MASSAGE

Massage is used to increase the circulation of blood and flow of lymph which affects the entire body. To know the working therapy of massage its physiological effects need to be examined. The direct automatic affect of regularly application of manual pressure and movement increases the rate of blood flow and stimulates the nerve receptors for expanding the blood vessels which helps the blood flow.

Lymph, a milky white fluid carries impurities and waste away from the tissues and passes through gland-like structures spaced throughout the lymphatic system which work as filtering valves. The lymph movement depends mainly on the squeezing that affects muscle contractions so motionless people are not able to stimulate lymph flow. The stimulation caused by vigorous activity can be outstripped by the increased waste produced by that activity. Massage automatically helps in the movement of lymph.

For healthy body the sum of its parts - the cells - must be healthy. Each cells of the body depend upon the rich supply of blood and lymph because these fluids supply nutrients and oxygen and carry away wastes and toxins so good circulation of blood is very important for the whole body.

Massage can increase the oxygen capacity of the blood upto 10-15%. Massage can help loosen contracted, shortened muscles and can stimulate weak, flaccid muscles. So the balancing of muscles help to make the movement more efficient. Yet the muscle strength do not increase directly but it can improve the speed recovery from fatigue that you feel after exercise. Massage gives a tender stretching action to both the muscles and connective tissues which encircle and support the muscles and others parts of the body and keep these tissues elastic.
It increases the body's secretions and excretions. It is shown that after massage there is production of gastric juices, saliva, and urine and also increase in excretion of nitrogen, inorganic phosphorous and sodium chloride so massage also increases the metabolic rate.

Massage also balances the nervous system by soothing or stimulating it.
 - Enhance skin condition. Massage plays an important role to keep your skin lubricated, clean and cool by improving function of the sebaceous and sweat glands so it makes inflexible skin softer.

After knowing the physiological effects of massage one can easily understand the benefits of massage for health and fitness. Massage helps you to reduce physiological fatigue and give you more strength for better performance. The people of ancient Mediterranean civilizations knew this. After bathing exercise, they included a full body massage but nowadays people are becoming more aware about health and fitness.
 Massage help in the flow of blood circulation in order to supply more oxygen and more nutrients. When regular exercise is begun almost every part of the body changes. Unluckily it is believed that some exercise programs cause aches and pains. Greeks and Romans used massage to increase endurance, control fatigue and feel better as part of a regular health program.

Massage dissolves the accumulated by-products of muscle action that irritate muscles and nerve endings. After the start of exercise Lactic and carbonic acids build up in muscle tissue soon. These acids are waste products that contribute to the causation of the pain and occasional cramping that exercisers, athletes, dancers, etc. These acids are formed when the glycogen stored in the liver and muscles in burned to produce the energy expended during exercise. The acids must finally be reconverted to glycogen and stored again, or drained out via the lymph and circulatory systems. Massage can help to reduce the irritation caused by these wastes, thus increasing muscle recovery rates so this why the boxers are massaged rather than rested between rounds.
Massage is also helpful in joints pain. Joints are moved by the muscles to produce movement and there is difficulty to exercise so massage help to loose the muscle tension and free the connective tissue found around the joints that can bind the joints.

Soft tissues injuries such as sprains and strains can also get recovered by massage. The efficient circulation of blood and proper stimulation help to heal the tissues. Massage therapy help you to recover quickly and also reduce the discomfort from these problems.
As the health awareness has increased it also increases nutrition awareness. Massage improves the blood circulation and also helps in internal nutrition rates.

There is so much stress in our lives that may be related to work, family, environment, society. Stress causes the release of hormones that create vasoconstriction - vessel shrinking - and reduced circulation. Due to stress heart works harder, breathing becomes rapid and shallow and digestion slows. Soothing and relaxing massage therapy can help to reduce the stress effects.

Massage has a specific psychological effect. Massage animates the tactile sense, loosening of muscle tension and gives you protection from psychological pain. Massage therapy is helpful in curing headaches insomnia, digestive disorders including constipation and spastic colon, arthritis, asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, sinusitis and minor aches and other pain related problems.
So for massage you will need a massage therapist. To find the best massage therapist you should ask your friend who gets massage therapy or a health professional who knows about forms of complementary and alternative health care such as massage therapy. There are different kinds of massage but you must find someone who practices the style of massage most suited to your needs. You should choose the right massage therapist for yourself.
You should know about their qualification belong to a credible professional association such as the Q.A.M.T or A.M.T.A, amount of experience and styles of massage and feel comfortable with the therapist.
Generally the massage therapy session is of about one hour. Clients are usually asked to remove as much clothing as they are comfortable with and rest on a padded massage table. To provide privacy the client is covered or draped with a sheet or towel so that only the part of the body worked on is exposed at any given time.

Good communication enhances the massage session. Some clients like to talk while some need the silence so the massage therapists will usually try to accommodate what the client needs. The other point is the oil that is usually used in this therapy. If you have an allergic reaction you should let the massage therapist know. Some massage therapists offer to play music during a session, others may feel it is distracting. It is good you should not eat just before a session.

 
To get the benefits of massage therapy you should choose a skilled therapist who have the knowledge of anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and massage technique with a sensitive, powerful touch and healing sense because it is the question of your health.