Massage is a highly effective way to de-stress, speed recuperation, enhance training gains and your overall well being.

Deep tissue and remedial massages are the norm when it comes to a massage from Zaque here in Melbourne. Relax, enjoy and let the stress escape.

Massage therapy is often regarded as a luxury or an extravagance that is hard to justify when really it is one of the most instinctive things we use all the time to aid in self healing. What do you do when you bump your head, stub your toe, get cramp or have tired feet ? Come on, you don't have to be a brain surgeon .... you rub or massage the area causing you discomfort don't you !

Everyone has their own idea of what a massage actually is and 90% of the time it has nothing to do with picking up the phone and dialling a 0055 or 1 800 numbers.

In a nutshell, massage is the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body; these include the muscles, the skin, tendons, ligaments and other forms of connective tissue. Massage is something we all do naturally however ask a friend or lover to give you an hours worth of massage and suddenly this natural ability seems to have vanished about the same time that Neanderthal man did.

The first thing we do when feeling a little tense is to place our hand on the area and lightly rub. Massage therapy is a successful method in aiding stress management. In conjunction with any medical treatment already in place, massage therapy is an effective way to assist the body to regain balance in many areas and to assist in the management of musculo-skeletal problems.

Massage is generally done using the light application of oil on the skin to allow for a steady and continuous flow of movement, some people use talcum powder as they don’t like the oil however there are a few oils on the market now that are water soluble.

It is apparent that one effect of massage is to relax muscles, but massage also sets the blood in circulation, removes toxins, stimulates nerve activity, increases lung activity, quiets and soothes the nervous system, and breaks up deposits in the joints.

The skin is the body's largest sensory organ. When it is touched, thousands of tiny nerve receptors on its surface send messages to the brain via the central nervous system. The brain interprets these messages and returns them to the muscles. Stroking can trigger the release of endorphins (the body's natural painkillers) and send messages of calm and relaxation. More vigorous massage works ont he body's underlying muscles, easing tension and stiffness.

It is not the blood flow alone that is affected by massage. Massage increases the circulation of the lymphatic fluid. In many chronic pathological conditions, tissue activity is greatly interfered with, resulting in accumulations of toxins (poisons or waste matter) in the body. When the cells are deprived of their proper amount of oxygen they are unable to perform their excretory functions properly. Stimulation of the lymphatic circulation through massage aids the absorption of these toxins into lymphatic channels thereby cleansing the area. At the same time, properly applied massage will aid cellular interchange by bringing fresh blood to the area. Thus, the work of the tissue is greatly promoted and proper nutrition to the tissues is secured.

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