Therapeutic Massage

The holistic application of physical touch to affect the systems of the body; ie. the muscular, skeletal, digestive, elimination, respiratory, circulatory, lymphatic, endocrine, emotional, mental and nervous systems. It is the manipulation the soft tissues of the body with the hands for therapeutic, healing, relaxing and pleasurable effects. It is the loving touch of the heart expressed through the hands.

• It is not physiotherapy or any practice of manipulation of the skeletal structure.

Benefits

The following are some of the beneficial results that you can receive from massage treatments

• Improve and increase blood circulation and the flow of tissue fluid (lymph)
• Improve lymphatic drainage
• Help regulate breathing thus assisting the flow of nutrients & oxygen to tissues
• Lower the heart and pulse rate
• Detoxify the body systems by hastening excretion of waste products
• Assist weight loss
• Nourish the skin (with the right oils) Promote nourishment, repair and renewal of body cells
• Assist in removal of deposits of tissue
• Stimulate activity in skin and its glands
• Improve muscle tone
• Soothe and relax nerves
• Relieve stress
• Release emotional tension
• Relieve pain in certain conditions
• Relax mind and body deeply
• Give pleasure
• Create a feeling of well-being.

Contra-indications

Are situations where it is advisable to be cautious about having massage treatment. Conditions such as: Acute inflammation, redness, swelling, marked breathing difficulty, fever, skin rash, Varicose veins. If you have any of these conditions or other concerns, check with your therapist at the time of booking your treatment.

History of Massage

Massage therapy history dates back thousands of years to ancient cultures that believed in it's medical benefits. The first written records of massage therapy are found in China and Egypt. The first known Chinese text, written around 2700 BCE, is called "The Yellow Emperor's Classic Book of Internal Medicine." This book was only published in English in 1949, but since that time, it has become a staple in massage therapy training and is also often used as a textbook for teaching many other forms of alternative medicine such as acupuncture, acupressure and herbology.

Egyptian tomb paintings show that massage therapy was also a part of their medical tradition. Egyptians get the credit for pioneering reflexology around 2500 BCE. Their studies and traditions greatly influenced other cultures such as the Greeks and Romans. Massage therapy history also has roots in India, where the traditions were not written down until sometime between 1500 and 500 BCE, but practice may have actually originated around 3000 BCE or earlier.

The Western Migration of Massage Therapy

It was from this early massage therapy history that the Swedish doctor, gymnast and educator Per Henril Ling developed a method of movement known as the "Swedish Movement System" in the early 1800s. This is commonly regarded as the foundation for Swedish massage most commonly used in the West today. It should be noted, however, that although the "Swedish Movement System" was developed by Ling, it was the Dutch Johan Georg Mezger who defined the basic hand strokes of Swedish massage.

Considering the long history of massage, its incorporation into Western medicine is only in its infancy. The potential for growth and research of the healing properties of therapeutic massage and body work has gained great momentum over the last fifty years, and the public demand for massage therapy is at an all-time high.

As a restorative treatment, massage therapy has earned respect in modern medicine, but its benefits as preventative treatment have only recently been considered. Can a body-mind-spirit synergy actually prevent certain forms of disease? This question is now being seriously pondered by medical professionals.  *Indeed, an American pharmacologist, Dr Candace Pert, maintains that 90% of mainstream medicine could be replaced with a weekly massage!

Sources:
The Health Information Network
*The Encyclopaedia of Complementary Health