Massage is part art and part science. Hands manipulate the skin, muscles, soft tissues, joints, tendons and ligaments. The therapist strokes, kneads, squeezes, presses or taps to achieve the aim of treatment. The patient is made comfortable, and some lubricants like oil, cream, jelly or lotion are applied. The therapist keeps the patient covered and exposes only the area that he is working on. A typical massage session lasts about an hour.
The massage relaxes the muscles and soft tissues, improves circulation, stimulates the lymphatic system and calms the nerves.
There are a wide range of mental and physical disorders for which massage therapy is very beneficial. It eases tension, knots, cramps and spasms in the muscles. Massage therapy is a prime component of most relaxation therapies and stress management. As stress is perceived to be the root cause of many problems like cardiac diseases, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorder and hypertension, stress management via massage therapy is an excellent supporting treatment for these disorders.
There are quite a variety of massages - some for general purpose and some others targeting a specific problem. Some of the popular ones are Swedish massage, sports massage, shiatsu, acupressure, aromatherapy, neuromuscular therapy and prenatal pregnancy massage.
Although stress is a necessary part of life because a certain amount of stress can motivate and push us to perform at optimal level, too much stress can be distressing to our souls. Too much stress can lead to illnesses and constant bodily problems. This is where massage therapy can help us tremendously well. Massage therapists reckons that we should all consider going for massage therapy at least once a week in order to reap in the full benefits of massage therapy.