These days, people rely on pharmaceuticals very heavily. One very helpful alternatives to medications can be a massage. They not only help your body to feel better, they also alleviate a lot of stress and tension in your mind. Learn more about the benefits massages can have for you and people you care about in the following article.

Hydrate yourself after receiving a massage. Your muscles will release a lot of toxins while they are massaged, and you might experience stress if you do not purify your body from these toxins. Drink a lot of water before and after your massage and be very careful about your hydration if you get massages regularly.

Put your thinking on hold. One of the most difficult, yet essential elements of getting the most out of a massage is relaxing your mental state. Try to start doing some deep breathing while the therapist is setting up. Imagine that, with every inhale, you gather all the nagging and stressful thoughts in your head. On the exhale, envision blowing all of these thoughts out into space, gone forever. Keep repeating until you feel yourself relaxing.

When giving a massage to someone, you need to be careful about the amount of pressure you are putting in them. Applying too much pressure could cause damage to their nerves, joints and muscles. Also, you should be massaging toward the heart, as applying the wrong way could cause damage to veins.

Speak up. Let your therapist know if there’s a part of your body you want her to focus on more. If she can’t relieve your knots and tension the massage will not be successful – speak up!

How long should you massage a spot for? Try to aim for about thirty seconds. If you have many places to rub, this will help to speed along the process. If you find that the spot still aches or is tight, return to it later for another 30 second session.

There is a helpful massage that helps to relieve sinus pressure and congestion. To do this massage, begin by placing your fingers right above your nose and pressing down. Be sure you are rubbing outward. Next, put your fingers under your eyes, moving down and rubbing out. Massage the cheekbones with your thumbs and then put your thumbs on your temples, moving in small circles.

When you plan to book an appointment for a massage, call up a few local spas and ask them what they have to offer. You may find that they provide a massage style which you’d like to try out, or that they don’t offer the old standby you’d prefer to use.

Prescription drug use has soared in recent years, and massages are a natural chemical-free remedy for many of those aches, pains and problems. Hopefully this article has shown you that and you are now convinced to try them. Tell others you know about the benefits too; they could probably use a little relief from pain and stress also.