatsu instructor at the Boulder College of Massage Therapy in Colorado. "That way the body becomes conditioned and prepared for session at specific intervals."

Maintenance Whether you get a massage weekly, monthly, or just every once in a while, the following habits can maximize and extend the afterglow of treatment.

Water One bit of advice you'll hear over and over again is to drink plenty of water after a massage. Bodywork -- no matter the particular modality -- releases toxins, such as lactic acid and carbonic acid, that need to be flushed from the body. Massage also promotes circulation, increasing blood flow and oxygen and stimulating the lymphatic system, which helps rid the body of pathogens. After-massage hydration supports these functions, helping to eliminate released impurities, sooner rather than later.

Stretching Another helpful habit is stretching between massages to maintain joint mobility, prevent muscles from tightening up again, and keeping the life energy flowing. This may mean doing yoga or whatever specific or full-body stretches suggested by your practitioner. After a shiatsu session, for example, your practitioner may recommend "makko-ho" stretches, a series of six exercises designed to keep energy circulating. "This series of stretches take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes a day, but really help keep the chi flowing through the body," says Kallil.

Exercise Working out can also help maintain the benefits of massage, and this habit should be continually cultivated. However, if you're receiving massage therapy to help speed muscle strain recovery, you may need to ease up on the exercise for a while and give the body time to heal -- particularly if you're recovering from a strenuous body-pummeling training regimen. "You don't want to over-work your body," says Kallil. That is, if running is taking a toll, try something more gentle and meditative such as swimming, walking, or tai chi.

Body Awareness After a massage, respect how your body feels. If your body seems to ask for rest, give in to that demand. This may mean backing off the to-do list, taking it easy, moving slower, and perhaps doing less for a while. And don't allow yourself to get fatigued because it will undermine the effects of massage. Get sufficient sleep to allow the body to absorb the effects and regain vitality.

Diet Finally, since you've just rid the body of toxins, support the body's renewed state by adhering to a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which will continue the detoxification process. Lay off the espresso and all adrenaline-challenges for a time -- which would short-circuit relaxation anyway -- and enjoy the calm.
The benefits of massage are many, including: increasing circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, stimulating lymph flow and boosting immunity, relaxing overused or tight muscles, increasing joint mobility and range of motion, reducing recovery time after strenuous workouts or surgery, and relieving back pain and migraines, just to name a few.

After receiving a massage, clients feel rejuvenated, relaxed, and refreshed. By opting for a few lifestyle choices, you can extend these benefits and get the most out of your massage.

To learn more about massage please contact me or check out my web site http://www.carefreeservices.org/

With all the wild fluctuations in the stock market, most financial advisors are giving the same advice: “Invest in the long term.” This is a good reminder but requires some foresight and patience. It's hard to keep this in mind with all the scary news, but it's an enduring truth.

With all this stress it makes sense to apply this same advice to our health. There are many holistic health strategies that you can apply. Some will return immediate results and some will see gains over the long term. Massage is one of those that delivers both.
If you've ever had a massage you already know the short term benefits of stress and pain relief and the relaxation and clear-headedness you experience. Massage therapy's preventive impact and as an ongoing care can mean fewer visits to the doctor, as well as fewer co-pays, prescriptions, and over the counter medications.

Research supports this value of massage. It's been shown to:

• Boost the immune system.
• Improve circulation, concentration, energy, self-esteem, and sleep.
• Reduce anxiety, fatigue, the flow of stress reducing hormones, and the reduce the frequency of headaches.
• Release endorphins

With the financial changes happening right now, we may need to trim out something from our budget. When weighing in what stays and what comes out, consider the excellent value massage offers in both the short term and on-going long term.

Getting creative with your massage dollars
Many self employed professional massage therapists offer rates way below the fancy spas. You may not get all the spa treatments from a self employed therapist, but you will get a great massage and save some money.

The Problem
If you just had a pain in your back would you need to have your therapist do deep tissue massage to your whole body? If you had a frozen shoulder should your therapist perform orthopedic treatment on every joint? These questions are pretty simple and strait forward so the answer is of course not.

Tools
Many very good therapists get used to one or maybe just a few modalities. They do them good and use them often for lots of clients. There's an old time saying “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail”. This is the same for some therapists and the way they work on their clients.
Having lots of different tools in in their bag allows them to become more flexible and custom in the massage they provide you. One of the keys to knowing which tool or tools are the right ones to use. The key to picking the right modality is open and frequent communications between you and your therapist. Every session should start with a few minutes where you the client is doing most of the talking.
So how might a Custom Multi Modality Massage go?
An example of what a multi modality massage might be like, lets start with you talking with your therapist. Maybe you mentioned that over the weekend you over exerted your self while doing yard work and you lower back is bothering you. Also you're recovering from a bit of a cold. Its been a little longer than you'd have liked since your last massage and you want to get some real relaxation.

How it works
This sounds like a lot but not really if your therapist has the right tools and was listening to you. So the overall massage would be a full body therapeutic relaxation massage (basically a slower and little bit deeper Swedish massage). You'd start the massage with you being face up, the therapist can easily massage the lymphatic glands in your neck, arm pits which are the two biggest areas of glands. This lymphatic work would be worked into the overall massage of you body.
Once you've rolled over face down, the therapeutic relaxation massage continues but only after some warm heat packs are wrapped in soft towels and laid over your achy lower back. The massage of your back is saved for the last 20 minutes of the massage. The heat packs have done their job and softened the tight muscles of your strained back.
With the muscles in your lower back warmed and softened with an increased circulation, a slightly deeper massage really loosens up the muscles and helps relieve your pain.
Sounds a lot better than an hour of deep tissue massage on your back with some extra focus on your lower back. Your lower back might feel better but you were not did not get much relaxation and you did not get any of the detox benefits of the lymphatic work.

Chuck Peck, www.carefreeservices.org

Check out http://www.carefreeservices.org/ for massage information and to learn about the services I can provide you.

The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art but for those of you who have tired or hurting feet, consider having a relaxing foot massage.

A mix of warm towel wraps, strong hands and reflexology will turn your hurting feet into the “masterpiece of engineering and a work of art” Da Vinci knew them to be.

For your Valentine or even yourself, receive 10% off your next one hour massage or purchase of a massage gift certificate throughout the month of February.

Check out the Google Maps coupon: http://maps.google.com/coupons/page?did=0_11029718968172064426&provider=SELF&cid=B26I779L7FRS6HYL&oi=md_coup&sa=X&ct=coup&cd=1&gl=us&hl=en

Each day is a new canvas to paint upon. Make sure your picture is full of life and happiness, and at the end of the day you don't look at it and wish you had painted something different.
-- Author Unknown

For September I’d like to know about the best massage you ever had. What was it about that massage that stood out from the rest.

Post your comment here and at the end of the month I’ll award one commenter a gift certificate for an hour massage.

Please note your comment will not automatically show up. I moderate all comments and will approve them shortly after you post them.

Good luck to all and I’m looking forward to hearing the comments about your best massage ever!

You can also check out my web site at http://www.carefreeservices.org/ providing exceptional massage at a great price to the Cave Creek, Carefree and Northern Phoenix areas.

This is the first of what will be a monthly event.

Every month I’ll post a topic here and from all of the comments to that posting I’ll give out a gift certificate for a free hour massage.

The gift certificate is only valid for a massage given by me at my location here is Cave Creek, AZ.

I’ll be posting the September contest topic shortly.