Massage - Your Health and the Various Types of Massage

A weekly body rub may seem an indulgence, but new research suggests it can be a major stress management technique. First of all, there are lots of different kinds of massage therapy. There’s the old tried and true Swedish technique. If you're plagued with insomnia or simply need to relax, the Swedish technique, with its long soothing strokes may be all that you need. But if you suffer from painful muscle spasms or need to rehabilitate an injured joint, deep tissue massage may be more useful for you.

Then there’s MLD, Rolfing, myofascial release. There’s deep tissue massage and neuromuscular therapy. There’s Trager work and craniosacral therapy and healing touch and shiatsu.

In fact, getting any kind of massage is always in the top ten tips for stress management.

Well, in some ways it is. If you go to the yellow pages and look up Massage Therapist, you’ll find lots of people who’ll give you a standard treatment which will probably resemble what you, in your effort to get healthy, think of as massage. You’ll have to take off your outer clothes and lie on a special table with a sheet or blanket over you and maybe a pillow under your knees and the massage therapist will use some cream or oil to make it easier for her or his hands to move over your body.

The therapist will press gently on various parts of your body and maybe use a little more pressure on other parts. Some parts of your body will be very sensitive and might actually hurt as the therapist applies a little pressure. But the application of that pressure will eventually help those places to stop hurting and help you get healthy.

One of the places that usually hurts a lot is the lower back. Your lower back takes a lot of abuse and as a result, those muscles tend to tighten up quite a bit. What a relief to have someone just gently rub those muscles till they release. You’ll feel like a new person.

Getting yourself a massage is real gift. You just lie there on the table. You have nothing to do and nowhere to go. The therapist may ask you some questions about what part of your body hurts and how it hurts. But, in general, you don’t have to think about anything at all for one whole hour. What a heavenly experience! What a way to get healthy!

Let’s take a few moments and look at a few of the many kinds of massage therapies available. Please pardon the use of technical language but that’s what it takes to describe some of these modalities.

Swedish Massage

Acupressure is the ancient healing art that uses fingers to stimulate key points along the meridians (energy channels) to activate the body's response to get healthy. Acupressure and Acupuncture use the same points but acupressure does not use needles to help you get healthy. Symptoms are considered to be an expression of the condition of the body as a whole. ( Holding a point on your foot may assist in relieving a digestive problem.) It’s believed that tension in the muscles blocks the flow of energy (Chi) not only in the muscles but in the associated internal organs.

Amma (sometimes spelled anma) is the traditional word for massage in the Japanese language. It comes from the Chinese tradition of massage, "anmo." This form of bodywork is based on the principles of Chinese medicine and is more than 5,000 years old. When anmo was brought to Japan, the technique was further refined into its own therapeutic art form, amma. The amma techniques are made up of a myriad of pressing, stroking, stretching and percussive manipulations with the thumbs, fingers, arms, elbows, knees and feet on acupressure points along the body's 14 major meridians. Amma brings to Western culture the ancient art and wisdom of traditional Japanese massage. Unlike Western massage, amma uses no oils and can be done through clothing with the client either sitting up or lying down. This makes amma an extremely flexible style of massage suitable to a wide variety of client needs and environments.

Craniosacral Therapy works with the spine, the dural tube, meningeal membranes and the movement of the cerebrospinal fluid from the brain into the spine and the sacral region.

The Craniosacral system is a recently recognized, functioning physiological system. The anatomical parts in the Craniosacral system are:

It used to be believed that the adult human skull bones were solidly fused by calcification and that movement was impossible. However, Dr. William Sutherland became convinced that the bones of the cranium were designed to move in relation to each other throughout life. Through experimentation, he was able to sense minute rhythmic motions of the cranial bones in humans of various ages.

There is a physiological rhythmic activity that is unique to the Craniosacral system and it allows only certain fluids to pass through the membranes. The Craniosacral system influences all the other systems of the body in their effort to get healthy.

One view is that cerebrospinal fluid affects the structures of the brain, the spinal system and the sacral system. Related to the spinal and sacral system is the nervous system which influences and is influenced by the visceral organs located in the thoracic and abdominal cavities and the pelvic region. This also means that it is related to the movements of the limbs as a consequence of the nervous system and the orchestration of the internal organs.

Simply put, if there is a restriction to the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid (from the brain and through the dural tube into the sacrum), this restriction will inhibit the natural functions of the physical structure in that region as well as the other biological function pertaining to the internal organs in the region. Of course, when one organ system is affected there is a cascading effect and, as a consequence, other systems are affected and then it becomes more difficult to get healthy.

Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle, powerful hands-on technique to help detect and correct imbalances in the Craniosacral system that may be the cause of sensory and neurological dysfunction. The rhythm of the Craniosacral system can be detected in much the same way as the rhythm of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. But unlike those body rhythms, both evaluations and corrections of the Craniosacral system can be accomplished through palpation.

Craniosacral Therapy is used for a myriad of health problems including headaches, neck and back pains, TMJ dysfunction, chronic fatigue, motor coordination difficulties, eye problems, endogenous depression, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, central nervous system disorders, autism and migraine headaches, as well as many other conditions.

Techniques which utilize deep tissue/deep muscle massage are administered to affect the sub-layer of musculature and fascia. These techniques require more advanced training and a more thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology. The muscles must be relaxed in order to effectively perform deep tissue massage, otherwise tight surface muscles prevent the practitioner from reaching deeper musculature. It helps with chronic muscular pain and injury rehabilitation, and reduces inflammation-related pain caused by arthritis and tendonitis.Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD)

Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) has been successfully used in Europe for decades in the treatment of primary and secondary lymph edema. Lymph edema is a protein rich swelling of the limbs that can be very uncomfortable.

In the 1930s, lymph nodes were frequently removed because they were considered to be malfunctioning when swollen. Removal further compromised the body's ability to fend off infections and get healthy. Today we acknowledge the importance of the lymph system - to remove, clean and store waste products and toxins in the body.

Since there are contra-indications and precautions to observe when treating lymph edema, it is advisable that you find a certified MLD therapist. MLD should always be applied with a very light skin technique by a trained individual who is mindful of the flow of lymph into the specific lymph nodes. MLD has also proven beneficial for treatment of allergies, skin problems - acne, scar tissue - fibromyalgia, and other conditions ranging from stress-related disorders to autoimmune reactions.

The term Myofascial is derived from the Greek "myo", meaning "Muscle," and "fascia." Fascia is a thin layer system of tough connective tissue that weaves it way throughout the body surrounding, supporting all muscles, organs and bones of the body.

In its natural state fascia is elastic and relaxed. However, fascia can become constricted due to trauma and thus becomes a block in your effort to get healthy. Physical trauma can be caused by an accident or an operation or poor postural habits. Mental trauma can also cause afflictions; for example, emotions and moods which alter our energy system can in turn affect our posture. If the emotional states continue then poor posture becomes habitual and stress is placed on the system thus causing constriction.

Fascia is said to have a tensile strength of up to 2000 pounds per square inch. This being so, if it is distressed, it can place incredible strain on a bone or organ. Conversely releasing the stress can allow the bone or organ to move back into its original condition and help further your effort to get healthy.

Myofascial Release uses a gentle form of stretching, which is slow and continuous in the area of restriction. Since it’s slow and gentle, it’s non-threatening and allows and encourages the fascial system to release and be restored to a relatively stress free state. Because of the continuity of the fascial system, a seemingly unrelated area of the body could be affected. Hence, with each individual the approach is specific to that their condition and the therapy cannot be used recipe style.

As with other systems the attempt is to remove the causes of the affliction at deeper and deeper levels until dysfunction is eliminated and homeostasis is restored.

Rolfing^® is a progressive, systematic approach to releasing patterns of stress and impaired function from the body through hands-on physical manipulation and education. Rolfing was developed over the course of 50 years of research by Biochemist, Dr. Ida P. Rolf.

Rolfing is sometimes referred to as Structural Integration, and Structural Integration is the generic term used for the type of therapy that was taught by Dr Rolf.

Rolfing focuses on the network of fibrous connective tissue called ''fascia'', that envelops every muscle, muscle group and organ. Its role in the body is to protect and support muscles and organs. In its healthy state, fascia is elastic, moving freely with muscles and bones. When subjected to trauma or prolonged stress, the fascia begins to lose its elasticity, becoming shorter and more dense. It can contract muscles and pulls joints out of alignment. A body out of alignment is a body that does not function at its best, a body that feels old or a body in pain. And it's certainly not a body that is a part of your plan to get healthy.

By returning elasticity to the fascial network, this work guides your body to a natural ease of flexibility, resiliency, balance and energy.

Also called chair massage, seated massage provides fully-clothed seated massage, bodywork and somatic therapies to clients, generally in a corporate or business setting. Practitioners use shiatsu, amma and/or Swedish techniques.

Developed in Japan, shiatsu is a finger-pressure technique which works with the traditional acupuncture points of Oriental healing. Similar to acupressure, shiatsu concentrates on unblocking the flow of life energy and restoring balance in the meridians and organs in order to promote self-healing. With the client reclining, the practitioner applies pressure with the finger, thumb, palm, elbow or knee to specific zones on the skin located along the energy meridians. The treatment brings about a sense of relaxation while stimulating blood and lymphatic flow. And good lymphatic flow is essential for you to get healthy. The benefits of this treatment may include pain relief and a strengthening of the body's resistance to disease and disorder.

One of the most commonly taught and well-known massage techniques, Swedish massage is a vigorous system of treatment designed to energize the body by stimulating circulation. Five basic strokes, all flowing toward the heart, are used to manipulate the soft tissues of the body. The disrobed client is covered by a sheet, with only the area being worked on exposed. Therapists use a combination of kneading, rolling, vibrational, percussive and tapping movements, with the application of oil, to reduce friction on the skin. The many benefits of Swedish massage may include generalized relaxation, dissolution of scar tissue adhesions and improved circulation, which may speed healing and reduce swelling from injury and enhance your effort to get healthy.

Developed through the collaboration of a nursing professor and a spiritual healer, Therapeutic Touch is based on ancient energy healing methods. Practitioners, primarily nurses, are trained to feel or sense energy imbalances in the patient and to use laying on of hands to disperse blocks and direct healing forces to the patient's body. The therapist uses a light touch or holds the hand above the body, with the client generally seated. The therapist uses a relaxation technique to center and strengthen the connection to the patient's energy system.

Therapeutic Touch has been applied in an assortment of medical situations, including the care of premature infants and emergency room patients. It is known to induce a state of relaxation within minutes and that's certainly a way to get healthy. Therapeutic Touch is considered safe because of its gentle, noninvasive approach. Developers of this technique affirm that everyone has the potential to heal with Therapeutic Touch and may be taught the methodology in one day.

You’re beginning to see how much there is to the world of massage therapy. What you’ve seen here is only the tip of the iceberg. These techniques are the ones most available to the general public. You would be doing yourself a favor by finding a way to get yourself a massage at least once a month and more often if you possibly can.

To learn more about massage therapies and other healing techniques visit our Healing Page where many more kinds of massage techniques are presented to you in our effort to help you get healthy.

Copyright - Zivah Enterprises - All rights reserved.

Better living is only a wand away.
Get the scoop on something incredible enough to make you a hero to everyone you know. CLICK HERE to check out Amega Global. Their Zero Point Energy and healthy life products will knock your socks off.

Massage Techniques

New! Comments