A study released by the Archives of Internal Medicine reveals that massage therapy is one of the most effective alternative treatments for chronic pain, compared to other alternative treatments like acupuncture or self-help remedies. As such, medical professionals have recommended therapeutic massage therapy to the millions of Americans.
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What are the top 10 benefits of massage therapy?
• Top 10 Benefits of Massage Therapy •. 1. Pain Relief. One of the biggest reasons people get massages is to relieve pain. Whether it’s chronic pain from an illness or cramps from excessive ... 2. Stress Relief. Stress affects everyone in one way or another, but if you’re like one of the millions of ...
Does massage therapy really work?
adminDoes Massage Therapy Really Work? Indeed, rub treatment offers both physical and mental advantages. Not at all like other back rub methods that emphasis on unwinding, knead treatment assists with treating muscle torment and further develop firmness. Also, it is utilized for different conditions, including pressure, muscle strain, lymphatic clog, and works on the general ]
When should you get massage therapy?
- Getting a massage during COVID isn't high risk if you have already been fully vaccinated prior to doing so.
- Unvaccinated individuals face the most risk for getting sick in poorly ventilated facilities.
- Wearing a mask, even if you are vaccinated, can help stem the spread of COVID-19 to those around you. ...
Is massage therapy school worth it?
Massage therapy school is worth it because one cannot take a State licensure exam without demonstrating proof of education at a State-approved school. It is also important to work with experienced instructors to learn techniques that are safe and well adapted to your client’s overall health and condition.
Is massage therapy an alternative therapy?
"For conditions such as back pain, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia, some forms of alternative medicine did work well," Ware says. "Those were, specifically, chiropractic and deep tissue massage. So look for hands-on therapies to work well for these conditions."
Is massage complementary or alternative medicine?
Types of Complementary Medicine Bodywork. This includes massage therapy, reflexology, and spinal manipulation (like chiropractic therapy). Energy therapies. These include reiki, healing touch, and therapeutic touch.
Is massage therapy considered medical treatment?
Massage is generally considered part of integrative medicine. Medical centers are offering it more and more as a treatment along with standard treatment. It may be used for a wide range of medical conditions.
How massage therapy can treat and improve human health?
Massage benefits can include:Reducing stress and increasing relaxation.Reducing pain and muscle soreness and tension.Improving circulation, energy and alertness.Lowering heart rate and blood pressure.Improving immune function.
What is alternative medicine?
Alternative medicine refers to unproven or disproven methods used instead of standard medical treatments to prevent, diagnose, or treat cancer. They have either not been thoroughly tested in clinical trials, or they have been tested and found not to work against cancer.
What is the purpose of massage therapy?
Promotes Muscle Relaxation: The purpose of massage therapy is to target the source of the body's pain via eliminating tense muscles, increasing flexibility, and providing relaxation to the affected muscles as well as the body as a whole.
Is massage a qualified medical expense?
Massage therapy CAN be a qualified medical expense, if you meet all of the criteria below. The IRS ruling states: “Medical expenses are the costs of diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, and the costs for treatments affecting any part or function of the body.
Can massage be claimed as a medical expense?
Massage therapy as an eligible medical expense on your tax return varies by province. If eligible, the expense is calculated through the Medical Expense Tax Return (METC), which leaves you with a tax credit to be applied to any tax owing. Massage therapy cannot be used as a tax deduction directly to your tax return.
Is a massage considered first aid?
The section specifically states that "using massages" is first aid. See, subparagraph (M). Section 1904.7(b)(5)(iii) goes on to state that the list of first aid treatments in section 1904.7(b)(5)(ii) is a comprehensive list of first aid treatments.
What are 5 benefits of massage?
Top 5 Health Benefits of Regular Massage TherapyLower stress. The long-term effects of stress can take emotional and physical tolls. ... Increase immune function. ... Boost mental health and wellness. ... Manage pain. ... Improve physical fitness.
What are the 10 benefits of a massage?
Top 10 Benefits of Massage Therapy1) Manage anxiety and depression. Massage therapy reduces your levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, and boosts production of serotonin and dopamine. ... 2) Ease pain. ... 3) Improve sleep. ... 4) Boost immunity. ... 5) Beat PMS. ... 6) Raise alertness. ... 7) Stop headaches. ... 8) Prolong your youthful glow.More items...•
How does massage therapy reduce stress?
Along with rebalancing your hormones, massage therapy releases muscle tension. When you're stressed, your muscles tighten in response, and when the stress ends, your muscles generally relax. But if you're constantly stressed, it's likely your muscles can stay slightly, permanently tensed.
What is massage therapy?
Massage therapy is used to help manage a health condition or enhance wellness. It involves manipulating the soft tissues of the body. Massage has been practiced in most cultures, both Eastern and Western, throughout human history, and was one of the earliest tools that people used to try to relieve pain.
What is the most common form of massage therapy?
The most common form of massage therapy in Western countries is called Swedish or classical massage; it is the core of most massage training programs. Other styles include sports massage, clinical massage to accomplish specific goals such as releasing muscle spasms, and massage traditions derived from Eastern cultures, such as Shiatsu and Tuina.
Is massage good for back pain?
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, in a 2016 evaluation of nondrug therapies for low-back pain, examined 20 studies that compared massage to usual care or other interventions and found that there was evidence that massage was helpful for chronic low-back pain but the strength of the evidence was low.
Can massage therapy help with ankle sprains?
If massage can be helpful as a component of a nondrug approach to pain management in veterans. If massage therapy can target sensory pathways that can help people with ankle sprains avoid chronic ankle instability (which can affect as many as 40 percent of people who experience this type of injury).
Can you use massage therapy to postpone seeing a health care provider?
Don’t use massage therapy to postpone seeing a health care provider about a medical problem. If you’re unsure whether massage therapy would be appropriate for you, discuss your concerns with your health care provider, who may also be able to help you select a massage therapist.
Is massage good for HIV?
More recently, a 2013 study of 54 people indicated that massage may be helpful for depression in people with HIV, and a 2017 study of 29 people with HIV suggested that massage may be helpful for anxiety.
Do massage therapists work with cancer patients?
Massage therapists may need to modify their usual techniques when working with cancer patients; for example, they may have to use less pressure than usual in areas that are sensitive because of cancer or cancer treatments. For more information, see NCCIH’s fact sheet on cancer.
Interpreted Pain
Signals pertaining to pain travel from peripheral nerves through the spinothalamic spinal tract towards the thalamus portion of the brain. From the thalamus, these sensory signals are integrated with primary somatosensory cortex regions within the grey cerebral matter.
Recovery
Physically, a regimented plan of wound care and compressive bandaging including the usage of shrinker socks are intended to ensure hygienic care of the affected region and prevent swelling.
Managing Pain
Increasing pain levels can be a concern for amputation patients. If pain levels are difficult to manage with medications and other traditional means, a peripheral nerve block may be employed.
Conclusion
With a myriad of treatment options, the phenomena of phantom limb sensations and accompanying phantom limb pain can be addressed thoroughly.
Jimmy Gialelis, LMT, BCTMB
Jimmy Gialelis, LMT, is a national board certified clinical practitioner passionate about clients actualizing maximum health gains. A member of the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame, he contributes to the Massage & Bodywork Licensure Exam as an exam item writer.
What is the best treatment for lower back pain?
The American College of Physicians issued new guidelines in February of 2017 calling for treatment of acute and sub-acute lower back pain with treatments such as massage, acupuncture, and superficial warming. (Superficial warming, notably, is often given coverage in massage school.)
Is massage therapy good for chronic pain?
In part, it’s because research points to massage therapy as an effective therapy for chronic pain. Pain is serious business, and sometimes it’s very risky business. People who become opiate statistics aren’t necessarily the stereotypical drug user. Sometimes they’re people with serious pain issues who are given legitimate prescriptions.
Can massage help with opiate addiction?
Use of Massage with Infants Who Are Born Opioid-Dependent. Practitioners and researchers are exploring different ways that massage could help in the opiate crisis, including use of massage to soothe infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).
Is massage good for back pain?
There can be obstacles to putting research into action. Alternative treatments such as massage are less likely to be covered under healthcare plans. Fortunately, this is beginning to change.
Does massage help with pain?
Like other pain treatment, massage works for some but not for others. Generally, it is more realistic to look for a reduction in symptoms as opposed to complete alleviation. Further research is indicated to determine what types of massage are most affective for what types of pain and under what circumstances.
Alternative Therapy Categorization
There are many types of alternative therapies. Over the years, many of these therapies have shifted into conventional medicine. Alternative therapies can be classified into many categories. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health classifies complementary and alternative therapies into: 1
Ayurveda
Ayurveda focuses on using specific herbs, massages, and diet techniques to treat conditions. It's an ancient Indian practice and has been in use for thousands of years.
Meditation
The practice of meditation has been used for many centuries. There are many types of meditation, but the primary aim of meditation practice is to help you focus your attention and achieve a state of calm and relaxation. This, in turn, can help you cope with certain disorders and improve your overall health and well-being.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy involves using very watered-down substances to treat a host of ailments from asthma to high blood pressure. It's based on the principle that a substance that causes symptoms can also treat those symptoms.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy makes use of hypnosis to treat certain conditions. The hypnosis process involves being guided into a deeply relaxed state, where a hypnotherapist will access your subconscious thoughts and beliefs.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves sticking finely pointed needles in areas of your body known as acupuncture points. This practice has historically been used as a natural pain-relieving technique.
Yoga
Although some might consider yoga simply a form of exercise, yoga has been used for centuries as a healing technique. This ancient Indian practice has been proven to improve the physical and mental well-being of people who practice it.
What is the National Association for Aromatherapy?
The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy ( https://naha.org) is a membership organization that provides educational resources, networking opportunities, and the option of discounted insurance. The website includes a directory of approved schools and information on a variety of subjects from career development to sustainability resources.
What is the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health?
The Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health ( https://integrativehealth.org) boasts a core membership drawn from a group of licensed integrative health professions from massage therapy to chiropractic care). Membership also includes emerging professions and traditional world medicine disciplines that promote responsible practice and a level of regulation.
5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan)
What is it? 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is something our bodies naturally produce to help them form serotonin (a hormone involved in our mood). 5-HTP can also be taken as a supplement you can buy in health food shops and some pharmacies.
Acupuncture
What is it? Acupuncture involves inserting very fine needles into specific parts of your body. This is believed to stimulate nerves and muscles which may release natural pain-relieving chemicals. It is practiced in both Western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Alternative medical systems
What are they? There are some traditional treatments that take a different approach to healthcare than that taken by the NHS. These approaches include Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Ayurvedic Medicine, Siddha Medicine and Unani Medicine.
Aromatherapy
What is it? Aromatherapy uses essential oils (oils extracted from plants) for healing. It can also be combined with other treatments, such as massage therapy. Some people use essential oils themselves, or products with essential oils such as candles.
Cannabis-based medicines
What are they? Cannabis-based medicines cover a wide range of substances, including medical cannabis and Cannabidiol oil (CBD oil).
Herbal medicines
Herbal medicines are substances that come from plants, which are used as a way of treating and preventing different health problems.
Homeopathy
What is it? Homeopathy involves using extremely diluted (watered down) natural substances to treat physical and mental health problems. Homeopaths believe that the more a substance is diluted, the more effective it will be.