 What Massage Therapy Is:
There are more than 80 types of massage therapy and bodywork techniques. In all of them, therapists press, rub, and otherwise manipulate the soft tissues of the body, often varying pressure and movement. Therapists most often use their hands and fingers, but may use their forearms, elbows, or feet. Typically, the intent with massage therapy is to relax the soft tissues, increase delivery of blood and oxygen to the massaged areas, warm them, and decrease pain. This differs only slightly from the intention of therapeutic bodywork, which deals with somatic awareness, emotional grounding, and energetic release. While the two terms, massage therapy and bodywork, are often used in tandem, it would be easier to say that massage therapy is a type of bodywork – not the other way around.
 A Few Examples Include:
- In Swedish massage, the therapist uses long strokes, kneading, and friction on the
muscles and moves the joints to aid flexibility.
- A therapist giving a deep tissue massage uses patterns of strokes and deep finger
pressure on parts of the body where muscles are tight or knotted, focusing on layers of
muscle deep under the skin.
- In trigger point massage, the therapist uses a variety of strokes and applies deeper,
more focused pressure to release myofascial trigger points — more commonly described
as knots — that can form in the muscles, are painful when pressed, and cause symptoms
elsewhere in the body as well.
- In shiatsu massage, the therapist applies varying, rhythmic pressure from the fingers on parts of the body that are believed to be
important in the flow of a vital energy called qi. In traditional Chinese medicine, qi is the vital energy or life force proposed to regulate a
person's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health, and to be influenced by the opposing forces of yin and yang.
- The main intention of craniosacral work is to facilitate a restoration of primary respiratory motion in places where inertia has developed.
This therapy involves the subtle assessment of the movement of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which can be restricted by trauma to the
body. By gently working with the spine, the skull, and its cranial sutures, diaphragms, and fascia, restrictions of nerve passages are eased,
movement of CSF through the spinal cord is optimized, and misaligned bones are restored to their proper position.
Massage therapy and the laying on of hands for health purposes date back thousands of years. References to massage have been found in ancient writings from many cultures, including those of Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Japan, China, Egypt, and the Indian subcontinent. In the United States, massage therapy first became popular and was promoted for a variety of health purposes starting in the mid-1800s. In the 1930s and 1940s, however, massage fell out of favor, later reviving in the 1970s, especially among athletes.
Why People Use Massage Therapy:
In the 2002 national survey on Americans' use of CAM, respondents who used a CAM therapy could choose from five reasons for using the therapy. The results for massage were as follows:
- 60% believed that massage combined with conventional medicine would help.
- 44% thought massage would be interesting to try.
- 34% believed that conventional medical treatments would not help.
- 33% were referred by a conventional medical professional.
- 13% thought that conventional medicine was too expensive.
Increase the Benefits with Frequent Visits:
Getting a massage can do you a world of good. And getting massage frequently can do even more. This is the beauty of bodywork. Taking part in this form of regularly scheduled self-care can play a huge part in how healthy you’ll be and how youthful you’ll remain with each passing year. Budgeting time and money for bodywork at consistent intervals is truly in investment in your health. And remember: just because massage feels like a pampering treat doesn’t mean it is any less therapeutic. Consider massage appointments a necessary piece of your health and wellness plan, and work with your practitioner to establish a treatment schedule that best meets your needs.
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