The practice of massage therapy is the assessment of the soft tissue and joints of the body and the treatment and prevention of physical dysfunction and pain of the soft tissue and joints through soft tissue manipulation to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment physical function, and relieve pain.
The purpose of this treatment is to manipulate superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance and improve their function, aid in the healing process, decrease muscle spasm, inhibit motor-neuron excitability and promote relaxation and well-being.
Massage therapy involves working and manipulating the body with pressure – organized, stationary, or moving motion and vibration, done manually or with mechanical aids (suction cups). Targeted tissues may include: muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, skin, joints and other connective tissue, as well as lymphatic vessels (lymph draining massage), or organs of the gastrointestinal system (stomach massage to promote digestion). Massage can be applied with the hands, fingers, elbows, knees and forearms.
In an in-home or office setting, a massage involves the client being treated while lying on a massage table or sitting in a massage chair. In the case of a senior citizen or patient who is bedridden the surface like a bed or floor is more common. The massage patient may be fully or partially clothed or unclothed depending on the areas being treated.
There have been numerous findings that suggest that the practice of massage therapy has been around as early as 2330 BC. Archaeological evidence of massage has been found in many ancient civilizations including China, India, Japan, Korea, Egypt, Rome, Greece, and Mesopotamia.
The origin of the word “massage” exists in many cultures worldwide: The word comes from the French massage “friction of kneading”, or from Arabic massa meaning “to touch, feel or handle” or from Latin massa meaning “mass, dough”, Greek verb μάσσω (massō) “to handle, touch, to work with the hands, to knead dough”, while the ancient Greek word for massage was “anatripsis” and finally the Latin word for massage was “frictio”.
Peer-reviewed medical research has shown that the benefits of massage therapy include; pain relief, relaxation, increased mobility and range of motion and a reduction in stress, anxiety and depression.
Now that we all know the main benefits of this type of therapy, there are many additional benefits of being treated in your home that you may not be aware of. Among other things, in-home treatment has the benefits of allowing the patient to remain (as the name may imply) in their own home. This is more comfortable, one can avoid the pre and post stresses of travelling to the therapists clinic to receive their massage treatment and the patient gets to directly to a place of rest immediately following their massage. Of course the greatest benefit of all may be the ability to have your treatment at home if you are unable to travel to a clinic or lack the mobility to leave your home.
A registered massage therapist will arrive at your home or office with; a table, sheets, oils, relaxing music and aromatherapy everything you would expect from a spa or physio clinic.
