Health Benefits of Body Massage
Massage originated from
the Greek word “massier”, which means to knead. An excellent form of passive
exercise, it involves the scientific manipulation of the body soft tissue. When
done correctly on a bare body can be highly stimulating and invigorating. As
early as 400B.B, the Hippocrates, father of the medicine have used massage in
healing his patients for many ailments.
Health Benefits of Body Massage
Body massage helps to tone up the
nervous system, influences the respiration and quickens the toxic and waste
elimination from the body through various organs such as the lungs, skin,
kidneys and bowels. The various massage
movements also boost blood circulation and increases body metabolism. It enhances
beauty by removes facial wrinkles, fill out hollow cheeks and neck. Massage can
also eases stiffness, sore muscles and numbness of various body parts.
Healing Benefits of Various Massage Movements
Massage movements can be categorized
into five fundamental modes of manipulations, which are petrissage (kneading), effleurage(stroking), friction (rubbing), tapotement
(Tapping) and vibration(shaking or trembling).
1.
Petrissage or Kneading
Petrissage involves
kneading, pressing and rolling of the tissues, performed with one or both
hands, with two thumbs or with thumbs and fingers. Heavy pressure is applied
with deep kneading and light pressure for superficial kneading. This movement
heal the muscle by increasing nutrition absorption, strengthening the muscle,
relieving congestion, and toxic elimination.
It enhances cellular respiration, eliminates fatigue and tones up nerve
endings.
2.
Effleurage
or Stroking
Effleurage involves
sliding movement with the hands, using long even strokes over the surface of
the body. It is performed in five ways, namely stroking with
(i)
palms of two hands;
(ii)
the palm of one hand;
(iii)
the knuckles;
(iv)
the ball of the thumb and
(v)
the finger tips.
Effleurage
boosts blood circulation and soothes the nervous system. The massage movement
produces heat that warms and relaxes the body. It is very helpful in smoothening
the wrinkled skin, slowing down the aging process.
3.
Friction
or Rubbing
Friction movements are
performed in circular motion using the thumb and tips of fingers, or the palms
towards the joints or around the joints. Friction movement is useful to limbers
or loosen up stiff joints, tendons and muscles. The action removes deposits
around the area by breaking them. Friction is often practised to reduce
swelling due to nerve inflammation.
4.
Tapotement
or Tapping
Tapotement involves tapping,
hacking, clapping and beating by striking the body rapidly, using short and quick
blows from the wrist. Tapotement helps in healing the atrophied muscles. It
increases blood supply, soothes nerves and strengthens muscles.
5.
Vibrations
or Shaking
Vibration movement rapidly
and constantly shakes the pressing movements using the hand or fingers on the body.
This movement is beneficial for neuritis and neuralgia after the inflammatory
stage is over, which serve to stimulate circulation, glandular activity and
nervous plexuses. It also eases bowel movement.
Material
for Massage
The commonly used material
for massaging is cotton seed oil which contains emollient properties
that smoothen and soften rough skin.
Butter is used for
filling out cheeks, neck and for breast enlargement.
If the patient is averse
to oil, talcum powder can be used instead.
Oil should not be used
for people with excessive body hair.
General body massage
takes about 40 to 45 minutes while local body massage for 10 to 15 minutes.
The oil should be washed
off completely after massage.
Massage can be used with
advantage as a method of treatment for many common ailments. The
various forms of massage
and their usefulness in various diseases are described
here in brief.
How Does Massage Heals ?
Massage can be an effective treatment of many common
ailments.
Benefits of
Joints Massage :
Massage can cure :
·
Stiff and swollen joints
·
Sprains and bruises
·
Rebuild atrophied muscle
where muscles are not used for any length of time
These conditions are
caused by injuries, diseases of the joints, inflammation of the muscles and
nerves, and by long use of cats, bandages and splints.
Massage is not recommended
in serious inflammatory cases of the joints and in tubercular joints. It should
also be avoided in infectious diseases like diphtheria and gonorrhoea which
causes formation of pus. Massage may worsen
the case by spreading the pus to the entire system.
Human muscular tissues
have to hold the body weight of a person. Massage treatment boosts blood
circulation to the muscles, which enhances muscle regeneration, supplying
better nourishment to feed the muscular tissues, and thus improve muscle
growth.
Tapping, striking, and
vibrating movements are important to develop the contractile power of the
muscle. Massage eliminates muscle contraction and breaks up the adhesions. Deep
circular kneading and vibration loosens the muscles.
Benefits of
Massaging the Nerves :
Massage helps to improve
nerve problems. However, massage should be done carefully in case of acute
inflammation of the nerves - light and gentle stroking should be applied.
Deep pressure should be
avoided on swollen nerves or else inflammation will worsen, apply gentle tapotement
or beating of the nerve instead.
Gentle nerve compression
is recommended for soothing nerves and improves blood circulation.
Long, slow and gentle
stroking down the spine and entire back can help to overcome insomnia
problem.
Benefits of
Abdominal Massage
Abdominal massage is
useful to overcome constipation problem. The massage movement stimulates the
peristalsis of the small intestines, tones up the muscles of the abdomen walls
and mechanically eliminates the contents of both large and small intestines.
However, abdominal massage
should be avoided in femoral, inguinal and umbilical hernia, inflammation of
the uterus, bladder, ovaries and fallopian tubes, kidney stones, bladder or
gall bladder, ulcers of the stomach and intestines, and pregnancy.
Abdominal massage should
be done at least 2 hours after a heavy meal, not immediately after. Empty the bladder before going for this type
of massage.
Massage should also be
avoided in cases where there has been recent bleeding in the lungs, the stomach
or the brain.
Benefits of
Chest Massage
Chest massage strengthens
the chest muscles, increases circulation and tones up the nervous system of
chest, heart and lungs. It is especially recommended in weakness of the lungs, palpitation
and organic heart disorders.
Benefits of
Back Massage
Back massage stimulates
the nerves and circulation of back muscle, good for treating backache,
rheumatic afflictions and for soothing the nervous system.
It is also recommended in cases
of constipation, haemorrhoids, weakness and congestion of the bladder and
sexual organs.
Benefits of
Throat Massage
Throat massage overcomes
headache, sore throat and catarrh of the throat.
