Moms and Massage, a Perfect Marriage

My first-born's wedding is fast approaching, and, like other mothers who've approached this momentous occasion, it makes me scratch my head and wonder how time could possibly be passing so quickly. The years on the calendar may change, but we always retain our role as a mother, no matter how old our children might get. That is something with staying power.

Mother's Day, 1986: My first child was just four months old, not yet sleeping through the night. I was suffering (like many other new mothers) with the new-mother-blues: tired and grouchy, achy and out of shape. I craved some comfort and tension relief. That's when I began to appreciate the relief massage can offer.

Motherhood has been—and continues to be—a wonderful journey. From having my first baby, to watching my children grow up and hoping to see them have babies of their own, it's joyful and heartwarming.

But as wonderful as it is, motherhood—with its different stages—also comes with its many challenges. The good news: We can—and do—get through them. Things have a way of working out, and when they don't, we figure out a way to make them work.

The better news: Massage can help get you through every stage of motherhood. If you are celebrating a new mother, your own motherhood or your own mother, here's why.

Massage can relieve everyday aches and pains. Each one of my babies was pretty large (the younger one really tipped the scales as a newborn!). And cranky, too. They were happiest when I held them, which of course, I did—a lot. The outcome might have rendered less-cranky babies, but it also brought me lots of aches and pains, especially in my neck and shoulders. And I'll let you in on a not-so-secret-secret: I was always a sucker for picking up my children and carrying them around, even after they left that baby stage, which made for major aches and pains, not only in my upper body but my lower, as well, thanks to problems with my sciatica. (I'm not sure how mothers in other cultures manage to carry huge baskets on their heads and have kids hanging off their backs, although I suspect they suffer from the occasional aches and pains, too.)

If I had had this Wahl Deep Knead Massage Wrap at home, I would have had lots of help right at my fingertips and could have saved many painful days, sleepless nights and trips to the chiropractor. This massager offers both heat therapy, which increases blood flow and loosens muscles, and special shiatsu massaging nodes that simulate the sensation of real fingers kneading at different pressures.

Massage can ease chronic pains from aging. Sure, the aches and pains in my neck, shoulders and legs eased once my children stopped using me as their personal transportation. But, alas, they returned (not the children—the aches and pains) on their own.

With age come the inevitable aches and pains from things like osteoarthritis, disc degeneration, overuse injuries and general wear and tear. There are always things to try: acupuncture, tai chi, physical therapy, stretching exercises and medications to relieve pain and swelling. And, of course, massage.

The Wahl Deep Tissue Massager is one of the most powerful handheld massagers on the market. Its high-penetration percussion massage attacks muscle pain that hides below the surface. Keep it on your shelf, and any time you need or want it, it's there for you—like a loyal pet.