Moms, relieve the stress – time for a massage

By Heidi Gibbon, Aesthetician

Aesthetics is my side job. I am also a mother of three lovely children, so I understand the time constraints of balancing family with work. Hopefully after reading my articles, you have decided that you deserve some self-care and there is no better excuse than Mother’s Day!

There are many different options available and choosing can be confusing. Now the question you may ask yourself is should I have regular manicures and pedicures, or invest in monthly facials, or add frequent body massages to your hectic life?

If you had asked me this question a few years ago, I would have persuaded you that a facial is the most blissful, relaxing treatment you could have. At the time, I was not a fan of body massage, and I could easily care for my hands and feet. I did not understand the value of having body treatments on a regular basis.

My job requires my neck to be in an unnatural downward position while performing facials and, a few years ago after a period of overworking in my salon, the muscles on my neck felt like they fused together. I lost the mobility in my neck to pain, and I had to seek treatment to regain the health of the muscles in the area. I did physiotherapy for weeks which was expensive, not to mention time consuming, then acupuncture as well as massage to try to unravel my neck muscles. The persistence paid off and I was able to resume my job and playing sport.

After a couple of months of being pain free, I found my neck pain returning because of my lack of maintenance and this is when I realised that massage is like a health-supplement or preventative care for a person’s body and even mind.

My physiotherapist says that muscles do not like to be stagnant and to maintain healthy muscles they require us to move them. Also because of my previous ‘stiff neck’, I had become susceptible to relapse into muscular pain from tight muscles.

Massage therapy is one of the most effective, safe, and natural ways to treat mental and physical ailments, such as stress, pain, anxiety, and depression.

Some of the benefits include:

• Relaxes muscles and mind
• Improves posture and flexibility
• Pain relief
• Stress relief – Massage therapy raises the body’s production and release of endorphins. These are stress and pain preventing hormones that enhance mood and boost immunity.

• Increases circulation – Massage increases circulation, improving blood flow. It removes waste away from muscles and internal organs, lowers blood pressure, and improves overall body function.

• Rehabilitates injuries – Massage therapy will help increase circulation, relax muscles, increase flexibility, and posture and reduce recovery time, while easing stress that may be intensified from painful injuries.

There are also many different types of massage to choose from. I would recommend choosing a therapist you are comfortable with rather than a style of massage so you can tune into your body and reap all the benefits that can come with this form of relaxation.

I would love to hear from you. I can be reached at heidigibbon@gmail.com or on Instagram at mysalontt.