Most people enjoy massage therapy, but few know how helpful this treatment is, and it does not only have the pleasure aspect. In fact, the side effects of massage therapy are very few, and it can have many benefits related to a person’s health, including improving blood circulation, improving joint range of motion, and increasing endorphin levels. According to a dedicated registered massage therapist in North York, endorphins effectively improve feelings and reduce pain in different areas of the body, including the back and neck. But that is not all the advantages of this advanced treatment. If you want to learn more about the positive points of massage therapy, continue reading this article.
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What Is Its Definition?
Massage therapy is the manipulation of the body’s soft tissues in a thoroughly scientific way, which is done to make those tissues healthy, and includes some manual techniques and applying constant or variable pressure, keeping the body organs fixed or moving. Simply put, massage therapy includes the manipulation of a person’s soft body tissues (muscles, connective tissue, tendons and ligaments) to improve his health and well-being. There are several different methods (or modalities) for massage therapy.
Types of This Advanced Treatment
Today, there are two main types of massage therapy as follows:
Swedish massage: It is used to relax the body and improve blood circulation. Many people have evaluated the use of this technique to relieve their pain and discomfort.
Shiatsu massage: For certain types of pain, such as back pain, neuromuscular therapy (tender point therapy) is usually used as an effective treatment method. In fact, Shiatsu massage is a common technique with specific components of neuromuscular treatments.
What Are the Most Important Benefits of This Therapy?
General body massage that deals with all body parts is quite practical and useful in various ways. Body massage improves the body’s nervous system, affects breathing, and accelerates the elimination of waste and toxic substances from the body through various excretory organs such as the lungs, skin, kidneys, and intestines. According to the research, massage therapy also helps to relieve the following complications:
Stress and depression;
Fibromyalgia;
Headache;
Myofascial pain syndrome;
Soft tissue injury or strain;
Sports injuries;
Temporomandibular joint pain.
Body massage also eliminates facial wrinkles, helps fill hollow cheeks, and reduces stiffness, numbness and muscle pain.
Items Required for This Therapy
Cottonseed oil is often used for massaging, but butter is also used. If the patient is against using oil, talcum powder can be used. The oil should not be used on the body of people who have a lot of hair. General body massage can be done for 40-45 minutes, and local massage can be done for 10-15 minutes. The oil used in body massage should be completely washed off the body after the massage.
What Is the Person’s Condition after This Therapy?
After the massage therapy, any discomfort the person should gradually disappear after 24 to 36 hours of the treatment. In this way, after 4 to 14 days (according to the degree of cramping), the patient will face the relaxation of his muscles.
