Camano Island, WA 98282
425.356.7014 (cell/o)
Lic. MA00014134
The Art of Healing Head to Toe
We All Need Touch
Babies are not the only ones who suffer from touch deprivation, nor are they the only ones who benefit fro adequate touch in their lives. Research has taught us how touch in infancy aids in development in all areas-physical, mental and psychological.
Touch in adulthood is equally beneficial. It stimulates immune system function, reduces stress and keeps us literally “connected” to our community of family and friends. That sense of connectedness turns out to be a major factor in long-term health.
Research also shows that adults with a life long partner live longer, healthier lives than people who live in isolation. For all people in the United States, people who live alone have death rates anywhere from one to five times higher than their partnered peers. Rates of all forms of heart disease and a wide variety of cancers, stroke, pneumonia, diabetes, cirrhosis and suicide are higher across the board for people who live alone and experience a minimum of nurturing touch.
Most people in the United States today probably do not get an adequate amount of touch in their lives. Even if you’re living in an ideal situation with strong relationships and good community connections, you would still benefit from receiving touch from someone who is specifically trained to meet that need.
There is a wide variety of touch-intensive health-care professionals ---Licensed Massage Practitioners, Reflexologists, Feldenkrais* practitioners, polarity therapist, shiatsu practitioners, etc.----all who are trained professionals to meet the needs of our touch-deprived population. These practitioners are in their business because they genuinely care about creating healthy, comforting experiences for the people that need them. At the same time, they are well educated in how the human body operates and how they can influence yours for the best possible results.
Healthy people seek out massage and bodywork therapy because it feels good. In addition to satisfying our need for touch, it strengthens our response to stressors, both mental and physical. A good massage, in addition to lowering blood pressure, increasing immune system activity and helping the body rid itself of wastes, will also make you more alert, emotionally calmer and more capable of dealing with the kinds of challenges we face every day.
Under their doctors’ guidance, a client with regular massage therapy may be able to gradually reduce many kinds of medications he or she has taken for granted. The client along with their doctors’ knowledge and approval may often wean themselves off long dependences on pain killers, muscle relaxants and antidepressants with the regular use of body work.
Massage is excellent treatment for many aliments but is not the answer to every kind of physical problem; some health conditions are not recommended for massage. A responsible therapist will tell you if it’s not a good day to work together.
Receiving touch is a learned response. The more often you experience it, the better you’ll be able to receive it. Massage is the favorite spa treatment 86%.