Massage Therapy Princeton, MN
Massage Therapy in Princeton, MN. Do you have nagging neck or back pain you just can't get rid of? Did you suffer soft tissue damage from an acute trauma injury? Or or is there simply too much stress in your life right now that's not allowing you to feel your best? Many Princeton, MN residents are finding massage therapy to be an effective treatment option for whatever ails them. Total Spine Health & Injury Center is dedicated to helping those in Princeton, MN return to an active, pain-free lifestyle that many thought was in the rearview. If feeling good every day has escaped you for far too long, call Total Spine today at (763) 568-7869 or contact us online.
Massage therapy has recently exploded in popularity in Princeton, MN and across the country. In 2021, one out of four men and over 20% of women received a massage. Through numerous different techniques massage increases blood flow to a region, and loosens up muscles that have contracted, allowing them to move more freely. It also releases hormones which allows our bodies and minds to relax. While many people seek out an appointment simply because a massage helps them feel better, they've also been proven to be effective at treating specific conditions.
A Brief History of Massage Therapy
Massage therapy has been around for at least 5,000 years. It was developed by several different ancient civilizations and eventually spread throughout the rest of the world.
Massage in Ancient Times
In India, it was used in Ayurveda, a holistic healing system, in approximately 3000 BCE, at the very latest. Chinese texts documenting the benefits of massage therapy appeared. In Egypt, tomb paintings from a similar period show people kneading others, and the Egyptians created reflexology about two centuries later. Beginning around 1000 BCE, Japanese monks who had traveled in China brought the practice back to their homeland, which over time developed into amna, or traditional Japanese massage. These ancient practitioners all lived under the credence that massage was crucial to optimal balance, whether spiritual, physical, or with their outside world.
Massage Is Introduced to the Western World
Around 800 BCE, massage therapy became popular in Greece, where Greek athletes utilized it to prepare their bodies before competition. In the 5th century BCE, Hippocrates began incorporating it into his healthy living combination of proper diet, exercise, and fresh air. He told other physicians to use "friction" or "rubbing", and created the rational and scientific basis for massage therapy in Western medicine by touting its ability to loosen up stiff muscles. Roman physician and Hippocrates believer Galen incorporated massage into his practice between 100 and 200 BCE, and the wealthy began having massage therapists brought to their homes, while the lay people would seek massage in the public baths.
Decline and Introduction in the United States
While massage therapy would decline in popularity in the West for many centuries, it started to be used somewhat in Europe again in the 17th century. It was introduced in the United States to treat World War I soldiers for nerve injuries and shell shock, and massage slowly grew to become as popular as it is now in the latter decades of the 1900s.
In contemporary society massage therapy is ubiquitous around the globe, from Mongolia, to the Caribbean, to Princeton, MN. While practitioners of massage may have different reasons for believing in its benefits, patients all over the world have found it to bring them relaxation and eased their pain.
Benefits of Massage Therapy in Princeton, MN
Whether you're making one appointment for some aches and pains, multiple sessions to recover from an injury, or choose to get massages often, massage therapy has an incredible amount of benefits that accompany you not only for a handful of days, but for the weeks to come:
- Less stress and more relaxation
- Decreased heart rate
- Increased range of motion
- Improved circulation
- Reduced severity and length of muscle spasms and cramping
- Reduced need for and use of medications
- A better immune system through increased lymphatic circulation
- Improved skin condition
- Peak performance in athletics
You'll only see higher increases in these benefits as massage therapy becomes a consistent part of your wellness routine.
Should I Go to Massage Therapy in Princeton, MN?
Massage therapy can help improve the life of anyone in the Princeton area and beyond. There are no downsides; when done by licensed professionals, it can do wonders for anyone who is looking to reduce stress, improve their movement health, get rid of minor aches and pains, and live a more enjoyable and pain-free everyday life. Many athletes have made massage a regular part of their routine to help ensure they stay at peak performance. Research has also shown that massage therapy is effective at treating several specific injuries and conditions:
Injuries From Trauma
Massage therapy can significantly aid the recovery of numerous soft tissue injuries, including sports injuries and injuries sutained in auto accidents. Any sudden injury causes immediate, and sometimes severe, consequences for the body, including pain, swelling, lack of movement, and the creation of scar tissue. Princeton, MN massage therapy can help ease nagging symptoms and encourage the body's natural healing process by smoothing over tissue and stimulating blood flow.
Lingering Injuries
Some pain and discomfort does not stem from one single event. Frequently, pain and discomfort can come from not performing basic tasks with optimal posture, a nagging injury that gets worse as it remains untreated, or just the wear and tear our bodies experience as we work or do the gardening work. Massage therapy in Princeton, MN can correct these imbalances and help you achieve pain relief you haven't felt in years.
Depression and Anxiety
We're only at our best when both our bodies and our minds are at optimal health. A negative mental state can wreack havoc on our bodies, and vice versa. The Mayo Clinic lists the following physical symptoms of depression and anxiety:
- Increased heart rate
- Tightness in the chest
- Fatigue
- Muscle tension
- Insomnia
- Gaining or losing excessive amount of weight
- Headaches
Massage therapy in Princeton, MN can help alleviate these symptoms by reducing sore muscles and headaches, stabilizing your heart rate, and releasing feel-good endorphins and hormones such as neurotensin, oxytocin, and cortisol, which reduce stress-related pain and encourage social bonding.
Massage therapy, as part of an overarching wellness routine, can help you rediscover your optimal total well-being.
Massage For Pregnant Women
An expectant mother experiences an incredible amount of stress as her body undergoes hormone shifts and creates space for the growing baby. Massage therapy can help alleviate many of the physical discomforts women experience while pregnant. It will increase blood flow to muscle groups that have recently had it restricted, alleviate joint and back pain, improve sleep patterns, and release endorphins. Some studies have even suggested that massage may make labor shorter and less painful.
While massage is generally safe for pregnant women, you should still consult with your doctor before going to see a massage therapist to ensure it's safe for you.
Massage therapy in Princeton, MN has also been effective at treating:
- Headaches and migraines
- Work injuries
- Digestive disorders
- Upper back and neck pain
- TMJ
Combining Massage Therapy with Chiropractic Treatment in Princeton, MN
While massage therapy offers great benefits for Princeton, MN residents suffering from a variety of ailments, we believe it's most effective when combined with chiropractic care. Chiropractic and massage both offer pain relief and improved function, but do so by treating the musculoskeletal system in different ways.
Chiropractic care treats issues from a structural standpoint. Through chiropractic adjustments, chiropractors improve the overall function of your body. By increasing the space between spinal joints and targeting specific areas, we help your bones move with greater ease and elasticity and reduce the strain they put on your nervous system.
Massage therapy treats the soft tissue component. Soft tissue is comprised of ligaments that connect bones and cartilage together, muscles that power the movement of our bones, and tendons that join muscles to bones. In a general sense, our soft tissue works with our bones to keep our bodies in the proper structure and allows us to perform movements. Through micro-traumas, meaning incorrect posture or wear-and-tear, or acute injuries, our bodies build up scar tissue that makes soft tissue weaker and less flexible, compromising our body's support structure. Massage helps fibers lay down in the correct configuration so the muscles, ligaments, and tendons can act as they should, which then supports the bony structures underneath.
Having both treatment methods as part of your wellness routine prolongs the effects of both and ensure both treatments work optimally. Chiropractic adjustments help the muscles relax for a massage, and massage therapy relaxes the nervous system, enhancing the effects of chiropractic treatment.
Both massage therapy and chiropractic care are safe when performed by licensed, trained professionals. In many cases, they are more cost-effective than prescription medications for pain relief and swelling reduction. At Total Spine Health & Injury Center, we can safely and effectively perform both massage and chiropractic, making us the ideal location for getting the relief you've been looking for.
Other services we offer in Princeton, MN include:
- Herniated Disc Treatment
- Work Injury Treatment
- Family Chiropractic
- Auto Accident Chiropractors Near Me
- Chiropractor
- Chiropractic Adjustment
- Whiplash Treatment
Call Total Spine Health & Injury Center for Massage Therapy in Princeton, MN Today
At Total Spine, we're not just looking to make one muscle group pain-free or help out with the migraine you're experiencing today; we want to partner with you so that you can feel the best you possibly can. We offer personalized care, entirely focused on a positive outcome for you in Princeton, MN. Our certified massage therapist can treat you with deep tissue, Swedish, myofascial, and trigger point massage, as well as cupping. For effective and long-lasting massage therapy in Princeton, MN, reach out to us today at (763) 568-7869 or contact us online.