Massage Therapy and Your Health
In recent years, Massage Therapy has shaken off its image of seedy massage parlors providing sexual services to clients. It has also abandoned the image of pampered rich people at spas or in tony health clubs. Today, Massage Therapy is for everyone. Many medical insurance plans even include massage therapy under basic coverage. It is truly coming of age.
Massage addresses medical issues, treats injuries and helps people recover emotionally and physically. Sports Massage helps athletes maintain peak performance. Massage also helps sufferers escape chronic pain and new born mothers avoid post partum depression. More and more research is beginning to show the positive healing affects of massage therapy. It can alleviate various forms of medical problems and emotionally based health issues.
Massage is a wise career choice, although there are still issues concerning universal requirements for licensing and practicing. There are so many different options within the field. There is Asian Massage Therapy with its emphasis on the holistic approach to healing through massage. There is also the totally physical philosophy of Swedish, Sports and Medical Massage. In between these two types are the eclectic versions of massage therapy including Reiki and Reflexology. These draw upon Western and/or Asian traditions to create a new entity.
Massage therapy is an alternative means to health. It is a different approach to help heal, repair and transform the body. Together with Western medical philosophy, Massage Therapy provides an excellent form of CAM – complementary and Alternative Medicine.