Massage therapy
is a manual therapy directed toward the muscles and soft tissues
of the body to promote health, increase range of motion, and
decrease pain. A wide variety of techniques are used to achieve
these goals and are specific to certain conditions, and to
each individual.
Massage aims
to remove adhesions and "knots" that may form over
time in these structures. Muscles and soft tissues can become
tight and restricted from overuse, trauma, pregnancy, poor
posture, stress, emotional imbalance and fatigue. By removing
the restrictions, massage can relax tension and pain in muscles,
increase circulation, increase flexibility and reduce mental
and physical fatigue.
The foundation
of massage treatment is based on Swedish techniques. It uses
long light strokes, deep kneading, smaller friction movements,
light tapping and joint movements. Other techniques that are
commonly used are Myofascial Release, Active Release or Strain-Counterstrain,
Joint Play, Trigger Point Therapy, and a series of stretching
techniques.
