Tag: Massage Therapies

FACIAL MASSAGE

The oldest known Facial massage in human history dates back to the third century B.C. where it was written about in an ancient Chinese medical text. Scientists have discovered many subsequent ancient medical records in archeological digs conducted in Greece, Persia, Japan and India. All these early-day writings have one thing in common; their Facial massages were described in vivid details but always as part and parcel of total body massage therapies in which specific pressure points on areas of the face and neck were depressed sufficiently to loosen obstructions in the flow of the vital energy which is also known as gi. The standalone Facial massage of the recent Western world was popularized in the twentieth century Europe before it was inducted into the North American world of cosmetic and beauty treatments. As a result, Facial massage came to be regarded as the job for estheticians, cosmetologists and makeup artists rather than massage therapists.

In the cosmetic and beauty arena, the Facial massage is administered with the intent to slow down the natural aging process and to attain younger, healthier and more vibrant looking and feeling facial skin. However, Facial massage also has therapeutic benefits as it can relieve and mitigate stress, migraine headaches, premenstrual syndromes (PMS) as well as sinus congestion.

In spite of their growing demand as entire massage sessions of their own, Facial massages are not precluded from total body massage treatments. Needless to say, Facial massage treatments which are performed the entire session are much more comprehensive and include many elements which are not included in Facial massages that are part of full body treatments. In both instances, though, gentle yet stimulating upward strokes are used in circular or semi-circular gliding movements. A typical and basic Facial massage will include the following procedure and usually in that same specific order:

* With the client comfortably reclining on his or her back on a treatment table and the professional seated closely to the clients head, the face is thoroughly cleanses and wiped dry.
* A lubricant such as a cream, a lotion or oil is applied to the entire face and neck area. The Facial massage will begin with repetitive rounded movements and will include every part of the face as well as the neck, ears and scalp. Crucial pressure points will also be stimulated in the process.
* The face, neck and ears are cleansed of the lubricant used for the massage and a facial moisturizer is applies.

Facial massages may also include the removal of facial hair as well as the removal of blackheads and whiteheads which will necessitate a moist steam treatment. These three elements will be included right after the massage session and before the application of the moisturizer. In addition, the entire process may be culminated with the application of full or partial makeup and sometimes even a hairdo.

The benefits of the Western style Facial massage are:

* Improvement of the facial skin and its muscle tone.
* Relaxation of the facial and eye muscles.
* Alleviation from tension headaches and general facial pain.
* Relief from stress and anxiety.
* The overall release of stress from the body and mind.

Facial massages are part of full body treatments in Eastern therapies where pressure is applied to points on the face which correspond to various internal organs such as the stomach, the liver and the gall bladder. With such different techniques, it is not surprising therefore, that the benefits of the Eastern Facial massages are very different from those of the West:

* The stimulation of meridian points on the face.
* Relief from eyestrain and neck tension.
* Correction of liver and fall bladder imbalances.
* Recovery from nervous disorders of the stomach.
* Release from premenstrual water retention.

Facial massages, Eastern or Western, are not recommended under the following circumstances:

* While clients are wearing contact lenses.
* Open sores, boils, cuts or recent scar tissues in the face or neck areas.
* Inflamed, infected or bruised skin of the face and neck.
* Acne, psoriases or eczema, all of which can be worsened by the treatment.

Facial massages are most often performed with bare hands that are lightly lubricated by oils or lotions to help them glide more smoothly over delicate facial skin. However, there are some mechanical devices that may also be used instead of the hands or in addition to them. Best of all, in my opinion, Facial massages can very easily and effectively be self administered just about any time and anywhere, and there are countless resources on the Internet that will instruct interested persons how to master the art.

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THE SWEDISH MASSAGE

The Swedish Massage, which was conceived by Henri Peter Ling, a Swedish physiologist at the University of Stockholm, was publically introduced in 1812 as a means of improving blood circulation, of relieving muscle stress and pain, of increasing flexibility and of promoting total relaxation of the body and mind. The Swedish Massage was imported into the United States in the 1850s by Charles and George Taylor, two American brothers practicing medicine in New York who opened the first two Swedish clinics in the New World; the first in Boston, Massachusetts and the second in Washington, D. C. where Ulysses. S. Grant, a famed general during the American Civil War and the 18th President of the United States (1869 1877), allegedly frequented regularly for Swedish Massage treatments.

Since its inception in the early part of the 19th century, the Swedish Massage had become one of the most widely used massage techniques in the Western world and it is the basis for a number of other Western massage therapies which include the Sports Massage, the Deep Tissue Massage and the Aromatherapy. To attain its objectives, the Swedish Massage utilizes seven basic therapeutic movements:

* Effleurage. These are long gliding and soothing strokes which are aimed toward the heart while tracing the natural curves of the body. Massage oils are often used to facilitate smooth movement and to warm the muscles.

* Petrissage. These are movements which use strokes that lift, roll or knead soft body tissues. This process draws blood into the area and helps relax tense muscles and fascia as well as the rest of the body.

* Pinpoint Pressure. These movements are directed toward points that are knotted or hardened and painful to the touch. Pressure is directed to these points in order to break them down and release the muscle.

* Deep Friction. These are very small circular movements which press slightly below the surface of the skin and onto the muscle beneath it. These strokes relax muscles which contracted and tensed due to overuse or as a result of emotional stress at their deeper levels.

* Skin Rolling. This movement involves pinching a fold of skin and moving it forward in a rolling motion. This process lifts skin off its connective tissues to promote better blood circulation for the improvement of skin tone.

* Tapotement. This movement requires rhythmical tapping with cupped hands or with hands set in the karate-chop position. This practice awakens the body into vitality and the tingling sensation of energy and health.

* Finger Brushing. This movement is usually performed at the closing of the Swedish Massage treatment session as fingertips are lightly brushing against the surface of the skin to relax the stimulated muscles while calming the nervous system.

The most outstanding health benefits of the Swedish massage are in:

* Relaxing of tired, tense or overused muscles.
* Improving blood circulation without overburdening the heart.
* Increasing flexibility and widening the range of motion by stretching the bodys soft tissues: muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, joints and connective tissues.
* Stimulating the nervous system while simultaneously relaxing the nerve endings.
* Decreasing the recovery time of strained muscles by cleansing the tissues of lactic acid and uric acid as well as all other toxins and metabolic wastes.
* Bringing the skin to a healthier and more vibrant appearance of wellness.
* Helping the client achieve a feeling of connectedness and body awareness for maintaining a better posture and stance.
* Alleviating pain and any associated discomfort due to muscle tension, fractures, sprains, sciatica and stiff joints.
* Reducing emotion disstress.

THE SPORTS MASSAGE

Describing it in a nutshell, the Sports Massage is a specialty massage technique that was created and developed with athletes in mind. And as such, the Sports Massage prepares the bodies of professional and amateur sportspersons for their best possible performance before participating in a sport and it then helps their bodies to recover afterwards. However, just because the Sports Massage was designed for those participating in sports, you do not have to be an athlete to reap the benefits from it. After all, athletes are not the only people who get injured and they by no means hold the monopoly on pain.

The Sports Massage is, in effect, one of several forms of the Swedish massage and it promotes an increased circulation of blood and lymph fluids in the body. To break down or dissolve adhesions, which are painful clumps or knots within the muscles, and to widen the range of motion of stiffened joints, trigger point therapy is incorporated as part of the Sports Massage session. There are four different types of Sports Massage therapies and their distinction is made primarily by its time of performance in relations to the athletes sport activity. In other words, it is mainly their timing which makes them different from one another. The four types of Sports Massages are designated as follows:

* Pre-Event Sports Massage. The Pre-Event Sport Massage is a vigorous but shortened massage treatment that lasts anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes and is performed right before the sports event. Its main focus is on those specific parts of the athletes body which will be most intensively involved in the action.

* Post-Event Sports Massage. The Post-Event Sport Massage is performed within an hour or two of the event and its aim is to return bodies to their normal state by helping them recover from the hard work in the shortest time possible.

* Restorative Sports Massage. The Restorative Sports Massage is applied while the athlete is in training and it helps him or her practice harder while, at the same time, decreasing the chances of incurring injuries.

* Rehabilitative Sports Massage. The Rehabilitative Sports Massage is there to pick up the proverbial pieces by treating the injuries which resulted from the exertion of the sport. The foremost objective of Rehabilitative Sports Massage is to relieve pain and to return the body to its former, pre-injury state.

So, whether you are a professional or an amateur athlete or simply a citizen of the world who happens to have a precise problem such as a sore knee from your morning jog around the block or a frozen should because you slept on the wrong side of the bed or a stiff back because you forgot to use your legs when lifting the grocery back and so on, do yourself a favor and see a Sports Massage therapist. And the best way to find one is by getting referrals from reliable sources or by doing some research. The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) and the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) suggests that you ask the following questions when interviewing a potential Sports Massage therapist or any other type of massage therapist, for that matter:

* Did you graduate from a program accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA)?
* Are you licensed or registered as a massage therapist in this state?
* Are you certified by the national Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB)?
* Do you have training in any specific massage modalities?

Beyond all that, you should just relax and enjoy the process while your body is being directed onto the path of healing.

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THE FOOT MASSAGE

Some 2,500 ago and during Lord Buddhas time in ancient India, a physician named Jivaka Komarabhacca developed a complex massage system which somehow ended up in Thailand where it was pass on by word of mouth from one generation to the next and is still practiced today in much the same way as it was so many centuries ago. When the Thai alphabet was developed under King Ramkamhaeng the Great, scholars began recording all aspect of Thai society, culture and healing practices which, of course, included massage therapy. Unfortunately, future generation had little left as almost all was destroyed when Thailands capital of Ayuthaya was captured by the Burmese invaders in 1776. All that remained of the recorded ancient traditions was that which, under the directives of King Rama III who wanted to preserve as much as possible, was engraved on the walls of Wat Poh, one of the most famous temples in Bangkok.

Based on the ancient teachings regarding massage therapies, many different kinds are practiced in modern day Thailand. The Foot massage is one of the most interesting of them all due to the fact that its principles are simple while its practice is quite a bit more complicated as the force which is applied to the foot by the massaging hands must be exceedingly accurate as it is directed toward particular nerves of the foot. The Thai believe that each part of the foot has a direct link to another remotely located part of the body such as a vital organ or a system. Therefore, applying pressure and massaging a certain area of the foot influences the soft tissues of that particular area of the foot as well as the other.

As a general rule, the Foot massage is much more effective when the foot is bare as opposed to being clad with socks or stockings. There are several basic techniques that are used by just about every Foot massage therapist and they are:

* Sweeping and Rubbing. Most Foot massages begin with bringing an increased supply of blood into the foot by rubbing its surface lightly but long enough to create the desired warmth and the rhythm of movement.

* Thumb Walking. The thumbs are used to apply more direct and firm pressure to various parts of the foot as well as to loosen the tense tendons which run along the its outside edge.

* Toe Rotation. The toes are very sensitive and care should be taken when manipulating them by either rotating each toe individually or by gently pulling them upwards and outwards while squeezing gently.

* Kneading. Kneading is accomplished by firmly but not harshly pressing and rotating the knuckles of a fisted hand back and forth across the sole of the foot, from its heel to its toes.

* Cupping. This is a simple squeezing of the entire foot with an up and down motion of one hand while cupping it with the other.

The benefits of a good Foot massage are many:

* Firmly pressing and massaging the base of the fourth toe heals an ailing heart.
* Pressing and massaging the base of the second toe stimulates the lungs and the bronchial system for improved breathing.
* Pressing and rolling the area between the first and second thumb relieves headaches.
* Massaging between the third and fourth toe relaxes tired eyes and improves vision.
* Stretching and pulling the big toe alleviates pain caused by sinusitis.
* Rotating pressure at the ball of the foot will ease stomachaches and heal the kidneys, the bladder and the entire excretory system.
* Applying pressure to the front of the heel delivers remedial effects to the male and female genital glands.
* Stretching the skin backwards and forwards under both sides of the anklebone is therapeutic to the reproductive tracts of men and women.
* Pulling the knuckle of any toe backwards along the instep eases spinal pain and improves posture.
* Holding the foot between two hands and rubbing the top of the foot between the first and second toe with one thumb which rubbing the top of the foot between the fourth and the fifth toe with the other, relieves pain of the inner ear and the chest.
* Massaging the inner and outer edges of the foot is beneficial to the diaphragm.
* Pushing and massaging the soft spot beneath the anklebone reduces the pain from the sciatic nerve and stimulates the lymphatic system to cleanse the body of bacteria and toxins.
* Enfolding and rotating the toes achieves overall relaxation and a sense of well-being.
* With so much pressing, massaging, rolling, gyrating, pulling, stretching and stroking; all the soft tissues of the foot itself become relaxed and invigorated.

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