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Massage Therapy - Swedish Massage

Massage is the manipulation of muscle and connective tissue to enhance the function of those tissues. Therapeutic massage can ease tension, promote relaxation and well-being, and reduce pain. Massage can be a part of physical therapy or practiced on its own. It can be highly effective for reducing the symptoms of arthritis, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other disorders of the muscles and/or nervous system.

I can provide Swedish Massage (both full body and partial) to VTCT standards.

Massage is recognized as perhaps one of the oldest methods of healing: Egyptian tomb paintings show people being massaged, The "Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine", a Chinese book written in 2,700 BC, recommended the "massage of skin and flesh".

The Benefits of Therapeutic Massage include

• Helps to relieve stress and aids relaxation
• Helps to relieve muscle tension and stiffness
• Can alleviate discomfort during pregnancy
• Fosters healing of strained muscles and ligaments and reduces pain and swelling
• Reduces muscle spasms
• Provides greater joint flexibility and range of motion
• Promotes deeper and easier breathing
• Improves circulation of blood and movement of lymph fluids
• Reduces blood pressure
• Helps relieve tension-related headaches and effects of eye-strain
• Enhances the health and nourishment of skin
• Improves posture
• Strengthens the immune system

How Does Massage Therapy Work?

Musculature

Massage can relieve muscular tension, stiffness and restrictions in the muscle tissue. Regular massage, particularly with percussive techniques (which cause rapid contraction and expansion), will help to restore muscular movement to its fullest capacity, and will improve flexibility in the muscles.

The improvement in blood circulation that massage causes will speed up delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscle tissues, which helps to reduce fatigue and soreness. This will also speed up the removal of toxins and waste products, particularly lactic acid (caused by anaerobic breakdown of glucose, after strenuous exercise), this is combined with oxygen to form water and carbon dioxide which are then carried away in the bloodstream. An accumulation of lactic acid in muscle tissues can cause muscle fatigue and painful cramping.

Skin

Massage will increase the circulation of blood through the network of capillaries in the skin: this will increase the supply of oxygen and nutrients and encourage cell regeneration. The improved blood supply to the skin will improve the colour of the skin.

The increase in the nutrient supply to the sebaceous glands will increase the amount of sebum that is produced, softening the skin and making it more elastic and supple and increasing resistance to infection.

The sweat glands are stimulated, helping to excrete urea and other waste products through the skin.

Massage will help in the removal of the top layer of dead skin cells (Desquamation), which will improve skin condition and also help to promote cell regeneration.

Massage can soften hard fat deposits in the adipose tissue in the dermis, and speed up its removal by the circulatory system.

Skeletal System

Massage does not have any direct effect on bones, however, the increased blood circulation that massage promotes will increase the oxygen supply to the bones and speed up the absorption of waste products.

Massage can help to increase the mobility of synovial joints by stimulating the synovial fluid, that lubricates and nourishes the joint. It can reduce thickening of the connective tissues and cartilage and help to release restrictions in the facia of the joint.

It helps to reduce inflammation of joints, to free adhesions and break down scar tissue - this will help to restore the freedom of movement to stiff joints.

By improving muscle tone and balance, massage can reduce the physical stress placed on bones and joints.

Circulatory System

Massage can improve circulation and increase the supply of blood (and therefore oxygen and nutrients) to the tissues by dilating blood vessels, helping them to work more efficiently and mechanically assisting the venous flow of blood back to the heart. This will also assist in the efficient removal of waste products, and the rapid transit of carbon dioxide to the lungs where it can be exhaled.

As a consequence of this, both cellular health and the metabolic rate will improve. The muscles will recover faster after exertion and damage will be repaired at a faster rate.

Massage can promote a state of relaxation, which can help to slow the pulse rate, and temporarily reduce the blood pressure (Particularly when the elevated blood pressure may be stress-related).

The increase in blood supply and dilation of the capillaries can result in a higher surface temperature of the massaged area.

Lymphatic System

As the lymphatic system, unlike the blood system, does not have a specific pump (The lymphatic fluid is circulated by the movements of the large muscles of the body), it benefits greatly from regular massage. The main functions of the Lymphatic system are the disposal of waste products and toxins, the removal of excess fluids from the tissues and the support of the immune system.

Regular massage (during which, movements should always be made to ensure that lymphatic flow is towards the heart), will help to increase lymphatic drainage. This can help to reduce oedema (Swelling caused by an accumulation of fluid in the tissues, caused by poor circulation and fatigue).

Improved lymphatic drainage may also help to strengthen the immune system both by the improved disposal of toxins, and by the improved flow of lymphatic fluid speeding up the delivery of lymphocytes and the antibodies they produce.

In addition to the physiological effects above, massage can help to reduce stress and anxiety by relaxing both mind and body, create a feeling of well-being and improved vigour, and to ease emotional trauma through relaxation.