Massage therapy’s great. And there are numerous studies outlining why, most coming from a medicinal point of view (we’ve written about a lot of them: massage therapy’s helpful to cancer patients, people who are stressed, people suffering from jaw pain, etc.).
But a new study shows another, substantial reason why people appreciate and seek out massage therapy: They like it. (more…)
We wrote recently about NFL football player Errick (Ricky) Williams wanting to become a massage therapist after he finished his impressive football career. On a lighter note, there’s also been some news about Britney Spears wanting to become a professional massage therapist (although these reports – and the individual dedication – don’t seem to be as serious as Errick Williams’).
While these two names bring some celebrity to the world of massage therapy, others from the profession are trying to bring fame to massage therapy from within. As MassageMag.com announced, this June, at Berea College, in Kentucky, the fifth annual World Massage Festival and induction ceremony for the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame will take place. (more…)
A lot of content seems to appear around the holidays for massage therapy-related services, for Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, even Valentine’s Day. Advertisements and articles about gifts and gestures that couples can give each other for Valentine’s Day extend to massage therapy, such as this article from a community Web page in Maryland.
The idea is that, on Valentine’s Day, partners can learn the art of massage therapy to treat their significant other with a massage that is not only personal, but also somewhat professional. While a sweet idea, I think there is a potentially serious flaw in the gift idea of massage therapy for Valentine’s Day. (more…)
Continuing on with our blog’s often-explored theme of the benefits of massage therapy for mankind, today’s blog focuses on an element that affects nearly all humans and that massage therapy has a great track record of treating effectively. That element is: stress.
To start off, check out this article from The Massage Advancer, which obviously is a little biased in favor of massage therapy. (more…)
Over the past few weeks, I have written about the therapeutic benefits of massage therapy, specifically for infants and adolescents. Now I want to focus on the therapeutic benefits of massage therapy for all people, children and adults.
This entry will be about jaw pain and ways massage therapy can help combat it. (more…)
Last week I wrote about a study posted on the Touch Research Institute’s Web site about the effect massage therapy and touch can have on infants (massage therapy, according to the study, was shown to improve responsiveness among infants. Click to see my post).
This week I want to focus on a different study, also posted on the Touch Research Institute’s Web site, but available, for free, online as well (click here). This study focuses on massage therapy’s effectiveness in decreasing rates of aggression among adolescents.
This blog has been used a lot over the past year and a half of its existence to trumpet the therapeutic benefits of massage. And while this is a good site to find yet another ailment that massage therapy can help cure, the Touch Research Institute is the gold mine of scientific research into the therapeutic benefits of massage therapy.
This week I’m writing about another study from their resources, this one demonstrating the benefits of touch and massage therapy among infants. (more…)
After lots of posts about the holidays, NFL stars, and ethics in massage therapy, I want to return to a subject that I think this blog does best: the therapeutic benefits of massage therapy.
After all, massage therapy’s benefits to people’s health are great. Thus far we have featured blogs about massage therapy and its ability to alleviate trigger points, symptoms of old age, allergies, eating disorders, stress, and the list goes on and on.
Today I want to write about neck pain and massage therapy’s effectiveness in treating it. (more…)
With Christmas only a couple of days away I hope that all of you have finished your holiday shopping, gotten the decorations up, and have generally survived the frantic pace surrounding the holidays. Of course, massage therapy can be a great way to beat stress, and it’s also a great idea for those of you still searching for last-minute gifts this holiday season. While Christmas gets most of the attention, we do say Happy Holidays for a reason, as there are many other days to celebrate (and give the gift of massage) other than Christmas. Some are obvious, others less so.
Let’s start with the obvious ones. (more…)
We already wrote about the medicinal benefits of aromatherapy, coupled with massage therapy, over a year ago (see post). As it says in that entry, aromatherapy and massage can be used (and has been clinically proven) to reduce stress levels and help the immune system.
But in that entry, we glossed over the fact that making massage oils and aromatherapy oils can be a very easy task. Follow the directions below, and start adding aromatherapy to your chair and table massage sessions. It is a great addition to the many benefits that massage therapy already offers. (more…)