Does anyone here swear by Massages for Stress?

CANDLEQUEEN · ‎03-09-2010

I was thinking of signing my husband and I up for monthly massages for stress, and I think we both would really benefit from them. Anyone else here get massages and think they are really helping?

Snowpuppy · ‎03-09-2010

I have from time to time but not since Covid.

My first experience was a male therapist who worked in a physical therapist's office. He worked on my lower back for tension and stress. He was pricey but well worth it. Sadly, he moved out of the area.

There are a few LMT's at the local naturopath's office I've seen. You can pick up a bio sheet and select by specialty. Pricing is $50-$75/hr which is very reasonable but I'm not in a major city.

I would avoid those chain spa places.

CANDLEQUEEN · ‎03-09-2010

@Snowpuppy wrote:
I have from time to time but not since Covid.

My first experience was a male therapist who worked in a physical therapist's office. He worked on my lower back for tension and stress. He was pricey but well worth it. Sadly, he moved out of the area.

There are a few LMT's at the local naturopath's office I've seen. You can pick up a bio sheet and select by specialty. Pricing is $50-$75/hr which is very reasonable but I'm not in a major city.

I would avoid those chain spa places.

@Snowpuppy Thanks, Yes I definitely plan to avoid the chains, my daughter had a bad experience with one called Spa Envy or something like that. I am looking at smaller, independent masseuse, reading reviews as well....

Suzeecat · ‎05-05-2010

The last time I had a good, deep massage, the floaters in my eyes kicked up a storm for quite a while. Since I have glaucoma, I was a bit alarmed, and haven't been back. I live alone and am in no close relationships, and feel that, if nothing else, it would be good for me to just get some human touch. Maybe I'll try a good pedicure/foot massage.

patbz · ‎03-10-2010

I've been having all sorts of massages, all over the world, for fifty years. In the last ten years my very favorites are foot massages, always a Chinese therapist, almost always located in heavily Asian populated areas of mostly large cities ( although there are exceptions, I frequently get these massages in Arroyo Grande CA). The name of this massage is a misnomer, as your feet are soaked and thoroughly massaged but so are your limbs, hands, shoulders, neck and head. The cost is in the neighborhood of $50-$60 hrly and mainly of the masseuses are trained in hospitals in mainland China. In addition to relieving stress it really resolves many long term foot issues that involve muscles. I have given my hair stylist gift cards for these at Christmas.

CANDLEQUEEN · ‎03-09-2010

@patbz wrote:
I've been having all sorts of massages, all over the world, for fifty years. In the last ten years my very favorites are foot massages, always a Chinese therapist, almost always located in heavily Asian populated areas of mostly large cities ( although there are exceptions, I frequently get these massages in Arroyo Grande CA). The name of this massage is a misnomer, as your feet are soaked and thoroughly massaged but so are your limbs, hands, shoulders, neck and head. The cost is in the neighborhood of $50-$60 hrly and mainly of the masseuses are trained in hospitals in mainland China. In addition to relieving stress it really resolves many long term foot issues that involve muscles. I have given my hair stylist gift cards for these at Christmas.

@patbz These sound wonderful!!!

kate2357 · ‎02-26-2012

@patbz wrote:
I've been having all sorts of massages, all over the world, for fifty years. In the last ten years my very favorites are foot massages, always a Chinese therapist, almost always located in heavily Asian populated areas of mostly large cities ( although there are exceptions, I frequently get these massages in Arroyo Grande CA). The name of this massage is a misnomer, as your feet are soaked and thoroughly massaged but so are your limbs, hands, shoulders, neck and head. The cost is in the neighborhood of $50-$60 hrly and mainly of the masseuses are trained in hospitals in mainland China. In addition to relieving stress it really resolves many long term foot issues that involve muscles. I have given my hair stylist gift cards for these at Christmas.

I have not had massages all over the world (lucky you!) but I will attest to the benefits of foot massages. Oh my goodness, so dang wonderful and left me boneless and relaxed. My accupunturist at the time recommended a person to help me and they did a combo using their hand and hot stones to massage my feet. While feet were soaking in warm water, I had a choice of a head or neck massage and I went w/ a head massage. Another fabulous thing. I have not gone since Covoid hit, but I sure miss it.

"What we practice daily is what we build a life on. Practice peace, love & kindness."

qvcaddition · ‎03-10-2010

I do yoga stretch and deep breathing. I am hyper and so, every morning or when stress, I take a deep breath, hold it for a couple seconds, then slowly let it out. A few of these am I am OK.

I use to get messages, but would pick up bad vibes from the person giving it. Not s***ual, but if they were a negative person, not speaking negative, but had bad aura, i would pick up on it and a few hours later get depressed. So I stay away from messages. Find deep breathing exercises work well for me and believe me I can get very anxious. Works for me.

KathyM23 · ‎11-20-2010

@Suzeecat My DH also has glaucoma and really bad floaters. Even his eye doctor says they are one of the worst cases. He also gets massages for muscle spasms so I told him about your post.

He had the perfect reason for the increase in floaters after massage and it has nothing to do with the actual massage and is not really an increase. He said when you are sitting or standing the floaters are like sediment in water being that they drop to the bottom of your eye and are not so much in the vision area. When you lay either on your stomach or your back the floaters rise from the bottom of your eyes and are much more noticable. So the appearace of an increase in floaters is not really an increase just a movement of them based on your body position. There is no reason for you to give up massages due to worry about seeing more floaters for a time.

So don't worry about getting massages; the only reason for seeing more floaters is because you are laying on your stomach. My DH's are so bad he says it is like looking through lace.

ninjawife · ‎11-15-2011

I signed up for a yearly membership of monthly massages in December 2019 at my local therapeutic massage center. I got three massages before Covid. Put everything on hold until I was vaccinated. It is a nice relaxing way to spend an hour and I do feel good afterwards. I usually schedule my massage right before my monthly chiropractor appointment so I loose when I get adjusted. The combination of both helps me from getting muscle spasms in neck and shoulders where I hold tension.