Massage can be described as one of the
oldest healing arts in the world. The massage therapy has undergone tremendous
transformation with the evolution of time and today, the modern therapy takes
the basic principles of ancient massage and evolves it into a science. You may
come across different types of massage therapy and many people with health
problem concerns rely on this therapy for to find relief. A few of those
conditions are back pain, scoliosis, scar tissue, sciatica and tension
headaches. Here are some of the commonly asked questions that one
should be aware of about these common health problems.
How does an experienced massage
therapist address your back pain?
Back pain has become an alarming
concern for many people. More than 80% of the working population experience
pain on the back at some point during their lifetime. The most common cause of
back pain is poor body posture and, strain and sprain of the muscles, tendons
or ligaments around the spine can lead to this condition as well.
With the help of an experienced
therapist, you can eliminate the debilitating pain involved with back pain. Massage therapy increases blood
circulation to help you recover from muscle soreness and it relaxes muscles for
an improved range of motion. Since massage increases the endorphin levels in
your body, managing pain becomes a hassle free process. In order to help you
achieve all these benefits, skilled practitioners apply pressure on the
affected area and nearby places using fingers knuckles and elbow.
Is massage an effective option to
relieve the effects of scoliosis?
The natural S-shaped curve of your
spine provides the much needed balance to your body and scoliosis occurs when
your spine curves in an unnatural manner. This condition can lead to pain,
fatigue, arthritis and breathing issues, depending on the severity of the
problem. Basically, scoliosis can be classified into two categories and they
include functional scoliosis and structural scoliosis.
People, who suffer from both these
conditions, can depend on massage to relieve pain, improve sleep and increase
the ability of the body to conduct daily activities. Everybody knows that
massage relaxes your body in the best possible manner and it also improves your
flexibility.
A skilled therapist makes use of a
combination of massage strokes, sustained pressure, positioning and stretching
to bring the much needed balance to your muscles so that relieving or
eliminating scoliosis becomes a reality. Since massage offers increased body
awareness, you can change your movement habits that contribute to
scoliosis.
Can scar tissues be treated with the
help of massage?
Scar tissue is formed is formed from a
fragile and inflexible collagen fibrous material and in order to draw the damaged
fibers back together, it binds itself to the damaged soft tissue fibers. This
process leads to the formation of a bulky mass of fibrous scar tissue that
surrounds the injury area. A skilled massage therapist will make use of deep
tissue massage, cross fiber friction, myofascial release, active release
techniques and contrast therapies to help your body improve the healing process
and these techniques also help the body realign the muscle tissues, improve the
nerve response and breakup the excess scar tissue.
Can you treat sciatica with massage
therapy?
When you suffer from irritations to
sciatic nerve, you experience shooting pain, tingling sensation and numbness in
lower back, legs and foot as well. A competent massage therapist will work on
all muscles that support the area of the back surrounding and affected by the
sciatic nerve and he/she will also advocate specialized stretching exercises to
eliminate the pain and discomforts associated with sciatica.
Is massage therapy effective for
tension headaches?
Tension has become an inevitable aspect
of this fast paced world and many people suffer from headache due to prolonged
tension. Muscles become contracted when you get tense and massage therapy
relaxes the contracted muscles to help you relieve the tension. The therapist
works on the muscles of scalp, jaw, neck and other related areas to relax the
muscles and eventually, the headache involved with the tension disappears.
