Benefits of an Oil Massage

Let me paint a picture for you… As I write this, I have my foot elevated with some 90’s hip hop playing in the back and I’m covered in a mixture of coconut oil, almond oil and castor oil. I had just finished a hot bath soaked in an Epsom salt before I proceeded to oil myself up. Diva much? I have good reason though. I recently irritated my knee. It’s nothing major, but when little physical hiccups like this happen I turn to oils. I’ve recently taken this routine up as a result of a little research and trial. If I happen to have an acute injury where I simply need to give the body a chance to reset and heal itself, I’ll implement an oil rub to assist in the healing process. The process is nothing complicated. I’ll simply warm up oil to a comfortable temperature and rub it in to the affected area.

What about menthol and peppermint creams? For the oil rub, I’d stick to a natural oil and add an essential oil to customize the scent if needed. As a side note, the cooling or burning effect you might get from a Bengay or Icy Hot isn’t necessarily speeding the healing process up, but instead, it’s distracting you from the pain that your experiencing in that particular area that you’ve rubbed the menthol cream on (It distracts your brain from the pain and focuses on the cooling effect of the menthol). So in this case, I’d take it off the suggested oils as the smell can get a little heavy on you and your household, especially if your planning on making an oil rub a part of your everyday routine. If you’re trying to recreate grandma’s room on a Thursday night while the Blue Jays and Yankees play on T.V, then by all means, apply some Tiger Balm.

The reasoning behind the oil rub isn’t instantaneous nor will it provide immediate relief, but it will definitely speed up the healing process. If you come across anyone that disregards the application of oil and its exposure to the joints and/or blood stream, try asking them to apply some toxic waste to their skin and see how quickly they change their tune about how external applications do not have an effect on the internal system. The oil rub has a holistic effect that improves circulation and promotes relaxation. These are both extremely important factors when dealing with stress or inflammatory conditions.

What oils to use:

As a general rule, any natural oil is better than no oil, but if you wanted to be more specific, you can choose oil more appropriate for what you want out of the process. Here are some recommendations…`

Coconut Oil – best used as cooling oil, possibly before or after a yoga session or an inflamed area.

Castor Oil – This is very heat intensive oil and can be applied in cases where the individual is extremely dry or looking for something with a warming effect.

Sesame Oil – This is a good neutral option. It’s also been associated with anti-inflammatory properties.

How to apply the oil:

1. Heat the oil by putting it in small bowl or cup, and then put it into a small pot of heated water. Do not microwave it! You speed up the oxidation process and kill the beneficial factors of the oil.

1. After warming the oil proceed to rub it into your scalp working your way down just the same way you’d apply lotion (be sure to avoid the face if your skin is more sensitive). You can focus on a particular area that may be inflamed due to injury and focus on that area. Use a circular motion on the joint your working on.

1. Take a warm shower and rinse off the excess oil and enjoy the feeling of relaxation and improved circulation.

Enjoy all the benefits of an oil massage and let me know how it goes!

Massage Therapy Session Etiquette

For some reason, the topic of RMT's and massages come up from time to time and I've found myself surprised with the amount of people who find the experience foreign to them. I've never been one to shy away from a visit and it doesn't necessarily have to happen when I'm hurt. I'm a big advocate for soft tissue work being a great way to prevent injury while improving performance.

Booking the appointment...

It's fairly simple. You call the clinic and you book a time that works for you. Usually clinics will have a page on their website dedicated to who their massage therapists are, what they specialize in and what they enjoy eating on weekends (seriously, there are some unnecessary profiles out there). Anyways, see who you think would be a good match and request that therapist. It's not creepy to request a woman or man and it's also not creepy to ask who has a heavier hand (that means who massages hard or who will rub your back like your at a spa that you got a Groupon for that so happens to be in a plaza next to Walmart (just in case you didn't quite get my sarcasm, I'm saying they give pretty shitty massages).

When you get to the clinic...

Hopefully by the time you get to the clinic you're fully hydrated. That's a general rule. I've been told by many therapist whether there a chiropractor or RMT, that the muscle is a lot easier to work with when hydrated. Come to the front desk, check in and sit down. Pretty easy.

The massage therapists talks too much...

Here's the interesting stuff and the motivation behind this post. You're massage therapist comes out and she's clearly a chatterbox. She'll have to ask you general questions like, how's you're day going? What brings you in? Where would you like to primarily focus on today? The problem occurs when she starts asking you where you work, what you drive and have you seen the latest episode of Orange is the new black (because she and her girlfriends stayed in this weekend to watch a marathon because "she's so over the clubbing scene" and she's "just too mature for that stuff now") If you're up for conversation and enjoy it, by all means continue to engage he or she, but beware that some people will not shut up. I've learned that the hard way and it kind of takes away from the massage for me.  I used to have this mentality that an RMT would probably prefer someone talk to them because who wants to stand for an hour in silence? However, how do you know they feel obligated to talk to you, meanwhile they just want to focus on the massage and not talk. At the end of the day, keep in mind that you're a paying client and that the hour is for you and you can choose to be quiet if you prefer.

Requesting them to massage harder...

Do not feel bad about asking them to focus more on a particular body part or asking them to massage harder during the massage. I think far too often people forget that massage therapists take their job seriously. For the most part, the therapists that I've come across generally want to provide relief. I used to think that I would offend them by requesting a heavier massage (implying that he or she was weak), but they most likely want to know as well. Also, be weary of RMT's who diagnose you. Everyone in the healthcare field plays a role and some are better suited to diagnose and asses any physiological issues better than others. If you're sick, see a doctor, if you're hurt see a chiropractor, if you're sad, see your mom. Pretty simple.

On providing a tip at the end of the session...

You don't have to. If they seem like there expecting one, then you didn't go to a massage therapist but instead you went to nail spa where they rubbed your neck while you soaked your feet (be honest with yourself). Another tip... If the clinic is stays open later than 11pm, walk away.

This was a post based on my experiences. Hopefully it was helpful. I'm going for a massage now. Till next time.