The Healing Properties of Massage
Massage therapy is a healing art form that combines the physical touch, pressure, stretching and other methods and tools that are used, to restore balance and a feeling of well-being to the recipients. Most of us have received backrubs from friends or spouses and can attest to the relaxing and pleasant feelings that are evoked during and after the rub. Most of us receive these rubs from those who are not experienced in massage. Still the effort is appreciated and the benefits are wonderful.

Think now about how much greater the benefit could be while experiencing the art of massage from someone who has been trained in how the body's physiological and psychological elements can be stimulated by careful and knowledgeable hands?

Massage therapy is a holistic, drug-free healing art that combines the scientific approach used in the west with the intuitive and energy-based approach of eastern cultures. Therapists manipulate soft tissue in order to restore energy, maintain balance and put the body at rest while allowing the mind to be stress free.

In the hurried, fast-paced world so many of us live in today, it is not that uncommon for persons to be walking around with chronic neck and shoulder tension and pain. Massage therapy can help dissipate that uncomfortable tension.

Many of us go through our days doing repetitive motions. These motions fatigue our muscles and can lead to health conditions and injuries similar to what athletes’ experience. Many artists who work on canvas, or other media can experience back, knee, neck, shoulder and wrist pain and tension related problems. Moms who care for little ones all day do a lot of bending and lifting which can strain the lower back, and legs. Secretaries and those who use keyboards all day can experience carpal tunnel issues with their wrists.

Experiencing massage through a licensed therapist should be a relaxing and trusting experience. Your initial call will be to ascertain what can be done for your needs whether they be to reduce pain, or deal with a sports injury, or possibly to deal with an emotional issue or depression issue. The purpose of this initial call is to let the therapist know what your needs are and they to let you know how massage can benefit you.

The therapist can answer any of your initial questions concerning how therapy works and then you will be scheduled for an “initial therapy session” where a detailed medical history will be taken. You and your therapist will get to know each other. You both will be able start building an atmosphere of trust, so that your massage sessions can address your needs in a knowledgeable, comforting fashion. This initial fact finding session is what allows the healing power of massage to happen, it is the foundation on which all of your sessions will build upon.

The healing properties of massage can help those who suffer from back pain, inflammatory conditions like arthritis and tendonitis, can relieve stress and stress-related conditions, help those who suffer from headaches and migraines, and relieve those who suffer from spasms, strains, and sprains. Massage can also provide relief from repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Circulatory and respiratory problems can find some measure of relief as well as those who are seeking healing from post-injury or surgical rehabilitation.

Swedish Massage Therapy Benefits
While some people think of fancy salons and spas when they here the name Swedish Massage Therapy, it is simply a method of massage that is readily available even in the office of a chiropractor. There are many benefits associated with a Swedish massage and we will explore some of them here.

Swedish massage is one of the most common forms of massage in the USA and is quite the standard. It is also known as a therapeutic type massage and is an overall method that helps the whole body.

So what is Swedish massage exactly?
Simply a set and variety of techniques or methods that help to achieve relaxation of the muscles and to help achieve a better and increased rate of circulation.
The main use or purpose of Swedish massage is:
* helps to release toxins from the body’s muscles
* help to increase oxygen flow

How is this massage method applied?
Basically the Swedish massage utilizes techniques that apply stokes with pressure applied in the direction as the blood would flow as it returns to a person’s heart. The pressure is applied to bones and muscles with various types of techniques.
These techniques are:
* Shaking motions
* Tapping
* Friction
* Effleurage
* Vibration
* kneading
* Long strokes

Each of these methods or techniques of massage has a stroke that can offer benefits in different ways.

And these can be further defined as 5 main strokes such as:
* Gliding which is called Effleurage
* rubbing which is called Friction
* kneading which is called Petrissage
* pounding which is called Tapotement
* shaking which is called Vibration

First the therapist would attempt to concentrate on relaxation which would utilize gliding the palms, fingertips, or thumbs. This would be the Effleurage stroke. Further they would use kneading with the fingers, thumbs, or hands and this would be the Petrissage stroke. Along with this, the therapist would use lotions and or oils to help the process. The process usually involves a body massage covering the whole body that ranges from between 1 hour to 1.5 hours.

With the Effleurage stroke, the goal is to find the muscles that are tense and this gives a person time to get comfortable as they lie face down and are massaged from the neck all the way down the back to the end of the spinal column.

While with the Petrissage stroke, the therapist is striving for the achievement of a deeper relaxation and works to Warm-Up the person body for more intense massage. This technique will involve the muscles being moved or lifted away and upward from the bones. This will help to figure out how much or how deep the pressure applied will need to be. This will possibly lead to other massage strokes that will allow for various benefits.
The many and various benefits of utilizing Swedish therapy are:

* lowers blood pressure
* increases circulation
* The mind and the body will relax
* helps with digestion
* can help to relieve colic
* Helps clear up congested lungs by breaking up mucus
* helps to stimulate a slower breathing pattern
* improves muscle flexibility
* helps to improve the durability of the muscles
* helps to ease tension and stiffness within the muscles

There are many more benefits to this form of massage with relaxation being a major player in this therapy. Furthermore a person can achieve better overall well being and health if they start receiving a Swedish massage program.