Benefits Of Massage For Parents: A Guest Post by Ryan Howard

 

Life as a new parent can be a lot of fun… it can also be really overwhelming!

In fact, the personal life that you may have cherished before all but vanishes as you take on the responsibility of parenthood. Having said that, while you might find yourself spending the majority of your time taking care of your little one, it’s important to carve out some time for yourself as well. Not only will this make you happier, there are many other benefits as well. In this article, I dive into some of the benefits of massage for new parents.

Take Some Of The Stress Out Of Your Life

Massage has often been thought of as a great form of stress relief. After all, it’s hard to think of many things that leave you feeling as relaxed and refreshed as getting a great massage.

Massage for parents, particularly new parents, is very important since they tend to have loads of stress.

For starters, new parents have a brand new person to take care of every moment of the day. This takes a lot of effort, believe me. Beyond that, kids are pretty expensive. There are hospital bills, clothes, cribs, reversible strollers, diapers, and all sorts of other baby stuff. For that reason, it’s not uncommon for money to be a little tight after kids arrive. Any way that you can relieve the stress is a big help. (Click here to check out our blog post on how to take the benefits of massage therapy home with you).

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What to look for in a sports massage therapist

 

New York City can be an intense and high-energy place. It attracts similar sorts of people.

Everyday you see thousands of runners and cyclists making their way up and down the West Side highway training for races. There are thousands of professional dancers performing in the various musical theatre venues in the city each day as well. Physically active types are a big part of the NYC population. Even the folks you see putting in long hours at their desks during working hours often leave to go workout right after work. They swing kettlebells at their Crossfit gym or do handstands at their yoga studio. With all the athletes in the city, it’s no surprise that working with a top notch sports massage therapist is what many of our clients are searching for. 

But what should you look for in a sports massage therapist?

What is sports massage and how can it benefit you?

Before looking for specific qualities in a sports massage therapist, it’s helpful to understand what to expect from a session. Sports massage can comprise any of the manual techniques that a licensed massage therapist is trained in. These techniques are performed with the intention of addressing your specific concerns around your active and/or physically demanding lifestyle. 

Often, our athlete clients will come in with an acute injury they sustained while practicing their activity. Such as an ankle sprain or a torn rotator cuff. The therapist will then work to help alleviate pain. Sports massage can decrease inflammation, assist with proper scar tissue formation, and increase range of motion or stability at the injured joint. 

Other times the concern is minimizing delayed onset muscle soreness during peak training times for a specific event. Or promoting recovery after an event like a race or competition. Frequently, an active person is simply in pain or is having trouble performing at their desired level. And is looking for someone to help them determine the root cause of the dysfunction. These are all issues that our staff at Bodyworks DW can help you tackle.

For More Information: Sports Massage in Midtown

Massage Therapy for Diastasis Recti: A Case Study with Debbie J

 

Getting to the core of the issue

First off, what is this strange sounding condition?

Diastasis Recti is most common among pregnant or postpartum women. About two thirds of pregnant women have it. So why have you never heard of it? People don’t talk about it! And hardly anyone knows that massage therapy for diastasis recti can help. 

The facts:

Diastasis Recti is a condition where the rectus abdominis splits down the middle causing a vertical gap in the abdominal muscles. It can cause lower back pain, constipation, and urine leaking. It can even make it harder to breathe and to move normally.

How to treat it if you have it:

Massage therapy for Diastasis Recti can be very helpful to rebuild proper abdominal tone as long as you’re also working with a physical therapist who specializes in this issue. An experienced massage therapist can open stuck tissues that are pulling the abdominal muscles outward. These stuck tissues are generally from previous injuries that have left scar tissue behind. In addition to this kind of bodywork, you’ll need physical therapy exercises to knit the torn muscles back together.

For More Information: Massage Therapy NYC