Massages – One of the Joys of Life

Chances are you could use some stress relief and relaxation.

If you have a partner, you could ask him or her to rub your shoulders, neck, back, feet or other point where your body holds stress. While that’s fine, in my experience it isn’t all that relaxing, because you keep thinking things like, “He’s getting tired,” “He doesn’t want to do this,”or, “Do I have to massage him now?”

Also consider that your partner (99+ percent of the time) isn’t a trained, certified massage therapist, and may have no idea what he or she is doing. Your loved one may expend energy doing nothing useful or may even accidentally hurt you.

Massages are not cheap; that’s a fact of life. But they’re SO worth it if you’ve had a headache for weeks, your shoulders are in a knot or your neck muscles are constantly tensed. I’m super-thrifty, but it’s one of the few things I’m willing to splurge on.

Before comparing prices and pulling out your credit card, call your health insurance company. Some companies pay for therapeutic massages when a chiropractor or doctor certifies a need for them. (Mine did for several years and then stopped. Darn.)

If insurance doesn’t work out, put away $20 a week and ask friends to recommend a great massage therapist. Get a once-a-month massage to treat yourself and enhance your health. The first time you get a satisfying massage and walk away feeling incredibly good, you’ll be hooked!