10 Feb 2020 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
In Naturopathy, Massage Therapy is widely used for the treatment of many disorders and for maintaining good general health. For many centuries, Massage has been used as a therapy to cure different ailments. Hippocrates used to use massage therapy to treat many of his patients. While doing massage therapy on a patient, the massage helps in manipulating the soft tissues of body to restore health of a patient.
Benefits of Massage Therapy
- Massage therapy is very effective on the nervous system.
- It eliminates body waste/poison through the kidneys, bowel, skin, and lungs, and improves respiration.
- Improves blood circulation, relieving pain, and fastening metabolic rate.
- Delays the appearance of facial wrinkles.
- It eases the stiffness of the body and tones muscles.
Process of Massage Therapy Steps
- Stroking (Effleurage)
- Rubbing (Friction)
- Kneading (Petrissage)
- Percussion (Topotment)
- Shaking/trembling (Vibration)
While performing a massage, a therapist could use oil depending on the condition of the patient. Therapists usually use cottonseed oil for massage, as it is the most common choice. If someone feels uncomfortable with oil, they can use talcum powder instead. People with a lot of body hair may also prefer to avoid using oil during massage. Ideally, therapists massage the whole body for about forty-five minutes, followed by a ten-minute focus on specific areas. After finishing the massage, they wash off the oil thoroughly.
Although massage effectively helps treat several disorders, therapists must avoid using it for serious inflammatory or tubercular joint conditions. For milder cases like stiff or swollen joints, they can safely apply massage therapy. Therapists should also avoid massage in cases of gonorrhea and diphtheria, as it can spread pus throughout the body and worsen the condition.
Muscular tissues hold half of the body’s weight, and muscles circulate about a quarter of the blood. When you receive a massage, your blood circulation improves, allowing muscles to regenerate and accommodate more blood. As a result, the muscles receive better nourishment and grow stronger. Various massage techniques also enhance the muscles’ contractile power. Massage therapy effectively treats many ailments, but therapists must first assess each patient’s condition before beginning treatment.
Source : http://www.naturopathycure.com/Massage-Therapy-Benefits.php