Therapeutic Massage
Marina Petroni
Therapeutic massage is the use of massage to heal mental and
bodily aches and strains. Also known as manipulative therapy,
therapeutic massage provides physical and psychological
benefits. Physically, the effects of massage include injury
healing, pain management and circulation improvement. The
psychological aspects, through muscle manipulation leading to
tension relief achieved by manipulating the muscles, are known
to relieve stress. Multiple types of therapeutic massage exist,
utilizing various techniques and concentrating on various parts
or problems of the body. Therapeutic massage has a long and
vivid history, and can claim Hippocrates and Julius Caesar as
proponents of its uses and benefits.
Therapeutic massage, through the application of manual and/or
mechanical-aid pressure to the soft tissues of the body, eases
much of the accumulated tension in the muscles. This tension
relief is extremely helpful in situations when time is the best
medicine. For example, strained and pulled muscles will only
cure after time and through patience; massage can be extremely
helpful in making the former go by faster and the keeping the
latter with you. Muscle aches and pains, which accumulate as a
result of stress, are greatly soothed by massage. A continuous
regimen of massage therapy can reduce the aches and pains in
the long term as well as the short term. Bad circulation, which
can be the result of many factors, can be increased through
massage. Of course, a healthy lifestyle consisting of a correct
diet and sufficient exercise is needed to maintain healthy
circulation, but massage does stimulate the blood vessels near
the skin, thus improving circulation nearest to the skin.
It is a known fact that when we feel good physically, our
psychology improves as well. Massage feels good physically as
it lightly stirs our muscles and puts pressure on sensitive
spots. This physical calm affects the mental state as well.
While tension and pain are being released from our bodies, the
mind is able to rest at ease, forgetting the pressures, both
physical and emotional, of everyday life. Physical and mental
health are cyclically related, as we are also apt to be
physically more active in life when we feel good
psychologically.
The range of therapeutic massage that exists is quite varied.
For the athlete, there is the sport massage – the manipulation
of muscles and tissues to keep them from tenseness and soreness
– which reduces the risk of injury. For the injured athlete (or
any injured person, for that matter), there exists the remedial
massage, which concentrates on the injured area, and probably
will include physical therapy to rebuild those muscles.
Reflexology, derived from an Asian form, is massaging feet
and/or hands to achieve relaxation throughout the body, as
points in our hands and feet are connected to points throughout
our body. Swedish massage focuses on deep massage of the muscles
in the direction of blood flow to the heart. This type of
massage is both beneficial for muscles and the circulation
system. These above-listed types are a few of the various
methods of therapeutic massage. Depending on personal needs and
injuries, the specific therapeutic massage best for the specific
need should be chosen.
Hippocrates is known to have said: “A physician must be
experienced in many things but assuredly also in rubbing."
Thus, the father of modern medicine confirmed his belief in the
benefits of massage to medicine. Julius Caesar is known to have
had regular massage treatments, for certainly, in between
conquering empires, de-stressing his body was very important.
Massage therapy has been used throughout the centuries, and is
known to have been used as early as the Egyptian times –
paintings depict the royalty receiving massage. Modern society
is discovering the benefits, both physical and psychological,
of massage. As knowledge of these ancient techniques increases,
awareness of their benefits grows, and the popularity increases.
It is becoming easier and more accessible to get virtually any
type of therapeutic massage in most cities, and is quickly
spreading to regions outside of metropolitan areas. Massage, as
the millennium-old therapy shows, is not a temporary fad. It is
a method of pain and stress a lleviation that is becoming
accepted by the medical community as an important supplement to
various treatments. Therapeutic massage, through muscle
manipulation, can be extremely beneficial to living a healthy
life. When the body feels free and easy, the mind follows suit,
and the path is paved for a healthy life.
About The Author: Marina Petroni researched and wrote this
article on the subject massage school
http://www.nmsnt.org/
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