What is Massage Therapy?
Massage is the manipulation of soft tissue structures of the body. It promotes health and wellness by preventing and alleviating pain, discomfort, muscle spasm and stress. During massage therapy, a practitioner applies manual techniques to positively affect the health and well-being of the client.
How Massage Therapy Works?
Massage is a time-honored philosophy. People of the ancient Mediterranean and Eastern civilizations understood the benefits of massage; after bathing and exercise they included a full body massage.
Massage therapy improves function of the circulatory, lymphatic, muscular, skeletal and nervous systems. The direct effect of rhythmically applied manual pressure and movement used in massage can dramatically increase the rate of blood flow and the movement of lymph. The individual cells of the body are dependent on an abundant supply of blood and lymph because they carry nutrients and oxygen throughout the body.
Massage also has a direct psychological effect. Since massage stimulates the sense of touch, the body’s primary sense, it draws people into the moment and away from tension of everyday problems. Muscle tension is the physical result of protecting one’s self against psychological pain. Massage can ease this tension and free repressed emotions.
What Conditions can be Treated with Massage Therapy?
Therapeutic massage is often prescribed by physicians to complement traditional medical treatment for illness, injury and pain.
Some conditions for which massage is recommended include:
* Neck and Shoulder
* Back Pain
* Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
* Chronic and Temporary Pain
* Digestive Disorders
* Insomnia
* Myofascial Pain
* Sports Injuries
* Stress
* Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ)
* Shoulder & Rotator Cuff Injuries
* Sciatica
* Period Pain/ Dysmenorrhea
* Pregnancy Discomfort/ Pre and Post Natal
*…and much more
