Take Charge of Your Health and Take Charge of Your Life by Eric Smith
Take Charge of Your Health and Take Charge of Your Life
by Eric Smith
Eric Smith is a certified expert massage therapist in South Bay LA. He believes performing healing massage is his life’s calling. Eric has been told he truly listens to clients to understand their pain, physical symptoms, and lifestyle. Additionally, he has an innate ability to listen to the body's needs to aid healing, relieve stress and promote health. One longtime client even called him “The Muscle Whisperer”! These talents drove Eric to study many modalities of wellness and enter intensive massage therapy training.
Americans spend thousands of dollars annually on maintenance for vehicles and homes, but what about health and wellness objectives? A massage therapy regimen should be part of your 2021 personal maintenance plan. What we have all been through during the past year is unprecedented in our lifetime. It is time to de-stress, get active, and find a qualified therapeutic massage specialist. Many people wait until they are in some sort of pain or distress before booking a session and there is sometimes a wait involved. Lots of people know of the common benefits of massage but there are more than you might think. The question is, how does it relate to you personally?
Massage therapy has been shown to help reduce postoperative pain and anxiety and increase comfort levels. One such study focused on pain and comfort levels in liver transplant patents. Integrative health professionals have been investigating alternatives to opioids for treating pain, including massage therapy, and have seen some success. This study examined the effect of back massage on first time liver transplant patients to see if massage therapy could assist with pain, comfort, and stabilization of vital signs such as pulse rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. The 2020 study comprised of 84 adults, 42 in the experimental group receiving treatments twice a day morning and evening and 42 in the control group who did not receive massage treatments. Researchers noted, “Back massage positively affected vital signs, decreased the severity of pain and increased the comfort levels of liver transplant patients.” (Bilsev D. Serdar, S. “Effects of massage on vital signs, pain and comfort levels in liver transplant patients.” Explore. May -June 2020;16(3):178-184)
Sports massage on event day helps to prepare an athlete for competition and the approach may be different than massage for training or recovery. It is about prepping the body for activity, which means maximizing blood flow to the muscles that an athlete will use most in competition. When blood flow is at its best, it takes longer for a muscle group to fatigue and make recovery after competition easier. (Bigouette JP, Owen EC. Greenleaf J. James SL. Strasser NL. Injury Surveillance and evaluation of medical services utilized during the 2016 Track and Field Olympic Trials . Orthop J Sports Med. 2018:6(12):2325967118816300. Published 2018 Dec 26. Doi:10.1177/2325967118816300)
Can massage therapy enhance mental health? Massage therapy has already been proven to help treat symptoms of depression and anxiety. Now researchers are looking into how massage works in mental health care as well as its potential for a larger range of mental health issues. More than 45 million Americans, almost 20 percent of the population, have mental illness, and 57 percent of them receive no treatment. Recent research is showing how massage therapy might work to mediate mood-influencing hormones like cortisol and how it might help mental illness related to physical conditions such as heart disease and cancer. “There is a real need for more research,” says Mark Hyman Rapaport, MD, who has published several studies on the topic, including a review in 2018 on massage therapy for psychiatric disorders. (Rapaport MH. Shettler PJ, Larson ER, Carroll D, Sharenko M, Nettles J, Kenkead B. Massage therapy for psychiatric disorders. Focus Vol. 16. No. 1, Winter 2018) (Facts & Statistics Anxiety and Depression Association of America. https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics )
According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) the top 25 Reasons to get a massage:
1. Relieve stress
2. Relieve postoperative pain
3. Reduce anxiety
4. Manage low-back pain
5. Help fibromyalgia pain
6. Reduce muscle tension
7. Enhance exercise performance
8. Relieve tension headaches
9. Sleep better
10. Ease symptoms of depression
11. Improve cardiovascular health
12. Reduce pain of osteoarthritis
13. Decrease stress in cancer patients
14. Improve balance in older adults
15. Decrease rheumatoid arthritis pain
16. Temper effects of dementia
17. Promote relaxation
18. Lower blood pressure
19. Decrease symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
20. Help chronic neck pain
21. Lower joint replacement pain
22. Increase range of motion
23. Decrease migraine frequency
24. Improve quality of life in hospice care
25. Reduce chemotherapy-related nausea
There are many common issues that can be resolved by proper massage therapy. If one or more of these relate to you, please book a session with eric@massagesmith.com or online at www.massagesmith.com
(https://www.amtamassage.org/globalassets/documents/resources/amta_25_reasons_massage.pdf)
Contact Eric:
562-528-0558
eric@massagesmith.com
Eric Smith
I am a registered member of the American Massage Therapy Association, Torrance Chamber of Commerce, South Bay Sunrise Rotary, certified by the California Massage Therapy Council, graduate of National Holistic Institute, a collage of massage therapy with honors and grateful to be blessed with the skills I have acquired over the years.
Listening to my client is how I learn regarding physical symptoms and back ground. Intuitive Touch is the way I listen to the body's needs to aid healing, relieve pain/stress and promoting a healthier way of life. This is my calling.
In addition to offering individual massage therapy, I also offer chair massage for your next social event or your business (employee appreciation, grand opening, etc.) or private celebration (birthday, anniversary, reception). Services areas include Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Palos Verdes, Rancho Palos Verdes, Playa Del Ray, San Pedro, Los Angeles, Orange County and Santa Monica.
I invite you to see what my clients are saying on my testimonials page or Yelp.