Massage: A History, Uses, and Sustainability
Massage: What it is and Where it Came From
Many people think of massage as a touchy-feely or purely for relaxation experience, but in reality Manual Medicine is one of the most ancient healing modalities. In addition, it is easily one of the most sustainable forms of medicine available.
History:
Massage, in it's various forms, has been noted by historians and used by people for it's healing effects for as long as there has been civilization. Ever heard of the 'power of touch'? This philosophy of treatment, where touch is applied to the patient using oils, aromatics, various tools, or just with the hands in specific patterns, has been used since the time of ancient China. The original Chinese treatment form was called "Amma" or "Anma". Today Chinese medicine uses a form of massage called Tui Na. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, wrote in 460 BC "The physician must be experienced in many things, but assuredly in rubbing" a reference to the importance of manual therapies even in the ancient world.
What it does:
Throughout the millennia, as people have discovered more about the human body, manual therapies have evolved and specialized. Massage promotes the body's innate ability to heal itself. One of the main effects of massage is the down-regulation of the sympathetic (fight/flight) nervous system allowing for proper rest and recovery.
Massage itself takes on many forms, names, and intents depending on the country of origin, who taught it, and even the practitioner. What all forms work with, no matter what the purpose of the treatment, is the soft and connective tissues of the body. The main tissue treated is muscle and the musculoskeletal system, the largest system in the body. Other structures worked with are tendons, ligaments, fascia, joints, cartilage, and even organs.
Light and Relaxing Massage has been shown to improve circulation, lymph drainage, and decrease hypertension (high blood pressure), anxiety and depression. This facilitates the healing abilities of the body and works very well in conjunction with other modalities and treatment options.
Deeper massage is shown to loosen muscle, and break up tendon and ligament adhesions. This helps with proper healing of wounds through aligning scar tissue and removing restrictions.
Massage is a great option to speed the healing process after a major surgery or accident.
Purpose:
The Goal of Massage treatments is to remove restrictions of all sorts. Restrictions and damage to the soft tissues can be the cause of much pain and restricted movement in the body.
Remedial or Orthopaedic Massage:
Remedial massage, also know as Orthopaedic Massage, as the name implies is about finding a Remedy (remedial=remedy) for your pain. This is one of the most clinical and thourough treatment options. Working with a detailed assessment process, this branch of manual medicine looks for the root cause of the pain. It works holistically by treating the cause or underlying dysfunction to allow the person to heal fully, not just cover the pain.
Practitioners will commonly provide home care advice, and exercises to help to patient improve even without direct treatment.
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