History of Massage

Massage may be the oldest and simplest form of medical care. Egyptian tomb paintings show people being massaged. In Eastern cultures, massage has been practiced continually since ancient times. A Chinese book from 2,700 B.C., The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, recommends 'breathing exercises, massage of skin and flesh, and exercises of hands and feet" as the appropriate treatment for complete paralysis, chills, and fever." It was one of the principal method of relieving pain for Greek and Roman physicians. Julius Caesar was said to have been given a daily massage to treat neuralgia.

Many physicians have been recommending massage therapy for years. Nearly 2,400 years. The medical benefits of "friction" were first documented in Western culture by the Greek physician Hippocrates around 400 BC. Today, massage therapy is being used as a means of treating painful ailments, decompressing tired and overworked muscles, reducing stress, rehabilitating sports injuries, and promoting general health. This is accomplished by manipulating a client's soft tissues in order to improve the body's circulation and remove waste products from the muscles.

Swedish massage, the method most familiar to Westerners, was developed in the 19th century by a Swedish doctor, poet, and educator named Per Henrik Ling. His system was based on a study of gymnastics and physiology, and on techniques borrowed from China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Physiotherapy, originally based on Ling's methods, was established with the foundation in 1894 of the Society of Trained Masseurs. During World War I patients suffering from nerve injury or shell shock were treated with massage. St. Thomas's Hospital, London, had a department of massage until 1934.

Massage is customarily defined as manual (by hand) manipulation of the soft tissues of the body for therapeutic purposes, using strokes that include gliding, kneading, pressing, tapping, and/or vibrating. Massage therapists may also cause movement within the joints, apply heat or cold, use holding techniques, and/or advise clients on exercises to improve muscle tone and range of motion. The best known forms are sports massage, which focuses on muscle systems relevant to a particular sport; and Swedish massage which uses long strokes, kneading, and friction techniques on muscles, plus active and passive movements of the joints. The term "bodywork" encompasses traditional massage, other touch therapies, and some methods that involve manipulation of imaginary forces to maintain or restore "balance." Therapeutic massage is often used for aid in recovery from injury, stress relief and relaxation, and as treatment for illness or pain.

Massage therapists use a variety of techniques to address soft tissue problems. Gentle kneading and stretching lengthens contracted muscles and fascia. Techniques such as sustained pressure, ice massage and stretching can release trigger points. Painful sprains and strains, as well as myofascial adhesions, can be addressed directly with massage techniques that improve circulation and stimulate healthy separation and realignment of injured fibers.
In general, massage increases circulation. This reduces painful swelling and inflammation, and promotes healing by removing waste products and bringing nutrients to your tissues. Like a sponge absorbing water, both fascia and muscles begin to soften and lengthen.

You can benefit in a number of ways by adding massage therapy to your chiropractic care program. Recovery is normally faster and more complete when you address multiple components of your pain. Chiropractic treatment often proceeds more easily, with less discomfort, when soft tissue has been relaxed with massage. You may be less anxious and more ready to receive chiropractic adjustment after a relaxing massage. Adjustments frequently last longer when muscle tension is released that might otherwise pull your joints out of alignment again.

Available at Quantum Vitality Centres
QVC currently offers 1/2 hour and 1 hour sessions of either Swedish or Deep Tissue Massage.