Educating my clients is never a tiring task, and I really enjoy how engaged a conversation about personal health can become. Many times one certain complaint seems to take hold of my clients focus, and recently the issue of burnout has come to the forefront for clients. Burnout may have different sources and triggers, but because it interfaces with the body’s ability to comfortably function from day to day it is a big hindrance for clients who feel like they are drowning in keeping up with internal and external demands. Burnout is more common nowadays, and for my clients who seem to have nothing left in their reserve tanks for energy and focus, massage helps them tremendously.
“When you touch something with intent, you touch everything”
Lymphatic drainage massage benefits
The fact is that a stressed and strained body is a body that is vulnerable to infection. The more demand put on the regulatory system of nerves, digestion and blood vessels the faster someone might find themselves in home sick with a bad bug. That’s where an ounce of prevention is worth its weight in gold, and lymphatic drainage massage aids in keeping the body’s immune system running smoothly. Lymphatic drainage massage focuses on working with the vessels and lymph nodes to move lymph around the body as well as support the spleen. Receiving this style of massage is very relaxing and oftentimes gives the client the slow and steady pace needed to calm and reset the body’s nervous system as well.
Connective Tissue massage benefits
When tension finds its way into the body, it can find many places to hide out and stay. Some people are prone to headaches from teeth grinding, while others suffer through shoulder and back pain. Cramps in legs and flare ups with arthritis are common when the body feels overworked and perhaps sleep disturbance is also an issue. Luckily for those clients whose body feels like they are just getting more and more tight there can be dramatic results from working with a connective tissue massage approach. Improving the condition of muscles, joints, tendons, as well as improving blood flow are all aspects of getting a massage. When the body releases tension, it begins to alleviate pain responses and repair any micro damage that may have occurred.
Reflexology benefits
I often describe reflexology as a way of using an external map to change an internal area. The use of reflexology points, on both hands and feet, have been hugely successful for our clients with burnout because it gives a total body approach. With reflexology there is not a limit to working just muscle deep, but rather a working feedback loop with all organs of the body. For clients who have burnout they really appreciate getting all the support they can get. I utilize many key points on the hands and feet that correspond to organs and areas of their body that help them to move into a functioning natural state of homeostasis. Bringin ease into their body structures and nerves, especially the points for the brain and heart, helps support the calming down and regrouping of latent stress patterns. Also reflexology is great for clients who can’t get more physically demanding modalities of massage.
Massage and bodywork is a wide world with a common goal. Within the safety scope of practice, letting all the work done with clients address and relieve their requests and concerns. There are many symptoms that burnout can present and so there are many ways to help bring relief. Because the body and mind are so complex, there are many roads that lead the way to giving relief from a build up of tension and fatigue. Each client might benefit from all or just one modality that really moves the needle back from the state of burnout. Finding what works for each individual and why helps to build a clear roadmap to use in the future. When the momentum of progress becomes sustainable after the massage is over then my clients know that there is an end in sight and that they can begin to feel some relief from the discomforts and symptoms of burnout.
