Has the Houston summer been rough on your body? Maybe you are feeling
sore from working out? Maybe you’d like to loosen up muscles that have
been inactive too long? Stress from that never-ending project? Traffic
and construction driving you into fits of rage? If so, you are ready for
a massage.

Though it may sound risqué, massage is a natural and effective form of
healing. The art of massage has been used for over 5000 years as a
preventative medicine, a natural stress and pain reliever, and a
balancer for overall wellness.

“Before medicine, there was massage therapy,” says Tiffany Field,
the director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami
Medical School. “Our big job is to get people to accept touching in an
increasing technological society. People see massage as a pampering or a
luxury but it is preventative health care.”

Massage has been shown to maintain stability and enhance performance in
nearly all of the body’s major systems. Migraines, insomnia, muscle
pain and strain are just a few of the problems a massage therapist can
help you with.

Massage involves systematic stroking, rubbing and kneading of the soft
tissues of the body in an effort to induce a state of total relaxation.
There are over 70 different types of massage but the Swedish massage is
the most popular because it uses long strokes along the body, serving to
stretch out and loosen the tense muscles.

Most massage sessions last an average of an hour. In the Houston are,
you can expect to pay $55 to $85 per session or per hour, depending on
the experience and education of the therapist and the type of work done.
Some of the practitioners work form their homes or have portable
equipment, while others have set hours in day spas, salons, offices or
fitness clubs.

How do you choose a massage therapist? Ask family, friends and
co-workers for their personal recommendations. Find someone who you are
comfortable with. Registered massage therapists in Texas must complete a
minimum of 300 hours of study in anatomy and physiology, ethics,
business practices and hydrotherapy, including a 50-hour hands-on
internship before they qualify to take the state exam.

A professional massage therapist should be able to describe the type of
massage or bodywork they do and put you at ease with an explanation of
what to expect during your first massage or bodywork experience. Let
your therapist know about your body’s area of tension and strain, if
you are under a doctor’s care, and the amount of pressure you prefer.
Feedback before, during and after is helpful to your therapist’s
understanding of your body’s needs. If you wish to enjoy silence
during most of the session, your therapist will respect this.

The human touch is instinctive. The effect of massage can last for hours
or even days after a session. Massage benefits all ages, relaxes tired
and tense muscles, increases range of movement, enhances circulation,
boots the immune system, lowers blood pressure, and gives a feeling of
well-being. In our touch deprived, high-tech world, massage therapy
transforms one hour into a bit of heaven here on earth.