Massage Therapy

The sensation of warmth and tenderness of physical touch is something we take for granted in our lives, as it can make us feel safe and relaxed. We want our clients to feel the same thing while embarking on their journey to recovery. Massage therapy is a common but usually less known way to improve health and wellness through physical touch while in recovery.

Our goal at Simcoe is to help clients feel supported, relaxed, and balanced. One reason massage therapy is great for this is that it increases dopamine levels by targeting massage pressure points. This is important during addiction recovery because drug and alcohol abuse stop natural endorphins from being released, so the mind relies on a false sense of feeling good. During withdrawal and detox, clients may feel that the absence of this leads to some discomfort or pain in the body, so massage therapy helps to soothe this. 

Some major benefits of massage therapy are drawing attention to the  body, increasing physical awareness, addressing pain, and rebuilding trust. It relaxes the muscles and reintroduces natural endorphins back into the body. Massage therapy also helps drain lactic acid from the muscles, which builds up when we exercise, and boosts blood flow to the limbs. This is beneficial to clients who fell into addiction to cope with chronic pain, as well as clients who have lost weight due to their addiction or mental health,  as it will help with muscle recovery.

In summary, the benefits of massage therapy at Simcoe are:

• Releases stress and tension from the body that may arise due to cravings, pain, or anxiety.
• Overcoming fear of touch and rebuilding intimate trust. 
• Reintroducing natural endorphins into the body to promote well being. 
• Address co-occurring disorders by triggering a natural relaxation response. 
• Enhances self-awareness, a key part of learning how to address our emotions in response to addiction-related triggers.
• Muscle recovery after exercising, increasing the health benefits of exercise. 

We offer massage therapy because we want to help alleviate any stress and anxiety in the lives of our clients, who may be tense consciously or subconsciously. Tension in our bodies can look like clenching jaws and muscle tightening, while in our minds it can feel like uneasiness, racing thoughts, and stress.