As the lifestyle of people is changing, so are their needs. Earlier, people used to live carefree life but with the change in times, the hustle bustle of city life has made it difficult for the common man to lead a healthy and satisfied life. Different types of tensions revolve around man and make him totally helpless. For relieving the burden and tensions of life, people have now shifted to taking massage therapy. This therapy is a highly beneficial practice that involves the soothing and relieving of muscles and other tissues in the human body.
All About Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is also considered to be the best tension buster and in some cases this therapy is an integral part of the CAM or the complementary and alternative medicine. The term "massage therapy" does not only include the different practices and techniques that are used to soothe the senses of the patient, it also covers a large number of related practices as well due to the fact that the massage therapy includes approximately 80 kinds of different therapies.
The main intent behind the massage therapy is to relax the muscles and tissues of the person thereby increasing the oxygen and blood delivery to the areas where massage has been performed and in turn decrease the level of pain suffered.
Various Kinds Of Therapies
The different types of massage therapies include the following:
Trigger point massage
In this type of massage therapy, the therapist uses different strokes of strong pressure in order to relax the trigger points or knots.
Swedish massage
Long strokes are given to the person along with muscle friction and kneading in order to make the joints flexible.
Deep tissue massage
Deep finger and hand pressure is given on the particular parts of the patient's body where the muscles and tissues are knotted or tight. Focus is paid on the muscle layers that are located deep inside the skin.
Shiatsu massage
In this kind of massage therapy, the professional applies rhythmic and varying pressures from his fingers on the body parts, which are crucial for the vital energy flow.
Reflexology
This type of massage therapy is popularly known as the zone therapy and the main focus of the therapy is paid on the ears, hands and feet of the person. Foot reflexology is the more famous of the other two-reflexology therapies.
Thai massage
This is also called as the Thai yoga massage therapy and involves the unblocking of the energy pathways. In this kind of therapy, the person getting the massage remains completely clothed and the therapist begins to give the compression massage on the body parts that need special care. The patient is made to be placed in different yoga like postures in order to relax the muscles and soft tissues.
In all of the different types of massage therapies, the professional therapist rub, press and manipulate the soft tissues and muscles of the respective person often varying the movement and pressure exerted in the massage. The therapists use their fingers and hands but in some cases when there is a need to do stronger massages, even the elbows, feet and forearms can be used to relieve the patient.
These days, it seems like everyone is hawking some new "natural health" or "alternative medicine" cure. Many such cures are marketed with pie-in-the-sky promises and sweeping statements that it can be very tough to evaluate. Unfortunately, the people selling such cures rarely seem concerned with providing any empirical evidence that these treatments work at all. This is a problem. Not only are people getting ripped off pursuing bogus techniques that don't work, they are also missing out on legitimate ones that do!
One such technique is massage therapy, which research has shown to have many significant health and wellness benefits. In this article, we'll explore a few of the most valuable benefits, as corroborated by various hospitals and studies.
One of the better-known benefits of massages is that they reduce anxiety and stress. This is usually taken on faith, but recent research has found that it is actually true! According to medical school students at the University of Medicine and Dentrist in New Jersey, students who recieved massages before an exam displayed a significant drop in anxiety, and an increase in white blood cell production. This suggests that massage therapy can create a calmer inner state before a stressful situation, as well as bolster one's immune sysetm and natural defenses.
High blood pressure is a major health concern, and massage therapy has been shown to assist in fighting it. A 1999 study entitled "High blood pressure and associated symptoms were reduced by massage therapy" found that study participants who recieved twice-weekly massage therapy reealized decreases in sitting diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Lower scores for hostility, depression, and anxiety were also found in the study's participants.
Still another study indicated that autistic children were less erratic and uncontrollable in their behavior after recieving massage therapy. This is an undeniable benefit that any parent of an autistic child would instantly recognize as valuable.
Besides making chronic medical problems less burdensome, massage therapy also helps people feel more comfortable in their day to day lives. For instance, research has shown that office workers who recieved regular massages were "" than co-workers who did not recieve massages.
Of course, one major reason people turn to massage therapy is for the mental benefits it offers. Our body is neither strictly biological (physical) nor strictly cognitive (mental); rather, it is more like hammock that swings back and forth until some type of balance is achieved. For this reason, the physical effects of a good massage (lower blood pressure, relaxed muscles, easier breathing) can directly translate to an improved mental state, such as greater peace of mind, the relief of mental stress, and the ability to think more calmly and rationally about problems and conflicts.
Sadly, some promoters of massage therapy still stretch the truth by claiming it can help you beat cancer or various other incurable diseases. There are several websites dedicated to these and other which you would do well to investigate. While these outrageous claims should not be taken seriously, they should also not overshadow the many true, empirically-backed benefits massage therapy can offer a person who has realistic expectations.
Both Apisrisak Sukpo & Fred Jones are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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