Resources: Massage Therapy

• What Is Massage Therapy?
• YOUR-CENTER.com Resources

What Is Massage Therapy?

According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) Web site:

"Massage therapy is a profession in which the practitioner applies manual techniques, and may apply adjunctive therapies, with the intention of positively affecting the health and well-being of the client.

Massage is a manual soft tissue manipulation, and includes holding, causing movement, and/or applying pressure to the body.

Therapy is a series of actions aimed at achieving or increasing health and wellness.

Manual means by use of hand or body."

There are many different kinds of massage, including:

"Deep Tissue— releases the chronic patterns of tension in the body through slow strokes and deep finger pressure on the contracted areas, either following or going across the grain of muscles, tendons and fascia. It is called deep tissue, because it also focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue.

Effleurage— is a stroke generally used in a Swedish massage treatment. This smooth, gliding stroke is used to relax soft tissue and is applied using both hands.

Friction— is the deepest of Swedish massage strokes. This stroke encompasses deep, circular movements applied to soft tissue causing the underlying layers of tissue to rub against each other. The result causes an increase in blood flow to the massaged area.

Petrissage (also called kneading)— involves squeezing, rolling and kneading the muscles and usually follows effleurage during Swedish massage.

Swedish Massage— a system of long strokes, kneading and friction techniques on the more superficial layers of the muscles, combined with active and passive movements of the joints.

Tapotement— is executed with cupped hands, fingers or the edge of the hand with short, alternating taps to the client."

What Massage Therapy Resources Does YOUR-CENTER.com Have?

• Aura Columbus
• Nicholas Ciranni