Massage therapy is an ancient therapeutic treatment that has been used over the centuries in many cultures. 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.
It involves scientific manipulation of body tissue such as muscles, ligaments, tendons, skin, fascia, and joints in correct depth and speed to achieve local relaxation both mentally and physically. This is the application, usually by hand, of systematic stroking or manipulation for therapeutic purposes, i.e., to alleviate pain and discomfort. The most well known massage movements are those that involve stroking and gliding (effleurage), kneading (petrissage), and percussion (tapotement), friction to soft tissues of the body.
Physically, the effects of massage include injury healing, pain management and circulation improvement (blood and lymph). It boosts the immune system, relaxes and reduces anxiety, alleviates pain, reduces blood pressure and heart rate, stimulates lesser used muscles, increases endorphins, aids physical rehabilitation. The psychological aspects, through muscle manipulation leading to tension relief achieved by manipulating the muscles, are known to relieve stress. Muscle aches and pains, which might be due to stress are greatly reduced by massage. Massage also helps in stimulating the blood vessels near the skin, thus improving circulation close to skin. Massage has a extensive positive effect on all the organs of the body. All the systems such as the excretory, muscular, nervous system etc become more active.
A massage is usually relaxing and usually feels good. Most of us, however, could not explain the physical and physiological mechanisms causing the relaxation and pleasure. Most of us probably suspect it has something to do with the enjoyment of being touched by another person, and with the physical movement of muscles and other body parts.
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.
Therapeutic massage, through muscle manipulation, can be extremely beneficial to living a healthy life. Some of the techniques used by a massage therapist, such as manipulating the soft muscle tissues and performing range of motion of the body limbs, causes your breathing to slow down, as extra oxygen needs decline, your heart slows down its pump rate, allowing tense arterial muscles to relax and blood pressure to decrease. Not all techniques work for everyone, so make sure to inquire about the philosophy and style of the massage therapist you call.
Massage should not be given in each and every case it is contraindicated in conditions such as:
- Some cardiac problems
- Infectious diseases
- Certain forms of cancer
- Phlebitis
- Some skin conditions