How massage therapy can improve wellbeing

What is massage therapy?

Massage was used over 3000 years ago in China, India and Greece, but its popularity spread to the Western world at the end of the 18th century. It is recorded as one of the earliest healthcare practices known, and was one of the earliest tools used to try to relieve pain.

It is the scientific manipulation of the soft tissues of the body – muscle, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments and skin – using varying degrees of pressure and movement.

Usually, the massage therapy is applied with the hands, but sometimes the forearms or elbows may be used.

What are the health benefits of massage therapy?

It is generally delivered to improve the flow of blood and lymph (fluid in lymph glands, part of our immune system), to reduce muscular tension or flaccidity, to affect the nervous system through stimulation or sedation, and to enhance tissue healing.

The basic philosophy embraces the concept of ‘vis Medicatrix naturae’, which means ‘aiding the ability of the body to heal itself’.

People use massage for a variety of health-related purposes, including to relieve pain, rehabilitate sports injuries, reduce stress, increase relaxation, address anxiety and depression, and aid general wellness.