10 Reasons Why You Should Get a Massage

10 Reasons Why You Should Get a Massage

10 Reasons Why You Should Get a Massage

Massage is good for you (and perhaps more than you know)!

We all know how good a massage can feel after a long day/week/vacation-that-wasn’t. But did you know that there are actual health benefits to getting regular massages? Not only does it feel amazing, but there are actual health benefits to getting regular massages. Here’s how 10 different conditions can be improved by having a professional give their hands to you an hour or two every week:

1. You Deserve It

Let’s get to the obvious one first! You work hard day in and day out. You deserve to treat yourself to a massage! A massage can help you relax and de-stress, and it is a great way to pamper yourself. Whether you book an appointment at a spa or purchase a massager for home use, getting a massage is a great way to unwind after a long week. Massages can help to improve circulation, relieve muscle tension, and reduce stress levels. If you have never had a massage before, you may be wondering what to expect. Typically, a massage therapist will use their hands and forearms to apply pressure and knead the muscles. The pressure can be light or deep, depending on your preferences. Many people find that massages are incredibly relaxing, and they often report feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after their session. So why not give yourself the gift of relaxation today? You deserve it!

2. It Helps Relieve Pain

When it comes to chronic pain, there are a lot of different things that can help relieve it. For some people, massages are a great way to help reduce the pain. Massages can help improve circulation and flexibility, as well as release endorphins. Endorphins are natural painkillers that can help to reduce the amount of pain you’re feeling. If you’re looking for a way to help relieve chronic pain, massages might be something worth considering.

3. It Can Reduce Stress

In today’s world, it’s important to find ways to relax and de-stress. One way to do this is through massage. Massages can help to lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and improve your mood. They can also help to promote relaxation by increasing circulation and releasing muscle tension. There are many different types of massages, so you can choose one that best suits your needs. Whether you opt for a Swedish massage or a Deep Tissue massage, you’re sure to feel more relaxed and refreshed after your session. So why not book an appointment today? Your body (and mind) will thank you.

4. It Can Boost Your Immunity

If you’re looking for a way to boost your immune system, you might want to consider getting a massage. Massages can help increase the production of white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting off infection. This can be a great way to keep yourself healthy during cold and flu season. In addition to boosting your immunity, massages can also help to improve circulation, relieve stress, and reduce pain. So if you’re looking for a path to relaxation and boost your health, consider getting a massage.

5. It Can Improve Your Sleep

If you’re having trouble sleeping, a massage can be a great way to get the rest you need. Massages can help improve sleep quality by promoting relaxation and reducing stress levels. While there are many different types of massages, Swedish massage is one of the most popular and is known for its gentle, flowing strokes. A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that Swedish massage may be effective in improving sleep quality in people with insomnia. The study participants who received massage therapy reported better sleep quality and less daytime fatigue than those who didn’t receive massage therapy. If you’re interested in trying massage therapy for better sleep, be sure to talk to your doctor or a qualified massage therapist to see if it’s right for you.

6. It Can Lower Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is no joke. Also known as hypertension, it’s a serious health condition that can lead to heart disease, stroke, and other problems. If you have high blood pressure, massages can help. How? By promoting relaxation and reducing stress levels. Massages can also help to lower blood pressure by improving circulation and increasing the production of nitric oxide, a molecule that helps to relax blood vessels. So if you’re looking for a way to help lower your blood pressure, book yourself a massage. It just might help!

7. It Can Enhance Your Mental Health

Massages aren’t just good for your physical health, they can also do wonders for your mental health. A massage can help to improve your mood and promote relaxation, which can be a great way to alleviate symptoms of anxiety or depression. If you’re feeling stressed out, a massage can be a great way to help you relax and unwind. And if you suffer from chronic pain, a massage can help to relieve some of the pain and improve your range of motion. There are many different types of massages, so you can find one that’s right for you. Whether you want a relaxing Swedish massage or a more invigorating deep tissue massage, there’s a type of massage that can help you feel your best.

8. It Can Help With Digestion

For anyone who’s ever suffered from digestive issues, the concept of a massage probably doesn’t sound all that appealing. However, recent research has shown that massages can be quite helpful for people with digestive problems. Massages can help to stimulate the digestive system and promote regularity. In addition, they can also help to relieve pain and relax the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract. If you’re struggling with constipation or irritable bowel syndrome, consider giving massages a try. You may be surprised at how much they can help.

9. It Can Detoxify the Body

If you’re looking for a way to detox your body, you might want to consider getting a massage. Massages can help stimulate lymphatic drainage, which is responsible for removing toxins from the body. This can be a great way to cleanse your system and improve your overall health. In addition to detoxification, massages can also offer other benefits such as stress relief, pain relief, and improved circulation. So if you’re looking for a way to relax and improve your health, a massage might be just what you need.

10. It Can Help With Pregnancy

Going to get a massage when you’re pregnant is honestly one of the best things you can do for yourself and your baby. Not only does it feel amazing, but it also has tons of benefits. It can help reduce stress, promote relaxation, and improve circulation. Plus, it’s a great way to bond with your baby. If you’re pregnant, be sure to consult with your doctor before booking a massage then give us a call (or hit this link) and set up a regular schedule for both prepartum and post-partum care with our amazing, highly skilled therapists.

So go ahead and book that massage today. You know you deserve it! Not only will it make you feel amazing, but there are some great health benefits to be had as well. Massages can help relieve pain, reduce stress, boost your immunity, improve your sleep, lower blood pressure, and more. If you’re looking for a way to relax and de-stress, look no further than a customized, tailored for you and your goals massage. Schedule one today at That’s the Rub!

Massage Therapy for Recovering from COVID-19: Stress Relief Tips

Massage Therapy for Recovering from COVID-19: Stress Relief Tips

DALL·E 2022 09 05 16.59.00 a hyper realistic photo of a young woman full of hope starting off on a long journey to get home across an open landscape

Getting Back to Normal after COVID-19

Massage therapy has been shown to be an effective way to reduce stress and promote relaxation. In times of high stress, such as during a pandemic, massage can be a vital tool for helping people recover and stay healthy. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of massage for recovering from COVID-19 and provide some tips for how to get the most out of your massage sessions.

There are many benefits to massage therapy, but some of the most important for recovering from COVID-19 include:

  • Reducing stress and anxiety: Massage has been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This can help to promote relaxation and ease anxiety.
  • Improving sleep: Massage can help to improve sleep quality by promoting relaxation and reducing stress levels.
  • Boosting immunity: Massage has been shown to boost immunity by increasing levels of white blood cells. This can help your body fight off infection and speed up recovery.

Here are some tips for getting the most out of massage therapy for recovering from COVID-19:

  • Schedule regular sessions: To get the most benefit from massage, it is important to schedule regular sessions. This will help to reduce stress levels and promote relaxation.
  • Find a qualified therapist: Make sure to find a qualified massage therapist who has experience working with people recovering from COVID-19. Therapists at That’s the Rub Massage Therapy Center have been on the frontlines of the pandemic and massage since the beginning, constantly updating our practices and procedures based on current research and techniques.
  • Communicate with your therapist: Be sure to communicate with your massage therapist about your goals for the session. This will help them tailor the massage to meet your needs.

We hope that these tips have been helpful in understanding how massage can help you recover from the stress of COVID-19. If you have any questions or want to schedule your next treatment, please contact us at 812-333-3393 or online 24/7 at www.thatstherub.com (or by clicking here, of course). We are here to help you on your journey to recovery!

Why I Stopped Wearing Over-the-Ear Headphones

Why I Stopped Wearing Over-the-Ear Headphones

e neck caused by over the ear headphones.

The Pain that Wouldn’t Go Away Wasn’t What I Thought

I decided to share this experience in the event that anyone else may be having these physical issues that seem “untraceable”, but happen to coincide with something so basic that you might overlook it as an issue. Over the ear headphones can be an issue for some people in regards to causing physical pain, an in an overuse type injury. I found that the squeezing of them on my Temporal muscles around my ears and the reverb of the music through my head put too much stress on the Temporal muscle itself, causing jaw pain, neck tension and no relief in sight.

As you may or may not know, I am an avid exerciser. I’ve been in the gym going on 25 years now, consistently. I’ve used headphones for my music long before blue tooth was a thing and I detested the earbuds because I felt that they hurt the inside of my ear. However, after several pairs of over the ear headphones trying to get something less “squeezy” on my head, I found no matter how gentle they seemed it still caused Temporal tension, jaw pain and neck tension. Stretching it out didn’t work, so I had to start looking at the solution. When I realized that it kept coming back and stronger after a workout than any other time of day, I went a day without music in my ears and it felt a little better. I then used a pair of ear buds and noticed that the tension wasn’t there. It’s been three weeks since I’ve used my over the head earphones and this is what my conclusion is: They caused my Temporal muscles severe trauma, which instigated my jaw pain and neck tension that I could never seem to get rid of no matter how much I stretched. I struggled with this for months until I figured it out and once I did, the tension was eased immediately and after three weeks, in spite of a car accident , the tension, pain and clicking (in my jaw) are gone. And I do mean gone.

So what does this mean for you? It means that if you are having a tension, pain or issue that doesn’t seem to be changed no matter what you do, dietary changes, stretching, strengthening, sleeping or massage, you MUST look at what you’re doing in your every day life that could possibly be contributing to it. It’s the only option and we owe it to our tissues to figure it out. Once we give our tissues what they want, we get what we want, a once again harmonious interaction with our body that brings about pain free and ample movement.

I hope this helps you figure out your tension issues. Until next time…

That’s the Rub,

Lisa

Embrace the Change

Embrace the Change

The Rub Blog with Lisa

So, what I mean by the title of this article is: there are no do-overs. When we’re young, we feel like we’re going to live forever. Our bodies feel spry, we can get hurt (or not) and recover quickly, we can eat anything (!!!) and it doesn’t seem to affect us. Then we turn 40, and our body starts to tell us the many ways in which we’ve abused it over the years and begins to take its revenge. We can no longer eat the way we once did without it biting back. We exercise, but it takes two days longer to recover. We’re forced to face all of the ways we’ve abused our bodies in the past and expected them to just keep going. Even when we’ve acknowledged all of the abuses we’ve put our bodies through, the misdeeds of poor nutrition, lack of recovery time between exercise bouts, injuries and the like, we just expect it to keep going — No maintenance required.

Why do we just expect our bodies to keep going? Our body needs to be cared for, nurtured, strengthened, stretched, and fed properly. We wouldn’t expect a car to just keep going with no gas, oil changes, or regular maintenance, eventually, the car says “I’m not going anywhere.” Therefore, you must take care of it or get another car. Meanwhile, we complain about what a piece of crap it is, not taking responsibility for the fact that if we’d been doing proper maintenance we wouldn’t be facing the issues with our car. Well, our bodies are the same, they need regular, consistent maintenance, but unlike a car, you can’t turn it in for a younger version. So, it’s better to take care of it, you’ve heard the saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It’s time to take responsibility for your body maintenance and give it the attention that it deserves.

Bodies behave best when properly taken care of: stretching daily to get all the stress out of the body and its tissues after using it in our activities of the day, strengthening it so that all levers and pullies are doing their jobs equally in respect to their size and their mechanics and using proper nutrition to fuel our activities and our bodies in a nurturing way so that it gets what it needs to continue functioning at the optimum levels. When we don’t do these things, the body breaks down. We call it getting old, but the fact is that’s the excuse we use when we don’t want to take responsibility that we’ve not treated our body all that well and it’s letting us know it. The good news is, it’s never too late to change old habits. As long as you’re breathing and your heart is still beating you can take steps to improve your body’s performance.

We tell ourselves that change is too hard, to give us an excuse not to change. We tell ourselves that we can’t change, which is untrue, but if you believe that you can’t you are correct because you have to want to change. Change isn’t that hard if you really want to do it. The catalyst shouldn’t have to be “if I don’t do this I will die.” How about change for the sake of knowing it’s better for you? Take your power back. Change because you know it will help your body feel better, you will feel stronger, happier, and you will feel healthier knowing that you empowered yourself with change. We tell ourselves it’s hard because it gives us an excuse when we fail. Oh, it was too hard so I gave up. What if we gave ourselves other words? For instance, this change is a small one, so it’s going to be easy. Implement the change, embrace it, and then move on to the next change and so on. Baby steps…but keep stepping! There is no limit to this way of thinking about change and it brings the change and the word into the positive realm, instead of placing it into the too hard to be accomplished.

The mind is a powerful tool. Use your mind to your advantage by living in the positive now and leaving the negative I can’t or its too hard behind. By living in the positive now, the changes you wish to bestow on the one thing there are no do-overs on, YOUR BODY, you will empower yourself to be your best advocate for any positive change you would like to make. Massage, facials, acupuncture, yoga, more natural body products, we carry all of those things and more at That’s the Rub. Be the change!

That’s the Rub,
Lisa

Pain Management in Bloomington, Indiana: Are You Ignoring Your Body’s SOS?

Pain Management in Bloomington, Indiana: Are You Ignoring Your Body’s SOS?

Effective Pain Management & Therapeutic Massage in Bloomington, Indiana at That's the Rub

What are YOU Doing?

Hey there, Bloomington! What are YOU doing for pain management? Are you ignoring your pain? I’ve been there, done that. But let me tell you, ignoring your pain is like muting your body’s distress call. It’s time to listen up, folks! So, what’s your goal? Are you ready to take the driver’s seat in your wellness journey?

Why Ignoring Pain is a No-Go

Pain is your body’s way of waving a red flag. It’s screaming, “Hey, something’s not right here!” When you ignore it, you’re essentially silencing your body’s alarm system. The more you ignore it, the LOUDER it yells. Trust me, I’ve been there. It’s not just about the physical toll; it’s also about the emotional and psychological impact of living with untreated pain.

The Science Behind Pain

Pain is more than just an unpleasant sensation; it’s a complex interaction between your nerves, brain, and spinal cord. When you experience pain, it’s your nervous system sending a signal to your brain, saying, “Pay attention! Something’s wrong!” Understanding the science of pain can empower you to take control of your well-being.

The Bloomington Approach to Pain Management

Here in Bloomington, we believe in a holistic approach to wellness. Whether it’s through therapeutic massage, proper nutrition, or regular exercise, we’re all about treating the root cause, not just the symptoms.

Local Resources

Bloomington offers a plethora of resources for pain management, from specialized clinics to community wellness programs. Utilizing local resources can make your journey to pain-free living more accessible and community-oriented.

Testimonials

“I used to suffer from chronic back pain until I discovered That’s the Rub. Their approach to pain management has been a game-changer for me.”
—J.D., Bloomington Resident

Exercise: The Unsung Hero

You don’t have to be a gym rat to benefit from exercise. Even simple activities like walking or stretching can make a world of difference. Exercise keeps your body’s pulleys and levers—aka muscles and joints—in tip-top shape. It also releases endorphins, your body’s natural painkillers, providing a double whammy against pain.

Types of Exercise for Pain Management

  • Aerobic Exercise: Activities like swimming or cycling can improve your cardiovascular health and endurance, making you more resilient against pain.
  • Strength Training: Building muscle can provide better support for your joints, reducing the risk of injury and pain.
  • Flexibility Exercises: Stretching and yoga can improve your range of motion and alleviate muscle tension, both of which are crucial for pain management.

Nutrition and Hydration: The Building Blocks

What you put into your body has a direct impact on how you feel. A balanced diet and proper hydration can work wonders in alleviating pain and discomfort. Foods rich in anti-inflammatory properties, like turmeric and ginger, can be particularly beneficial.

The Role of Hydration

Dehydration can exacerbate pain by causing muscle cramps and joint stiffness. Make sure you’re drinking enough water, especially if you’re active or spending time in the sun.

The Power of Therapeutic Massage

Sometimes, you need a little extra help, and that’s where we come in. Therapeutic massage can be a powerful tool in your pain management arsenal. It not only relieves tension but also improves blood flow, aiding in the healing process.

Types of Therapeutic Massage for Pain Management

  • Therapeutic Massage: This is your go-to for general pain relief and relaxation. It combines various techniques like kneading, tapping, and long strokes to address a range of issues, making it a versatile option for many. Whether you’re dealing with stress, muscle tension, or minor aches, therapeutic massage is your all-rounder.
  • Advanced Therapeutic Massage: Ready to level up? This takes it up a notch by targeting specific problem areas with advanced techniques like deep tissue massage and trigger point therapy. It’s ideal for those dealing with chronic pain or specific conditions like sciatica or frozen shoulder.
  • Swedish Massage: Ah, the Swedish massage, the comfort food of the massage world! Known for its long, flowing strokes and gentle kneading, this type of massage is perfect for those new to the massage experience or those looking for overall relaxation and stress relief. It’s like a warm hug for your muscles!
  • Facilitated Stretching: Think of this as yoga, but you don’t have to do quite as much of the work! Facilitated stretching involves a therapist helping you stretch your muscles to improve flexibility and range of motion. It’s fantastic for athletes or anyone looking to improve their physical performance.

Take Control of Your Pain Today

You have the power to manage your pain and improve your quality of life. Don’t let pain hold you back from living your best life, especially when you have resources right here in Bloomington to help you.

Schedule Your Appointment Today!

Ready to take control of your pain, Bloomington? Schedule your appointment today or give us a call at 812-333-3393 and we’ll help you choose the right service and practitioner for what you need. Your body will thank you!