The Theory of Massage Therapy
There is a big trend towards natural healing therapies. The growth of the massage therapy industry has doubled in the last five years. Many people recognize that they need to establish balance in their health programs. The importance of diet and exercise is heard all too often. However, recovery and recuperation as a result of diet and exercise is the missing ingredient. Massage therapy fills this void by manipulating the muscles and joints to relieve stress and tension in your body.
The root meaning of the term massage is friction and kneading. Kneading is a squeezing motion and friction is the associated heat generated from this action. This combination is at the heart of what massage therapy is all about.
Massage therapy can be found in most civilizations throughout time. Since the beginning of recorded history, there has been evidence of massage therapy. Many techniques were developed from these ancient roots. The history of mankind has always been to find ways to restore and maintain health.
Clearly, massage therapy has been used throughout the world to help restore health to the body. Many of these civilizations develop very distinct types of massage techniques. Each technique brings about slightly different benefits.
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.
Massage therapy uses a number of actions and pressures for the soft tissues. Some techniques are specific to certain muscle areas. The muscles, joints and soft tissue areas very throughout the body and may require specific movements to provide relief. Many types of techniques involve a variety of movements to restore health and vitality.
Slowly there are beginning to be some studies of massage therapy. Most studies show a correlation between relaxing the mind and relieving tension in the body. It is critical for the body to have time to recuperate after physical activity. Also it is important for the mind to have quiet time.
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.
Probably the most important statistic is the amazing growth rate of massage therapy. Many people understand that the frequent release of stress and tension from the body is beneficial to their health. Taking the time to relax a few times a week helps to recharge the batteries. This is even more important in economic times of stress.
So far, there have been very few studies the benefits of massage. The main problem with connecting clinical studies is the cost involved. Most companies have little incentive to fund massage therapy studies as there is no way to control the methods in order to profit. This is perhaps the biggest hurdle to getting thorough studies conducted. Unfortunately, most clinical studies are driven by the profit motive. These procedures need to be protected by intellectual property or there is little incentive to fund them.