What Is Massage Therapy?

When your doctor tells you that you need to undergo some massage therapy, your first reaction must have been what is massage therapy? Another name for massage therapy is the Swedish massage. This is one of the most well known forms of massage therapy in the United States. A massage therapist will use smooth, long, fluid strokes and knead your body while concentrating on certain layers of muscles. Many times they use massage oils and lotions.

Why do people go in for massage therapy? Back pain, inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, stress relief and stress related conditions, headaches and migraines, muscle conditions such as spasms, repetitive strain injuries such as carpel tunnel syndrome, circulation and repertory problems, after injury and after surgery.

What Is A Typical Massage Therapy Session Like?

First you go to the spa or the place you are having you massage done. You will be taken to a massage room, by the therapist. Then she or he will have a brief consultation with you, explaining to you the entire process. After which they will leave the room and allow you to get undressed. A number of people keep on their underwear on. After undressing, you will have to lay on your stomach, on the massage table, with a sheet covering you. After you have had time to do all of this, the massage therapist will tap the door lightly, to make sure you are ready. Then they will uncover one part of the body at a time. The only part uncovered is the one being massaged. Once the massage is over, the therapist will leave the room and allow you to get dressed. You want to make sure that you sit up slowly because you may get a little light headed. The whole process will take somewhere between 40 to 90 minutes, depending on the type of massage you want.

Are There Any Rules?

Massage therapy won’t hurt unless you have knots in your back, from stress. There are people that are not permitted to undergo massage therapy. These are people that have just had surgery, people that have infections, rashes and open wombs, people that have had radiation and chemotherapy should not have a massage, people that are prone to blood clots, and pregnant women unless the doctor approves it and pregnant women should only get a massage for a therapist certified to massage pregnant women.

You should always remember not to eat a heavy meal before a massage, and if it is your first time having a massage you should arrive early so that you can fill out all the necessary paperwork.

People can walk into a massage parlor hurting with extreme pain or really knotted up because of stress and when they walk out they are feeling like a different person.

So what is massage therapy? For many people it is the best thing next to white bread. You can ask any massage therapist and they will tell you that they have lots of repeat customers. This means that people today have a lot of stress and massage therapy is the best way they know to deal with it. If you are someone thinking about trying massage therapy you will not know if you like it, unless you try it.