Aromatherapy used to boost self-esteem

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In a recent study conducted among Korean elderly women, it was found that aromatherapy massages could have positive effects on self-esteem and anxiety. In a quasi-experimental group, researchers tried to determine the relationship (if ever) between aromatherapy and how a woman feels about herself.

This is a rather new suggestion. In previous analyses, different massage therapies were associated with physical conditions, such as pain or migraines. As better techniques were developed, therapies are now seen to benefit certain mental disorders such as anxiety. But there was still heavy emphasis on how therapies contributed to the physical well-being of a person.

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The connection is self-explanatory. Massage therapies involve having another person touch different areas of the body. Through varying pressures and movements, the therapist targets painful (or tense) muscle areas.

Given that, the concept of physical alternatives benefiting a mental characteristic is peculiar. The connection, however, is not unexpected. Psychologists and mental health practitioners have yet to develop a standard definition of self-esteem, although most agree that this concept is highly related to how a person feels physically. If a person is not prevented from engaging in daily activities because of pain or inflexibility, it can be argued that they would feel good about themselves.

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Aromatherapy is also the most ideal form of therapy for self-esteem, as it involves the utilization of different scents. Smell is often related to mood conditions, and many treatment alternatives have suggested that a person’s mood is dependent on what they smell.

Ultimately, while this is a relatively new study, the connection between aromatherapy and self-esteem should be further studied and developed. Even without scientific analysis, aromatherapy is still a great way for a person to relax and unwind.

Massage Envy Spa is a leader in different types of massage therapies. Follow this Twitter account to learn more.

Can massage therapy help improve mental health?

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Many studies have been made on the benefits of massage therapy, but few of them detail the relationship between this alternative treatment and mental health. The National Institute of Mental Health suggests that more than 26 percent of Americans suffer from a mental condition. This amounts to approximately 60 million Americans reporting a mental illness, with nearly 21 million experiencing mood disorders and around 40 million suffering from of anxiety.

This alarming statistical figure is made even more disturbing by the suggestion that many individuals do not seek medical treatment either because of social stigma or ignorance. Additionally, sufferers may be hesitant to seek professional treatment because of the perceived cost. It is true that mental health treatments don’t come cheap, but individuals are encouraged to see the cost as an investment rather than an expense.

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New research has been made on affordable (yet still effective) alternatives for mental health treatments. In particular, many analysts are studying the connection between massage therapy and its benefits on mental health. Practitioners of massage therapy see it as a complete option because of its ability to soothe both the body and mind. Certain hand movements can trigger the brain to release hormones, such as serotonin and dopamine, which have been medically linked to particular mental illnesses.

These data have given hope to sufferers of mental illnesses and massage therapy is now being considered as another avenue for mental health treatment. The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) states that many people view massage as an effective means to improve both mind and body.

Despite this general positive outlook, the medical community still recommends to visit a qualified and registered mental health practitioner. Massage may be beneficial for certain conditions, but only to a certain degree. Further research still needs to be done on its efficacy for severe cases.

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Pampering at Massage Envy Spa May Just Be the Perfect Gift

If you are looking for a gift for that hard-to-shop-for person, you'll be happy to know that Massage Envy Spa is here to help with the perfect solution – a gift card!

Give a gift card and treat someone special to a relaxing massage. Massage not only feels great, but it has many health benefits. It can relieve headaches and improve posture, blood pressure, circulation, flexibility, and range of motion. Studies show it can even strengthen the immune system and speed post-operative healing time and healing time after injury. Clients can choose from deep tissue, Swedish, prenatal, geriatric, reflexology, cranial sacral therapy, or a sports massage. Massage Envy Spa massage therapists can also provide deep muscle therapy, which uses warming and cooling thermal treatments, and hot stone sessions, which involves smooth, heated stones placed on the body, followed by a massage customized to the client.

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But Massage Envy Spa offers much more than just massage. The spa offers several different options so that your loved one can be pampered in style. Clients can also opt for a facial or a sugar foot scrub, enhanced therapy that soothes and refreshes foot muscles as well as smoothing, hydrating, and protecting feet. Massage Envy Spa also offers aroma therapy, which is the use of essential oils from fruits, flowers, and herbs to naturally improve well-being.

Everyone enjoys being pampered, and so sometimes just one massage won't do. If you want to make sure your loved one can really relax, Massage Envy Spa also offers gift memberships that are good for 3 or 6 months or a year. And, there are over 1,000 Massage Envy Spas across the country, so there is sure to be one in a location that is convenient.

Massage Envy Spa not only helps to bring some much-needed and much-deserved relaxation into clients' lives — they can also help you find the perfect gift!

Massage Envy Spa Will Help You Feel Better Regardless of Where You Live

Let us assume that your muscles ache or your neck is hurting or you need your feet massaged. If you live in a state like California, Colorado or New Mexico, it is relatively easy to find a certified masseuse to treat you. There are many alternative therapy practitioners in those states. Some use their homes for treatment locations, while others have their own centers. In these cases, it is easy to feel uncomfortable in these settings because you can feel like you are intruding on a home or the location can seem unkempt or unsanitary. If you live in these states and especially if you live elsewhere, you will want to receive your massage by a certified practitioner in a location that was specifically created for this type of treatment. Fortunately, there is the Massage Envy Spa.


With more than 1,000 locations in the US, Massage Envy Spa was created as a destination for people who want a professional massage in an environment that is specifically managed for that one purpose. If you do the math, there are an average of 20 locations in each state so you are bound to find one of the spas near you.

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One of the nice aspects of visiting a Massage Envy Spa is that you know that your masseuse will be state licensed and professionally trained. In addition, the treatment can be tailored to your needs. For example, you might visit explaining that you overdid it playing basketball. Or, that you are having headaches. Or that you have a chronically tight muscle. Spa practitioners will provide the therapies best suited for treating your condition. These might range from Swedish technique, to Trigger Point to Deep Tissue massage.

Regardless of the reason for your visit, you will leave feeling much better. If the treatment did not completely resolve your problem, it will bring resolution much closer.

Massage Envy Spa Is Open to Massage Lovers and the Massage-Phobic

Most people love receiving a massage. They find it a great way to relieve the feelings of stress and the tight muscles that lodge in various areas of their bodies. For many, it is the shoulders and the neck. For others, it is the upper or lower back. Still others merely want their hands or feet massaged. Finally, some people want deep tissue work performed, believing that if it does not hurt, then it is not helping.

That said, there is a smaller number of people who dislike massages. They do not want somebody else touching their bare skin, much less rubbing smelly oils into it. Whether it is an aversion to the act of touching by somebody who is unfamiliar or a fear that the massage therapist will make a mistake and cause them injury, this group of people will not go near a massage business even if you paid them.

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If your spouse or friend falls into the above group, you will be pleased by the services offered at Massage Envy Spa. While you are entering a zone of relaxation from your massage, your massage-phobic spouse or friend can enjoy one of four varieties of Murad Healthy Skin facials. Even a man will enjoy getting pampered with an anti-aging facial. Other options include the Environmental Shield facial, the Clarifying Enzyme Acne facial and the Sensitive Skin facial.

Regardless of where you live in North America, there is bound to be one of the 950 Massage Envy Spa clinics near you. At the clinic, you can find a number of types of massages available ranging from Swedish to deep tissue to trigger point, pre-natal and more. You are sure to find a technique that will work for you, focused on one part of your body or across your whole body.

After you and your friend/spouse are finished, you can compare notes. Perhaps the facial will be a comfortable first step toward a massage the next time for your partner.

A natural remedy: The benefits of massage for older adults

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Massage therapy is a comprehensive intervention that involves manipulating, pressing, and rubbing muscles to achieve desired results.

With aging comes certain bodily changes that include pain and stiffness in the joints that, in some cases, lead to decreased mobility. Certain activities, such as dancing, running, or other forms of exercise can exacerbate these symptoms, while slips and falls can cause more severe mobility issues. Massage therapy can help alleviate these symptoms.

Performed correctly and by a licensed therapist, a massage therapy can relieve tightness in the muscles, decrease inflammation, improve flexibility, and restore normal range of motion to the joints. It also improves blood circulation, reducing muscle fatigue and soreness and hastening healing so seniors can get back to performing their daily activities.

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Osteoathritis is the most common form of arthritis and one of the most common in older adults. Also called “wear-and-tear arthritis,” it is defined as a joint disease that occurs when the cartilage, the tissue that covers the ends of the bones in the joints, is degraded over time.

Some studies suggest that massage therapy is an effective complementary treatment to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) for osteoarthritis, particularly for pain relief and partial restoration of mobility.

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Some studies also suggest that hand massage and therapeutic touch are effective in controlling agitation among patients with dementia brought on by Alzheimer's Disease. Physical agitation symptoms, such as pacing, resisting, and wandering were noted to have visibly improved following a short 10 minute massage session.

Massage therapy is a natural alternative therapy and complement to more traditional treatments such as NSAIDs. Combined with moderate exercise and a healthy lifestyle, massage therapy can help older adults live their lives to the fullest without having to worry about negative, long-term side effects or being overly dependent on pharmaceutical products.

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Massage Envy Spa provides therapeutic massage options for every life stage, from prenatal massage geriatric massage. Learn more about the benefits of massage therapy by subscribing to this blog.

Massage Envy Spa Can Rescue Your Body after Black Friday

Black Friday is so named because, traditionally, it was the day that retailers started to make a profit for the year – the holiday season moved them into the black. Over the past few years, stores started opening earlier and earlier on the day after Thanksgiving, even going so far as to open the night of the holiday to get a jump on their competitors. For consumers, this meant excitement and the opportunity to find great deals if they were willing to give up some sleep. Advertisements in the 1950s exhorted shoppers to drink a cola for extra energy to power through shopping trips. Today, buyers who spend a great deal of time making the most of Black Friday get their motivation from savings opportunities. The downside is that their legs and feet tend to ache afterwards.

It may be worth it for these shoppers to use some of their newfound savings on a treatment at Massage Envy Spa. One type of treatment that can make a difference is reflexology, which is a special type of massage for the feet. Using a combination of pressure points and several types of hand motions, a therapist at Massage Envy Spa can release the aches and pains in your feet, legs and back simply through a reflexology treatment.

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Another option is a back or full body massage by one of the specialists at Massage Envy Spa. Using a combination of Swedish, deep tissue and several other modalities, the therapist will loosen the neck muscles that may have tightened up while you were playing tug of war to grab the one remaining discounted leather belt. If walking on the hard cement floors at big box stores caused your back to tighten up, a massage therapist can help you feel much better.

It would be a shame to save big money during Big Friday only to suffer physically after your efforts. Make sure you take care of yourself after finding big deals.

Middle-Aged Weekend Warriors Will Find Relief at Massage Envy Spa

If you are in your 40s or 50s, you may be a person who is wistful about your younger years when you engaged in athletics more often. Perhaps you played varsity sports or you lifted weights regularly, or you ran daily. Now in your middle age, you try to maintain some athletic vigor through weekend pickup basketball games or participating in some of the mud challenges that come around regularly. The problem is that your body is not in the same condition as when you were in your 20s, yet you are putting demands on it as if it was the body of yesteryear. The result is that you pull muscles, get cramping or worse. What can you do to relieve this pain? Visit Massage Envy Spa.


You will find a number of treatments that will reduce your muscle pain and help you feel more relaxed. All of the massage therapists at Massage Envy Spa are licensed and bring many years of experience in a variety of techniques, including Swedish massage, deep tissue work, reflexology and more. They understand when each technique will provide the most relief for you.

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While many believe that muscle soreness after exercise is the result of lactic acid buildup, the truth is that it is the result of metabolites after excessive contraction of the muscle. Lactic acid buildup is what you experience when you are trying to finish those last few lifts of weights and your muscles burn. Excessive contraction is what happens when you push your muscles too hard, perhaps causing the micro-tears in the fibers to be a bit bigger than necessary. You do not necessarily feel this contraction during the exercise, such as when running downhill, but you sure feel it the next day.

Massage can help to increase blood flow to these muscles, reducing healing time and helping you to feel better. If you are middle aged but plan to exercise as if you are 20 years younger, make sure you are a frequent customer at Massage Envy Spa.

Massage Envy Spa Offers Non-Invasive Health Remedies

Medical research has demonstrated the physical hazards of stress. The direct impact includes heart disease, high blood pressure, autoimmune illness, stroke and mental health problems. Indirect impacts include poor health decisions such as eating unhealthy foods and engaging in sedentary activities. People who do not address their stress in a timely or effective manner will have to cope with the medical impact, which can be painful to their bodies and their pocketbooks. Invasive remedies can result in unintended consequences such as infection, time off work and complications from surgery. There are a number of non-invasive methods for handling stress that are less risky and lower cost. These include massage, acupuncture, exercise and meditation.




Massage is a proven method for loosening muscles and joints and improving blood and lymph flow. Massage Envy Spa provides massage therapists with expertise in Swedish, deep tissue and reflexology massage. These modalities enable the therapists at Massage Envy Spa to release stress in your body and help you feel better after one session. Regular visits to Massage Envy Spa will help you counteract problems from stress.

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Acupuncture is also useful to relieve stress. Some medical plans will pay for treatments. A practitioner can diagnose the impact of stress on your body and insert painless needles into specific locations associated with Chinese medicinal pathways on your body. These needles relieve energy blockages that would have resulted in disease processes.

Exercise is another non-invasive method to relieve stress. In particular, 20-30 minutes of activity that makes your heart beat at around 60-70% of its capacity is helpful. Not only will it maintain the health of the heart and blood vessels, but it will release some of the body’s own chemicals that reduce stress.
Finally, daily meditation is proven to reduce stress. While the science behind meditation is unclear, it appears that people who meditate feel calmer in the face of stress. So, stress-inducing situations do not result in problems for them.

Visit Massage Envy's website to know more about its services.

Massage Envy Spa is the Number One Franchise

One way of owning your own business is to buy into a franchise. For people who have management experience but not a unique product or service idea, a franchise is a good way to be your own boss, while selling a product or service that has shown some success. If you decide to go the franchising route, you have many options. You can decide to enter an industry in which you already have some experience or knowledge such as fast food, printing, hair salons or maintenance services. You can also select an industry in which you have some interest but no specific experience. Within both of these realms, you will want to choose a company that is experiencing high growth and success. Into this category would fit Massage Envy Spa.

Recently, Forbes magazine rated Massage Envy Spa as the number one franchise in the US. Franchise rankings can depend on a number of criteria, including growth rate and number of overall locations. In addition, franchises tend to be segmented by entry costs. Massage Envy Spa was number one in the over $500,000 entry category. The company has over 1000 locations across the country and is growing fast.

Prospective franchisees will be interested in the following information:

• An ideal candidate has a minimum of $500,000 net worth and $150,000 in liquid assets.

• There are several fees associated with owning a location. For example, there is a $45,000 charge for the first site and $35,000 for additional ones.

• Depending on the real estate costs, initial investment ranges from $330,000 to $825,000.

• Sites average $1.3M per year in revenue.

• The company provides a high degree of support to its franchisees.

Because of the general interest in stress reduction and health, a massage franchise could be a good source of income for you over the next several years.

5 Reasons to Take a Massage Break with Massage Envy

Think you don’t have time for a massage break?  Here are five reasons to make time for a soothing massage.

1. Massage helps to manage pain.  If you suffer from a chronic condition like arthritis, or if you are prone to migraines you would be well advised to get regular massage treatments.  Not only does massage physically help to alleviate muscular and skeletal pain, it releases chemicals in the brain that help to enhance mood.

2.  Massage helps to improve sleep.  Even if you don’t have the time to get the recommended nightly 8-hours, massage can help deepen the sleep you do allow yourself.  Even if you are only able to sleep 5 or 6 hours, the quality of that sleep can be greatly enhanced.

3.  Massage helps improve immunity.  Studies have shown that regular massage can help to facilitate the production of white blood cells, which help to fight disease. 

4.  Massage helps to improve productivity at work/school.  When you suffer from significant stress, you are prone to illness, emotional disorders and fitful sleep.  By alleviating stress and helping improve the quality of your sleep, you could find that your concentration is significantly improved, which can help your job performance and your ability to retain information.

5.  Massage helps to reduce the symptoms of PMS.  Regular massage can help mitigate the bloating, sluggishness and mood swings often associated with PMS.

Massage Envy, a pioneering massage therapy and spa service, helps clients achieve relaxation and personal wellness by offering membership programs that can suit nearly every budget, as well as a wide variety of professional massage techniques that address nearly every physical and even emotional condition.  Additionally, Massage Envy Spa provides facial treatments and skin care services.

If you are interested in learning more about what Massage Envy clinics have to offer, you can visit their website for more information.

Relieving Stress with Soothing Massage

Stress is unavoidable; work, school, family and personal obligations can all lead to feelings of anxiety and emotional strain.  However, rather than merely being an inconvenience that has to be endured, it can actually lead to major physical issues that can contribute to a diminished quality of life.

Heart disease, stroke, disturbed sleep, type 2 diabetes and depression can all result from high levels of stress.  Not only can our physical health be compromised by the after-effects of stress, very often we find that we are unable to concentrate at school or work, thereby causing reduced efficiency and performance.  Also, we might be short-tempered with those we love, which can cause further emotional distress. 

In order to protect ourselves from the physical and emotional ravages of excess anxiety, we can actually engage in simple activities that can significantly help to alleviate stress and its symptoms.  Massage therapy is one of the most effective stress-management tools there is, and thanks to resources like  Massage Envy, not prohibitively expensive, either!

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Massage Envy Spa is a groundbreaking business model that allows clients to sign up for highly affordable membership packages, so that they can partake in relaxing massage breaks on a regular basis.  Massage Envy Spa offers a wide variety of massage and spa services, including deep tissue massage, Swedish massage, prenatal massage, reflexology and sports massage, as well as skin treatments and facials.  By taking the necessary time for personal wellness and healing, clients can reduce and even eliminate the ravages of stress and anxiety in a relaxing and professional environment.

If you are feeling over-tired, anxious, or pressured by your personal and professional obligations, you would do well to give yourself the proper tools for effective healing.  If you are interested in booking a soothing massage from one of  Massage Envy’s many conveniently-located clinics, please visit their website for additional information.