|
Magical. Hypnotic. I feel I could melt all the way through the table to the floor. My muscles resist at first, only to quickly and willingly surrender to the skillfully trained hands kneading the last months’ worth of stress out and away. I wonder why I stayed away so long and when my next session would be, even though this one had barely begun. Massage…a healing modality almost as old as breathing. Our need and desire for touch runs throughout all people, regardless of age or position. Whether one acknowledges this or not, human need for touch is truly less of a want and more of a necessity. We suffer in isolation. Our vital signs belie our protest to this…when touched, our blood pressure drops, the heart rate decreases, breathing slows.
The importance of touch therapy has been well understood by our ancestors. The first documentation of massage can be found in Egyptian tomb paintings, showing people receiving massage. In Eastern culture, the Chinese Emperor’s Book of Internal Medicine in 2,700 BC recommended daily “massage of skin and flesh.” In 5th century BC, Hippocrates, the father of western medicine, wrote, “A physician must be experienced in many things… but most assuredly in rubbing, to loosen a joint that is too rigid or to bind a joint that is too loose.” Touch therapy has evolved immensely over the centuries, becoming much more refined and focused. There are many forms and techniques, developed to meet the needs of specific medical conditions, to correct musculoskeletal structure and alignment, and to assist with relief of daily stress on the body and spirit. The forms of massage and touch therapy range from the most commonly known, such as Swedish or deep tissue massage to the less known, such as myofacial release, visceral manipulation and rolfing to ayurvedic and Chinese medicine techniques. Each of these techniques will be more thoroughly discussed in next month’s article. As might be expected, research studies have shown massage to be effective in reducing psychological and physical stress and anxiety. However, as might not be expected, there has been additional research showing improved benefit with sleep, pain reduction, and depression ranging from mild disorders to persons with chronic or debilitative disease. One study in the journal of Complementary Therapies in Medicine found twice weekly massage in people above age 60 to significantly improve the individual’s perception of good health, vitality, and positive well-being, while lessening anxiety and depression. Another study done by the Journal of Palliative Medicine showed cancer patients in hospice care demonstrated a significant reduction in stress and feelings of depression and improvement in sleep with a four-week course of massage and aromatherapy. Reduction in pain from muscle or skeletal injury has also been well documented. Low back pain is one of the most common complaints documented by physicians. A randomized, double-blind study released September 2007 by the journal Spine showed massage to be comparable to physiotherapy for reducing pain and discomfort following back surgery. A review completed by the Annals of Internal Medicine showed all studies reviewed revealed a positive benefit for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain with massage. So, what does all this mean for you? Considering most of us tend to experience psychological and sometimes physical stress daily, along with the occasional ache or pain, massage therapy is a wonderful way to relieve stress, and receive many health benefits that are just beginning to be discovered. Dr. Angila Jaeggli is a naturopathic physician who specializes in integrative family medicine. She recently moved here from Seattle and is now practicing in Pullman. More information can be found at www.sagemedicineclinic.com. |
