But what does it all mean!?

I think as therapists we get a bit bogged down by technical terms. We might say things like; massage decreases cortisol levels and increases serotonin levels or throw around words like lateral epicondilitis or myofascial stretch. But what does of that mean for you!? Let's turn these gibberish terms into real life benefits. Cortisol is our stress hormone and is released along with adrenaline during times of stress. A little bit of this is ok but when you're in a constant state of stress you're over producing the stress hormones that lead to the nasty side effects like headaches, anxiety, insomnia, weight gain and so on (I'm sure you've felt that at some point, it's not good.) During a massage the production of the stress hormones slow down and begin to diminish all together (yey!) Your body will also start to produce serotonin and endorphins, also known as our happy hormone & natural pain killers (which our bodies also produce in sunshine, ever wonder why everyone's in a good mood when the sun's out? That's why!) So yes, massage does reduce cortisol and increase serotonin. The real life benefits? By the end of your massage treatment you should be relaxed, mellow, clear of mind & all together feeling great! Massage can be used to treat things like lateral epicondilitis, also known as tennis elbow! A good message can also treat golfers elbow, frozen shoulder, muscle strain, tension and any other muscle related injuries by working the muscle fibers and performing a myofascial stretch. A myofascial stretch is done very slowly to stretch the layer of tissue encasing the muscles to create more freedom of movement and reduce pain! The real life benefits here? Think less pain, more movement so you can go about your day regardless of what you're doing and feel great. Massage promotes better sleep = less exhaustion Better muscle tone & circulation = less muscle injury & less time out for recuperating. Less stress = better mood Reduced headaches, anxiety, depression = general amazingness All in all, there will be a real life benefit to your massage treatment because it can impact a huge range of issues. Basically you're going to feel great. If you're still wondering how massage can benefit you, get in touch. I'll have the answer (no guarantees there won't be some gibberish though)