What is Therapeutic Massage?
Therapeutic massage, or manual therapy, is manipulation of the soft tissues of the body for the purpose of creating and maintaining great/optimal health and promoting wellness. This involves techniques that essentially stretch individual muscle fibers in order to create balance within your body. There are three effects in which this type of therapy can aid in your healing process.
These three effects include;
- Mechanical
- Physiological
- Psychological
Mechanical
Learning how to use your hands for therapeutic massage can be deeply rewarding. They are an amazing piece of engineering.
This particular muscle manipulation service that aims to focus on soft tissue. The sole purpose of massage is to push blood both in and out of tissues( and no, I don’t mean tissues to blow your nose…haha).
Oh and just so you know, it also helps move food through the digestive system. The whole effect results from;
- Knuckling- is curling your hands into loose fists and lay the middle section of your fingers on the skin. Can be varied with using more or less of your body weight.
- Kneading- is a rhythmic stroke that warms and relaxes the soft tissue. It is used on the back and shoulders, as well as the buttocks, thighs, and calves.
- Stroking- is the simplest most basic touch of all. Begins the massage by introducing the connecting stroke.
- Pulling- is a kind of stroking, which uses the whole of your palm and fingers. Instead of leaning your weight forward into the stroke, use your weight to pull towards yourself.
- Stretching- by placing your forearms side by side across the center of your client’s back. Now slowly move your forearms apart, with constant gentle pressure. You can also use your hands.
- Thumb Circling- is a technique where you use your thumbs to work firmly into the muscles. This helps to release deep, habitual muscular tension.
- Whole-hand frictions- is good for warming an area that feels cold and tight. Can be useful from time to time when you feel an area that either will be chronically tense or just really cold.
Physiological
When we think of therapeutic massage, we all know what people say after they have received a good massage… Well any massage as a matter of fact.
They claim that they feel:
- Lighter
- Calmer
- Relaxed
- Happy
Therapeutic massage has an effect on the body that can be measured objectively. This can include,
- Lowered blood pressure
- Increased Circulation
- Increased Flexibility
- Hormone & Neurotransmitter balancing
Psychological
This effect can be measured through the use of surveys, interviews, and questionnaires. Depending on what type of therapy that you choose to go with, you can either feel like you had a great workout or just feel like you have just been rubbed for an hour or so,
To be honest with you, the softer touch is good when all you want to do is go to sleep, however I believe the deeper effects can be quite amazing. Some of the results that you can expect when you receive a Therapeutic massage include:
- Reduced Stress and Anxiety
- Improved well-being
- Slows hyperactivity
- Can Treat abuse victims(with proper training of course)
In conclusion, Massage therapy can be quite a gift when it comes to helping you achieve balance. The effects are mechanical, which changes muscle, therefore increases circulation. This in turn goes to the physiological effects that change blood pressure, so you can ultimately feel the psychological effect of improving your well-being. If interested in learning more, email me at therasaqi@gmail.com or call (904) 657- Heal (4325). I’m looking forward to working with you soon.