About Massage Therapy
What is massage therapy?
Massage therapy is defined as any method of treatment of the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and lymphatics, using techniques consisting of rubbing, stroking, pressing, shaking, kneading or percussion. Massage techniques are typically applied with the hands, elbows or arms. Generally, the intent is to relax the soft tissues, increase delivery of blood and oxygen to the massaged areas and to decrease pain.
Massage therapy was first documented in the The Yellow Emperor's Classics of Internal Medicine, written in China in around 1000 BC. The earliest known medical text, it mentioned the treatment of paralysis and reduced circulation using massage. During China's T’ang dynasty (619-907 AD), the Imperial Medical Bureau offered a three-year training program for doctors of massage, including the treatment of fractures, diseases, injuries and wounds. Today, it is understood that massage therapy cannot literally treat or cure any disease or dysfunction, but it can certainly be of great benefit in the treatment of the symptoms of many diseases and dysfunctions.
The ancient Greeks used massage on athletes before and after sport. It was thought to prepare the muscles before activity and remove extra fluid and metabolites after sport, a theory still in use today. Circa 460-375 BC, Hippocrates discussed "gently rubbing" a dislocated shoulder following reduction to aid in healing.
The use and understanding of massage therapy developed over time until the late 19th century when it became mistakenly known as Swedish massage. While Per Ling of Sweden often receives credit for systemizing massage, it was actually the Dutch practitioner Johann Georg Mezger who standardized the system. The six basic Swedish massage strokes (effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapotement, compression and vibration) now form the foundation of many forms of massage therapy.
Massage therapy as a separate profession was formally introduced to the United States in 1917, when the Surgeon General set up a rehabilitation process for soldiers wounded in the First World War. This process included the training of massage therapists to European standards.
Today there are higher standards of education, research on the effectiveness of the different techniques, the existence of laws regulating the profession, as well as professional associations. These advancements signal to the public, other healthcare practitioners and third-party payers that massage therapy is a respectable and effective profession.
Who uses massage therapy?
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) reports that, according to recent reviews, people use massage for a wide variety of health-related reasons. For example, it is used to relieve pain (often from musculoskeletal conditions, but from other conditions as well), rehabilitate sports injuries, reduce stress, increase relaxation, address feelings of anxiety and depression and aid general wellness.
In a 2002 survey of Americans' use of complementary and alternative medicine, 33% reported that massage was suggested by a conventional medical professional and 60% believed that massage would help when combined with conventional medicine; 13% tried massage because they felt that conventional medicine was too expensive. A recent survey by the American Hospital Association showed that nearly 82% of hospitals that use some form of complementary or alternative care use massage therapy, with 70% of those hospitals using massage for pain management and pain relief.
What are the benefits of massage therapy?
Scientists are studying massage to understand what effects massage therapy has on patients, how it has those effects and why. Some aspects of this are better understood than others. For example, it is known that changes occur in the muscles when certain forces are applied to them and that massage therapy typically enhances relaxation and reduces stress. Stress makes some diseases and conditions worse.
There are many more aspects that are not yet known or well understood scientifically, however. Some of the proposed theories, according to the NCCAM, are that massage:
- might provide stimulation that may help block pain signals sent to the brain;
- might shift the patient's nervous system away from the sympathetic ("fight or flight") nervous system and toward the parasympathetic ("rest and digest") nervous system;
- might stimulate the release of certain chemicals in the body, such as serotonin or endorphins;
- might cause beneficial mechanical changes in the body, including the prevention of fibrosis (the formation of scar-like tissue) or increasing the flow of lymph (a fluid that travels through the body's lymphatic system and carries cells that help fight disease);
- might improve sleep, which has a role in pain and healing;
- might provide some health benefit from the interaction between therapist and patient.
More well-designed studies are needed to understand and confirm these theories and other scientific aspects of massage.
What are the risks of massage therapy?
The NCCAM states that there appear to be few risks associated with massage therapy when it is provided correctly by a trained massage professional. A very small number of serious injuries have been reported, and they seem to have occurred mostly because cautions were not followed or a massage was given by a therapist who was not qualified.
Side-effects vary, depending on the individual response of the client and the specific type of massage treatment provided. Possible side-effects might include temporary pain or discomfort, minor swelling or bruising and temporary light-headedness. A good massage therapist will always work within your pain tolerance and advise you of any possible side-effects of your particular treatment. You should also be aware of potential sensitivities to the ingredients in massage oils and lotions.
Before receiving a massage, ask your therapist about his or her training, experience and licensing credentials. Be sure that your therapist is licensed and is a member of a national certification organization such as the American Massage Therapy Association, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals or the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.
References:
Fiona Rattray,
R.M.T. and Linda Ludwig, R.M.T., Clinical
Massage Therapy: Understanding, Assessing and Treating over 70
Conditions (Elora,
Ontario: Talus, 2005).
National
Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
(National
Institutes of Health)
American
Massage Therapy
Association
Massage Therapy Q & A
Do you have a question about massage therapy? Send me an email and I'll get you the answer.
Q: When is a good time to get a massage?
A: Any time is a good time to get a massage. In terms of relaxation, too many people wait until they are so stressed they feel they might explode before they make an appointment with their massage therapist. Get a massage before you get to that boiling point. Regular massage can work wonders as preventative care for a person's body and mind.
Regular massage therapy has been shown to lower cortisol levels, thereby reducing the effects of stress or distress on your entire body. It may improve the efficiency of your immune system, making you less susceptible to illness. Regular massage therapy also helps to keep your body loose and limber, decreasing the risk of injury.
If you have recently been injured, it may be time to see your massage therapist in order to aid your rehabilitation. Lymphatic drainage techniques can reduce swelling and inflammation in an acute injury, while easing the tension in other parts of your body that are working overtime to compensate for the injured body part. As the injury heals, massage can relax the muscles around the injury that are holding tension to guard the site. The overall effect is to increase local circulation, bringing nutrients to the injured site and transporting waste products away.
Massage
therapy can also help to break down and limit scar tissue at
or below the surface of your skin. Massage therapy on a maturing scar
can result in more mobility at the injured site. An immobile or
restrictive scar can lead to further pain and/or dysfunction.