According to the American Massage Therapy Association, massage therapy is a profession where the practitioner applies manual manipulation of the soft tissues of the body and may include other adjunctive therapies with the intention of positively affecting the health and wellbeing of the client.
There are over 250 various massage and bodywork techniques, so no one therapists can be an expert in all of them or even be well familiar with all of them. Here are some of the more common.
Experts estimate that upwards of ninety percent of disease is stress-related. And perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. Additionally anxiety can contributes to accidents. Massage is an effective tool for managing this stress, which translates into:
BENEFITS OF MASSAGE
The benefits of massage are best realized when massage is used frequently. Its the same idea or effect of compounding interest in finance. Each time you get a massage the benefits from the last massages are boosted and multiplied with the effects of the current massage. Research studies often engaged the research participates in massage several times a week. A massage once a year or less, while it will feel good at the time, will have very limited long term effectiveness. Especially if you are using massage therapy for a health problem, it is paramount that you utilize massage therapy frequently. The frequency and length of sessions is best determined by you and an evaluation by the massage therapist and your doctor.
Massage is so beneficial it would take a book to list and explain them all. Here are some of the main benefits.
History of Massage
Massage is one of the oldest and least invasive forms of treatment. Medical use of message can be found in the ancient Egypt, Asian, Greco/Roman, and Indian cultures. We instinctively use massage when we put pressure on or rub tissues that hurt. Perhaps because of these simple facts it has often been overlooked as a legitimate therapy for health conditions. Modern health care has turned rather to pharmacology and complex technologies for health remedies and health promotion.
It was in the 19th century that the founder of Physical Therapy, Dr. Per Henrik Ling developed what we in Europe and the Americas know as Swedish Massage. Today the medical profession places massage therapy under or as part of physical therapy. Due to the unsavory image created by “massage parlors” where sexual services were sold under the guise of legitimate massage, the industry has suffered a great deal and still does. However, the benefits of massage are being increasingly researched and proved to be safe and effective and with the advent of accredited schools for massage and more advanced training, licensure and credentialing for it's practitioners, the status of the profession continues to rise and improve.
Massage therapy is now used in many hospitals for all ages from perinatal to geriatric populations and for many different illnesses and injuries. Rehabilitation facilities, hospices, health care centers, chiropractic clinics, pain and drug treatment facilities often offer massage. If they don't they may refer their clients for massage. Insurance companies are beginning to see the benefits of massage therapy and some are beginning to approve massage therapy for various conditions. Massage is usually approved by insurance for automobile injuries and/or workers compensation. If you prescribed physical therapy, insist on a facility that utilizes massage or at least will refer one for massage.
To learn more about the many types of massage and bodywork, visit www.massagetherapy.com.
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