By Gabriel Foster
We’ve all heard of massages and many of us have even experienced it, in one form or another. By a masseuse who happened to be an armature, loved one or professional. If the person knew what they were doing, you came away feeling like a million bucks. But what is massage, really?
Massage or massage therapy as it has come to be known in our time, began with the ancient Egyptians, then the Greeks and finally the Romans. Yes, these ancient cultures used massage therapy for both healing and pleasure. The science of massage therapy had also spread to other early cultures such as India, China and Japan. The last three went further by integrating it to form an integral part of their medicine and healing systems.
Massage is the organized form of touch. It is performed by the hands, elbows and forearms gliding over the skin and applying pressure to the underlying muscles by a system of movements. These movements involve stroking, rubbing, pressing and kneading. Massage is not panacea but can greatly aid in the normal functions of the body and restore balance to it.
How Massage Works
Massage works by the body responding to the various touch techniques performed on it. These touch techniques cause the body to engage in its normal functions. Massage itself acts like a natural stimulus for the body to respond with positive effects in different ways. Some of these therapeutic effects are stimulating the circulation of the blood and lymph, loosening of muscular tension, toning and firming the muscles.
When fibers stop sliding over each other easily, it’s most likely the cause of people not getting enough exercise, too much exercise, physical or mental tension. These factors cause the drop of any increase in muscle tone. The waste products from muscular activity, like carbon dioxide, lactic acid and urea, build up in the muscles. Massage therapy fosters drainage of those wastes, therefore restoring their normal functions.
Massage therapy also fosters the drainage of lymph, causing better circulation of blood. Because of this, the skin looks much better than if drainage was difficult. Why bother with the how the skin looks? Because the appearance of the skin is usually a good indicator of a person’s inner condition. In reference to muscles, massage therapy has a good effect on the fibrous tissue surrounding the joints.
The effects of massage upon the autonomic nervous system gives birth to the feeling of relaxation. How? By stimulating the sensory nerve endings located within the skin, signals are sent to the brain by the central nervous system. This in turn produces the experience of feeling good. Once again because of this action, a new reaction takes place by causing a significant reduction in the body’s stress level. When a person is relaxed, abdominal breathing becomes more natural. I can assure you, your abdominal organs appreciate this. It’s quite clear that the nervous system plays a crucial role in massage therapy. It’s also responsible for the vascular system, since it controls it. A decrease in efficient drainage and supply of blood is caused by a reduction in vascular.
Massage works by reducing stress, managing the body’s waste products, fostering normal bodily functions, providing a sense of wellbeing and boosting mental health.
The Logic of Massage
The gradual development of massage therapy into a full-blown art and science can be determined as only logical. When we fall, bruise or sustain any sort of physical injury, we usually tend to touch it. Even if that act produces no form of healing solution, or does it? Touch is very comforting to us. It reassures us, makes us feel loved and accepted. Whenever someone is in pain, we tend to want to hug, hold or touch that person in some way. Somehow sensing that the very act of physical contact will contribute to the overall holistic health of the person. Guess what? You are correct in that assumption.
Studies have shown that, touching among other comforting and intimate contact, does assist in the overall recovery and health of a person. Whether that person needs physical, mental, emotional or spiritual healing or comfort. In looking at the big picture, I see massage therapy continuing to play an important role in human history for a long time to come. What are you waiting for, join the legions of people who are enjoying and utilizing the benefits of massage therapy today.
Click the link for a definitive guide to soothing aches and pains with massage. Every technique needed to perform excellent work, including self massage on areas of your own body.
GF Wisdom | Massage is a dance with hands that leaves your body breathless and spirit touching heaven. ~ Gabriel Foster
