Massage

Massage is the treatment and practice of manipulation of the soft body tissues with physical, functional, mechanical, medical/therapeutic, and in some cases psychological purposes and goals.

Massage involves acting and manipulating the clients body with pressure (structured, unstructured, stationary, and/or moving), tension, motion, or vibration done manually. Target tissues may include muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, joints, or other connective tissue, as well as the lymphatic system. Massage can be applied with the hands, fingers, elbows and or forearm. There are over eighty different massage modalities.  I myself focus on the specific needs of each individual client using mostly Swedish, Deep Tissue and Trigger Point Therapy.

Peer-reviewed medical research has shown that the benefits of massage include pain relief, reduced trait anxiety and depression, and temporarily reduced blood pressure, heart rate, and state anxiety. Theories behind what massage might do include blocking pain signals to the brain (gate control theory), activating the parasympathetic nervous system which may stimulate the release of endorphins and serotonin, preventing fibrosis or scar tissue, increasing the flow of lymph, and improving sleep.

In professional settings, massage involves the client being treated while lying on a massage table. The massage client is generally unclothed or partially unclothed, and their body will be "draped" with sheets.