Massage & Bodywork Therapy

Massage and bodywork therapy are touch therapies that use techniques of movement and pressure to affect your body structure. Types of massage and bodywork therapy include sports massage, acupressure, connective tissue massage and Reiki healing, among many techniques ancient and modern. The Mayo Clinic website reports that massage is helpful for stress relief, management of anxiety and depression, pain, stiffness, infant growth, blood pressure control, sports-related injuries and boosting immunity.

Sports Massage

Sports massage aims to enhance your athletic performance. Many professional athletes use sports massage as part of their training programs. Before athletic competition, a fast warm-up massage is performed on site to stimulate your muscles. After competition, also performed on site, a calming massage is thought to relax your nervous system, help remove waste and reduce recovery time. Sports massage prevents injury by removing the muscle tension that stresses joints, ligaments and tendons, according to MassageTherapy.com.

Acupressure

Acupressure is a bodywork therapy that uses finger pressure on specific points on your skin and underlying tissues to encourage natural healing and facilitate balance in your body. The treatment is based on Chinese medicine concepts of Qi, blood, organs and meridians. Acupressure claims to relieve pain, reduce stress and muscle tension, increase blood circulation and improve sleep, according to MassageTherapy.com. Acupressure is also used as a popular self-applied method for treating conditions or symptoms which are tension based.

Connective Tissue Massage

Connective tissue surrounds and supports your muscles, organs and skeleton. Connective tissue treatments include body alignment therapy, Rolfing, myofascial release and connective tissue massage. In body alignment therapy theory, binding of connective tissue is thought to cause chronic pain, sports-related injuries and limited range of motion. During a connective tissue massage, the therapist uses a light touch on your skin and connective tissue that can affect a different location in your body.

Reiki Healing

During Reiki healing, the therapist's hands are placed lightly on or just above your body. The therapist focuses on twelve points along your body for three to five minutes each and is thought to channel life force to heal your body. Reiki healing claims to return physical, mental and spiritual balance to your body. The Harvard Medical School reports a study in which patients who received Reiki healing touch therapy before and after heart surgery were found to have shorter hospital stays than those who did not receive healing touch therapy.

Medical Considerations

Speak with your physician before receiving massage or bodywork therapy if you have cancer, blood-clots, unexplained pain, fractures, rheumatoid arthritis or are pregnant. According to the Mayo Clinic website, internal bleeding, nerve damage, temporary paralysis and allergic reactions to massage oils or lotions are risks of massage therapy. General soreness may be experienced after massage or bodywork therapy. See your physician if your symptoms increase or if you feel pain during bodywork therapy.