What
is massage?
Massage is a natural
therapy that has been practiced for thousands of years. The earliest records of the use of massage as a therapy are from China
over 5,000 years ago.
Touch is one of our vital senses and is the most natural and instinctive response to pain.
Right from childhood, if we are hurt or injured, we naturally feel, rub or hold the affected area.
Massage therapy is a systematic, manipulation of the soft tissues
of the body using precise hand movements incorporating stroking and kneading techniques by skilled therapists.
Marian is an Holistic Massage Therapist and
has undertaken comprehensive training in not just massage techniques but also anatomy and physiology, the theory and
safe practice of massage, professional conduct and business awareness. Consequently she is able to treat a person as
a whole, taking into consideration the client's physical and emotional state together with any lifestyle/occupational
factors, to help facilitate the body's return to its natural state of harmony or 'homeostasis'.
What are the potential benefits of massage?
Massage therapy can address a whole host of health conditions,
the most prevalent being stress related tension. According to experts, stress related tension accounts for 80% to 90% of disease
and is on the increase.
Massage can have
a positive effect on the skin, muscles, blood vessels, lymphatic system, nerves and some of the internal organs. It also has many psychological and physiological effects, some physiological
effects include:
- Increasing
circulation and allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs.
- Stimulating the lymphatic system, the body's natural defence against toxins.
- Relaxing injured and over used muscles.
- Reducing spasms and cramp
- Increasing
joint flexibility
- Releasing endorphins, the
body's natural pain killer.
- Reducing recovery
time for strenuous workouts and helping to eliminate subsequent aches and pains suffered by athletes at all levels.
- Improving the range of motion and decreasing discomfort for patients
with low back pain.
- Providing exercise and
stretching for atrophied muscles and reducing shortening of the muscles for those with a restricted range of motion.
