About Massage
Massage is possibly one of the oldest healing methods, which was practiced by several ancient cultures including Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese and Indians. It is the therapeutic properties of massage that help treat a variety of ailments. The reason is simple. Our skin is the largest organ of our body and is packed with nerve endings. So, a massage works by soothing soft tissue and encouraging relaxation.
The last few years have seen a revival of a wide interest in massage, as people turn to new means of handling and managing stress, pain and anxiety. Massage is fast emerging as one of the key short and long-term remedies for people to consider. It is rapidly gaining popularity as it provides instant relaxation and promotes euphoria and optimism after just an hour of therapy in experienced hands.
Massage therapy is the most natural healing method in the world as it involves just the use of hands to touch and heal. Massage therapy involves the magic of touch, which is now gaining status through scientific inquiry. Science is beginning to reveal why people love massages and the benefits available through regular visits.
To say that we lead stressful lives is an understatement. Don’t you often wish you had a magic wand that would relieve the stress and the body aches and leave you feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on the world again? Well, you don’t need a magic wand, just a simple massage. A massage will remake your being, without having to exercises or pop pills.
Massage is the most fundamental of all healing techniques. Massage is so basic to nature that we do it automatically. Massage is the most naturally healing thing you can do. The nurturing touch is simple, instinctual, and more powerful than we can imagine. Some of the many studies on touch show conclusively that it reduces stress, alleviates depression, reduces pain, boosts the immune system, and helps pre-mature babies catch up in their development. Without touch we close down. With touch we love, communicate, and nurture one another. So massage is not just a profession for a special few, it is part of the healing touch we all possess.
Because massage is naturally healing, its therapeutic use dates back as far as mankind. Ancient Greek, Roman, and Oriental medical treatises describe in detail how and when massage should be used. In the Western world it fell out of favor in the Middle Ages as the church regarded the body as sinful. But, by the 1800's, a new interest in massage was started in Sweden, and today there are many popular modalities of therapeutic massage and bodywork.
Massage professionals have spent years observing the benefits of using certain strokes and have developed systematic techniques to relieve the pain and stress of mankind. There are literally dozens of these therapies, each with their own association dedicated to supporting its members and promoting the benefits of their work.
From a physiological or mechanical engineering point of view, massage increases the lubrication between muscle fibers and allows the muscle to move optimally. Muscle fibers are designed to work independently of each other. When muscles dry out, or dehydrate, the fibers stick together and the muscle becomes stiff or ridged. As fluid is reintroduced, the muscle softens and regains its flexibility. As circulation increases between the muscle fibers, nutrients reach the cells and toxins are carried off more efficiently.
Aging is largely a process of dehydration. The less water in the body, the more quickly we age. As we dehydrate, we begin to shrink and as our muscles become smaller, our skin begins to wrinkle. Drinking lots of water and having regular massage is a great way to get rid of wrinkles.
At post mortem, muscle dehydration is found at every area of disease. This would lead one to believe that good circulation could possibly keep one healthy. Degenerative diseases like cancer and muscular sclerosis are anaerobic and cannot live in an oxygenated environment. Because blood carries oxygen to the cells, circulation is necessary for optimal health. The Bible teaches that life is in the blood. If this is true, we need the best circulation we can get. Massage increases circulation, hence, increases oxygen to the cells. It's time to get a massage.