Students will do just about anything to cope with stress - from taking a break and hanging out with friends to meditating - but for a few dollars more a massage may relieve that extra tension.
Although more costly, research has shown that massage therapy helps relieve stress, aids in relaxation, relieves muscle tension and stiffness and increases flexibility and range of motion in joints, said Shirlee Johnson, health education manager at UNM's Student Health Center.
According to the American Medical Association's Web site, stress is the cause of up to 85 percent of all human illness and disease, and each week 95 million Americans suffer from stress-related symptoms.
UNM's Wellness Center has three massage therapists who are licensed and certified by the state. Johnson said because 90 percent of clients are students, the therapists have a better feel for what students need than other clinics do.
Student cost for a massage at the center is $40 an hour and $45 per hour for staff and faculty. Health insurance, available from UNM, will pay 80 percent of the cost for a massage.
Johnson said therapists ask clients about background health, injuries and concerns in life and try to base what type of massage a student needs on that communication.
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She said symptoms of stress include tension in the neck, shoulders and lower back, nail chewing and illness because stress prevents the body from fighting off disease.
"I think our students get so stressed and overwhelmed," Johnson said. "It (massage) is a way to calm the body down."
After the "Final Rubout," a program where students are given 15-minute massages to relieve stress before finals, students are surveyed by the UNM Health Center to see what their main causes of stress are.
Most students talk about being overwhelmed with school, work and family, Johnson said. When they try to balance these things and prioritize them is when they become stressed, she said.
Local massage therapy schools also offer massages at discounted prices if clients are willing to let a student rather than a professional do the work. At the Crystal Mountain Massage Therapy School, a student massage costs $25 per hour.
Linda Delker, owner and director of Crystal Mountain, said she sees an increase of UNM students looking for a massage during midterms and finals. She said the school usually has a waiting list for student appointments because the prices are very reasonable and that many clients think student massages are as good as professional ones.
She said when clients come in, often they are tense and grinding their teeth, but when they come out, she can see the difference because they are so relaxed.
"Regular massage is one of the best things you can do to keep healthy," Delker said.
