Massage as profession

Massage is a healthcare profession where structured,
professional touch is used to achieve a
broad range of therapeutic goals. Historical references to
massage have been left by cultures around the globe and date
back to the oldest civilizations (including Egypt, China, and
India). For example, anointing another person by rubbing
aromatic oil into the skin was used historically by many
cultures to remove “evil” influences that potentially caused
disease. Massage is a natural and instinctive method for
relieving pain. When the body is in pain or injured, it is
common for a person to place pressure on the area or hold
it with his or her own hand.Today massage takes many forms and is usually tailored to
fit the needs of each individual client. For example, sports
massage was developed as a way to help athletes warm up
for an event, recover more readily after training, or address a
sports-related injury. This type of massage is generally different
than pregnancy massage, which aims to relax and nurture
the expectant mother.
Massage techniques have continued to evolve all over the
world but are often classified as either Western or Eastern
systems. Some modern developments in massage and bodywork
are fusions of Eastern and Western methods. Each
school will approach massage and bodywork
differently. Some schools focus on Western
modalities only, others on Eastern modalities
only, and some will teach a little of both. In any
case, it is helpful for the prospective
massage student to understand something of
both systems.In the nineteenth century, Per Henrik Ling
noticed that recurring one-sided actions performed
while he practiced fencing resulted in
muscular pain and a chronic elbow condition.
To offset his condition, Ling studied anatomy
and physiology and developed a method called
Swedish Gymnastics. Swedish Gymnastics is a
form of movement therapy that uses active, passive,
and resisted movements to increase a
patient’s freedom of movement, balance the
musculature, and strengthen the body.
A short time later, in Holland, Dr. Johann Mezger
used the French terms effleurage (stroking), petrissage
(kneading), friction (rubbing), and tapotement
(tapping) to describe broad massage techniques. In
the early 1900s, proponents of Swedish Gymnastics
adopted Mezger’s massage terminology and soon a
combination of active, passive, and resisted movements,
along with effleurage, petrissage, friction, and
tapotement, came to be called Swedish massage. In
America, these techniques were closely intertwined
with the natural medicine movement and individuals
who studied the body-mind connection.
Throughout the twentieth century, ideas about massage
continued to advance and techniques and modalities
like connective tissue massage, manual lymphatic
drainage, neuromuscular therapy, and structural integration
expanded the ways to address chronic tension and postural holding patterns.Massage gained recognition and prominence, due in part to the awareness generated at
the Esalen Institute, which was established in 1962 in Big Sur, California, with the
goal of exploring human potential. Spiritual practices like meditation, Buddhism, and
yoga were taught in seminars side by side with massage and bodywork. Encounter
groups encouraged people to explore their feelings and models of communication. This
movement promoted the idea that massage is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.
Massage therapy continues to progress and is currently supported by the work of many
researchers, including Dr. Tiffany Field at the Touch Research Institute at the
University of Miami School of Medicine. Research has validated the many benefits of
massage and consumers now seek out massage for a wide range of conditions. The
boom in the spa industry has provided a new environment where consumers receive
massage. Currently, spas are the largest employer of massage therapists and massage is
the number one requested service at spas.
In addition to Swedish massage, often called relaxation massage, there are a number
of Western massage and bodywork modalities, including:


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