The Healing Touch

If we were in the Biblical era, a touch from a holy person would be enough to heal any discomfort. In our day and age, a mere touch would not do – some pressure would have to be applied with the touch. And it’s no miracle – we call it massage.

There has already been a lot of research on the effects of massage therapy. Most, if not all, of these studies have confirmed the therapeutic benefits of massage. There is, at least, scientific evidence that massage may help with back pain and may improve quality of life for people with depression.

Massage therapy includes many techniques, and the type of massage given usually depends on the patient’s needs and physical condition. The practice dates back thousands of years. There are references to massage that appear in ancient writings from China, Japan, India, and Egypt.

In general, massage works on the muscles and other soft tissues to help the patient or physically strained person feel better. And massage styles vary slightly from region to region or according to purpose:

• In Swedish massage, the therapist uses long strokes, kneading, deep circular movements, vibration, and tapping.

• Sports massage combines techniques of Swedish massage and deep tissue massage to release chronic muscle tension. It’s adapted to the needs of athletes.

• Myofascial trigger point massage focuses on trigger points, the areas that are painful when pressed and are associated with pain elsewhere in the body.

Massage is sometimes done using essential oils as a form of aromatherapy. In the Orient, the oils used are mostly mentholated for better soothing efficacy and for ‘medicinal aroma’. In urban centers, a massage is also applied as a method of pampering to boost a worn-out body and mind.

Scientific research on massage therapy mainly points toward beneficial effects on pain and other symptoms associated with a number of different conditions. The evidence, however, suggests momentary, short-term effects and that people need to keep getting massages for the benefits to continue.

Massage has been traditionally resorted to for many common conditions. The other conditions where massage is now being employed are in pain management, mental health, cancer, HIV/AIDS, fibromyalgia, headaches, and infant care.

Massage therapy, however, may have some risks when performed by an untrained practitioner. This problem has now been addressed by licensing massage therapists. Licensed massage therapists take extra precautions in massaging people with certain health conditions. In particular, pregnant women are advised to avoid getting a massage, unless the massage itself is in line with prenatal procedure prescribed by a qualified doctor.

The website https://nccih.nih.gov shares additional precautions with regards to applying massage for any purpose:

• People with some conditions such as bleeding disorders or low blood platelet counts should avoid having forceful and deep-tissue massage. People who take anticoagulants (also known as blood thinners) also should avoid them. Massage should not be done in any potentially weak area of the skin, such as wounds.

• Deep or intense pressure should not be used over an area where the patient has a tumor or cancer, unless prescribed by the patient’s doctor.

• Massage therapy shall not be used to replace conventional care or to postpone seeing a health professional about a medical problem.

Those with a medical condition and are unsure whether massage therapy would be appropriate for them shall discuss the matter with their doctor. The doctor himself may be able to select a qualified massage therapist.