Stress Relief and Massage

At the tender age of 10 Cara Delevingne signed her first modeling contract in her hometown of London, England. She appeared on the pages of Vogue Italia and by age 15 she was already rich and famous. By age 19 Cara was engaged in catwalk appearances for Burberry. Her high talent level and super hectic schedule brought on a higher level of stress, leading to a severe depression. Turning to partying and drugs, a common occurrence with successful people, obviously did not solve the problem. Cara was one of the lucky ones. Today at age 27 she has turned her life around, still maintaining a hectic schedule but incorporating regular massages into her routine, claiming there is “nothing like a massage to get my creative juices flowing!”

Cara’s battle with depression and stress is not a unique malady suffered only by high profile catwalk models. Millions of men and women today in all parts of the globe face varying amounts of stress which if continued unchecked can lead to a veritable smorgasbord of mental and physical problems. The importance of managing stress and stress related illness occupies a front seat in today’s medical world. It is fairly well established that stress can cause headaches, fatigue, sleep problems, anxiety attacks, irritability, inability to focus, depression and restlessness.

A newborn’s ability to thrive in the world is dependent on the comfort  caregivers can offer, especially by touching, caressing and massaging the baby. Baby massage has been practiced in India and Asia for over 3,000 years and is gaining more and more acceptance as a vital contributor to a baby’s well being here in the western world.

As soon as your skin’s nerve cells feel pressure, they signal the brain to release feel good chemicals called endorphins, which boost mood and elicit a “natural high.” A good massage therapist, such as we have here at A Healing Touch at IPT, can reduce stress hormone levels by an astonishing 30 percent! The therapist will also increase serotonin and dopamine levels by over 25 percent. Swedish massage is also a general stress reducer and is offered by our certified Swedish massage therapists, using different stroking motions to induce relaxation. Hot stones are also applied to loosen tight muscles.  

Stress reduction through various massage techniques is safe, non invasive and involves no ingestion of medicines. We at A Healing Touch recommend a stress relief massage every week or two if you feel this dog eat dog world is beginning to take a toll on your health. Not only will your stress level decrease but you will enjoy the experience! 

Judy Ryan