An Introduction to Aromatherapy Massage
Posted by on Oct 11, 2010
Touch is important to all living beings, being one of first and most basic means of communication. Massage is just one way of communicating sensations, hopefully of a pleasant nature.
Just as the body stores up the tensions of the day, both physical and emotional, in the muscles of the neck, back, head and limbs, so massage is a way of removing these muscular tensions, and as a result associated mental tension should also be eased. In addition massage can stimulate the circulation of the blood: the intended purpose of the massage should always be considered – if a massage is given to aid sleep, an invigorating rub down may have the opposite effect!
Aromatherapy massage adds an extra sense – that of smell – to the basic benefit of massage. Fragrances have the power to evoke feelings and memories independently of conscious thought. Combining aromatherapy with massage makes for a powerful experience – essentially the massage giver passes on their energy and touch to the receiver.
Contrary to popular belief, massage is not complicated or difficult and can, by following a few simple rules, form an important part of the healing process.
Always massage with the flow of your body, which is towards your heart. When massaging the abdomen the flow is in a clockwise direction, using circular movements that follow the flow.
Be aware of the needs of the person whom you are massaging, to ensure that it is a both a comforting and soothing experience, especially where the young and the very old are concerned.
The following is a simple guide to the different types of massage and the strokes that can be used to ensure the best results.
What Will I Need?
Aromatherapy massage is one of the simplest ways of using essential oils, but it still helps to prepare your tools and working space in advance.
It is important to have a warm, draught free and quiet environment, where you won’t be disturbed, and where all of your oils and accessories, such as clean towels, are easily to hand.
All essential oils need to be diluted in a carrier, or base oil, before being massaged onto the body or face. As a general rule of thumb the ratio of essential oil to base oil should be:
10 – 15 drops of essential oil in 60ml (12 teaspoons) of base oil.
(Click here to see our full range of carrier oils for use in Aromatherapy massage)
The Basic Massage Strokes
Aromatherapy massage requires long slow strokes maintaining contact on the body at all times, alternating with short fast friction rubs that warm the oils and help spread them evenly over the skin. Delicate areas such as the abdomen, pelvic region and bony areas should be stroked fairly lightly, while greater pressure can be applied to the heavier muscle areas such as the shoulders, buttocks and back. The basic massage strokes listed below comprise the main movements required for Aromatherapy massage.
Effleurage (Stroking Movements)
This is a series of gentle strokes enabling the massage oil to penetrate the body, helping to bring about a state of calm and relaxation. Use the whole hand to do short or long strokes, these can be firm or gentle depending on how you feel. This type of massage helps to increase circulation, relaxation of the muscles and relieve the body of stress and tension.
Petrissage (Kneading Movements)
Petrissage is gentle kneading movements, like kneading dough. The art of petrissage is never to cause pain or discomfort and should be performed slowly and carefully. It is usually used on the back, muscular and fatty areas, and is good for releasing trapped toxins, relaxing muscles and encouraging the lymphatic system to flow. As you perform each kneading movement put a slight pressure on your thumbs.
Friction (Circular Movements)
Especially beneficial for areas that are cold or of poor circulation. Rub the skin in circular movements with the flat of the hand in short, fast movements.
Raking Movements
Hold the fingers stiffly at the joints to resemble the ends of a rake, or as if to play the piano, and with fingertips touching the skin, make firm, raking movements with one or both hands, backwards towards your body.
Pummelling Movements
Make one or both hands into fists and, keeping fingers loose and relaxed while held in a fist, bounce them up and down the body in a fast drumming movement. Pummelling can also be carried out with the hands flat, and fingertips down, or with the sides of the hands, or even with the palms turned upwards.
The Five Main Areas for Massage
Hand Massage
Head, Neck & Facial Massage
Foot Massage
Shoulders & Back Massage
Full Body Massage
>> Hand Massage
This is especially appropriate for older people and people for whom back, foot or facial massages are not appropriate. Touching the hands gently can be very calming – the fingers are packed with nerve endings, and can be as attuned to different parts of the body as the feet.
A quick de-stresser is to gently stroke the recipient’s hands, from wrist to finger tips, using a light flowing touch with all five fingers.
>> Head, Neck & Facial Massage
Place your chosen essential oils on your fingertips and use the fingers to massage around the head. Use only your fingertips to gently but firmly pass around and over the head in a smooth controlled movement.
For Headaches it’s best to start at the base of the neck and work upwards to the base of the scalp. Use the fingers in firm, but not hard effleurage strokes. Continue for as long as necessary. It may also help to include the upper shoulder area which is also often tense, and may in fact be the cause of the headache.
A self- facial massage of the jaw line up to a point immediately below the ears can also help to prepare us for stressful situations such as sitting exams, interviews etc.
To continue the massage onto the neck area, move the hands to the base of the neck, placing a hand on each side of the vertebrae (never put pressure on the vertebrae).
Use small but firm circular movements, working from the base of the neck, and continue upwards to the base of the scalp and then down the sides of the neck. Work around the sides of the neck using gentle but firm movements.
>> Foot Massage
Massage in an upwards direction form the toes to the ankle; if you are lucky enough to have someone do this for you, thumbs should be on the sole of the foot with the fingers on top, if you are doing your own feet you may find it easier to have your thumb on top with you fingers underneath.
>> Shoulder & Back Massage
Before you begin the massage, ensure the recipient is comfortable, preferably lying face down on a well padded floor, bed or mattress, with a rolled up towel or bolster pillow under the upper chest, to ensure that the head and neck will be relaxed in the face down position.
Beginning with the shoulders, use the thumbs and palms to massage with effleurage and petrissage actions, moving from the base of the neck outwards to the shoulder. You may also find it beneficial to take in the shoulder blade area by making large circular movements around the top of the shoulder to just under the shoulder blade.
Moving down towards the lumbar region of the back, use effleurage strokes, placing one hand either side of the vertebrae, using the whole hand, flat against the back stroke up towards the shoulder around and over the shoulder blade and slide down again the sides of the back. Repeat as often as is wished.
Note: Do NOT massage over the vertebrae, as the spine is very sensitive. Always move the hands, fingers and thumbs over either side of the spine.
>> Full Body Massage
The full body massage should incorporate all of the above massages, while also including the arms, legs and abdomen.
The Arms – Using upwards strokes from the wrist to the armpit. Using petrissage on fatty and muscular areas as appropriate.
The Abdomen – using effleurage strokes, use circular movements in a clockwise direction only.
The Legs – always massage the legs upwards from the ankle to the thigh using effleurage strokes. Where appropriate use petrissage on the fatty or muscular areas. (Never over varicose areas)
Lower abdomen and hips – using effleurage strokes start at the lower back and slide over the hips, then slide each hand over the abdomen. Use the whole of the hand flat against the skin.
Margaret McGoverne is the founder of The Holistic Shop.com website http://www.theholisticshop.com where you can buy gifts and products for the wellbeing of mind body and soul.
Author: Margaret McGoverne
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The Benefits of Massage Therapy on the Body
Posted by on Oct 9, 2010
Massage therapy is an alternative medicine that has been gaining in popularity at a rapid rate. The field of massage therapy has not only grown in size but also in the availability of therapists, massage studios and clinics that offer massage. There is no question that most people would love to get a massage. What people don’t realize about massage is that it not only feels good and relaxes the body, mind and spirit, but it actually is healing to the body, muscles and soft tissues.
Massage therapy dates back to the B.C. era to ancient civilizations such as Greek, Roman, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Egyptian and Mesopotamian. Now massage is all over the world. In China massage is considered part of their primary healthcare and is taught in medical schools. Massage therapy was introduced to the U.S. in the 1800′s. However its progression in the American medical scene has been slow and rocky. Throughout the early 1900′s massages influence decreased due to technological advancements in medicine, however massage regained its reputation in the early 60′s and 70′s as professional athletes began to use massage therapy within their health routine. One huge deterrent for massage therapy as an alternative medicine and as a profession was the unsavory characters that used massage therapy to advertise sexual services.
Buying and selling sex or sexual services is illegal in the U.S. and several other countries. Therefore using the cover of massage therapy, massage parlors offer sexual services after the purchase of a massage. For a while massage had become infamous for this type of service, which damaged its reputation. Overtime, true masseurs slowly but surely regained the reputation of massage therapy as a therapeutic healing treatment.
Now massage is a huge industry with thousands of schools, clinics, and therapeutic work settings as well as licensing and credentialing within each state. Even though massage parlors still exist, their presence remains largely in the seedy hoods and ghettos. Today when you mention massage therapy people don’t think of sexual favors but rather a relaxing and pleasing experience. Massage therapy has recovered its respect as a healing art through manipulation of the body and muscle tissue.
The average person would tell you that massage therapy involves rubbing the body with lotion or cream that is relaxing and feels good. This interpretation of massage, although correct in layman’s terms doesn’t explain what massage therapy is or how it affects the body. Massage therapists manipulate the soft tissues of the body to enhance function, promote relaxation, reduce muscle spasms, pain and inflammation, reduce nerve compression, decrease myofascial trigger points, increase range of motion and joint flexibility, reduce blood pressure, improve posture, calm the nervous system, and improve circulation.
Massage involves manual manipulation of the soft tissue through pressure, tension, motion, and vibration. Based upon specific patient problems will determine the areas that a massage therapist will work on. Techniques can be applied through the hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearm, or feet depending upon the type of massage. As well as determining the specific tissue to target whether it be a muscle, tendon, ligament, skin, joint, connective tissue, lymphatic vessels or organ. There are numerous types of massage techniques. Some of the common massage techniques include Ayurvedic, deep tissue, sports massage, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, reflexology, medical massage, Swedish massage, stone massage, Thai massage, and shiatsu. In addition to the techniques, there are several different strokes that massage therapist must use such as effleurage, petrissage, tapotement, mobilization, trigger point therapy, neuro-muscular, manual lymphatic drainage and manual traction.
Although massage is considered a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), it is becoming increasingly part of the medical world. Massage has a variety of settings including health clubs, health clinics, doctor offices, private offices, nursing homes, sports facilities and hospital settings. Massage therapy is used in conjunction with several other medical professions such as chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy, personal training and sports trainers.
Whatever the reason you get a massage, it is a great therapeutic modality to relieve stress, tension, anxiety, headaches, neck pain, back pain and several other physical or mental problems. If you haven’t experienced a massage yet then its time you had one. Many people include massage in their health regimen because it not only has positive effects on the body but on the mind and spirit as well. As your friends for recommendations of a therapist near you!
Graduated with a BA in exercise science and have worked in the medical field since. My focus is alternative medicine however all aspects of health interest me. Check out my health website! http://www.universalhealthinfo.com/Massage_Therapy.html
Author: Sarah Labdar
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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History of Massage Therapy & the Benefits of it
Posted by on Oct 7, 2010
Massage has been an important part of medicine for over five
thousand years. It is also a major topic in the first medical
texts printed. The first medical texts were used by early
physicians who were primarily men. These men commonly practiced
the art of massage therapy when treating and caring for their
patients. I only mention this because I have spoke to many
people who find it surprising in today’s world, that there are
men who are professional Massage Therapists. Today Massage
therapy is primarily a career chosen by women. Whether your
therapist is male or female should not be of importance, unless
you have a specific reason that makes you uncomfortable getting
a massage from a female or male therapist. What is important is
that your therapist is licensed or certified in the type of
massage that will help you most.
The massage therapy profession has been severely abused by
prostitutes that use massage therapy as a cover up for illegal
sexual activities. The places where they work are often referred
to as “Massage Parlors”. That is why massage licensing and many
city ordinances were put into effect. Professional licensing
requires people who want to pursue a career as a massage
therapist to get a specified number training hours from a school
or college of massage. Most states also require that these
students pass a national certification exam that shows that that
person has the ability to identify specific pathologies and has
a good understanding of the human anatomy. This helps to make it
more difficult for illegal parlors to exist and helps to protect
you as a consumer. In recent history the profession has been
abused and still is in some places. If you are interested in
getting a professional, non-sexual massage you should not only
ask if that person is licensed or certified, but also be sure to
ask if they have had any specific training in the area you are
wanting massage for.
Hippocrates, who is considered “The Father of Medicine” was
highly respected in his findings. He is probably the most
respected man in medical history. That is why he is known as
“The Father of Medicine”. I have read many historical books that
stated that Hippocrates said, “The physician must be acquainted
with many things and assuredly with rubbing” (Massage Therapy).
Hippocrates had an oath for Medical Doctors to take. I
personally feel that this oath is ignored often when it comes to
the use of Massage Therapy and other fine sources of alternative
health. One version of the Hippocratic oath is printed below if
you are interested in reading it. The first few lines of the
oath seem to be conveniently avoided or forgotten by many of
todays Physicians. I have asked many of my clients if their
physician has ever recommended they get a massage without being
asked about it specifically. Very few of them have ever told me
yes. I have had a few clients that asked their physician
specifically about the benefits of getting a massage in order to
help them with their specific condition or problem. My
experiennce has been that less than half of these people report
that they were ever told by their Physician to pursue treatment
by a Professional Massage Therapist. On the other side of the
argument, I have several Physicians and Nurses that are clients
of mine and they have told me that they often refer patients to
get Massages. Most of these Physicians and Nurses have told me
they feel the reason that their patients do not always pursue
their recommendation is because massage is seldom covered by
medical insurance. Over the past years there have been many
studies providing an abundance of proof that certain kinds of
massage therapy are very effective for treating many conditions
when used as either a primary or secondary type of care. Many
insurance companies have put an end to paying for massage
therapy because of a few massage therapists that have billed the
insurance companies for massages that were not considered the
appropriate type of massage for that patient or clients
particular condition. Insurance companies expect hard evidence
from clinical studies that have shown that a particular massage
modality or technique has helped with a specific condition,
before they want to reimburse anyone for it. I can’t say that I
blame them for that because I would not want to pay for gasoline
if I was given a tank of water. Giving someone a simple
relaxation massage or Reiki treatment may be helpful, but isn’t
necessarily the best type of massage treatment for someone with
a specific condition such as low back pain, frozen shoulder,
carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, lymph drainage, migraines, sciatica
and many other conditions. Whereas a professional Massage
Therapist with proper training in one or more of these areas
would be much more effective in treating a specific condition
that they have been trained for.
Most of todays society has been conditioned to believe that
drugs are the fastest and best way to get better. Our society
today wants and expects a drug or procedure that can be
prescribed and can quickly cure whatever is bothering them. I am
not against the use of medical drugs or Physicians. In fact I
highly recommend that you find a Physician who is knowledgeable
about the use of certain drugs and when it is appropriate to use
them. Find a Physician that will take the time to really listen
to you and explain what is wrong, what drugs or other treatment
or procedures you may need, and why it will be of benefit to
you. I say this because I have had several clients that have
come to see me about muscular pain that they have been having.
Muscular pain that they have often seen more than one Physician
or other professional about. These clients tell me that they
still have no idea what is wrong with them or why they have the
pain. Many of them come to see me as a last resort, because they
have exhausted all of their other options. I often ask what they
were told or how they were treated for the pain that they are
having. I often hear them reply that they were given a
prescription for some type of pain reliever and told to rest.
Most of these pain relievers will either help to relax the
muscles because of the effect on the central nervous system or
help to reduce inflammation. These pain relievers often help to
reduce pain and that is about it. What I have found with these
clients is that they have been taking pain relievers for a long
time and have tried many different therapies, rest, heat, cold,
traction, ultra sound, etc… without any lasting results. Many
of those treatments can be helpful for many people but do not
always solve the problem. Massage doesn’t always solve the
problem either, but it has been my personal experience that many
of my clients have told me that it did do the trick for them and
that they are very thankful that they gave massage a try.
Sometimes, regardless of all they have tried, the pain continues
because the injury may have an excess of painful scar tissue or
keeps getting re-injured because of their daily activities. It
can even be because of swelling or tension in the muscle that
has caused a lack of blood flow to the area that causes it to
become ischemic (lack of blood flow). Blood flow is needed to
carry the cells that help to heal an area. Without good blood
flow it is unlikely to heal properly. Ischemic tissue may
collect toxins from the slow moving blood around it. Many of
those toxins cause trigger points to develop and cause pain in
the muscle.
So what can a professional Massage Therapist do that is
different for this type of muscular pain? The proper massage
given by a professional with knowledge of how to treat your
specific type of muscular pain may use friction and compression
to help reduce the amount of scar tissue in that area. Scar
tissue is not very flexible, but with massage it can be made to
be more flexible, thus reducing the amount of pain you may have
in that area. A good Massage therapist will be able to tell you
what muscle or muscles are likely to be causing your pain. They
should also be able to tell you what actions or movements these
muscles are responsible for making. This is important to know if
you need to rest the area, so that you do not re-injur it by
doing the same activities or movements that may have caused the
pain or aggravated an old injury. Massage will also help to
increase the blood flow in the affected area, allowing your own
blood to circulate better in the area of injury. This increase
in blood flow will carry cells that your body already uses to
heal injuries. These cells can then get to work on helping you
heal faster. The increase in blood flow will also help to carry
away any toxins from the affected area and help your body to
naturally dispose of them. In almost every case massage will
result in more flexibility, less formation of scar tissue, and
also help the area to heal properly.
So you see, pain relievers more often help to relieve the
symptoms and do not always treat the cause. Very few medical
drugs made will help your body to heal. They mostly cover up the
symptoms you are having. Although I have been told there are a
handful of drugs today that are used for specific conditions,
and I’m told that they can help the body to heal. Mostly they
are newer drugs and not commonly prescribed for everyday
conditions due to the expense and newness of them. Maybe in the
future we will have more medicines that will help the body heal
and can also be used on everyday conditions. But for now I
suggest that you have both a good Physician and a good Licensed
or Certified Massage Therapist on your side. Both that are
willing to work together to help you recover from whatever
conditions you may have. Your Massage Therapist as well as your
Physician should be willing to let you know if you have a
condition that requires someone else’s expertise or a
combination of therapies and treatment. Massage is not always
appropriate for all conditions and Massage Therapists do not
diagnose or treat disease. Massage Therapists do not heal you
because they simply use their skills to help facilitate your own
bodies ability to heal itself. Massage therapists are not
Doctors, but a good Licensed or Certified Massage Therapist will
have the training and skills to know when it may be necessary to
refer you to see someone else.
Article by Dwayne Crandall, LMT Visit [http://www.massagevillage.com] for more original content like this. Reprinting this article is permitted with this footer included.
Author: Dwayne Crandall
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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History of Massage Therapy & the Benefits of it
Posted by on Oct 5, 2010
Massage has been an important part of medicine for over five
thousand years. It is also a major topic in the first medical
texts printed. The first medical texts were used by early
physicians who were primarily men. These men commonly practiced
the art of massage therapy when treating and caring for their
patients. I only mention this because I have spoke to many
people who find it surprising in today’s world, that there are
men who are professional Massage Therapists. Today Massage
therapy is primarily a career chosen by women. Whether your
therapist is male or female should not be of importance, unless
you have a specific reason that makes you uncomfortable getting
a massage from a female or male therapist. What is important is
that your therapist is licensed or certified in the type of
massage that will help you most.
The massage therapy profession has been severely abused by
prostitutes that use massage therapy as a cover up for illegal
sexual activities. The places where they work are often referred
to as “Massage Parlors”. That is why massage licensing and many
city ordinances were put into effect. Professional licensing
requires people who want to pursue a career as a massage
therapist to get a specified number training hours from a school
or college of massage. Most states also require that these
students pass a national certification exam that shows that that
person has the ability to identify specific pathologies and has
a good understanding of the human anatomy. This helps to make it
more difficult for illegal parlors to exist and helps to protect
you as a consumer. In recent history the profession has been
abused and still is in some places. If you are interested in
getting a professional, non-sexual massage you should not only
ask if that person is licensed or certified, but also be sure to
ask if they have had any specific training in the area you are
wanting massage for.
Hippocrates, who is considered “The Father of Medicine” was
highly respected in his findings. He is probably the most
respected man in medical history. That is why he is known as
“The Father of Medicine”. I have read many historical books that
stated that Hippocrates said, “The physician must be acquainted
with many things and assuredly with rubbing” (Massage Therapy).
Hippocrates had an oath for Medical Doctors to take. I
personally feel that this oath is ignored often when it comes to
the use of Massage Therapy and other fine sources of alternative
health. One version of the Hippocratic oath is printed below if
you are interested in reading it. The first few lines of the
oath seem to be conveniently avoided or forgotten by many of
todays Physicians. I have asked many of my clients if their
physician has ever recommended they get a massage without being
asked about it specifically. Very few of them have ever told me
yes. I have had a few clients that asked their physician
specifically about the benefits of getting a massage in order to
help them with their specific condition or problem. My
experiennce has been that less than half of these people report
that they were ever told by their Physician to pursue treatment
by a Professional Massage Therapist. On the other side of the
argument, I have several Physicians and Nurses that are clients
of mine and they have told me that they often refer patients to
get Massages. Most of these Physicians and Nurses have told me
they feel the reason that their patients do not always pursue
their recommendation is because massage is seldom covered by
medical insurance. Over the past years there have been many
studies providing an abundance of proof that certain kinds of
massage therapy are very effective for treating many conditions
when used as either a primary or secondary type of care. Many
insurance companies have put an end to paying for massage
therapy because of a few massage therapists that have billed the
insurance companies for massages that were not considered the
appropriate type of massage for that patient or clients
particular condition. Insurance companies expect hard evidence
from clinical studies that have shown that a particular massage
modality or technique has helped with a specific condition,
before they want to reimburse anyone for it. I can’t say that I
blame them for that because I would not want to pay for gasoline
if I was given a tank of water. Giving someone a simple
relaxation massage or Reiki treatment may be helpful, but isn’t
necessarily the best type of massage treatment for someone with
a specific condition such as low back pain, frozen shoulder,
carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, lymph drainage, migraines, sciatica
and many other conditions. Whereas a professional Massage
Therapist with proper training in one or more of these areas
would be much more effective in treating a specific condition
that they have been trained for.
Most of todays society has been conditioned to believe that
drugs are the fastest and best way to get better. Our society
today wants and expects a drug or procedure that can be
prescribed and can quickly cure whatever is bothering them. I am
not against the use of medical drugs or Physicians. In fact I
highly recommend that you find a Physician who is knowledgeable
about the use of certain drugs and when it is appropriate to use
them. Find a Physician that will take the time to really listen
to you and explain what is wrong, what drugs or other treatment
or procedures you may need, and why it will be of benefit to
you. I say this because I have had several clients that have
come to see me about muscular pain that they have been having.
Muscular pain that they have often seen more than one Physician
or other professional about. These clients tell me that they
still have no idea what is wrong with them or why they have the
pain. Many of them come to see me as a last resort, because they
have exhausted all of their other options. I often ask what they
were told or how they were treated for the pain that they are
having. I often hear them reply that they were given a
prescription for some type of pain reliever and told to rest.
Most of these pain relievers will either help to relax the
muscles because of the effect on the central nervous system or
help to reduce inflammation. These pain relievers often help to
reduce pain and that is about it. What I have found with these
clients is that they have been taking pain relievers for a long
time and have tried many different therapies, rest, heat, cold,
traction, ultra sound, etc… without any lasting results. Many
of those treatments can be helpful for many people but do not
always solve the problem. Massage doesn’t always solve the
problem either, but it has been my personal experience that many
of my clients have told me that it did do the trick for them and
that they are very thankful that they gave massage a try.
Sometimes, regardless of all they have tried, the pain continues
because the injury may have an excess of painful scar tissue or
keeps getting re-injured because of their daily activities. It
can even be because of swelling or tension in the muscle that
has caused a lack of blood flow to the area that causes it to
become ischemic (lack of blood flow). Blood flow is needed to
carry the cells that help to heal an area. Without good blood
flow it is unlikely to heal properly. Ischemic tissue may
collect toxins from the slow moving blood around it. Many of
those toxins cause trigger points to develop and cause pain in
the muscle.
So what can a professional Massage Therapist do that is
different for this type of muscular pain? The proper massage
given by a professional with knowledge of how to treat your
specific type of muscular pain may use friction and compression
to help reduce the amount of scar tissue in that area. Scar
tissue is not very flexible, but with massage it can be made to
be more flexible, thus reducing the amount of pain you may have
in that area. A good Massage therapist will be able to tell you
what muscle or muscles are likely to be causing your pain. They
should also be able to tell you what actions or movements these
muscles are responsible for making. This is important to know if
you need to rest the area, so that you do not re-injur it by
doing the same activities or movements that may have caused the
pain or aggravated an old injury. Massage will also help to
increase the blood flow in the affected area, allowing your own
blood to circulate better in the area of injury. This increase
in blood flow will carry cells that your body already uses to
heal injuries. These cells can then get to work on helping you
heal faster. The increase in blood flow will also help to carry
away any toxins from the affected area and help your body to
naturally dispose of them. In almost every case massage will
result in more flexibility, less formation of scar tissue, and
also help the area to heal properly.
So you see, pain relievers more often help to relieve the
symptoms and do not always treat the cause. Very few medical
drugs made will help your body to heal. They mostly cover up the
symptoms you are having. Although I have been told there are a
handful of drugs today that are used for specific conditions,
and I’m told that they can help the body to heal. Mostly they
are newer drugs and not commonly prescribed for everyday
conditions due to the expense and newness of them. Maybe in the
future we will have more medicines that will help the body heal
and can also be used on everyday conditions. But for now I
suggest that you have both a good Physician and a good Licensed
or Certified Massage Therapist on your side. Both that are
willing to work together to help you recover from whatever
conditions you may have. Your Massage Therapist as well as your
Physician should be willing to let you know if you have a
condition that requires someone else’s expertise or a
combination of therapies and treatment. Massage is not always
appropriate for all conditions and Massage Therapists do not
diagnose or treat disease. Massage Therapists do not heal you
because they simply use their skills to help facilitate your own
bodies ability to heal itself. Massage therapists are not
Doctors, but a good Licensed or Certified Massage Therapist will
have the training and skills to know when it may be necessary to
refer you to see someone else.
Article by Dwayne Crandall, LMT Visit [http://www.massagevillage.com] for more original content like this. Reprinting this article is permitted with this footer included.
Author: Dwayne Crandall
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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History of Massage Therapy & the Benefits of it
Posted by on Oct 3, 2010
Massage has been an important part of medicine for over five
thousand years. It is also a major topic in the first medical
texts printed. The first medical texts were used by early
physicians who were primarily men. These men commonly practiced
the art of massage therapy when treating and caring for their
patients. I only mention this because I have spoke to many
people who find it surprising in today’s world, that there are
men who are professional Massage Therapists. Today Massage
therapy is primarily a career chosen by women. Whether your
therapist is male or female should not be of importance, unless
you have a specific reason that makes you uncomfortable getting
a massage from a female or male therapist. What is important is
that your therapist is licensed or certified in the type of
massage that will help you most.
The massage therapy profession has been severely abused by
prostitutes that use massage therapy as a cover up for illegal
sexual activities. The places where they work are often referred
to as “Massage Parlors”. That is why massage licensing and many
city ordinances were put into effect. Professional licensing
requires people who want to pursue a career as a massage
therapist to get a specified number training hours from a school
or college of massage. Most states also require that these
students pass a national certification exam that shows that that
person has the ability to identify specific pathologies and has
a good understanding of the human anatomy. This helps to make it
more difficult for illegal parlors to exist and helps to protect
you as a consumer. In recent history the profession has been
abused and still is in some places. If you are interested in
getting a professional, non-sexual massage you should not only
ask if that person is licensed or certified, but also be sure to
ask if they have had any specific training in the area you are
wanting massage for.
Hippocrates, who is considered “The Father of Medicine” was
highly respected in his findings. He is probably the most
respected man in medical history. That is why he is known as
“The Father of Medicine”. I have read many historical books that
stated that Hippocrates said, “The physician must be acquainted
with many things and assuredly with rubbing” (Massage Therapy).
Hippocrates had an oath for Medical Doctors to take. I
personally feel that this oath is ignored often when it comes to
the use of Massage Therapy and other fine sources of alternative
health. One version of the Hippocratic oath is printed below if
you are interested in reading it. The first few lines of the
oath seem to be conveniently avoided or forgotten by many of
todays Physicians. I have asked many of my clients if their
physician has ever recommended they get a massage without being
asked about it specifically. Very few of them have ever told me
yes. I have had a few clients that asked their physician
specifically about the benefits of getting a massage in order to
help them with their specific condition or problem. My
experiennce has been that less than half of these people report
that they were ever told by their Physician to pursue treatment
by a Professional Massage Therapist. On the other side of the
argument, I have several Physicians and Nurses that are clients
of mine and they have told me that they often refer patients to
get Massages. Most of these Physicians and Nurses have told me
they feel the reason that their patients do not always pursue
their recommendation is because massage is seldom covered by
medical insurance. Over the past years there have been many
studies providing an abundance of proof that certain kinds of
massage therapy are very effective for treating many conditions
when used as either a primary or secondary type of care. Many
insurance companies have put an end to paying for massage
therapy because of a few massage therapists that have billed the
insurance companies for massages that were not considered the
appropriate type of massage for that patient or clients
particular condition. Insurance companies expect hard evidence
from clinical studies that have shown that a particular massage
modality or technique has helped with a specific condition,
before they want to reimburse anyone for it. I can’t say that I
blame them for that because I would not want to pay for gasoline
if I was given a tank of water. Giving someone a simple
relaxation massage or Reiki treatment may be helpful, but isn’t
necessarily the best type of massage treatment for someone with
a specific condition such as low back pain, frozen shoulder,
carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, lymph drainage, migraines, sciatica
and many other conditions. Whereas a professional Massage
Therapist with proper training in one or more of these areas
would be much more effective in treating a specific condition
that they have been trained for.
Most of todays society has been conditioned to believe that
drugs are the fastest and best way to get better. Our society
today wants and expects a drug or procedure that can be
prescribed and can quickly cure whatever is bothering them. I am
not against the use of medical drugs or Physicians. In fact I
highly recommend that you find a Physician who is knowledgeable
about the use of certain drugs and when it is appropriate to use
them. Find a Physician that will take the time to really listen
to you and explain what is wrong, what drugs or other treatment
or procedures you may need, and why it will be of benefit to
you. I say this because I have had several clients that have
come to see me about muscular pain that they have been having.
Muscular pain that they have often seen more than one Physician
or other professional about. These clients tell me that they
still have no idea what is wrong with them or why they have the
pain. Many of them come to see me as a last resort, because they
have exhausted all of their other options. I often ask what they
were told or how they were treated for the pain that they are
having. I often hear them reply that they were given a
prescription for some type of pain reliever and told to rest.
Most of these pain relievers will either help to relax the
muscles because of the effect on the central nervous system or
help to reduce inflammation. These pain relievers often help to
reduce pain and that is about it. What I have found with these
clients is that they have been taking pain relievers for a long
time and have tried many different therapies, rest, heat, cold,
traction, ultra sound, etc… without any lasting results. Many
of those treatments can be helpful for many people but do not
always solve the problem. Massage doesn’t always solve the
problem either, but it has been my personal experience that many
of my clients have told me that it did do the trick for them and
that they are very thankful that they gave massage a try.
Sometimes, regardless of all they have tried, the pain continues
because the injury may have an excess of painful scar tissue or
keeps getting re-injured because of their daily activities. It
can even be because of swelling or tension in the muscle that
has caused a lack of blood flow to the area that causes it to
become ischemic (lack of blood flow). Blood flow is needed to
carry the cells that help to heal an area. Without good blood
flow it is unlikely to heal properly. Ischemic tissue may
collect toxins from the slow moving blood around it. Many of
those toxins cause trigger points to develop and cause pain in
the muscle.
So what can a professional Massage Therapist do that is
different for this type of muscular pain? The proper massage
given by a professional with knowledge of how to treat your
specific type of muscular pain may use friction and compression
to help reduce the amount of scar tissue in that area. Scar
tissue is not very flexible, but with massage it can be made to
be more flexible, thus reducing the amount of pain you may have
in that area. A good Massage therapist will be able to tell you
what muscle or muscles are likely to be causing your pain. They
should also be able to tell you what actions or movements these
muscles are responsible for making. This is important to know if
you need to rest the area, so that you do not re-injur it by
doing the same activities or movements that may have caused the
pain or aggravated an old injury. Massage will also help to
increase the blood flow in the affected area, allowing your own
blood to circulate better in the area of injury. This increase
in blood flow will carry cells that your body already uses to
heal injuries. These cells can then get to work on helping you
heal faster. The increase in blood flow will also help to carry
away any toxins from the affected area and help your body to
naturally dispose of them. In almost every case massage will
result in more flexibility, less formation of scar tissue, and
also help the area to heal properly.
So you see, pain relievers more often help to relieve the
symptoms and do not always treat the cause. Very few medical
drugs made will help your body to heal. They mostly cover up the
symptoms you are having. Although I have been told there are a
handful of drugs today that are used for specific conditions,
and I’m told that they can help the body to heal. Mostly they
are newer drugs and not commonly prescribed for everyday
conditions due to the expense and newness of them. Maybe in the
future we will have more medicines that will help the body heal
and can also be used on everyday conditions. But for now I
suggest that you have both a good Physician and a good Licensed
or Certified Massage Therapist on your side. Both that are
willing to work together to help you recover from whatever
conditions you may have. Your Massage Therapist as well as your
Physician should be willing to let you know if you have a
condition that requires someone else’s expertise or a
combination of therapies and treatment. Massage is not always
appropriate for all conditions and Massage Therapists do not
diagnose or treat disease. Massage Therapists do not heal you
because they simply use their skills to help facilitate your own
bodies ability to heal itself. Massage therapists are not
Doctors, but a good Licensed or Certified Massage Therapist will
have the training and skills to know when it may be necessary to
refer you to see someone else.
Article by Dwayne Crandall, LMT Visit [http://www.massagevillage.com] for more original content like this. Reprinting this article is permitted with this footer included.
Author: Dwayne Crandall
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Digital Camera News
History of Massage Therapy & the Benefits of it
Posted by on Oct 1, 2010
Massage has been an important part of medicine for over five
thousand years. It is also a major topic in the first medical
texts printed. The first medical texts were used by early
physicians who were primarily men. These men commonly practiced
the art of massage therapy when treating and caring for their
patients. I only mention this because I have spoke to many
people who find it surprising in today’s world, that there are
men who are professional Massage Therapists. Today Massage
therapy is primarily a career chosen by women. Whether your
therapist is male or female should not be of importance, unless
you have a specific reason that makes you uncomfortable getting
a massage from a female or male therapist. What is important is
that your therapist is licensed or certified in the type of
massage that will help you most.
The massage therapy profession has been severely abused by
prostitutes that use massage therapy as a cover up for illegal
sexual activities. The places where they work are often referred
to as “Massage Parlors”. That is why massage licensing and many
city ordinances were put into effect. Professional licensing
requires people who want to pursue a career as a massage
therapist to get a specified number training hours from a school
or college of massage. Most states also require that these
students pass a national certification exam that shows that that
person has the ability to identify specific pathologies and has
a good understanding of the human anatomy. This helps to make it
more difficult for illegal parlors to exist and helps to protect
you as a consumer. In recent history the profession has been
abused and still is in some places. If you are interested in
getting a professional, non-sexual massage you should not only
ask if that person is licensed or certified, but also be sure to
ask if they have had any specific training in the area you are
wanting massage for.
Hippocrates, who is considered “The Father of Medicine” was
highly respected in his findings. He is probably the most
respected man in medical history. That is why he is known as
“The Father of Medicine”. I have read many historical books that
stated that Hippocrates said, “The physician must be acquainted
with many things and assuredly with rubbing” (Massage Therapy).
Hippocrates had an oath for Medical Doctors to take. I
personally feel that this oath is ignored often when it comes to
the use of Massage Therapy and other fine sources of alternative
health. One version of the Hippocratic oath is printed below if
you are interested in reading it. The first few lines of the
oath seem to be conveniently avoided or forgotten by many of
todays Physicians. I have asked many of my clients if their
physician has ever recommended they get a massage without being
asked about it specifically. Very few of them have ever told me
yes. I have had a few clients that asked their physician
specifically about the benefits of getting a massage in order to
help them with their specific condition or problem. My
experiennce has been that less than half of these people report
that they were ever told by their Physician to pursue treatment
by a Professional Massage Therapist. On the other side of the
argument, I have several Physicians and Nurses that are clients
of mine and they have told me that they often refer patients to
get Massages. Most of these Physicians and Nurses have told me
they feel the reason that their patients do not always pursue
their recommendation is because massage is seldom covered by
medical insurance. Over the past years there have been many
studies providing an abundance of proof that certain kinds of
massage therapy are very effective for treating many conditions
when used as either a primary or secondary type of care. Many
insurance companies have put an end to paying for massage
therapy because of a few massage therapists that have billed the
insurance companies for massages that were not considered the
appropriate type of massage for that patient or clients
particular condition. Insurance companies expect hard evidence
from clinical studies that have shown that a particular massage
modality or technique has helped with a specific condition,
before they want to reimburse anyone for it. I can’t say that I
blame them for that because I would not want to pay for gasoline
if I was given a tank of water. Giving someone a simple
relaxation massage or Reiki treatment may be helpful, but isn’t
necessarily the best type of massage treatment for someone with
a specific condition such as low back pain, frozen shoulder,
carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, lymph drainage, migraines, sciatica
and many other conditions. Whereas a professional Massage
Therapist with proper training in one or more of these areas
would be much more effective in treating a specific condition
that they have been trained for.
Most of todays society has been conditioned to believe that
drugs are the fastest and best way to get better. Our society
today wants and expects a drug or procedure that can be
prescribed and can quickly cure whatever is bothering them. I am
not against the use of medical drugs or Physicians. In fact I
highly recommend that you find a Physician who is knowledgeable
about the use of certain drugs and when it is appropriate to use
them. Find a Physician that will take the time to really listen
to you and explain what is wrong, what drugs or other treatment
or procedures you may need, and why it will be of benefit to
you. I say this because I have had several clients that have
come to see me about muscular pain that they have been having.
Muscular pain that they have often seen more than one Physician
or other professional about. These clients tell me that they
still have no idea what is wrong with them or why they have the
pain. Many of them come to see me as a last resort, because they
have exhausted all of their other options. I often ask what they
were told or how they were treated for the pain that they are
having. I often hear them reply that they were given a
prescription for some type of pain reliever and told to rest.
Most of these pain relievers will either help to relax the
muscles because of the effect on the central nervous system or
help to reduce inflammation. These pain relievers often help to
reduce pain and that is about it. What I have found with these
clients is that they have been taking pain relievers for a long
time and have tried many different therapies, rest, heat, cold,
traction, ultra sound, etc… without any lasting results. Many
of those treatments can be helpful for many people but do not
always solve the problem. Massage doesn’t always solve the
problem either, but it has been my personal experience that many
of my clients have told me that it did do the trick for them and
that they are very thankful that they gave massage a try.
Sometimes, regardless of all they have tried, the pain continues
because the injury may have an excess of painful scar tissue or
keeps getting re-injured because of their daily activities. It
can even be because of swelling or tension in the muscle that
has caused a lack of blood flow to the area that causes it to
become ischemic (lack of blood flow). Blood flow is needed to
carry the cells that help to heal an area. Without good blood
flow it is unlikely to heal properly. Ischemic tissue may
collect toxins from the slow moving blood around it. Many of
those toxins cause trigger points to develop and cause pain in
the muscle.
So what can a professional Massage Therapist do that is
different for this type of muscular pain? The proper massage
given by a professional with knowledge of how to treat your
specific type of muscular pain may use friction and compression
to help reduce the amount of scar tissue in that area. Scar
tissue is not very flexible, but with massage it can be made to
be more flexible, thus reducing the amount of pain you may have
in that area. A good Massage therapist will be able to tell you
what muscle or muscles are likely to be causing your pain. They
should also be able to tell you what actions or movements these
muscles are responsible for making. This is important to know if
you need to rest the area, so that you do not re-injur it by
doing the same activities or movements that may have caused the
pain or aggravated an old injury. Massage will also help to
increase the blood flow in the affected area, allowing your own
blood to circulate better in the area of injury. This increase
in blood flow will carry cells that your body already uses to
heal injuries. These cells can then get to work on helping you
heal faster. The increase in blood flow will also help to carry
away any toxins from the affected area and help your body to
naturally dispose of them. In almost every case massage will
result in more flexibility, less formation of scar tissue, and
also help the area to heal properly.
So you see, pain relievers more often help to relieve the
symptoms and do not always treat the cause. Very few medical
drugs made will help your body to heal. They mostly cover up the
symptoms you are having. Although I have been told there are a
handful of drugs today that are used for specific conditions,
and I’m told that they can help the body to heal. Mostly they
are newer drugs and not commonly prescribed for everyday
conditions due to the expense and newness of them. Maybe in the
future we will have more medicines that will help the body heal
and can also be used on everyday conditions. But for now I
suggest that you have both a good Physician and a good Licensed
or Certified Massage Therapist on your side. Both that are
willing to work together to help you recover from whatever
conditions you may have. Your Massage Therapist as well as your
Physician should be willing to let you know if you have a
condition that requires someone else’s expertise or a
combination of therapies and treatment. Massage is not always
appropriate for all conditions and Massage Therapists do not
diagnose or treat disease. Massage Therapists do not heal you
because they simply use their skills to help facilitate your own
bodies ability to heal itself. Massage therapists are not
Doctors, but a good Licensed or Certified Massage Therapist will
have the training and skills to know when it may be necessary to
refer you to see someone else.
Article by Dwayne Crandall, LMT Visit [http://www.massagevillage.com] for more original content like this. Reprinting this article is permitted with this footer included.
Author: Dwayne Crandall
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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