BSU students may want to seek refuge from stress and frigid temperatures in the healing hands of massage therapists.-á
The University Dermatology Center Day Spa &Beauty Salon located at 3500 N Wheeling Ave. provides an array of massage therapy techniques. According to manager, Angel Daniels, the salon offers a ten percent massage discount to Ball State students.
| Cranio-Sacral
Finds and corrects cerebral and spinal imbalances or blockages Deep Tissue
Releases chronic patterns of tension in body through slow strokes and deep finger pressure on the contracted areas
Friction
Uses deep, circular movements to the soft tissue area to increase blood flow
On-Site Massage
Client seated in a sloped chair and fully-clothed; used for large back muscles
Petrissage
Involves squeezing, rolling, and kneading muscles
Reflexology
Uses points in hands and feet to "reflex" all areas of body
Rosen Method
Uses gentle touch and verbal communication to release tension
Sports Massage
Focuses on muscle systems related to a particular sport
Swedish Massage
System of longstrokes, kneading and friction techniques on superficial layers of muscles combined with movements of the joints
Trigger Point Therapy
Applies pressure to "trigger points" to break cycles of spasm and pain Source: American Massage Therapy Association |
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Massage therapist's' schedules are usually booked in advance. It's best to make an appointment rather than walking in, but they will accept walk-ins if they have an opening available.
The cost of the different massages vary. The range from $50 to $70. Most of them are performed for an hour to two hours. It also offer specifics which focus on one body part, for example, an arm or leg. This costs $30 for a half an hour. Massage chairs are available for $1 per minute.
"We bring the chair on sites and do events such as company Christmas parties or bachelorette parties," said Daniels. There is a $100 minimum charge for this service.
The Muscle Specialist, 2417 W Jackson St. recently distributed a coupon book good for $5 off a massage. It's good for the rest of the semester.
According to massage therapist, Martin Dunham, the massage options include a basic Swedish massages and therapeutic massages. Swedish ones are primarily for stress reduction and relaxation. It's also good for the cardiovascular system. Therapeutic ones address chronic muscle problems. The cost is $35 each for an hour. Deep muscle therapy is also offered for $55 an hour. The salon prefers clients to call and make appointments.
There is a relationship to what the economy does and it determines whether or not people get massages. Dunham hasn't noticed a decline. He said there is usually a decline at the beginning of the year because of people wanting to save money after the holidays, but this year it has remained consistent.
There is a big increase in student business around finals time when there's more stress. There's also a lot of requests for gift certificates around Valentine's Day and graduation.
According to Dunham, 10 to 15 percent of his business comes from students. He thinks that if someone would set up in the village they'd do pretty good, but until the rent for village property decreases they will stay at their current location.
| Facts about massage therapy | |
 • One in five Americans have had a massage from a massage therapist in the past five years and 13% report receiving one in the past year. This is up 8% from 1997. • Today, there are more than 60,000 nationally certified practitioners that serve millions of consumers. • Nationally certified practitioners provide expertise in various areas of therapeutic massage and body work, nationally certified practitioners provide expertise in various areas of therapeutic massager and body work, including Swedish massage, shiatsu, polarity therapy, Rolfing-«, Trager-« techniques, reflexology, neuromuscular therapy and many more. • In 1996, massage therapy and body work was officially offered for the first time as a core medical service in the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. At the Games, Nationally Certified practitioners provided key medical services. • Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia now regulate the practice of therapeutic massage and bodywork. Of those, twenty-five states, in addition to the District of Columbia, now use the NCBTMB examination as a regulation requirement. • NCBTMB currently has over 600 Approved Providers of Continuing Education. • The three most often cited reasons for getting a therapeutic massage are relaxation (27%), relief of muscle soreness, stiffness or spasm (13%), and stress reduction (10%).
n Consumers spend between $2 and $4 billion dollars annually on visits to massage and bodywork practitioners, totaling approximately 75 million visits each year. • Health insurers are increasingly expanding coverage to include alternative medicines. In addition, several healthcare network providers use NCBTMB to check the National Certification status of the practitioner. • Fifty-four percent of primary care physicians and family practitioners say they would encourage their patients to pursue massage therapy as a complement to medical treatment. • Massage therapy accounts for 18% of the 425 million visits made to alternative healthcare providers each year. • In 1999, 52% of American adults thought of massage as "therapeutic," which is up 47% from 1997. • An estimated 20 million Americans receive massage therapy and bodywork each year, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH). • Approximately 50,000 massage and bodywork practitioners provide 45 million one-hour therapy sessions each year. • Two thirds of Americans have tried at least one form of alternative therapy or treatment for medical conditions. • Massage therapy is the third most commonly used form of alternative medicine in the U.S., having been tried by 35% of Americans. | |
