Massage therapy has seen a rise in popularity in recent years, according to local massage therapists.

“People are going back to more natural methods of healing their bodies,” said Becki Christensen, licensed massage therapist.

Christensen said the principle of massage therapy is to increase circulation of blood throughout the body, so the body is better able to take care of itself. Massages also allow nutrients and oxygen to get into tissues and make toxins and lactic acids exit the body.

“Some clients’ muscles will feel sore later that day or the next day,” Christensen said. “This is caused by lactic acid released into the system, causing much of the same results as after a strenuous workout.”

She recommends drinking a lot of water after each massage.

Carol Pearson, licensed massage therapist at Ames Family Massage Center, 916 Kellogg Ave., said she highly recommends massage therapy for students.

“If I had known about it when I was an undergraduate, I would have had one once a week,” Pearson said. “It is the perfect time for a massage because students usually aren’t getting enough sleep or eating properly.”

She said one of the reasons few students get massages is the cost of massage. Most half-hour massages range from $30 to $40, and hour massages run from $45 to $50.

Christensen’s massages last up to 70 minutes.

Mary Dengler, licensed massage therapist and owner of Therapeutic Massage, 208 5th St., said she does not massage by the clock.

“Clocks have nothing to do with massages,” Dengler said. “I give full body massages and will [work] as long as necessary to help my client. I have [massaged] for up to three hours before.”

Dengler said her philosophy is: “You either do a good job and do it right, or you don’t do it at all.”

She said massage therapy has been proven clinically worldwide for years.

“It hasn’t been proven in the United States yet, but we are a younger country,” Dengler said. “More research is being done every year.”

Pearson said Tiffany Fields, founder of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, is a leader in massage therapy research.

Fields found that massage therapy can reduce the chance of migraines, increase production in the workplace and can even lower nicotine cravings.

“Fields did a study on smokers that showed if they massaged their earlobes, it would lower their cravings for nicotine,” Pearson said.

Pearson also recommends massages for pregnant women.

“I took an advanced course for massage therapy before and after birth. Not only did they recommend massages during pregnancy but also as soon as labor begins,” Pearson said.

She said it is a proven fact that messages of pleasure reach the brain before messages of pain; therefore, massages can alleviate some of the pain.