Healing Touch Massage Therapy Clinic

Massage at the Workplace

What Is On-Site Massage?

On-site massage is a short, seated massage which: Comes to your workplace, it is given by a Certified Massage Therapist. It lasts from 10 to 20 minutes, uses no oil, and takes place with the employee fully clothed. It usually covers the head, neck, shoulders, back, arms, and hands. It leaves the employee feeling relaxed, refreshed and ready to return to work. A portable massage chair, designed for comfort and support, is used. It is supplied by the therapist and can be set up and dismantled quickly in almost any location.

It's Easy to Set Up and Run

Assign a contact person. He or she will help the massage therapist set a schedule, publicize the program, and sign people up.

Provide space. A conference room, break room, or a quiet corner is fine. After the day's sessions, the space can return to normal use.

Encourage employees to use it. Make sure they know you support the program. Use it yourself and encourage your managers to do the same.

Cost Effective? Yes!

On-site massage is quite affordable. Because it is shorter than regular massage, it costs proportionally less. Ask your massage therapist for exact prices since cost varies by location. Your minimal expenses for in-house coordination and publicity will be more than offset by these savings:

• No upfront investment in equipment or facilities.
  
• You pay only for employees who use it.
  
• Employees can pay part or all of the cost.
  
• Massages can take the place of break time so no work time is lost.
  
• Two massages a month cost much less per employee than most health programs.
  
  It Excels As A Wellness Program
  
  
• On-site massage is convenient - no need to change clothes, shower, or leave work to participate.
  
• Results are immediate - most wellness programs take months to show results.
  
• It's easy and safe - no special fitness level or training is required to receive a massage.
  
• Effects are cumulative - consistent use reinforces the benefits.
  
• People enjoy it - you avoid two common problems: spending more selling a program than on the program itself, and then having it used most by employees who need it least.
  
• It encourages other steps to wellness - regular massage helps people feel better and can motivate them to take care of themselves with diet, exercise or other lifestyle changes.
  
  Today stress is a fact of life, and the workplace is no exception. Deadlines, rapidly changing technology, and unavoidable interpersonal conflicts are just a few of the stresses workers cope with daily.
  
  The effects of stress are cumulative and, without time to relax and recharge, can lead to:
  
• Headaches, backaches, eyestrain, neck pain, repetitive use injuries such as tendonitis, or carpal tunnel syndrome.
  
• Listlessness, poor concentration, anxiety, depression, irritability, or anger.
  
• Lowered resistance to colds and infections, high blood pressure, ulcers and heart disease.
  
• Physical and emotional exhaustion, also known as "burn out."
  
  Stress Costs You Money
  
  Stress on or off the job costs US workplaces an estimated $200 billion a year in reduced productivity, accidents, compensation claims, absenteeism, employee turnover, health insurance and medical expenses. This is more than the after-tax profits of the Fortune 500 companies, and 10 times the cost of all strikes combined.
  
  Recent studies show:
  
• Up to 90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints.
  
• Up to 80% of industrial accidents are due to stress.
  
• Over 50% of lost work days are stress related.
  
• 14% of workers say stress caused them to quit or change jobs in the previous two years.
  
• Workers' compensation awards for job stress threaten to bankrupt the system in some states.
  
  On-Site Massage Can Help!
  
  For a decade, on-site massage has been effectively relieving stress in the workplace for everyone from CEOs to hourly workers. On-site massage works because it:
  
• Reduces muscle tension and the pain it causes.
  
• Calms the nervous system and increases circulation, which boosts energy and alertness.
  
• Helps employees identify and release tension on their own before it becomes a problem.
  
• Provides a complete change of pace so the body and mind can relax and rejuvenate.
  
  How To Find Out More
  
  If this sounds like something you or your company would like to try, I would be glad to meet with you and discuss a program that would fit your needs. I would also like to give you a free sample massage at your convenience. I would be able to answer any questions you might have about massage.
  
  Exercises to prevent repetitive wrist injuries
  
  Just as runners stretch before and after a run to prevent injuries, so too should workers with hand-intensive jobs. The following exercises should be done before working and a few times during the day.
  
  
• The first set of stretches will be done while holding your arm extended out in front of you, with your elbow locked.
  
• Extend and flex your wrist with your fingers pointing towards the ceiling, palm away from your body (use the other hand to get a good stretch), then repeat with your fingers pointing towards the floor with your palm facing away from your body.
  
• Next, while continuing to hold your arm extended drop your hand down, fingers to the floor, palm facing your abdomen, and stretch that way.
  The next stretches will be done with the elbow tucked in to the waist.
  
• Extend the forearm out in front of you from the elbow. Grasp the extended hand with the other hand and rotate it outward for a count of 10, then rotate it inward for a count of 10. Repeat with the other arm.
  
• Finish the stretching session by dropping your arms to your sides and relaxing them, then shake your hands for a few minutes.
  
  Repeat these exercises approximately 10 times each arm per session.
  
  These stretching exercises, along with regular massage, will go a long way in preventing repetitive stress injuries.
  If you have any questions about these exercises, or any other ways of preventing repetitive stress injuries, please feel free to contact me.