The Importance of Self-Care

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you all have had a great week so far and are ready for the long weekend! If you’ve been following me for a while you know that I am a huge advocate for massages and self-care in general. Massages are something I used to just treat myself to once a year or on vacations where the hotel had a spa. It was something that I always looked forward to and I thought of it as a luxury. And it is a luxury, but something that I’ve learned is worth treating yourself to more than annually if you are able to.

Now I get massages monthly and it is a day that I always look forward to. Last year I decided to go get a massage as a birthday gift to myself. It had been over a year since my last massage and I was always complaining about my lower back and especially my shoulders. I made an appointment at a local place and let me tell you – it was the most painful massage I’d ever had. It’s not because the therapist was bad at her job or anything like that. It was because I had waited so long to go that my muscles were all in knots and she had to really dig to get those knots out. I could literally hear the muscles crunching, which is normal because it is how they break down the build up in your muscles. Anyway, it was painful. My therapist told me that I had so much build up that she did as much as she could in the 50 minutes, but couldn’t do it all and it was going to be a process that had to be worked away at over time. After that, I got a membership and have gone once a month since. The fact that I love massages and that the therapist told me that if this wasn’t something that I took care of it could potentially lead to serious back problems in the future played a part in my decision.

Do I still get achey? Sure. But it’s not as bad as it once was and I always know a massage is around the corner. I can tell the therapist what is bothering me or what I want to focus on and she works away. Despite going every month, they always tell me I have a lot of tension in my shoulders. I guess I carry my stress there!

The point is, it’s important to take care of ourselves. I was so busy with work and things that it was over a year before I got a massage and I found out I was in pretty bad shape tension and muscle wise. I wasn’t taking care of myself properly. That’s why I’ve been on a journey of self-care for the past year – trying to eat better, exercise more, get my monthly massages, and even indulge in a spa day every once in a while.

“An empty lantern provides no light. Self-care is the fuel that allows your light to shine brightly.”
– Unknown

Self-care is so important. We only get one life so we should take care of ourselves physically, emotionally, and mentally. Whether that means going for a peaceful walk, going to the spa, getting a massage, doing yoga, going for a run, or whatever you feel is good for your body and soul – you should make time for.

Places like AllCure Spine & Sports Medicine can help you with a variety of your needs. From physical therapy to massage to acupuncture. There is a wide range of services they offer to help you heal and feel your best self.

Since I’m all about massages, let’s take a look at AllCure Spine & Sports Medicine’s approach. According to AllCure Spine & Sports Medicine  massage techniques are always varied because it has to take into consideration the training program (if any) that you are doing, the injured muscles and problem areas (or the pain you have or are currently experiencing), and it always takes into consideration the goal of your massage. While massage therapy is a great treatment for athletes and athletic injuries, you do not have to be an athlete to enjoy all of the tremendous benefits of massage therapy, which include a relaxed mind and body. Local family-owned practice, AllCure Spine & Sports Medicine “is an innovative, family owned practice that uses emerging, non-surgical treatments to provide long lasting relief from pain. Dr. Anthony Alfieri implements a formula that has proven to be immensely effective in alleviating all types of pain, by using a multidisciplinary approach all under one roof. These disciplines consist of Pain Management, Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, and Acupuncture.” If you are in pain or need help relaxing, I would definitely check out their website to learn more about their services.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and do something nice for yourself!

*This is a collaborative post, but all opinions are my own.*