Dorothy FarrarMassage
Massage is a method of physical therapy. Through external contact with the skin, a massage works through the forces of pressure and tension and, in some cases, temperature. In most types of massage, the power is transmitted with the hands; the therapist rarely uses his feet or the whole body.
Positive effects for body and soul
The massage is a very old healing method and was already used in ancient high cultures. The physicians of antiquity already developed clearly defined hand movements as treatment instructions. A massage can also be done with special equipment. There are loungers that automatically carry out a massage using electrical vibration elements.
The effect of the massage is aimed at individual organs or the entire body and soul. Kneading allows the therapist to reach deeper tissues, aiming for muscle relaxation and pain relief. The dispersal of endogenous pain substances promotes the healing process.
Tendons can be stretched and joints loosened during the massage. The improved blood circulation in the skin and muscles strengthens the body’s self-healing powers. A massage can also improve the circulation of the lymphatic fluids and thus combat unwanted accumulations of water in the connective tissue.
With a targeted stimulation of certain nerve points, it is even possible to influence the inner organs with a massage. In this way, the therapist can support the treatment of internal diseases.
Each massage also has a psychosomatic effect. The patient feels a soothing relaxation, which influences various bodily functions at the same time. A massage also promotes general relaxation of the entire skeletal system. The lowering of pulse and blood pressure through the psychological effect of a massage is also important for the circulatory system.
What massages are there?
Therapists divide the very diverse forms of massage into partial and full body massages. Doctors mostly prescribe partial body massages of the classic or Swedish type. Here, the focus is often on the spine or the joints, sometimes supported by special sports massages.
Lymphatic drainage is a massage used in internal medicine. Traditional variants of massage came to Europe from Asia. The Thai or Ayurveda massage is well known. Reflexology is based on acupuncture . Heat can be part of the treatment, as is the case with hot stone massage or some water jet massages. With full-body massages, the focus is on the psychosomatic aspect.
massage in therapy
Massage is an important element of treatment, especially in orthopedics. The patient visits a registered physiotherapist with the prescription. The massage is often associated with a physiotherapy treatment. Initially, diseased joints and the spine experience relaxation through the massage. This creates better conditions for the following mobilization.
The massage is also of great importance as a follow-up treatment and is therefore a mainstay of therapy in rehabilitation clinics. During a cure, patients receive underwater pressure jet massages if they suffer from arthrosis or rheumatism. Lymphatic drainage plays an important role in acute care hospitals.
Doctors use this form of massage after accidents and operations to treat swelling around the tissue injuries. The contraindication of a massage is always at the discretion of the attending physician: muscle fiber tears or vascular changes can make a massage questionable. A number of skin diseases also often rule out a massage.
Sports massage – fitness and regeneration
Sports massage is a therapeutic measure in sports. Anyone who is active in sports is used to exceeding and expanding their physical limits again and again. Instead of positive effects, the well-known sore muscles await us. From a long-term perspective, physical activity is of course beneficial for body and mind in many ways, and so people are happy to accept the momentary discomfort. Now the sports massage is a method that promises improvement in terms of performance and well-being.
Performance improvement through sports massage
A sports massage is primarily used for the effective preparation and regeneration of athletes during training and competition phases. The massage should contribute to the production or increase in performance of the healthy athlete.
The most important goal of the massage is to activate the circulatory and metabolic systems in order to excrete toxins (metabolic end products) more quickly. As a result, rapid regeneration of the muscles is achieved. The sports massage is a suitable means of relieving muscle hardening, muscle tension or muscle pain.
A sports massage is not a wellness program. Tense, hard muscles need kneading, stroking, and tapping to relax. The limbs are stretched and shaken to loosen large muscle groups. This type of massage is equally exhausting for masseurs and athletes.
Treating skin and muscles can be painful. Still, the procedure is worth it. By intentionally stimulating blood circulation, muscles heal faster and are therefore able to perform and work under pressure again even after a shorter period of time.
Sports massages depending on the training phase
Depending on the training phase (preparation, competition, regeneration), different sports massages can be used.
Trainingsmassage
- relaxed beginning and constant intensification of the massage technique (intensive and strong grips)
preparatory massage
- gentle, relaxed and warming massage technique
intermediate massage
- short and relaxing massage strokes between activities
relaxation massage
- intensive deep massage after physical activity to promote the return of metabolic waste products (e.g. lactate). Heat (sauna, baths) can promote regeneration.
Technique of sports massage (handles)
The basic principle of sports massage is the targeted massage (kneading and walking) of stressed muscle groups. It should be noted that the individual massage techniques flow smoothly into each other. All kneading, stroking and tapping movements should be done “in one piece”. The focus here is on alternating between gentle and intensive stroking and stretching movements of the fingertips, the thumb and the backs of the fingers and hands.
Sports massage not only suitable for athletes
The method is suitable for anyone who is exposed to heavy physical exertion. Be it through professional or hobby sport, or due to a specific professional activity.
If you are stressed, overworked and bring home tension from the office caused by poor posture or one-sided stress, there is nothing to be said against using the technique described to feel fit again the next morning.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.