The Theory of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy has been around since the beginning of time. It is found in practically every culture in one form or another. See how massage has evolved through the ages.

What really is massage therapy? Many associated it as part of the lifestyle of the rich and famous. The popularity of massage has grown tremendously in the last 10 years. Many ordinary people are recognizing the benefits to receiving natural treatments for restoring their health. By definition, massage therapy is the manipulation of the soft tissues. This is done with different movements and pressures. Many of these techniques date back thousands of years in their origin.

A variety of movements and actions have been developed to soothe and relieve different parts of the body. Many are familiar with a kneading massage. This is a similar action to what a baker must do to make bread.

It is interesting to find that massage therapy can be traced back to most of the oldest known civilizations. Whether it is ancient China, the Romans or the Egyptians, each developed specific techniques to help the body recover and maintain its vitality.

The result of many civilizations developing massage techniques is the great diversity of them found. Some are very distinct to a particular place. For instance, shiatsu is distinctly Japanese. Another variety is termed Swedish massage licking its roots back to Northern Europe.

If you go to any international spa, you'll have a virtual menu card of techniques to choose from. Most people are familiar with shiatsu, Swedish and reflexology. These are taught in massage therapy classes everyday. The number of variety of techniques available is quite extraordinary.

The theory of massage therapy is to use movements and pressure to relieve tension, stiffness and discomfort in the body. Different parts of the body require different types of techniques or movements. Also, different techniques integrated complementary treatments to provide additional benefits.

Recent studies of massage therapy have shown that there are benefits for your body and mind. Generally, benefits are associated with recovery and recuperation. This shows the importance of having time for your body to heal. This helps to provide an opportunity to activate the healing process.

Some of the typical benefits found in these studies have to do with relaxation. Many show that the heart rate slows down and the blood pressure is lowered. Psychological benefits were shown to be lower levels of pain and lower states of anxiety. This is generally shown to be true for two thirds of those participating in the study.

More studies are needed to better determine the benefits of massage therapy. Studies to date can to use small groups and target a specific area of the body for the massage. For those who have had a massage, the benefits seem fairly intuitive. However, Western medical science has yet to study the precise correlations in detail.

The intuitive benefits of massage therapy are obvious and confirmed by the rising popularity of these treatments. The fact that these treatments have been used for thousands of years provides a body of knowledge. Many people are looking for a natural way to maintain their health. There are a tremendous variety of natural treatment options to choose from.

One of the biggest hurdles for the studying of massage therapy is simply economic. Clinical studies are funded by companies hoping to profit from the positive results. There is not a way for a company to control massage techniques. This then leaves a void for funding these types of studies. However, these techniques have been used and refined since the beginning of time. They just don't have the same documentation as a large pharmaceutical company.