The Massage Primer

Embed Doc
Copy Link
Readcast
Collections

CommentGo Back

Download

Massage

is

one

of

the

most

relaxing,

therapeutic

and

decadent

ways

to

spend

an

hour,

whether

it's

your

significant

other

rubbing

your

shoulders

at

the

end

of

a

long

day

or

a

trained

massage

therapist

digging

a

thumb

into

a

knotted

hamstring

muscle.

And

if

you

needed

another

excuse

to

get

a

massage,

American

Massage

Therapy

Association

(AMTA)

spokesperson

Mary

Beth

Packard

says

"massage

calms

the

nervous

system,

replenishes

lost

nutrients,

facilitates

blood

flow

in

tight

muscles

(which

helps

soften

and

relax

them)

and

improves

range

of

motion."

Physicians

prescribe

massage

to

manage

stress

and

pain

or

as

part

of

a

physical

therapy

regimen

for

a

variety

of

injuries.

In

fact,

according

to

the

AMTA,

massage

therapists

receive

some

114

million

visits

to

their

offices

each

year.

Here,

we

give

you

the

rub

on

the

most

popular

methods

and

some

other

hands

‐

on

training:

Massage

Techniques

At

‐

a

‐

Glance

Deep

tissue:

A

technique

that

uses

slow

strokes

and

deep

hand

pressure

on

tight

areas.

The

therapist

works

to

release

tension

and

restore

suppleness

and

length

in

muscles.

Shiatsu:

A

combination

of

massage

and

acupressure,

during

which

the

therapist

applies

pressure

to

special

points

along

your

"meridians"

(according

to

Oriental

medicine,

meridians

are

the

invisible

channels

through

which

energy

flows

in

the

body).

Reflexology:

Similar

to

shiatsu,

but

the

focus

is

on

the

hands

and

feet,

the

idea

being

that

certain

areas

of

your

hands

or

feet

correspond

to

distinct

body

parts.

A

reflexologist

would

try

to

ease

sinus

pain,

for

instance,

by

manipulating

the

toes.

Sports

massage:

A

combination

of

several

massage

techniques

with

a

focus

on

the

muscle

groups

that

are

used

in

your

specific

sport.

Swedish:

A

combination

of

effleurage

(gliding

strokes

designed

to

stretch

and

relax

the

muscle),

kneading

and

friction

on

the

muscle,

as

well

as

movement

of

the

joints.

Trigger

point:

For

this

type

of

intense

massage,

the

therapist

applies

finger

pressure

on

trigger

points

(knots)

to

break

patterns

of

muscle

spasm

and

pain.

Trigger

points—commonly

found

in

the

lower

back,

shoulders

and

neck—are

small,

sensitive

areas

in

muscle

fibers

that

result

from

stress.

The

Professional

Massage

To

find

a

certified

masseuse,

contact

the

American

Massage

Therapy

Association

at

888

‐

THE

‐

AMTA.

Many

states

require

professional

massage

therapists

to

earn

a

license,

which

entails

500

hours

of

training

and

a

written

exam.

When

you

arrive

for

your

appointment,

your

therapist

should

brief

you

about

what

to

expect

and

ask

about

any

special

problems

you've

been

having

or

medical

conditions

that

she

needs

to

be

aware

of

(i.e.,

pregnancy,

high

blood

pressure,

cancer

or

a

history

of

blood

clots).

During

of 00

Leave a Comment