Info
Massage is the practice of manipulation of the soft tissues of the body in order to fulfill any of several physical, functional/mechanical, and/or emotional goals. This may be achieved via structured, unstructured, stationary, and/or moving pressure, tension, motion, or vibration — manually or with mechanical aids. The target tissues may include muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, joints, or other connective tissue, as well as, lymphatic vessels, and/or organs of the gastrointestinal system. Massage can be applied to parts of the body or to the whole body, to aid the process of treating scar tissue from injury or surgery, relieve psychological stress and improve mood and/or induce sleep, manage pain, moderate or eliminate migraine or sinus headache, and improve circulation. Therapeutic benefits include lengthening of muscles, treating muscle tension, spasticity and/or contractures, and freeing restrictions between layers of myofascia. Massage Therapy can be performed by a professional Massage Therapist, or by other health care practitioners such as Chiropractors, Osteopaths and/or Physical Therapists although the former are less likley to perform a full body massage.In professional settings, massage involves the client being treated while lying on a massage table, sitting upright in a massage chair, or lying on a pad on the floor. Except for modalities such as Acupressure, Shiatsu, Tui Na, Thai Massage, or Barefoot Deep Tissue, the massage subject is generally unclothed or partially unclothed, also referred to as disrobed, and their body would be "draped" with towels or sheets. The practice of covering the parts of the body that are not being massaged is referred to as draping and its practice varies from one part of the world to another. The client and therapist should discuss the type of treatment expected which includes the intention of the massage (relaxation,invigoration, etc.), preferred techniques, areas to be massaged and to be avoided, and the amount of pressure that is comfortable. Professional massage therapists often gather the patients medical history, informed consent, and data on their current physical condition.
Many types of practices are associated with massage they include Bodywork (alternative medicine), manual therapy, and Energy Therapy. Other names for massage and related practices include hands-on work, body/somatic therapy, body-mind integration, and somatic movement education. Body-mind integration techniques stress self-awareness and movement over physical manipulations by a practitioner. Therapies related to movement awareness/education are closer to Dance and movement therapies. Energy therapies such as Therapeutic touch utilize little touch and often work with energy fields around the body. Massage can also have connections with the New Age movement and alternative medicine as well as being used by mainstream medical practitioners.