Here are some of the more common self care suggestions that we can offer our clients that may compliment your massage therapy treatment.

Hydrotherapy – Deep Moist Heat Guidelines

As a rule of thumb, adhere to time specific guidelines for all hydrotherapy applications. The older you are, the cooler the temperature and the shorter the hydrotherapy application. More does not mean better! Consult you physician prior to initiating any form of hydrotherapy.

Epsom’s Salts Baths

For an eighty (80) litre tub (average tub size is 20 gallons) use 4 cups (1 cup = 250 ml, so 4 cups = 1 kg) of Epsom’s salts. Make the tub water as hot as you can tolerate, without scalding yourself, and adjust according to the temperature set on your hot water heater. Drink 1 glass of water before the bath, one glass during the bath, and one glass after the bath to prevent dehydration. Soak for 20 minutes, immersing the treated areas of your body in the water. Drain the water and rise slowly. Rinse with a cool stream of water in the shower afterward. Allow for 30 minutes of rest.

Ice or frozen gel pack

Is best used in an inflammatory situation, e.g., sprained ankle or bruise, to reduce the body’s natural inflammatory response to injury. Applications should be no longer than 15-20 minutes in length and decreased for areas of the body that have less body fat. Use a wet cloth or paper towel between the gel pack to prevent hypothermia to the skin which will allow the transfer of cold to the injured area. Let the gel pack sit on the injured area or wrap using a tensor bandage to hold in place. Natural sensation includes: cold, burning, aching, numbness. These sensations may vary from person to person.

Water consumption

Some of the most obvious necessities in life are often over looked and water consumption is definitely one of them. Each person requires 2.5 litres of water on average daily. More water is required when working in hot and humid conditions or when exercising indoors or outdoors. Many people are dehydrated and thus their body will not function to its optimal level because of it. Consider the amount of coffee, tea, and alcohol that is consumed by the average person and it’s not really surprising that many of us are dehydrated. All of these have a diuretic property, which means that for every cup of coffee, tea, or alcoholic beverage you have, you need to consume two cups of water to offset the diuretic effect. It is a good idea to increase water consumption post massage treatment to help the body take full advantage of healing itself.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Focus on being relaxed, remove any stimuli like loud noise from others, radios, or televisions. Lie in a comfortable position, close your eyes and inhale through your nose. Your abdomen should rise or protrude outward first, then your rib cage should expand, and your upper chest should rise last. This is called full diaphragmatic breathing. Exhale out your mouth. Repeat this breathing technique for at least 10 minutes. It will become more natural with practice and will become almost innate over time. Repeat this as many times throughout the day, especially to help offset stressful or tense situations or demands in the workplace.