What is Massage Therapy?
Popular around the world, massage incorporates the use of touch to stimulate circulation, relax muscles and promote a sense of well-being. It is a general term which covers a variety of disciplines for the manipulation of soft tissue for therapeutic purposes. It involves the practice of kneading or otherwise affecting muscles by hand or mechanical device with the intent of increasing circulation and detoxification, reducing physical and emotional stress and increasing general wellness.
This long-respected healing art has a history which stretches back thousands of years and spans the globe. The first written records of massage date from 3,000 years ago in China, although it is certain that the use of touch to heal and soothe extends back to the earliest human experience. To rub a sore muscle or stroke another in comfort is a natural human instinct; and the "laying on of hands" has been valued among spiritual and healing traditions throughout history.
Benefits of Massage Therapy
No longer is massage considered an elite luxury, it has become a mainstream method in natural healing and well-being. Many of today's doctors are prescribing various forms of massage therapy to compliment traditional medical treatment for illness, injury and pain.
Physical Benefits of Massage...
- Helps relieve stress & aids relaxation
- Helps relieve muscle tension and stiffness
- Fosters faster healing of strained muscles and sprained ligaments; reduces pain and swelling; reduces formation of excessive scar tissue
- Reduces muscle spasms
- Provides greater joint flexibility and range of motion
- Enhances athletic performance
- Promotes deeper and easier breathing
- Improves circulation of blood and movement of lymph fluids
- Reduces blood pressure
- Helps relieve tension-related headaches and effects of eyestrain
- Enhances the health and nourishment of skin
- Improves posture
- Strengthens the immune system
- Improves functioning of the circulatory, lymphatic and nervous systems
- Increases seratonin and endorphins, enhancing medical treatment
Mental Benefits of Massage...
- Fosters peace of mind
- Promotes a relaxed state of mental alertness
- Helps relieve mental stress
- Improves ability to monitor stress signals and respond appropriately
- Enhances capacity for calm thinking and creativity
- Emotional benefits
- Satisfies need for caring, nurturing touch
- Fosters a need of well-being
- Reduces levels of anxiety
