In massage therapy, a certified and trained medical professional (massage therapist) manipulates the soft tissues of the muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, and skin of the body. The massage therapist uses different degrees of pressure and movement to provide relief from pain and tension. Massage is generally considered part of integrative medicine and can be used to treat a variety of conditions. Specialized massages, such as water massage, are performed with people submerged in warm water or with water that enters as a strong stream.
Research has shown that massage can lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and increase blood circulation and lymph flow. It also relaxes muscles, improves range of motion, and increases endorphins, which may improve medical treatment. The first massage therapy clinics in the United States were opened by two Swedish doctors after the Civil War period. Sports massage uses massage techniques and tools to help the client achieve goals, such as relieving aches and pains, warming up their muscles, or helping the athlete deal with stress or anxiety before a game or event.
Other national organizations include the American Association of Massage Therapists and Associate Body and Massage Professionals. For example, massage can reduce anxiety, improve lung function in young patients with asthma, reduce psycho-emotional distress in people suffering from chronic inflammatory bowel disease, increase weight and improve motor development in premature babies, and can improve immune system function. Newly established National Massage Certification Board provides continuity for the profession and national certification. In the initial session, the massage therapist will ask you questions about your health and the symptoms you experience to determine what is the best way to treat you. Preemies treated with daily massage therapy gain more weight and have shorter hospital stays than babies who do not receive massage.
Massage for babies is a way to encourage physical interaction and stimulate the development of the relationship between parents and children. A doctor's recommendation is appropriate before a child with a health condition receives massage therapy. Conceptual models were developed for research and clinical practice, and a definition for the practice of massage therapy was identified. A combination of massage techniques for 52 subjects with trauma-induced spinal pain led to significant improvements in acute and chronic pain and increased flexibility and muscle tone. Improved blood circulation due to massage and muscle stimulation helps optimize blood supply.
Treatment follows a medical history, which is usually relatively short compared to other complementary therapies, but the duration varies depending on the patient's condition and the indications for the massage. Athletes who seek the benefit of massage therapy, no matter the type, often receive the benefit of fascial techniques. Massage therapy is an effective way to reduce pain, improve range of motion, increase endorphins, reduce anxiety, improve lung function in young patients with asthma, reduce psycho-emotional distress in people suffering from chronic inflammatory bowel disease, increase weight and improve motor development in premature babies, improve immune system function, reduce acute and chronic pain, increase flexibility and muscle tone, optimize blood supply, encourage physical interaction between parents and children with health conditions.
