In all times and anywhere in the world, massage is as old as mankind with just skillful and warm hands; it is possible to transmit a state of well-being through massage.
From the moment that a journey in history begins to determine the origin of massage as such and not as therapy, we fall into the first error, since massage is a therapy per se. There are many milestones that confirm the existence of civilizations that used massage as a therapeutic means; these events generated the propagation of such subtle art and science at the same time.
The healing power of massage is known everywhere and is scientifically proven.
Sometimes, the day to day becomes stressful, the pressure of work, crisis in the family or in the relationship, is just some personal triggers that anguish the body and soul. At these times is when it becomes necessary to give yourself a few seconds to sensory pleasure and body relief.
The more we stress, the more difficult it is for the body to restore nerves and hormones to normal. In long term, it may bring severe impact to our well-being. For this reason, whenever we can, we must take the necessary measures to take a break. In this way, we can protect ourselves from exhaustion from work and recharge our soul and body for further life milestone.
The word massage has several roots that lead to a clear purpose, which is to provide physical contact between two individuals, “Massech” from the Hebrew which means to touch or feel, as well as “Massein” from the Greek which denotes the main action, which is friction, in addition to these two peoples there is the root of the Gallic people, “Masser” which in French is a verb that literally means to knead or massage, France being one of the pioneers of the Western world in the use of manual therapies.
According to this epistemology, it can be ensured that massage therapy is included within kinesis therapy, not only because it is a healing means, but also because it implies movement, a movement of both the physiotherapist’s hands and a synchrony in friction. That is produce in the tissues underlying the manipulated places. This set of interventions is one of the oldest therapeutic means in the world, precisely because of the way it is applied, since it is a merely instinctive process, it is not necessary to have advanced knowledge in this art. It is enough to see how a mother “rubs” the knee of her child when she sees that he has fallen or the simple touch of consolation on a person who is going through difficult times, but it is the experience and the suitable knowledge of certain techniques that catapults the massage therapy.
Anyone can give a massage to give it, without worrying in which direction it is done, if the heat it causes is normal, if the color or appearance of the skin changes as a result of its manipulation, if it should cause pain or something as simple as duration, that is why only the training of physical home massage therapist is what allows to control these elements that are intrinsic to the technique.
Table of Contents
Definition
The word massage has different definitions depending on the author’s approach.
Some speak of such a tactile language established through the skin and which at the same time can be interpreted as the action of repairing the human body through movement, as mentioned by Rawlins. While in the field of Physical Therapy, the physiotherapist Martha Velez points out it as “the set of manipulations of the soft tissues, on an area or in the entire organism, with the aim of causing therapeutic modifications”.
It should be noted that the massage as such can be performed by any type of person and for this reason unwanted effects may occur, due to this, it is recommended that a professional massage therapist in the field apply the massage, since they will have the knowledge due to the anatofysiopathological behavior of the human body in the face of certain manipulations as well as the constant search for the well-being of the patient from the biosicosocial point of view as the main objective of his therapy, thus the concept of massage is broadened a little more, saying that this:
“It is a manual therapy designed to produce a series of controlled physiological reactions in the musculoskeletal system and / or other body systems, leading to therapeutic relief of the individual to be treated”
Effects of Massage therapy
According to Menell, massage has three effects:
Reflex: the reflex effect is activated even with a superficial massage, which produces effects on the autonomic nervous system due to stimuli emitted by the terminations that exist in our skin
Mechanical: This, it presents when generating a pressure on the tissues, whatever it may be, it will produce circulatory physiological responses such as arterial filling or venous drainage, metabolic through the segregation of substances.
