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Massage Therapies

Massage is a form of physical therapy that uses manipulation of the body’s soft-tissues to ease stress and tension in muscle tissue and fascia. It relieves pain arising from injuries, accelerates healing of acute and chronic conditions, and it has a unique ability to calm, correct, align, and refresh both the body and the soul, increasing joint flexibility and range of motion as well as encouraging relaxation, energy, and alertness. The earliest reference to massage therapy comes from The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, dated 2700 B.C. The Greek physician Hippocrates mentions the use of massage for sports and war injuries in 400 B.C. Massage was also mentioned in ancient Japanese records, and has been used as a medical treatment by ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Arabs.

There are currently around 80 different types of massage and related forms of therapy being applied around the world. Typically, they are organized into five categories: traditional European massage, contemporary Western massage, structural realignment and movement integration, oriental massage, and energy based methods. Many massage therapists use a combination of these methods based on what the individual patient requires.

Massage is especially useful when muscles have been overworked because the body produces waste products (such as lactic acid) that accumulate in the body. This can result in soreness, stiffness, and muscle spasms. Massage flushes out the toxins to improve blood and lymphatic circulation, brings oxygen and other nutrients to the tissues that have been affected, and enhances recovery. Massage also increases the production of pain-killing endorphins and the hormone serotonin while limiting the release of the stress hormone cortisol. It strengthens the immune system while improving digestion, elimination, and absorption of nutrients.