Healing Intuitions

To get the most out of your massage therapy sessions, it is always advised to keep up with your home care.  Home care does not just include the care you give yourself right after your massage , but also the care you take of yourself in between your sessions.  

Immediately after your massage:

Always drink plenty of filtered water after any massage you receive.  Try to increase your normal daily water intake by at least 8-16 ounces the day of and the day after your massage. Click here for a great site to filter your water today.
A warm bath with Epsom salts (Between half to one cup per bath) will help replenish your muscles and joints, help with detox, increase relaxation of the mind and body, and help alleviate soreness from deeper massage work.
Ice areas where deeper work has occurred to help alleviate muscle spasms, lessen pain and decrease inflammation.  Apply ice for 15-20 minutes 3-4 times a day for best results. Check out the Heat vs. Cold section of my site for guidelines. 
Stay away from caffeine after a massage.  Caffeine causes the muscles to tense up and can undo all the relaxation achieved in your service.
Try to stay away from too much alcohol after your massage.  The body views alcohol as a toxin and is already doing its best to push out all the toxins broken up during your massage. 
Avoid heavy workouts after your massage.  Your body needs time to heal, so stick with light exercise like walking, or completely avoid working out after your massage for the best results.
Take the opportunity after your massage to relax and let your body replenish, you deserve it!

In between your treatment sessions:

Always try to drink a minimum of 75 ounces of filtered water a day. Your body is made up mostly of water and it is important to stay hydrated to stay healthy  64 ounces a day is a general rule of thumb that is starting to prove not enough.  Don't forget, the larger you are and how active you are both affect how much water you need.  Have trouble drinking enough water? 
For those who work at desks or other stationary jobs, get up once every hour or two in order to keep blood moving and stop muscles and joints from becoming overly tense.  This is a great opportunity to grab a drink of water too!
Stretch!  This is one of the easiest yet most overlooked ways to maintaining less pain and tension between your massages.  And don't try to tell me you don't have time!  Use the time while watching TV, or while waiting for dinner or the microwave to finish and you'll be surprised how much time you can find.   A good rule of thumb with stretching as with massage discomfort is OK, pain is not.  If it starts to hurt, either stop the stretch completely or lessen how far you are stretching.

Foam rollers, Tennis Ball (Acuballs), Yoga/Exercise Ball and Theracanes are all great tools for home care that are not expensive to buy. 
It's always smart to have a pain relieving gel or cream to use on sore areas.  It can help keep muscles from becoming overly tense, especially when used with heat