For many centuries various types of massage have been used to complement conventional medicine with references to the therapy appearing in writings from India, ancient China, Egypt, Greece and Japan. The famous philosopher Hippocrates at one time referred to medicine as “the art of rubbing”. Massage therapists generally use their hands and fingers but some types of massage may warrant the use of the forearms, elbows or particular instruments. This paper looked at massage as one of the recommended Complementary and Alternative Medicines advocated for by the department of health. It includes a short overview of the therapy, a summary of the personal experience I had receiving the therapy and my reaction/ response to it.
A detailed survey of complementary and alternative medicine use done in 2007 revealed that an approximately 18 million American adults admitted receiving massage therapy during the previous year. Another 700,000 children also received the therapy proving just how highly people value the therapy ( Barnes, Bloom & Nahin, 2008). Various types of massage therapy may be offered depending on what the client is seeking or ailing from and a therapist has to ask the client a few questions to assess whether they are ready for a massage or what type of massage would be suitable for them. Massage is not recommended for clients with certain conditions such as open wounds, blood disorders, and others have to be recommended by a doctor such as pregnant women ( Barnes, Bloom & Nahin, 2008).
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Types of massage therapy include Swedish massage where long strokes are employed, deep circular movements and a lot kneading is also involved. A deep tissue massage focuses on trigger areas with the client feeling pain when these points are pressed. A sports massage is mainly done on athletes and hugely resembles a Swedish massage.
I visited a massage parlor to get to personally feel the effects of this type of therapy. Being a person who engages in a fair amount of fitness related activities I opted for the sports massage to see if it could relieve some of the soreness I was feeling. The lady therapist took me through a few questions which she said would guide her to know where and how to apply the pressure and asked me to change into some appropriate clothing they provided and lie on the table as she arranged a variety of oils to use in the session. The beginning of the massage was not that smooth with some areas on my back feeling quite sensitive to the touch but she assured me that it would get better and as she proceeded I felt myself gradually relax and let go. As the massage progressed, areas in my back that felt a bit painful were no longer painful and able to withstand more pressure. My breathing also slowed down and became deeper. However, when the therapist moved to the legs, it was a different case. The pain I was feeling was much more prompting the therapist to change to more kneading than circular motions that she had employed on the back. She also reduced the pressure she was applying and it gradually got better but not completely free of the pain. The session lasted one hour with the therapist recommending a second visit to work on the muscle knots she felt in my calves and thighs.
After the session I generally felt better as if some weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I had a general feeling of well-being. Despite the leg pain experienced during the session I was walking and stretching much better after the massage confirming the benefits of the massage therapy. The massage therapy obvious had some positive advantages on my muscular system and also psychologically as I left the parlor feeling rested and rejuvenated and it is probably this type of feeling that has made the therapy as popular as it is. I would highly recommend it to anyone suffering from muscular soreness as I was.
Reference
Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin R. (2008). Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults and Children: United States, 2007. CDC National Health Statistics Report #12 . Retrieved from nccih.nih.gov/news/camstats/ .
