Is massage a cure for an ailment, a way to maintain good health or a means to pamper yourself? The answer is "all of the above." At its best, massage can be curative, preventative, and soothing. If sitting at a desk every day has done a number on your back, a good massage therapist should be able to help; you could opt for specific work on the upper or lower back to deal with a particular problem, or you might want to improve your posture to avoid a recurrence of the problem in the future. Or, perhaps, you just want to spend an hour at a spa getting an allover body massage purely for muscle (and mind) relaxation.

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