Tense, aching muscles are an all too common side-effect of the daily grind. A soothing, relaxing office massage sounds like just the thing to smooth away those pent-up tensions.
Yet for most people in busy offices and other workplaces, a conventional, full body massage is too time-consuming, impractical and expensive as a regular stress-busting therapy. The answer – coming soon to a desk near you – is the office massage.
More than 1,000 masseurs are now thought to be visiting workplaces throughout the UK – from high street stores to call centres, local authorities to hospitals – offering office massage to busy office staff and other workers. A typical office massage session takes just 5-15 minutes – so it can easily be fitted into a lunch hour or tea-break. The cost of office massage is relatively inexpensive and is subsidised by some employers. There are no messy oils or lotions with office massage and you don’t even need to take your clothes off.
Many chair masseurs use acupressure, a Japanese style of office massage using the same pressure points as in acupuncture. This is very different to traditional couch massage, which is often known as ‘Swedish massage’. Acupressure, sometimes dubbed ‘coffee break massage‘, originated in the US, where it was devised as a quick stress-reliever for high-powered professionals too busy even to leave their desks.
Acupressure office massage focuses on muscles in the back, arms, hands, shoulders, neck and head, where tension and pain often build up in desk-bound staff working under pressure. Acupressure office massage uses more than 100 different stress release points on the head, neck, shoulders, arms and back which is intended not only to relax tense and aching muscles, but to release energy and invigorate both mind and body.
The masseur uses hands, thumbs and even elbows to knead and stretch the muscles which may sometimes feel a little painful but should not be uncomfortable. Some office massage masseurs combine acupressure with more traditional massage methods or with aromatherapy. Office massage is simultaneously comforting and invigorating. While it soothes away aches and pains, it also calms breathing, slows heartbeat and allows stresses and strains to drift away. It should leave you feeling alert and invigorated but really relaxed.
A growing number of practitioners and agencies now offer office massage in offices and other workplaces. The benefits of office massage include reducing blood pressure, calming anxiety and depression and alleviating stress. There are few known risks to office massage in general. But it would be wise to consult a doctor first if you suffer phlebitis, skin infections, eczema, osteoporosis, or have had a heart attack. Pregnant women should avoid office massage.
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