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Everyone knows that a massage feels good. It’s relaxing, stress reducing and
certainly helps with muscle aches and pain. However, it’s much more than a
‘luxury’ as was once thought. In fact, massage therapy, as it’s known today, is
the oldest and most traditional form of health care known to man. Massage was
documented in China and India over five thousand years ago and, along with
the use of herbs, is man’s oldest approach to medical care.
The last two decades have seen a tremendous growth in massage therapy. In
fact, it’s the leading form of treatment in the Complimentary and Alternative
Medicine (CAM) field. It’s estimated that over 16,000 massage therapists
practice today in Illinois alone, with another thousand entering the field each
year. Besides its popularity as a stress and pain relieving modality, what other
benefits can be expected from receiving regular massage therapy?
Massage therapy helps increase the effectiveness of the lymphatic, circulatory
and digestive and waste elimination systems. Massage therapy helps our
largest organ system, the skin, stay supple and elastic. It helps injured muscles
recover faster from injury or overuse, reduces the negative effects of scar tissue
in muscles, helps soften and stretch connective tissue, increases joint mobility,
reduces fascial constrictions, improves posture and gait, and relieves the effects
of common maladies such as backache, neck and shoulder pain, headache and
repetitive use injury.
When you decide to seek out the right massage therapist for you, look for “LMT”
(Licensed Massage Therapist) after their name. It will insure you that the
professional is not only well trained, but has undergone an extensive
background check and meets on-going educational requirements. Then select
the professional who seems to meet your individual requirements.
certainly helps with muscle aches and pain. However, it’s much more than a
‘luxury’ as was once thought. In fact, massage therapy, as it’s known today, is
the oldest and most traditional form of health care known to man. Massage was
documented in China and India over five thousand years ago and, along with
the use of herbs, is man’s oldest approach to medical care.
The last two decades have seen a tremendous growth in massage therapy. In
fact, it’s the leading form of treatment in the Complimentary and Alternative
Medicine (CAM) field. It’s estimated that over 16,000 massage therapists
practice today in Illinois alone, with another thousand entering the field each
year. Besides its popularity as a stress and pain relieving modality, what other
benefits can be expected from receiving regular massage therapy?
Massage therapy helps increase the effectiveness of the lymphatic, circulatory
and digestive and waste elimination systems. Massage therapy helps our
largest organ system, the skin, stay supple and elastic. It helps injured muscles
recover faster from injury or overuse, reduces the negative effects of scar tissue
in muscles, helps soften and stretch connective tissue, increases joint mobility,
reduces fascial constrictions, improves posture and gait, and relieves the effects
of common maladies such as backache, neck and shoulder pain, headache and
repetitive use injury.
When you decide to seek out the right massage therapist for you, look for “LMT”
(Licensed Massage Therapist) after their name. It will insure you that the
professional is not only well trained, but has undergone an extensive
background check and meets on-going educational requirements. Then select
the professional who seems to meet your individual requirements.
- Rick Smith, MS, LMT, Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and Massage Instructor
(NCTMB). Rick has been a massage therapist for ten years and has been teaching
massage for almost five years.
Massage Therapy—More Than a Luxury
by Rick Smith, MS, LMT, NCTMB
by Rick Smith, MS, LMT, NCTMB