Therapeutic Massage treats the whole body using manipulation and bodywork techniques appropriate to each area of the body.
The use of forearms, elbows and knuckles are included with palms and thumb pressure.
Treatments aim to release shortened, tight muscles and restricted joints with gentle joint mobilisation to facilitate movement of synovial joints.
Treatment aids relaxation, directly affecting the systems that control heart rate, blood pressure, respiration and digestion. Although not a cure for specific complaints, treatments can lower the amount of circulating stress hormones cortisol and norepinephrine, which can weaken the immune system.
History of Therapeutic Massage
Egyptian tomb paintings show the treatment of massage being administered to the sick. Chinese and Indian manuscripts refer to its use in treating diseases and injuries. Greek and Roman physicians valued it as a principal treatment of relieving pain which is why daily massages were given to Julius Caesar to treat neuralgia.
Swedish gymnast Per Henrik Ling, restored therapeutic massage throughout Europe at the end of the 19th century. During World War I, patients suffering nerve injury were treated with massage to help treat and restore function to some degree. St. Thomas’s Hospital, London, had a department of massage until 1934, however with medical advancement of technology, drugs and an increase of electrical instruments, the more traditional forms of healing was made redundant. In both the UK and America, massage therapy is being brought back into conventional healthcare. The theory and practice of massage treatments are being included in nursing degree programmes. Increasingly it is being used in intensive care units, cancer care, heart attacks and strokes patients. Over 90% of hospices in Britain offer some form of bodywork as well as health centres and pain clinics.
Benefits of Therapeutic Massage
This therapy is also a wonderful treatment as a general relaxing experience to help give a feeling of mental and physical wellbeing.
The use of blended essential oils to meet the requirements of the client enhances its effectiveness.