Frequently Asked Questions

-What can massage do?
-Can massage really help?
-Is there proof of the benefits?
-What should I expect at my first Massage?
-Does massage hurt?

    What can massage do?

• Improve sleep quality
• Increase energy and alertness
• Increase circulation
• Boost joint health
• Speed recovery after surgery or injury
• Boost immune strength
• Improve performance (sports)
• Increase relaxation
• Reduce muscle tension
• Increase range of motion
• Decrease pain
• Relief of depression or improved mood
• Relief for symptoms of TMJ and CTS
  

    Can massage really help?

     A great question.  Of course, if I didn't believe in what I do I wouldn't be doing it!

    I don't, however, support the belief that massage therapy is the "magic button", "end-all cure-all" for every ailment of the body, mind and spirit.  I have heard such claims about massage and a long list of truly beneficial therapies, juices, supplements and topical applications.   Perhaps these people over speak themselves out of  the excitement over their own personal results!  This list includes:

• food grade hydrogen peroxide ingestion
• mangosteen juice
• high colonic enema
• unpasteurized vinegar                                  
  
• cayenne pepper
• foot bath detox
• ozone "body bags"
• sea plant tonics
• mega vitamin therapy
  
• essential oils
• MSM
• yoga
• meditation
  
• Reflexology
• Polarity
• acupuncture

   Is there proof of the benefits?
(Scientific proof, Proof by experience, Trends)

          *Scientific proof

     With 80+ different massage modalities and techniques you can imagine what a daunting task it is to scientifically test the real effects of massage therapy.  Only recently there has been a long awaited emphasis on scientific study  of the effects massage therapy has on the human body.  The official word today is still "not enough studying has been done" to prove massage's physiological effects

         The following text comes directly from the website of the U. S. Dept. of Health and Human Services' National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine:

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is the Federal Government's lead agency for scientific research on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). We are 1 of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Our Mission

What We Do

NCCAM has four primary areas of focus:

   1. Advancing scientific research
      We have funded more than 1,200 research projects at scientific institutions across the United States and around the world.
   2. Training CAM researchers
      We support training for new researchers as well as encourage experienced researchers to study CAM.
   3. Sharing news and information
      We provide timely and accurate information about CAM research in many ways, such as through our Web site, our information clearinghouse, fact sheets, Distinguished Lecture Series, continuing medical education programs, and publication databases.
   4. Supporting integration of proven CAM therapies
      Our research helps the public and health professionals understand which CAM therapies have been proven to be safe and effective.



MASSAGE:

    * People use massage therapy as CAM for a variety of health-related purposes, from treating specific diseases and conditions to general wellness.
    * Scientists do not fully know what changes occur in the body during massage, whether they influence health, and, if so, how. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is sponsoring studies to answer these questions and identify the purposes for which massage may be most helpful.
    * There appear to be few risks to massage therapy if it is used appropriately and provided by a trained massage professional.
    * Tell your health care providers about any CAM therapy you are considering or using, including massage therapy. This helps to ensure safe and coordinated care.


    * Massage therapy should not be used to replace your regular medical care or to delay seeing a doctor about a medical problem.
    * For findings from research studies on massage therapy for various health conditions, see "For More Information." However, the available literature is limited, and more research is needed to make firm conclusions.


How Massage Therapy Might Work

Scientists are studying massage to understand what effects massage therapy has on patients, how it has those effects, and why. Some aspects of this are better understood than others. For example, it is known that:

    * When certain forces are applied to the muscles, changes occur in the muscles (although those changes are not clearly understood or agreed upon).
    * Massage therapy typically enhances relaxation and reduces stress. Stress makes some diseases and conditions worse.

There are many more aspects that are not yet known or well understood scientifically, however. Some of the proposed theories 3 are that massage:

    * Might provide stimulation that may help block pain signals sent to the brain (the "gate control theory" of pain reduction).
    * Might shift the patient's nervous system away from the sympathetic and toward the parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system helps mobilize the body for action. When a person is under stress, it produces the fight-or-flight response (the heart rate and breathing rate go up, for example; the blood vessels narrow; and muscles tighten). The parasympathetic nervous system creates what some call the "rest and digest" response (the heart rate and breathing rate slow down, for example; the blood vessels dilate; and activity increases in many parts of the digestive tract).
    * Might stimulate the release of certain chemicals in the body, such as serotonin or endorphins.
    * Might cause beneficial mechanical changes in the body--for example, by preventing fibrosis (the formation of scar-like tissue) or increasing the flow of lymph (a fluid that travels through the body's lymphatic system and carries cells that help fight disease).
    * Might improve sleep, which has a role in pain and healing.
    * Might provide some health benefit from the interaction between therapist and patient.

More well-designed studies are needed to understand and confirm these theories and other scientific aspects of massage.

    Note: the text says what massage therapy might do.  Until the government has more scientific study results this terminology will remain the same.  If you're waiting for an official word as proof that massage works you may be waiting a while.

          *Proof by experience

     Tougher still to prove is the role massage plays in prevention.   Can receiving a massage on a regular basis really help keep disease, sickness and pain at bay?  Proof that massage works may not yet exist in the world of science, but those who can and do make statements like this have their own form of proof.

"WHEN I GET MASSAGES ..."

• I sleep much better and my fibromyalgia symptoms are almost non existent.
  
• My low back pain stays minor, to the point where I don't even remember if I had pain that day.
• I don't get the annoying tingling pain down my leg.
• Definitely have more energy and focus in my days.
• After a race (marathon) my recovery time is shorter.  I can get back to training quicker and that's a good thing.
• Keeps my shoulder from freezing up.
  

      *Trends

       Let's look at what the world is doing.  The following information comes from the website of the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork:

Massage facts

It’s a fact. Every year, more and more people rely on therapeutic massage and bodywork for relaxation, pain relief, health concerns, rehabilitation and general wellness. To help you better understand this rapidly growing field, we’d like to share some information with you.


    * Today, 39 million American adults – more than one out of every six – get at least one massage each year.**


    * Because massage and bodywork directly or indirectly affects every system of the body, it promotes health, prevents illness and injury, and speeds recovery.

    * In a recent survey, respondents shared their primary reasons for choosing alternative therapies:
      41%       General wellness
      33%       Treat an illness
      10%       Supplement traditional care
      10%       Prevent an illness
      6%         Other***

    * 79% of 25 to 35 year olds would like their health insurance plan to cover massage.**

    * In 1996, massage therapy and bodywork was officially offered for the first time as a core medical service in the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, and nationally certified practitioners provided key medical services.

    * 77% of the companies identified as the “100 Best for Working Mothers” offer massage therapy to employees.**

    * Companies that offer massage therapy as an employee benefit include: Allstate, Best Buy, Cisco Systems, FedEx, Gannett (USA Today), General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, Home Depot, JC Penney, Kimberly-Clark, Texas Instruments and Yahoo!**


* Holisticonline.com
**American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) Fact Sheets
***Thomson Medstat

       Big corporations are not without research of their own.  You can be sure the decision to incorporate massage therapy in their employee package is a decision which directly benefits the company financially.  The studies that DO exist in the corporate world show higher employee productivity, less sick time and less accidents on the job when massage therapy is used.