Massage therapy has been around for a long time. Ancient cultures in China, Egypt, India, Greece and Rome used massage as part of their medical and health procedures.
All kinds of medical conditions and disorders were treated by massages. Massage can be used to treat stress and can help you relax Most of the time it promotes a feeling of well being. Massage therapy works to help various aspects of the physical system - the muscular, nervous, circulatory and immune systems.
Quite apart from the undoubted physical benefits of massage therapy, the most important one is psychological; the intimate contact with another human being provides the feel-good aspect.
One of the ultimate forms of stress relief is a full body massage. A lot of persons who had a full body massage keep talking about how great the feel afterwards. The first thing that someone usually does after experiencing his or her first full body massage is book another full body massage! People who've experienced a full body massage all agree that they feel they've managed to attain total relaxation for the first time in their lives.
In addition to full body massage, massage can be used on specific, individual parts of the body. One of the main individual body parts that is subject to a specialist form of massage is the foot. Foot massage is generally referred to as reflexology.
Massage therapy was on the fringes of conventional medicine for a long time, but the modern medical experts generally accept the efficacy of massage. In fact, more than 70% of American hospitals now offer massage therapy as a part of their treatments.
Why are some hospitals using massage therapy ? They use it in the treatment of chronic pain symptoms, in cancer cases, pregnancy, infant care, joint and muscle mobility, stress management and many other symptoms and disorders.
According to new research massage therapy helps to boost the immune system, lower blood pressure and manage pain.
Massage therapies can also be benefit for people who are receiving drug and alcohol withdrawal treatment. Massage therapy can also be associated to other therapies to strengthen their effects - e.g. aromatherapy, reflexology, acupressure and reiki.
To see massage therapy going from the alternative medicine field to the mainstream because this means that a lot of individuals are able to benefit from this very versatile form of treatment and therapy.