Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Why massage therapy feels so good to every part of the body

WHEN YOU READ the title of this story, chances are you were immediately reminded of simpler times: The days of preschool, when learning about anatomy was as easy as singing a song and all you really had to worry about between naps and snack time.

These days, life is a bit more hectic. But that doesn't mean you can't channel the days of old and focus on your body.

"We live in such a fast-paced society," says Melissa Wheeler, a massage therapist and the teacher training coordinator for the National Holistic Institute in Emeryville, Calif. "It's very rare we have a moment to focus on our own bodies. That's one of the healing benefits of massage; it's a meditative time to focus inward and relax."

Different parts of the body benefit from massage therapy in different ways. Here, we walk you through why it feels so good-head, shoulders, knees and toes, and everything in between.

HEAD: Cranial Sacral Therapy or Scalp massage can be extremely relaxing. "Many people don't realize we have muscles on our scalp," Wheeler says. "Those muscles are responsible for making our facial expressions, and there can be a lot of tension there, especially when staring at a computer all day or when we are under a lot of stress."

Not only that, but the scalp tends to get ignored on a daily basis. "It's tension we're not usually aware of," Wheeler says. "Many people feel that tension melt away when their head is massaged."

NECK: You can blame your office job for the stiffness in your neck. "Sitting at a desk, staring at a computer your, shoulder blades start rising up, shortening the neck muscles," Wheeler says. "It gets unbelievably tight." Regular massage therapay can help loosen the muscles and prevent stiffening.

HANDS: It's no wonder that our hands need relaxing. "We use ours hands so much-for typing, clutching the steering wheel, holding the phone, changing a light bulb, everything " Wheeler says. "And they're usually curled up into flexion." Plus, massage feels good because there are lots of places to focus on. The thumb pad alone has nine muscles, she says. And the hand is full of trigger points.

BACK: This is the part most of us think of when imagining a massage. "But what most people do not realize is that the back is greatly affected by the front," Wheeler says. "When you sit in a slumped posture and don't exercise much, your abs become weak and they can't do their part in holding up the spine. So your back has to do extra work to compensate."

ABDOMEN: Closely connected to the back, the muscles in your abdomen need love, too. One group in particular, the iliopsoas, pulls on the front of your spine when tight. "It's a typical culprit of low-back pain," Wheeler says. "It's also a very close neighbor to the deepest back muscle, the quadratus lumborum."

LEGS: Our lower limbs are complex. "We're dealing with several interdependent joints here," Wheeler says. "Our knees are easily affected by what's going on in the hip or the ankle." Legs also are often prone to injury. "Massage therapists are trained to know the range of motion of joints and can help with healing of muscles," she says.

FEET: Our feet take a lot of abuse. "Foot pain can be life-changing," Wheeler says. "You might not want to stand, which often prohibits exercise, which can then lead to weight gain, perpetuating the cycle." But reflexology foot massage can help bring circulation to the area and even help with mobilization of the foot bones, she says.

-By Shelley Flannery