Massage is a way to heal what hurts with touch - deliberate hands-on-touch that affects the soft tissues of the body. Soft tissue is mainly muscles, but also skin, ligaments and tendons. Therapeutic massage employs techniques, such as trigger point therapy or deep tissue, to heal, balance or change soft tissue. Relaxation massage uses techniques that mainly soothe and relax you, body and mind.

A massage therapist has to meet many local, state and national guidelines in order to be called a "licensed massage therapist". Then s/he must practice within their states guidelines/laws and adhere to a code of conduct. Far from the days of the old "massage parlors", today's therapists perform what a legitimate health service. While still considered "alternative health care", massage continually strives to gain the respect in the mainstream health care system.

For the purposes of this website we will concentrate on "therapeutic massage", or massage with the intent to cause a change in a muscle. If a client presents with pain, muscle spasms, loss of function, limited range of movement, numbness, localized aches, or any manner of body pain, the massage therapist will use touch techniques to the muscles in such a way that provides relief.

Massage therapists work to re-balance the body's muscles. They knead and warm hardened muscles, and convince them to release and relax. Remember, a muscle works by contract-release, contract-release, and sometimes it gets stuck in the contracted state. It's as if it forgets how to relax. A massage therapist will work a muscle until it remembers. Then blood rushes into the previously constricted area, delivering oxygen and nutrients, and healing of the tissue can begin.

Relaxation can occur right before the therapist's eyes. She can see and feel a change in the muscle's tone. After that, depending on how long the area has been in crisis (days, decades?) will often determine how long it will take a muscle to completely heal. You may need to see the massage therapist several times, and once a month for maintenance after that. Many factors determine how fast and effectively you can heal: how long it has hurt beforehand, if there is scar tissue or adhesions, if there was any tearing of the ligaments or tendons, your general good health, your mental and emotional outlook, not smoking, and so forth. All the things you would need for healing any aspect of your physical body, you would need for a hurt muscle.


2007 © Lisa Henderson, NC-LMBT #4665. This article not to be copied for commercial use.