Medical Massage Therapy; DefinitionMedical Massage Therapy is a systematic therapeutic manipulation, through applying fixed or movable pressure, friction, rubbing, stroking, pinching, tapping, kneading, or applying vibration to muscle and connective tissue. Sometimes massage is performed on the whole body or just a part thereof , causing movement to that part of the body or sometimes just holding it in a fixed position. Therapists primarily use their hands, but may also use their forearms, elbows, feet or massage equipment. Where massage is used for its physical and psychological benefits, it may be termed remedial massage therapy. Different massage techniques have been developed and integrated into various complementary therapies, under these would come Swedish massage, Trigger point therapy, Deep tissue massage, Chinese Tui Na massage, Chines Zhi Ya massage, Shiatsu, Scalp massage, Reflexology (also called Sole or Foot massage), Ancient Thai Massage, MA-URI massage. Medical Massage therapy; PurposeAccording to recent reviews, people use medical massage therapy for a wide variety of health-related purposes: for example, rehabilitate sports injuries, reduce stress, treating specific diseases and conditions, relaxation, address feelings of anxiety and depression, and aid general wellness. Many of today’s health and other problems can benefit from medical massage therapy because the manipulation of soft tissues and deep tissue affect so many of our bodily and other systems. A good medical massage affects all of our systems, Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, Social, mental etc. Medical massage therapy treatments will have a therapeutic affect and improve health by acting directly on the muscular, nervous, circulatory, lymphatic and immune systems. Directly or indirectly, it will help all systems mentioned before. Medical massage therapy can develop, sustain, rehabilitate or augment physical functions. The basic goal of Medical Massage Therapy is to help the body heal itself and to increase health, well-being, and self esteem. Objectives may be a good feeling, to heal injury, improve circulation and relieve tension in the muscles and skin. When muscles are overworked, waste products such as lactic acid can accumulate in the muscle, causing pain, stiffness, and even muscle spasm. Massage improves circulation, which increases blood flow, bringing fresh oxygen to body tissues. This can assist the elimination of waste products, speed healing after injury, and enhance recovery from disease. Massage enhances the function of soft tissues, by promoting relaxation of muscles, while boosting the circulatory and immune systems to benefit blood pressure, circulation, muscle tone, digestion, and skin tone. Therapeutic massage can ease tension and reduce pain. Massage can be a part of physical therapy or practiced on its own. It can also be highly effective for reducing the symptoms of arthritis, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other disorders of the muscles and/or nervous system. In a relationships it can also provide sensual stimulation. Touch also conveys a sense of caring, an important component in a relationship. Medical massage therapy has become a daily routine for many professional athletes’ hard training regimens. Some medical massage therapy techniques are specifically recommended for sore muscle tissues. An intense sore muscle cannot function properly. By alleviating pain dysfunction can be combated. Also seemingly minor injury can have a profound impact on a person’s ability to stay physically active. Needless to say massage is also used by athletes in the prevention of pain. Not just athletes seek help, working professionals seek the assistance of medical massage therapists. Their lifestyle, such as long work hours or physically hard or routine tasks produce stress. Their stressed out bodies need help before it becomes chronic. They need to relax their tight and tense muscles, relax their minds, their emotions, even their spiritual and social beings. Many people don’t realize how much a tight muscle impacts on vital things such as posture and all of life. A tense muscle can throw off your body’s balance. Before long, muscles that were not initially tight begin to tense as they compensate for other parts of the body being out of balance. It becomes a chain reaction that can spread far from the initial problem spot into al of life. A good medical massage therapist can identify the source of the problem and start working to alleviate the problem where it started and so perhaps, help the person’s whole outlook of life. We are all becoming more aware of the role stress plays in health, in life. People, who are stressed, even if all other things are equal, are less healthy, less connected to other people and the world, than people who are relaxed. Stress, for example, increases the risk of heart disease, and many mental collapses. Medical massage therapy is an effective and enjoyable way to reduce stress. Many sick people seek massage help. Improvement in circulation, recovery time and immune system function help sick people. The pressing, rubbing, moving, manipulating or just touching in massage, causes blood to flush in and out of muscles, joints and many other body parts. A skilled medical massage therapist can become an important part, yes even a part you cannot live without, especially if one starts to consider how important prevention is, in the natural health field, and how important it should be in your life. To use the less expensive preventative natural treatments, instead of the more expensive medical treatments only makes sense. Of course you may argue; “is that not why I pay taxes, or health insurance, to get medical treatments, and not to pay extra on preventative treatments”, Of course, is it really extra if one sees how the deductibles just keep on rising? Secondly with the government’s budget annihilated, and Americas’ debt increasing every year, one needs to start asking the question, if we still want to be around here, as a nation, in a couple of years. Also every one knows tens, if not thousands of instances in which, regular medical treatments failed and produced other illnesses, yes even deaths in people we know around us. The question then needs to be asked again, do we still want to be around tomorrow, to live a healthy and enjoyable life. Medical massage; health complaints- Stress
- Back problems
- Chronic painArthritis
- Numbness
- Sciatica
- Pain
- Pain associated with spinal disk injuries
- Migraines/headaches
- Pregnancy
- Constipation
- Neck pain
- Exhausted feet
- Muscle tension
- Muscle pains and tightness
- PMS
- Menopause
- Pain associated with postural imbalances
- Muscle cramps
- RLS
- Injuries
- Bad circulation
- High blood pressure
- Nerve pain
- Anxiety
- Edema
- Emotional imbalance
- Etc…
There are also a few very specific medical massage therapies available. Just a few are discussed here: Medical Massage-Infant Therapy Infant medical massage therapy is the process of rubbing an infant's muscles and stroking the infant in a manner specifically designed for them. Although there are professionally trained and certified infant massage therapists, the obvious first choice to massage the baby is the mother, father, grandparent, or guardian. Equally important are the people who care for children outside the home such as, nurses on neonatal intensive care units ) that work with premature babies and those who work with the disabled. The benefits derived from massage are applicable and advantageous for all of these groups. Infant massage provides many benefits for the infant. A caring touch is good for everyone, but especially for infants who are new to the world and need the reassurance of someone special... Medical Massage- Fibromyalgia therapy Fibromyalgia medical therapy might be what may help you overcome the constant stress of pain management. Recently, massage therapy has become extremely popular among fibromyalgia patients. It works to reduce pain, eliminate stiffness, and helps you to relax and take some time out for yourself. Fibromyalgia is a chronic painful condition that produces musculoskeletal pain and tenderness at specific locations in the body, pain and swelling in the joints, chronic sleep problems, fatigue and more. Medical Massage- Women's Health Therapy Medical massage therapy can be applied for a variety of specific women’s’ problems. Anything from hormonal imbalance, stress, anxiety, sleeplessness, PMS, pregnancy to all sorts of specific pain issues. Massage therapy is the practice of applying structured or unstructured pressure, tension, motion or vibration - manually or with mechanical aids - to the soft tissues of the body. Varying forms of massage therapy include holistic bodywork, healing touch, Swedish massage, deep tissue massage and Shiatsu.,reiki,trigger point,myofacial release therapy, stone massage, prenatal massage, sports massage, etc… .. Summary Medical massage therapy is an invaluable part of a healthy lifestyle with a wide variety of options to choose from. Click here for Relaxing Massage or Click here for Massage Services click here for shiatsu click for reflexology click here for medical massage therapy Click here to go to the next Therapy page Click to go back, to the list of alternative medicine therapies page Click here to bypass, and go immediately to the Doctor of Naturopathy help for you, or to read how Naturopathy can help. This website developed by www.designersofwebs.com | |