Massage therapy is more than just a relaxing spa treatment, and goes beyond being just a luxury. There are many compelling health benefits to massage, as well as therapeutic touch healing, and other services often combined with massage therapy which include aromatherapy, energy healing, or crystal therapy work. Many of these therapies are being offered at complementary medical centers that believe in the value of a holistic approach to treating patients that offers alternative treatments.
Proven Benefits to Mind, Body and Spirit Through Massage
There is a wide variety of massage techniques and therapies, each of which has its own benefits. Swedish massage is a more gentle type, using long strokes, deep circles, kneading, and tapping. It’s an outstanding treatment for stress relief and overall relaxation. A deep tissue massage is better for chronic pain with its slower, more forceful strokes of the masseuse's hands, and can be felt deeply into the muscles to relieve pain and tension while also increasing circulation. Sports massage is similar to Swedish massage but is designed to help with sports related tension and injury. Trigger point massage focuses on the sensitive areas of tight muscle fibers. This treatment is particularly good for repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel. It is mainly beneficial for injuries caused by joints and muscles which are impacted by overuse.
Numerous Advantages to Massage Therapy
Similar to the variety of massage treatments, there are a number of proven benefits from massage therapy. It has been shown to alleviate pain, particularly back pain. It can also increase immunity by stimulating lymph flow. Muscles that are weak, tight or atrophied after an injury can be stretched through massage, as well as being relaxing to muscles which have been injured. Massage therapy can also help increase joint flexibility, and has also been linked to the relief of anxiety, depression, and headaches. Massage can release endorphins which are vital to combat migraine pain.
A type of massage treatment known as therapeutic touch healing is often recommended by health practitioners for its unique benefits. USA Today (9/28/08 issue) reported that “a warm touch – the non-sexual, supportive kind – tempers stress and blood pressure, adding to a growing body of research on how emotions affect health.” Therapeutic touch therapy is known to cause relaxation, stress reduction, and fibromyalgia. It can also help with anxiety, depression, arthritis and headaches. Practically all forms of pain management seem to benefit from therapeutic touch therapy. This can mean less dependence on pain medication and overall stress on the body. The emotional benefits of touch therapy may influence a faster recovery time from surgery or chemotherapy.
Alternative Therapies have become Mainstream
Aromatherapy is often offered as a complimentary service to massage sessions, and offers additional health benefits, such as building up the respiratory and circulatory systems. Aromatherapy works through the use of essential oils with strong scents. Different scents are known to affect the body in different ways by interacting with the limbic system. Aside from releasing beneficial endorphins, the nervous system and limbic system also act on the aromatherapy signals to create positive health effects. This type of therapy works through stimulating the sense of smell. It also works with the oils being absorbed through the skin when the massage therapist rubs them on the body.
Energy healing and crystal therapy might seem a bit more unconventional, but studies have shown they have their benefits as well. Energy healing influences the energy field that surrounds and infuses our entire bodies. Many cultures have been conscious of this force. This energy field is capable of affecting health on an emotional, mental, and spiritual level. Fans of this type of therapy report decreased levels of anxiety, depression, and less feelings of guilt, anger, and fear. All of this can lead to an increase in positive attitude which can have a positive impact on work, life, and disease recovery.
Crystal therapy is believed to help the body heal itself by interacting with this same energy field. Different crystals have different properties, and each one affects a different area of health. Overall, however, it helps promote peace, makes the body function more efficiently, and helps patients feel more empowered, filling them with self-confidence. These therapies has the potential to improve overall health simply by influencing the client to be more health conscious. Many patients who have undergone these therapies report feeling the need to drink more water or eat healthier foods and feeling more aligned with their bodies.
Prevention Starts with Holistic Approach
All of these alternative therapies can be woven into an overall health strategy plan. They aren’t meant to replace conventional medicine, but to enhance the body's ability to heal and to ideally, lessen the need for doctor appointments and pharmaceuticals. Mainstream medicine is starting to understand the positive benefits of alternative therapy. USA Today reported in its 9/15/08 issue that 37% of hospitals across the nation are making use of “complementary and alternative treatments, including acupuncture, touch therapy, music therapy, and art therapy.” These therapies target the whole person, not just the symptoms, and as such can create better healing and a healthier lifestyle.
Cheryl Heppard - Cheryl Heppard lives Michigan where she is a board certified holistic health counselor and also a business and marketing coach for health ...
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