What is massage therapy?
Massage therapy is a manipulation of muscles, ligaments, tendons, skin, fascia, and joints in the body. It is a practice that has been around since the beginning of peopledom. In fact, ancient techniques are still employed in today’s modern world.
The benefits of massage are extensive. Not only can it help alleviate pain and aid in physical maladies and day-to-day functioning, but it impacts mental and emotional wellbeing. Relaxation, awareness, anxiety, and depression can all be aided and eased with massage therapy.
Massage boosts the immune system, relaxes and reduces anxiety, alleviates pain, reduces blood pressure and heart rate, stimulates lesser used muscles, increases endorphins, aids physical rehabilitation, and improves circulation (blood and lymph).
There are many different techniques and therapies in the field of massage. Some of these may be familiar to you already, even if you do not know specifically what they entail.
Swedish: Probably the most well known technique, and for good reason; it’s quite popular.
Acupressure is like acupuncture without the needles. Specific points are targeted and pressure applied to create a therapeutic effect.
Aroma Therapy is often used in tandem with other techniques. It consists of using fragrant oils for healing benefits. These oils can be applied to the skin or simply allowed to perfume the air thus allowing those nearby to receive benefits nasally.
Canadian Deep Tissue Massage: A technique that focuses on a muscle group working with the fibers of the muscle tissue to rejuvenate each level of muscle including deep tissue.
Deep Tissue Massage works to invigorate and stimulate the muscle issue on a deep level. It involves more intense manipulation and can provide tremendous benefits on many levels. Not only does it help release toxins from the body, it helps
Hot Stone Massage: Warm stones are used on the body with gentle pressure to provide a soothing, therapeutic sensation.
Infant Massage: Becoming more popular everyday, infant massage has been proven to help infants gain weight and speed development. It is taught to mothers as a way to bond with their new children.
Other techniques include Chi Nei Tsang, Reflexology, Shiatsu,Thai Massage, Amma Therapy, Alexander Technique, Aston Patterning, Bioenergetics, Bowen Technique, and Craniosacral Therapy.
Massage therapists are required to pass standardized tests in order to receive a license and become a registered massage therapist. Training is often completed at a trade, vocational, or career college and is usually completed in 2 years or less depending on the school and the program.
Massage therapy is considered a health field and massage therapy is often covered under many health plans because of its proven healing and beneficial results.
Massage is private and safe. Depending on the type of massage you receive, partial body, full body, 30 minute or longer, you may have to undress completely or not at all. The room should be warm and comfortable and there may be light music playing. If the environment makes you uneasy, do not hesitate to inform your therapist; a massage should be a relaxing and pleasant experience. This is true if you feel pain during any part of your massage experience. Some techniques are more intensive and may be a bit uncomfortable at times, but if you feel anything that makes you uneasy, do not hesitate to speak up.
Whether you are considering a career in massage therapy or if you are just interested in finding out more information about what it is and how it can benefit you cannot deny the value of a good massage.
Kate Leas is a freelance writer from Kansas City. Her current topics include education and the Internet. For more information on massage therapy education please visit: http://www.collegesearchengine.net/search.php?searchzip=&program=1
Tags: massage therapy, massage therapy education
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Did you know that there are 52 bones in your feet? That represents one quarter of all the bones in your body! With all these bones come 66 joints and more than 200 tendons, muscles and ligaments. These elaborate and at the same time delicate parts of our body are usually expected to serve us tirelessly as long as we need them to - without being pampered properly - in most cases…
With some small changes and paying some attention to your feet, you can greatly improve the way you feel and the way your feet feel.
Comfortable shoes are the first step to happy feet. Shoes too tight can actually degenerate our feet. Whatever the shape, height of the heels, color, material or preferred style of the shoes are, your feet should feel natural when you put them on. As soon as you change the summer shoes for enclosed (fall and winter) kinds, make sure you also wear breathable socks.
Besides that, while using soap in the shower; give your feet a cleansing/refreshing massage. Pay attention to the sensation of the tiredness washing away. Try not to neglect the area in between the toes. Your feet will be grateful.
Before bedtime it helps to apply some lotion or cream to your feet. If you take a minute or two to massage allover, that will relax you and also take lots of pain away. The whole body will be more energized and feeling better.
Described above is the minimum anyone can do without much effort or spending a lot of time. To move up to the next level, involve the foot exercise.
Exercising feet is just as beneficial as exercising any other part of the body. Walk barefoot sometimes, try to pick up a pencil with your toes, walk on your toes, then on your heals; on outsides of your feet and finally on insides of your feet. That way we can keep every part of the foot flexible instead of stiff or even frozen up.
Taking care of feet should become a daily routine (especially after they become painful on a daily basis). Exercising and applying lotion every night pays-off. If nothing else, your heels won’t be all that dry anymore and falling asleep will be so much easier.
Copyright © 2006 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.
Daria enjoys writing and researching. Her purpose is to make life simple without sacrificing the quality. Her findings are published via “Simple Living Guide” series. The complete guide on shipping internationally can be found on her webpage at: http://www.TheSunflowerGardens.com
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Tags: take care of your feet, easy living guide, bare foot, foot massage, happy foot, foot care, care for feet
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Proactive medicine on the other hand aims to maintain homeostasis. That is, it aims to maintain health on the physical, mental and emotional levels. The principle behind proactive medicine is prevention is better than cure. In traditional Chinese medicine, for example, patients used to visit their doctors while they were well and healthy and they paid the doctor for his/her services, however, if a patient became ill the treatments were free. The assumption being that the doctor did not do his/her job properly and therefore the patient become ill. Luckily, this is no longer the case, even in China.
If one of the doctor’s patients died, irrespective of the cause, the doctor was forced to hand a red lantern in his surgery and this would tell all his patients how many of the doctor’s patients had died. Boy, talk about having to be accountable.
Proactive medicine includes advising patients about diet, exercise, stress management and lifestyle choices. It also included the use of preventative forms of medicine, examples include: massage and aromatherapy treatments as well as Acupuncture, Chinese and western herbal medicine. Each of these forms of therapy or medicine acknowledges the fact, that there are ways to strengthen the body’s resistance to disease and maintain health and wellbeing.
The effects of massage for example, have been shown to work on a variety of levels. Physically, massage improves blood and lymph circulation, lowers blood pressure, improves immune and digestive system functioning and increases metabolism. Massage also speeds recovery time for athletes and others with injuries, as well as decreasing pain in many chronic conditions such as tension headaches, back problems and arthritis. Psychologically, massage calms the nervous system, decreases stress and boosts energy levels.
Aromatherapy, used as a proactive medicine, has similar effects to massage, with the additional benefit of the therapeutic properties contained in the essential oils.
In addition, Yoga and Tai Chi, both quite well known in the west these days, are forms of proactive medicine, as they aim to establish and maintain the energy balance of the body. Both these forms of ‘exercise’ are well documented in helping people to regain and maintain a good level of fitness, flexibility and overall health. They have been practiced for thousands of years in both India and China and have well and truly stood the test of time in terms of proving their effectiveness.
Both Tai Chi and Yoga improve overall fitness, balance, coordination, and agility. They have also been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rates, promote relaxation, and release stress and tension. People who practice Tai Chi or Yoga on a regular basis tend to have good posture, flexibility, and range of motion, are more mentally alert, and sleep more soundly at night.
Some other conditions positively affected by Tai Chi and Yoga include: Chronic pain and headaches, arthritis and osteoporosis, heart disease, depression and anxiety, high blood pressure, asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema, and many more. Tai Chi and Yoga thus perform a vital function as proactive medicines, with far-reaching benefits way beyond just physical fitness.
Similarly, the use of meditation and relaxation as proactive medicines are not to be underestimated. Generally speaking, meditation is an experience of relaxing the body, quieting the mind, and awakening the spirit. There are many types of meditation, and each has specific techniques and skills that can be learned. The benefits of meditation are, generally, quite extraordinary. For many people, the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual benefits of meditation might include: higher levels of energy, creativity, and spontaneity; lower blood pressure; increased exercise tolerance; better concentration; decreased depression and anxiety; fewer cravings for alcohol and cigarettes; increased job satisfaction, and better relationships with others, just to mention a few.
In short, proactive medicine is the best approach to establish and maintain a healthy mind, body and spirit.
Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.
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Tags: Proactive medicine, Alternative medicine, Massage, Aromatherapy, Acupuncture, Yoga, Tai Chi, Meditation
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