Everyone has been saying that massage has health and holistic benefits. And that it has medical uses. But what is a medical massage? And does it differ to a regular massage? Medical massage is orientation rather than a particular set of techniques. It is not general relaxation massage; it is anatomically precise and patient specific. The medical massage therapist combines education, training, experience and intuition to create an integrative manual-therapy approach to reducing the patient's soft-tissue related complaints. Using the term medical massage, rather than therapeutic massage is the first step toward describing the techniques and goals as one moves from a relaxation paradigm to a therapeutic, corrective and restorative paradigm. It seems to be accepted without protest from the allopathic medical practitioners.

It is sometimes defined as medically necessary massage, which is usually prescribed by a physician. Medical massage is generally practiced in relation to a specific goal focused on improving health of patients. It is very helpful for people who suffer from an assortment of health conditions. Generally speaking, medical massage is a noninvasive therapy that produces beneficial health results to those experiencing numerous health-related illnesses and injuries. According to an article written by Certified Senior Instructor, Boris Prilutsky - "... Medical Massage has been clinically and scientifically shown to bring about a vasodilartory effect that significantly reduces cardiac work."

Thus, medical massage is result oriented. The treatment is specifically directed to resolve conditions that have been diagnosed and prescribed by a physician. The therapist may use a variety of modalities or procedures during the treatment, but will focus that treatment only on the areas of the body related to the diagnosis and prescription. In order for massage therapists to state that they are treating someone, they must first be able to legally determine what it is that they are actually treating. Consulting and working together with a licensed doctor will give way to the best results in the course of the massage. Knowing what the problem and illness is will give way to the best and proper type of medical massage to be given.

Many in the field may think this is giving away their power to the physician, but nothing could be further from the truth. A physician can become our most powerful ally when we learn to work in a cooperative manner. Giving up the wannabe mentality will enable massage therapists to manifest their highest potential as a massage therapist.

All forms of massage therapy can be therapeutic when applied by a skillful and knowledgeable Therapist; therefore Medical Massage is not limited to any particular specific technique. The capacity to combine the intuitive and scientifically proven principles defines the art and science of medical massage therapy.

Manually applied therapy can be a logical treatment process and it is cost effective as well. If you are an individual with repetitive motions in your job, in your recreational activity, or just the daily stress of life itself, then you are a candidate for evaluation to determine which type of bodyworks therapy is most appropriate for you. As powerful as medical massage therapy can be, in certain cases it may be contraindicated. Please consult with your physician or health care provider to determine the appropriate treatment protocol.