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The ESL Times / Summer, 2003
Massage is Great for Alternative Healing
By: Giuseppe Battaglino
(Italy)
Massage has been practiced as a healing therapy for centuries in nearly every culture around the world. It helps relieve muscle tension, reduces stress, and evokes feelings of calmness.
The use of massage for healing purposes dates back 4,000 years ago in Chinese medical literature. A contemporary form of massage known as Swedish massage was introduced to the United States in the 1850s. Today, there are more than 125,000 massage therapists practicing in the United States and their numbers are growing rapidly.
There are nearly 100 different massage techniques, and each technique is designed to achieve a specific goal. The most common types practiced in the United States include Aromatherapy massage, Craniosacral massage, Lymphatic massage, Myofascial release, On-site/chair massage, Polarity therapy, Reflexology, Rolfing, Shiatsu, Sports massage, Swedish massage, and Trigger point massage. During a massage, scientists think that electrical signals are transmitted both to the local area being massaged and throughout the body. These signals can help to heal damaged muscle, stimulate circulation, and reduce pain and tension.
The basic philosophy of massage therapy encompasses the concept of the body’s ability to heal itself. Touch is the fundamental medium of massage therapy. Touch is not used solely in a mechanistic way in massage therapy; there is also an artistic component because touch is also a form of communication, so sensitive touch can convey a sense of caring – which is an essential element in a therapeutic relationship – to the person receiving massage. Studies have found that massage can relieve chronic back pain more effectively than other treatments. With all of these amazing benefits said to come from massage, why don’t you go out and try one today? You may feel rejuvenated, and healthier, than you have felt for a long time!
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Sacred Heart School of Theology
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