The Benefits of Massage Therapy Through Healing Hands
Filed under Massage Therapy
The purpose of massage therapy varies according to the practitioner. As a result, the intended goal also differs. Yet, the aim of all massage therapy includes an increased sense and actuality of a person’s well-being. This includes various physical, emotional and spiritual effects. The benefits one is to reap from therapeutic massage range from general to specific health effects to a more ephemeral sense of physical, emotional and psychological feeling of welfare. In this sense, although it does depend upon the techniques of the practitioner and the type or school of therapeutic massage, massage therapy falls into the holistic approach to health and welfare currently embraced by an increased number of people in the medical professions.
A holistic approach is one that addresses the entire body as a unit. There are no subdivisions between physical and mental components. All require attention at the same time to ensure the person is functioning at his or her best. In massage therapy, this means the positive aspects of treatment extend beyond the physical. In fact, one specific aspect supporters and non-supporters agree upon is the effect of massage upon stress.
Research to date, informal and formal, indicates a benefit of therapeutic massage in the reduction in stress. In studies of office workers and students, a regular regime of massage therapy decreases the level of stress and anxiety. As a result, people are able to relax and function at a better level. This is the most common and accepted benefit of massage therapy. There are many other.
Relaxed people tend to have a lower heart rate. People who are not anxious or stressed out also have a lower blood pressure. A by-product of massage and a benefit of regular massage is lower heart rate and decreased blood pressure. This, in turn, may create improved circulation.
Improved circulation in the muscles is also generated by therapeutic massage. Rolfing, manipulating using acupressure and other specific massage techniques can help improve the movement of stiff and sore muscles. This increases a person’s mobility by restoring motion to the muscle joints. During the process, any bruised, strained or affected muscles and ligaments may actually begin to speed up the process of healing. Research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) does indicate recovery time for post-abdominal surgery patients decreases with the implementation of a regime of massage therapy.
While manipulating the muscles and soothing strained or pulled ligaments, therapeutic massage alleviates pain. Furthermore, repeat visits to a massage therapist can help strengthen weak or atrophied muscles by further manipulation. It is little wonder many athletes turn to Sports Massage and its practitioners to help them recover from or learn to prevent physical damage.
There are other possible benefits of massage therapy. Massage helps the process of waste elimination. It can also be affective in treating such symptoms as water retention in PMS. Women often turn to it during labor. Massaging the belly reduces discomfort during the pregnancy. It also helps diminish labor pains. Moreover, according to some professionals, therapeutic massage also aids premature babies in their fight to gain weight. On a separate level, massage helps baby and mother bond.
Massage therapy benefits extend beyond the human sphere. It is also used in the treatment of various animals or pets. Equine massage therapy is one form of treating horses with muscle and ligament problems. The actions are similar to those given to their human counterparts. Dogs and cats are also treated with therapeutic massage. Massage helps the person and their animal companion bond. It also helps older animals with muscle problems. Overall, the principles remain the same. The techniques are similar but make allowances for the animal size and understanding.
There are other claims made regarding benefits of massage therapy. One of the most common focuses on skin condition. Massage therapy improves the condition of the skin, helping with rashes and other skin problems. It reduces the extent of skin scarring from burns and other problems. Massage therapy, in this and other cases, boosts, opens or encourages the response of the immune system.
The wonder and of therapeutic massage is the method. The beneficial results arise naturally. There are no drugs in play. Sometimes, it is the release of the body’s own painkillers, endorphins, which abet the process. Massage acts as the trigger mechanism. It also is the means by which a person can fully engage their body, emotions and thoughts in the healing process.
There is no doubt a therapeutic massage makes its recipients feel better. There is an improved sense of general well-being. Critics, however, argue there is little scientific evidence to back up the various claims of Massage Therapy. In fact, there is really only one way to decide whether the act of therapeutic massage should be part of your integrated complementary and alternative medical system. You need to try it out for yourself.
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