An Introduction to Massage Therapy

A good definition for Massage Therapy is, the art or practice of applying unstructured or structured motion, pressure, tension, or vibration either manually or with the use of mechanical aids.  This would be applied to the soft tissues of the body, which would include the muscles, tendons, ligaments, connective tissue, joints, lymphatic vessels, reproductive system, and organs of the gastrointestinal system, all with the goal of achieving a beneficial response to the client.

Massage Therapy is usually performed by a professional Massage Therapist, but can often be used as a form of therapy by other Healthcare practitioners including Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, and Osteopaths.

Massage can either be applied to parts of the body, or successively to the whole body. This is done to aid the process of injury healing, manage pain, relieve psychological stress, and improve circulation. When massage is used for its mental, physiological, and mechanical benefits, it may be termed "therapeutic massage" or another term is manipulative therapy.

Massage can also be an important part of lovemaking (see the section about erotic massage).

Massage, when done in a professional setting, will involve the client being treated while  sitting upright in a massage chair, lying on a massage table, or with the client lying on a pad placed on the floor.

Except for modalities such as Tui Na, Thai Massage, Acupressure, Shiatsu, or Barefoot Deep Tissue Massage, the massage client will generally be unclothed or at least partially unclothed. This can also be referred to as disrobed. Their body would then be "draped" with towels or sheets.

Quick Facts About Massage Therapy A Honey Massage Yes, honey � the thick, sticky honey that you put on your toast. The stickiness, in fact, is crucial to the massage. First the massage therapist will put a dollop of honey on to the area he's going to massage. Then it's time for the laying on of hands � and the struggle to get them back off again. This process of trying to lift up your hands has an effect almost similar to a vacuum treatment � it lifts up the skin in a way that you couldn't do without the help of the honey. This is what brings the benefits: proponents of honey massage claim that it improves the circulation of blood directly under the skin, and helps the skin to regulate its temperature.

This practice of covering the parts of the clients body that are not involved in the massage is referred to as draping. This practice varies greatly from one part of the world to another. It is felt that the practice of draping makes a statement about the practitioners professionalism, and also provides a boundary for the massage session.  

Theraputic Massage Terms and Facts. Massage helps to relax the muscles, even between sessions. The muscles are warmed up and the increased blood flow helps the body remove lactic acid and other things that make the muscles feel stiff. This is also why it is very important to start any massage with long, slow stroking motions at pressure so that the blood can begin to flow to the muscles faster.

Draping also helps keep the client warm, as well as aids in the clients relaxation response. Some countries do require that certain areas of the body, such as the genital regions on both genders be draped, and also require that the breast/nipple area on female clients be draped.

The United States is one country which has adopted draping as a standard of the profession. While in some parts of Europe, as well as other parts of the world, you will find draping is not practiced at all.

Massage Therapy for Healthy Lives 07/21/2008 Healing Hands: Equine massage therapist loosens up horses, their riders (Arizona Daily Sun) The aroma that fills Dee Sunday's workplace is decidedly different than the fragrances typically associated with massage therapy. Instead of sniffing the sweet scents of creams and lotion, Sunday's customers wallow in the pungent smell of hay and manure. Healing Hands: Equine massage therapist loosens up horses, their riders (Arizona Daily Sun) 07/23/2008 National Health Concept Leader Massage Envy Donates To Massage Therapy Research (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) Massage Envy Donates $10,000 to the Touch Research Institute National Health Concept Leader Massage Envy Donates To Massage Therapy Research (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) 07/20/2008 Open & Shut: Business that focuses on massage therapy for women opens in Burlington (Burlington Times-News) Burlington Women's Massage and Wellness will hold its grand opening on July 30 at 607 Alamance Road. The business, on the second floor of Bodies in Progress, will focus on massage therapy for women, said owner Sarah MacDonald. Open & Shut: Business that focuses on massage therapy for women opens in Burlington (Burlington Times-News) 07/20/2008 Open & Shut: Business that focuses on massage therapy for women opens in Burlington (Burlington Times-News) Burlington Women's Massage and Wellness will hold its grand opening on July 30 at 607 Alamance Road. The business, on the second floor of Bodies in Progress, will focus on massage therapy for women, said owner Sarah MacDonald. Open & Shut: Business that focuses on massage therapy for women opens in Burlington (Burlington Times-News) 07/23/2008 Parlor Tricks? 'Masseuses' Caught in Stings (ABC News) A pair of busts net dozens of women selling sex under guise of massage therapy. Parlor Tricks? 'Masseuses' Caught in Stings (ABC News) 07/21/2008 Q & A: For $5 you, too, can get a massage at a Honkers' game (Post-Bulletin) If you've ever attended a Rochester Honkers baseball game, you've probably said 'Hi' to Sharon Coleman. She's the bubbly professional massage therapist who has set Q & A: For $5 you, too, can get a massage at a Honkers' game (Post-Bulletin) 07/20/2008 Open & Shut: Business that focuses on massage therapy for women opens in Burlington (Burlington Times-News) Burlington Women's Massage and Wellness will hold its grand opening on July 30 at 607 Alamance Road. The business, on the second floor of Bodies in Progress, will focus on massage therapy for women, said owner Sarah MacDonald. Open & Shut: Business that focuses on massage therapy for women opens in Burlington (Burlington Times-News) 07/23/2008 Parlor Tricks? 'Masseuses' Caught in Stings (ABC News) A pair of busts net dozens of women selling sex under guise of massage therapy. Parlor Tricks? 'Masseuses' Caught in Stings (ABC News)