Massage Therapy: Benefits of Massage

What is Massage Therapy?

Massage therapy helps manage different types of health issues. It enhances wellness. It involves manipulating the soft tissues in the body. Easter and Western culture have been practised massage therapy for a long time. This is one of the earliest tools that most people in the world used to try to get rid of the pain.

What are the Types of Massage?

The term or word “Massage Therapy” includes many different techniques, especially hand skills (hard and soft pressure). Swedish or classical massage therapy is a common form in the Western world.

It is the core of most massage training. Other styles: sports massage, Esalen massage, biodynamic massage, Amatsu massage, trigger point massage and more are given above. Most massages are relaxing, among them, clinical massages are used to accomplish specific objectives, for example, muscles spasms and relaxation.

Are Massages Helpful for Reducing Pain?

Doctors sometimes advise to take massage therapy, but strictly for treatment not for relaxation. Massage therapy has been studied for years. Several massages are used or given to reduce upper and lower back pain, neck or shoulder pain, pain that comes from osteoarthritis, headache to name a few. Here is what massage therapy is especially used for.

Foot Massage
Foot Massage

Is Massage Therapy Good for Cancer patients?

If you take appropriate precautions, then massage therapy is useful for caners. Though many doctors do not believe it is that much effective for cancer patients. Inasmuch as most massage therapies are for relaxation, so they are hardly useful for cancers and it has not clinically proven benefits. Though, the overall benefits of massage therapy can be taken. Massage therapy can be a part of supportive care for most cancer patients. Ask your doctors if you are eligible to take massage therapy before you use it. Moreover, few studies have shown that massage can relieve pain and anxiety that almost all cancer patients carry.

See Massage Therapy for Cancer

If you take both massage therapy and aromatherapy (use of essential oils), then you can attempt to reduce pain, anxiety, headache and stress in people suffering from cancer. A study had conducted in the year 2016 among 1,200 participants, who were suffering from cancers of different types and were in different stages and found massage therapy might help with pain and anxiety, but the quality of the evidence was very low.

For more information about massage and cancer, visit NCCIH’s fact sheet on cancer.

Massage Therapy Benefits

In accordance with the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, that has been included a comprehensive survey of CAM i.e. Complementary and alternative medicine use by the majority of Americans, which is an estimate of 18 million adults and 700,000 children had taken massage therapy in the previous year. Specialists in this domain or relevant domains believe massage is good for a variety of reasons and health-related purposes. The benefits of massage therapy are undeniable. It helps to relieve pain, good for rehabilitating sports injuries, reduce stress, anxiety and headache, increases relaxation, addresses depression and aid general wellness.

Licenses and Certifications

Different countries offer different types of courses and training programs in massage therapy. The basic things of all training programs and courses are the same. Usually, massage therapists get these three types of licenses and/or certifications.

  • LMT: Licensed Massage Therapist
  • LMP: Licensed Massage Practitioner
  • CMT: Certified Massage Therapist
Massage for stress
Massage for stress

Is Massage Therapy Complementary and Alternative Medicine?

Massage is not a medicine. Most massages are used as a complementary and alternative therapy. Massage therapy cannot be a mainstream medicine or therapy, not even it is comparable with physiotherapy. The benefits of massage therapy cannot be denied, but massage therapy is a complementary therapy. You should not use massage therapy instead of regular medical care. Do not postpone the medicines which you have been taking or you are asked to take. Take them regularly, side-by-side you can take massage after consulting your doctor.

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About the Author: Kabbyik

Kabbyik Mitra, a voracious reader and health writer. He is a health & lifestyle journalist. Kabbyik is a yoga enthusiast practicing yoga for last 7-year. He is a certified yoga therapist, a science writer, communicator and journalist. He has been practicing yoga and training people to live a healthy and happy life. Get in touch with him via email: yogatoall2016@gmail.com for any yoga related queries.

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