At Beauty Worx you can indulge in a full body, 60-minute Swedish massage or a 5, 10, or 15 minute "mini-stress buster" at affordable rates for people who are tight on time or money. Call 215-322-1112 for an appointment.

Massage is one of the "hands-on" healing arts. It stimulates the body's natural healing powers. A good massage can affect you on all levels of your being.

Holistic massage treats the individual as a whole, rather than concentrate on physical conditions, and its movements are generally slower. It is most effective when the client is relaxed, but alert, and concentrating on the therapist's touch.

Some benefits of having a regular massage include:

• Mental and physical fatigue is relieved.
• Chronic neck and shoulder tension can be released.
• Back pain can be relieved -- muscle spasms eliminated.
• Patients with arthritis experience relief because improved circulation to the joints reduces inflammation and pain.
• Nasal Congestion and sinus conditions improve dramatically.
• Toxins and wastes are flushed from the lymphatic system.
• Lactic acid, which accumulates in muscles after vigorous exercise, can be removed to prevent soreness and aching.

Efficient blood flow is important to every system of the body, but taut, tense muscles often interfere, By stretching and loosening muscles, massage releases physical tension and stimulates the circulation of the blood and lymph fluids, encouraging the movement of blood though the veins back toward the heart. It enables fresh blood to pour through the arteries, fueling the muscles with fresh oxygen and nutrients while flushing away metabolic waste products. Poisonous waste materials, like the lactic acid that stores up painfully in tired muscles, are being swept away. By triggering release of the body's natural painkillers -- hormones called endorphins -- massage also has a tranquilizing effect on the central nervous system. It calms the mind through calming the body.