Massotherapy

The practice of using touch, rubbing and pressure as a healing method goes back to ancient history, and massage therapy is a significant part of medicine in many cultures. The first written records of massage therapy are found in China and Egypt, in the popular classic book on the internal medicine of the Yellow Emperor, and in incredible Egyptian tomb paintings depicting their medical traditions.

Given the long history of massage, its existence in Western medicine is still in its infancy. However, research into the healing properties of therapeutic massage is rapidly gaining momentum, and public demand for massage therapy is greater than ever.

Today, massage is widely practiced everywhere from spas, gyms, and workplaces to hospitals, nursing homes, and maternity hospitals. It is also widely used in physical therapy and rehabilitation to improve blood circulation and speed up the healing of damaged muscles. Once considered an “alternative” or “complementary” form of medicine, therapeutic massage is now one of the most recommended and sought-after practices when it comes to maintaining good health and well-being.

The essence of therapeutic massage

The primary use and essence of massage is that it can promote relaxation, treat painful muscle conditions, and reduce anxiety (often described as “stress relief”). Practitioners of masseurs claim that massage leads to short-term improvements in sleep disturbances and pain, conditions known to be exacerbated by anxiety.

Practitioners of masseurs and their patients also claim that massage improves self-esteem in people with physical disabilities and terminal illnesses. This result can be partly explained by the feeling of general well-being that usually occurs after a massage. Touch itself can be therapeutic, especially for patients with limited physical contact, such as those without close friends or family, or with painful physical pathologies.

Massage is also believed to help patients feel cared for. They are willing to face and discuss difficult psychological issues when they are less anxious, feel better, and trust their doctors. Massage therapists say that a sense of caring that leads to more intimate communication is one reason why massage can be an important step in effective counseling, such as dealing with mental health or addiction problems.

Other settings in which massage is used to develop communication and relationships include working with children with severe disabilities, where touch may be the primary means of communication. Also, some perinatal centers create “baby massage” groups in which new mothers learn massage as a way to improve relationships with their children.

Benefit

Massage can be used as a primary therapeutic intervention or as an adjunct to other therapeutic and rehabilitation approaches. This usage can help in the following situations:

• mobilization of interstitial fluids;
• reduction or elimination of edema;
• acceleration of local blood flow;
• reduction of soreness and stiffness of muscles;
• relief or relief of pain;
• formation of relaxation;
• prevention or elimination of adhesions.

Massage may be used to change the severity of a primary condition (such as contracture) or to prevent or reverse the harmful effects of a previously used treatment (such as radiation or chemotherapy).

Many studies have focused on the usefulness of massage for the treatment of low back pain. The researchers concluded that there is strong evidence for the effectiveness of massage therapy in relieving chronic non-specific low back pain. They also found evidence that massage provides short-term and long-term symptom relief, especially when combined with exercise.

Hospitalized patients who receive massage report improvements in mood, body image, self-esteem, and perceived levels of anxiety. This phenomenon is facilitated by a decrease in physical symptoms and stress, which may be accompanied by a decrease in tension, anxiety, and pain perception.

Another therapeutic effect obtained from massage is muscle relaxation. Massage reduces tone and improves blood circulation in the affected area. Muscle relaxation can also be the result of increased sensory stimulation caused directly by the massage. This increased sensory input to the spinal cord can lead to changes in reflex pathways resulting in a centrally modulating decrease in muscle tone.

Other effects of massage are enkephalin release, endorphin production, stimulation or absorption of fibrous tissue, restoration of connective tissue flexibility, improvement of lymphatic flow (7 to 9 times in some studies), and an increase in natural killer cells.

Harm

Massage can be harmful only if it is performed incorrectly, without taking into account contraindications and not by a professional massage therapist. Most of the side effects of therapeutic massage have been found to result from the actions of non-professionals or from the use of “exotic” massage practices other than classical style massage.

Although massage therapy is not completely safe, reports of serious adverse events have been rare.

Противопоказания

Massage is contraindicated if it may cause deterioration of a particular condition, unwanted tissue destruction, or spread of disease. Vascular thrombi, atherosclerotic plaques and infected tissues can spread or become complicated during massage. Absolute contraindications to massage include the following:

• thrombosis in the deep veins of the limbs (because increased blood flow in the limb can lead to the detachment of a blood clot from the vessel wall, creating an embolism);
• acute infection;
• bleeding;
• new open wound.

Relative contraindications include the following:

• not completely healed scar tissue;
• fragile, delicate skin;
• calcified soft tissues;
• skin grafts;
• atrophic skin;
• inflamed tissue;
• malignant tumors;
• inflammatory muscle disease;
• pregnancy.

The massage therapist should also be aware that massage should be used very carefully in patients with chronic pain and psychiatric disorders.

Types of therapeutic massage

Massage therapy is often a complex mixture of manual healing practices involving physical, emotional and spiritual components. There are a huge number of different therapies – in fact, there are over 200 different massage techniques and types that cater to different needs and provide different benefits.

Before deciding which type of massage is right for you, you should ask yourself what you want to achieve from the course. If this is relaxation and an opportunity to relieve stress, then a classic therapeutic massage will do. If you’re hoping to improve your athletic performance, then therapeutic sports massage is for you.

Talk to your massage therapist about what you want from a massage and get the most out of it. Many therapists use more than one form of massage and can customize the massage to suit your age, condition, or any special needs or goals you may have.

Massage treats and corrects:

• anxiety and depression;
• headache;
• symptoms of cancer and stroke;
• fractures and edema (as part of surgical rehabilitation);
• pregnancy and childbirth support;
• pain in the back, legs and neck;
• insomnia;
• chronic fatigue;
• sports injuries;
• muscle tension and spasms;
• stress;
• tendinitis and whiplash injury;
• palliative care is provided.

Massage can also be a regular part of the treatment of diseases and chronic conditions such as asthma and emphysema, arthritis and bursitis, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease, carpal tunnel syndrome. But before you come in for a session, let’s start by looking at some of the more common forms of massage.

Relaxing massage

Classic or any other relaxing massage is one of the most popular and effective methods. These types of massages target the upper layers of the muscles, using techniques such as gentle strokes, light muscle pulls, taps and vibrations to help release tension from the muscles.

Relaxing massage techniques go beyond just relaxation. It is exceptionally beneficial for increasing blood oxygen levels, reducing muscle toxins, improving circulation and flexibility while relieving tension. The movements used in these styles of massage warm up the muscle tissue, relieving tension, and gradually eliminating muscle spasms and swelling of the tissue.

Deep tissue massage

It works on the deep layers of the muscles, using deep, slow and smooth strokes to relieve tension that a relaxing massage can’t reach. It is especially useful for relieving chronic muscle tension in the deepest layers of muscle tissue, tendons and fascia. Neuromuscular massage is a type of deep tissue massage that specifically targets trigger points that cause knots, muscle strains, and headaches.

Therapeutic massage technique

In therapeutic massage, 5 basic movements are used:

• divergence;
• rolling;
• vibration;
• percussion;
• tapping.

During the session, you need to try to relax not only the body, but also the mind.

Therapeutic massage provides the following benefits:

• stretching and elongation of connective tissue and muscles;
• reduction of pain and discomfort;
• stimulation of well-being and relaxation;
• improving mobility.

One of the main goals of therapeutic massage is to accelerate the outflow of venous blood from the extremities, reducing recovery time by cleaning the tissues of lactic and uric acid and other metabolic waste.

Therapeutic massage is extremely beneficial and can help:

• relieve muscle tension;
• stimulate blood flow;
• break down and remove toxins;
• relax the nervous system and mind;
• increase oxygenation of the brain – saturate it with oxygen.

The proposed therapeutic effect is based on the individual needs of the individual, and not on general therapy.

Popular questions and answers

Our experts answered our massage questions.