|
|
||
|
|
Knowing about a massage
|
|
|
Massage involves the
application of pressure and/or vibration to soft tissues of the body (muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments and joints). The practice of massage is a type of therapy that can be applied to parts of the body or the entire body in order to heal injuries, relieve stress, relieve muscle tension, manage pain and improve circulation. Therapeutic massage therapy (or manipulative therapy) is the term whereby massage is used for its physical and psychological benefits. For many couples, massage may be a part of lovemaking, and frequently takes place in conjunction with sex work. Massage techniques, when conducted in commercial situations, involve the client lying down on a massage table, or sitting on a massage chair, or lying on a mattress on the floor while being treated. The person receiving the massage is usually unclothed (or stripped down to his/her underpants) and the body is "draped" with towels or sheets. This also helps keep the client warm. In some regions, it is required that certain areas such as the genitals and gluteal crevice of both genders and the breast/nipple area on women be draped at all times. (Although, this is generally done anyway for modesty and comfort.) Because of the necessary physical contact between the practitioner and the client, sexual arousal is not uncommon, although it is not intentional. The first part of the session usually begins with the client face down, then the client rolls over (while draped by the towels or sheets) for the second half of the session. Communication: In order to experience an effective massage, you must communicate with the massage therapist. For a massage in a commercial setting, the client should communicate the type of treatment expected. The types of treatment would consist of relaxation or pain relief, full body massage or focus on a particular area, the degree of pressure that is comfortable, desired techniques, the client's medical history and current physical condition. Pressure: Most types of massage can be performed with a range of anywhere from surface pressure to deep pressure. In order to achieve an ideal therapeutic massage, the recipient should experience some discomfort ("hurts so good"); this activates the body's natural healing process. However, the body may experience another trauma if the pressure is too deep. If the soreness persists for a day or two, it is acceptable, but if the soreness persists for a longer period of time, the massage was probably too deep. |
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
Massagetablesmanual.com © 2005. All rights reserved worldwide. All trademarks and service marks are property of their respective owners. |
||
