Massage Therapy is a powerful way to help relax sore muscles and improve blood flow, but it also plays a role as a natural stress reliever for many people. Today, there’s a wide spectrum of massage techniques used by therapists to help people overcome common health conditions such as fibromyalgia, anxiety and arthritis. Massage techniques like Swedish massage, sports massages and reflexology are now being offered at spas, yoga studios, hotels, resorst and phystiotherapy practices.

Quick Facts About Massages:

The popularity of massage therapy is growing rapidely; each year at a rate of about 20 per cent or more. Estimates show that there are between 30,000 to 35,000 trained massage therapists or massage therapy students in Canada. The Association of Bodywork & Massage Professionals indicates that There are currently more than 250 different types of massages available worldwide.

Body massages provide various benefits based on what the patient’s goal is, but majority have a similar underlying principles. The preferred places for massages to be performed are in certified massage therapist clinic, often associated with physiotherapy and athletic therapy. In 2015, 65% per cent of adult Canadians who had a massage received it for health reasons such as pain management, soreness/stiffness/spasms, injury rehabilitation or overall wellness.

Canadian docors are recommending massage therapy as an effective way to treat the symptoms mentioned above. Studies have shown that up to 91 per cent of people agree that professional massages can be a potent way to reduce pain. Massages are also very frequent for treating stress and fatigue. in 2016, majority of Canadians had massage for the relaxation and decrease stress factors.

But what is massage therapy? Massage therapy is defined as “the manual manipulation of muscular structure and soft body tissues of the human body (including muscle, connective tissue, tendons and ligaments).” Now, medical studies show that massage therapy improves the the lymphatic system functions, regulate hormones and prevent many injuries.

A Brief History Of Massage

Throughout history, massage was used to improve recovery time, replenish energy, manage stress and smooth body aches. The very first records of massage therapy go back more than 3,000 years to Ancient China, and today massage therapy is considered to be one of the oldest form of “healing practice.”

Many of the world’s most influential civilizations have had their unique therapies and techniques related to body massage that have been passed down across generations. This includes the Ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Hindus, Persians, French, Scandinavians, Thais, Indians, Japanese and Chinese. Today their legacy continues to bring massage therapy forward and place it amongst conventional medicine practices.

“Massage” can have a lot of different interpretations. It is believed that the French first invented the word “massage” to describe a treating practice of kneading the body. The French believed that friction and pressure applied to specific areas on the body could be beneficial to the body by breaking up scar tissue, even if at the time the massage itself was such such a comfortable and relieving activity.

In the modern wetern world, massage has been a natural way of treating the body since around the 1930s. The French are believed to have taken the word massage from the Ancient Greek word “masso,” which means to knead with the hands. Hippocrates has written numerous papers recommending the use of rubbing and friction to treat joint pain and circulatory problems.

Another major influencial civilization in the field of massage therapy was the Ancient Chinese. We found medical texts dating back to several centuries and pre-dynasty China containing massage techniques descriptions, which could be used to cure joint aches and pains while improving the flow of energy. Throughout history of Eastern healing techniques, massage therapy has been prescribed in conjunction with holistic treatments like yoga, meditation, Naturopathic Medicine and tai chi to improve overall well-being.