Massage Therapy Objectives

There are many massage and bodywork techniques. You may be confused as to what the objective, or goal, is for massage in general. Massage uses touch with the overall goal of promoting health and well-being. Despite the variety of massage modalities available, most types of massage and bodywork have some general goals in common.

Awareness

As a fast-paced society, many Americans stay focused on their schedules, jobs, activities, families and social life, concentrating on their thoughts and losing touch of the bodies they inhabit. Massage promotes a greater awareness of your body. As your massage therapist addresses each area of your body, you may notice tension, aches and pains you hadn't known were there. Sometimes, your bodyworker may note that your stance or posture is off-balance. By addressing tension and discomfort as it arises rather than when it becomes debilitating, you can gain more control of your own health.

Stress-Relief

Most images of massage entail someone blissfully lying on a table looking relaxed and carefree. These images promote the stress-relieving aspect of massage. Stress-relief begins with the safe, inviting, relaxing environment provided by your massage therapist complete with dimmed lights, climate control, soothing music and a comfortable massage table. When you feel stress, the sympathetic nervous system takes action and gives you the boost you need to get things done. Daily stress can keep this system activated, slowing digestion, decreasing concentration and sleep, inducing tense muscles and leading to discomfort. The soothing touch of massage stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which essentially turns off the fight-or-flight mechanism of the sympathetic nervous system, allowing your body to relax and your mind to calm.

Circulation

Decreased exercise leads to decreased circulation. Your body needs blood and lymph to circulate freely as a means of transporting nutrients, oxygen and hormones to all of its tissues and organs and for eliminating wastes. Nourished and cleansed tissues and organs function more efficiently. Massage improves circulation of blood and lymph. The strokes, stretches and movements of massage manually move blood and lymph throughout the body. This movement helps to counteract the effects of a sedentary lifestyle caused by working at a desk, watching television or illness and injuries, which prevent movement.

Pain Relief

Relief from pain is a primary reason people seek massage. Pain can decrease your ability to complete tasks and enjoy life. By relieving stress and tension, improving circulating and enhancing body awareness, massage can help relieve pain caused by muscle tension, headache, injuries, illness, menstrual cramps and exercise. Always alert your massage therapist or bodyworker about any injuries or medical conditions you have. Consult with your physician if you are undergoing treatment for disease, have a recent injury or have continuous, debilitating pain.