Massage Therapy: What you Need to Know

Massage therapy is an ancient practice that involves the application of pressure both structured and unstructured along with motion, vibration that are used to target specific tissues and points in the body for several purposes. Massage therapy can be applied to the whole body at once, or applied in a way that targets specific parts of the body and muscle groups together to achieve certain benefits.

Massage has been increasingly applied to treat a host of physical and mental conditions as they occur in the human body. Massage therapy is beneficial to and used to provide psychological and physical benefits alike. Massage techniques are used for the purpose of treating several body points in the body to provide relief from accumulated stress and pain.

Massage techniques are usually given to the body by someone that is professionally trained in the art of giving massages by their fingers, knuckles, elbows, forearms, a massage device, and more depending on the specific condition of the patient as well as the desired effect. Massage in London evolved like it did in other parts of Europe, based on the techniques and methods discovered in ancient Asian civilizations that spread elsewhere.

Though scientific research and evidence to back massage therapy is still limited. Not much is known scientifically about the specific changes that occur in the body when a patient is massaged. This hasn’t stopped people from seeking massage therapy as a treatment for various conditions, because the risks associated with massage therapy are significantly less than those related to other forms of treatment. 

Conditions for which massage has been proven to be an effective treatment

Massage therapy is wide in terms of techniques applied, muscle groups targeted, desired effect and more. Massage therapy is used to treat a host of condition but it hasn’t been scientifically proven for all these conditions. Below are some conditions that research has proven massage therapy to be an effective treatment for:

• Anxiety: 

Massage therapy is commonly used to treat anxiety in humans. One of the immediate benefits of massage therapy is the feeling of calmness that envelopes the patient. Massage therapy reduces anxiety by reducing the levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline in the body. Both of these hormones are linked to anxiety in the body and are reduced during and after a massage session

• Subacute and chronic low back pain:

Massage therapy reduces muscle tension and improves the circulation of blood in the body. Clogged pores and reduced blood circulation are known causes of muscle and joint pain. This makes massage therapy beneficial for reducing body pain, and is used to treat low back pain. 

Specific massage techniques like neuromuscular therapy and trigger point therapy are used to treat these pain conditions, and this therapy is aided by the release of feel good hormones dopamine and endorphins that massage provides.

• Stress :

Stress is an inevitable condition in adult human existence. When left untreated it leads to a host of other undesirable conditions in the body like insomnia and soreness in the body and muscles. 

Massage therapy is effective in helping the body deal with stress by inducing a state of relaxation and calmness in the patient, helping built up tension to ease away and providing relief.

• Soft tissue injuries:

When massaged, the muscles of the body become relaxed, providing relief from pain. Massage therapy improves blood circulation which eases tension and reduces swelling. 

Massage techniques used for treating soft tissue injuries include: direct oscillations, unlocking spiral that involves the use of clockwise and anticlockwise motions, and direct sustained pressure. Soft tissue massage is the use of direct manipulation and pressure on soft tissues and muscles to provide relief and aid the body’s recovery from soft tissue injuries.

• Insomnia

Massage therapy is a proven method of treating sleep disorders and insomnia. Massage therapy helps the patient feel relaxed by inducing a deep sense of relaxation, and helps treat insomnia by affecting the levels of hormones linked to sleep in humans. Massage is known to increase the levels of serotonin and melatonin, both of which are known to affect sleep in the human body.

Massage in London can be used to target body parts or for the entire body. Massage provides relief from a host of conditions like insomnia, anxiety, stress, muscle pain and more. Massage also induces a sense of relaxation, and is known to affect the levels of certain hormones in the body like dopamine, cortisol, serotonin and more.