Before pain killers and Western medicine, exploring ways to make the pain more bearable was massage therapy. This form of medicine is described as the pressing and rubbing of the soft tissues or muscles of the body. It has existed for thousands of years now. There are writings from ancient Greece, China, Egypt, and various Arabic nations that show evidence of the use of massage therapy. The Greek physician Hippocrates referred to medicine as ‘the art of rubbing,’ which would explain where it came from.
1. Relieving different types of pain
There are incidences where patients with different kinds of pain do not respond to regular treatment. These could be patients suffering from chronic lower back pain, osteoarthritis, neck, and shoulder pain. As mentioned, it is only beneficial in relieving pain. Therefore, the effects are only short-term, not long-lasting.
2. Supportive care for cancer patients
Cancer patients sometimes choose to incorporate this form of therapy to improve their quality of life, reduce fatigue and stress. Massage therapists who work on cancer patients often use a little less pressure than they would usually apply. They do so in consideration of the sensitivity of the cancerous areas of the body.
3. Weight gain for premature babies
The most noted observation from the massage of premature babies is improved weight gain. A recent analysis of massaging premature infants has shown a definite difference in weight gain. However, there is no evidence of the effect of massage therapy on fully developed babies. More online resources are available at Motion Care Clinic.
4. Rehabilitation of sports injuries
When there was a surge in medical advancement in the 1930s and 1940s, massage therapy became a rarely used form of treatment in the USA. In the 1970s, however, it was brought back to be used on athletes with sports injuries. Injuries are among the worst fears of an athlete, so massage is used to manage the pain. It does not only focus on current injuries but could also prevent future injuries.
5. Relief for Fibromyalgia patients
Fibromyalgia is a medical disorder whereby the body suffers overall chronic pain and a heightened response to pressure. Patients who have had massages have shown signs of a better quality of life, reduced anxiety, and reduced susceptibility to pain but when continued over a long period of time.
6. Dealing with stress-induced insomnia
Stress often goes hand in hand with the inability to sleep at night. It tends to leave the body physically feeling tense. People who have had massage therapists come and attend to them have reported sleeping better and the stress stays at bay.
