Massage is probably the oldest method of alleviating pain and the symptoms of disease. It was used by the Chinese, Japanese, and Indians for suppleness and strength three thousand years before Christ. The ancient Greeks and Romans used massage to maintain a strong and healthy body and to treat illness. Hippocrates, considered the father of modern medicine, affirmed the benefits of massage and the need for its skilled use by physicians.
Psychologists and other behavioral scientists have also long recognized the necessity of touch for full personal development. Many psychological disorders that are experienced by human beings may be caused by lack of physical contact. Another important benefit of massage is the ‘sense of self’ that it induces. Physically, the sense of the body’s boundaries, the different functions of the muscles, and how the body moves, contributes to knowledge about oneself and helps remove self-imposed limitations. Once you know how your body moves and functions, you can feel comfortable in exploring all the possibilities. This transfers to the psychological realm also. The physical and psychological effects of massage are, thus, all interrelated and affect one another and the person as a whole
Some Conditions that are Helped by the
Regular Application of Massage
Stress * Tension
Headache * Backache
Stiff Neck (Torticollis)
Insomnia
Muscle Strains and Sprains
Mental or Muscular Fatigue
Some Forms of Arthritis
Prolonged Bedrest or
Immobility of a Part
Myositis (inflamed muscle)
Some Forms of Edema (swelling)
Post-Fracture Care
Bursitis * Scar tissue
Postural Deviations
Repetitive stress injury