(also referred to as...)
Massage Therapy, Swedish Massage
Introduction
It has been theorized that massage was borne out of the instinctual rubbing and stroking observed in mammals. Even those of us unfamiliar with massage would be apt to rubbing a stubbed toe to relieve the pain. The word massage comes from the Arabic word mass meaning to press. Today, the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) describes massage as a "therapeutic, integral healing relationship in which the therapist assists the client in restoring, maintaining and enhancing the well-being of the client." The College goes further to describe massage therapy as "the assessment of the soft tissue and joints of the body and the treatment and prevention of physical dysfunction and pain of the soft tissues and joints by manipulation to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment physical function, or relieve pain."
Massage was first mentioned in writings as early as 3,000 BCE and has been written about extensively since 500 BCE. Many references to its use have been found in ancient Egyptian, Persian, and Japanese historical medical literature. Most ancient civilizations developed some form of massage, particularly China, India, Arabia, Greece, Italy and Egypt. The Eskimos, Mayans, Incas and other natives of the American continent also practiced massage.
Throughout the ages, many notable historic figures have been great proponents of massage. Hippocrates widely advocated its use and was the first in ancient Greece to describe some of its medical benefits. He called the therapeutic use of massage, oils, and herbs as anatripsis, which means to rub up. Julius Caesar had a daily ritual comprised of being "pinched all over" to relieve his neuralgia and to prevent epileptic attacks. In the 16th century, Ambrose Paré, one of the founders of modern surgery, used massage techniques for the relief of joint stiffness and to promote wound healing after surgery. There are also references to massage in Captain James Cook's diary of his third voyage around the world in the latter part of the 18th century. In it he describes how his pseudosciatic pain was relieved in an "elegant and generous ritual" performed by a Tahitian chief and his family using a method called romee.
Massage developed differently in the East and the West. For the purpose of this section I will explore the development of massage in the West, in which I have been trained. I will not even attempt to present the development of massage in the East, as I would not be able to do it justice. However, it must be noted that many ideas and techniques forming the Western approach to massage had been practiced in China for centuries previous to their appearance in the West. In fact, the resurgence in popularity of massage in the West is attributed to the French missionaries returning to Europe from China in the early 19th century. With them they brought The Cong Fou of the Tao Tse, Chinese medical writings which date back to 2,700 BCE. These writings contained extensive entries pertaining to the use of massage to treat a variety of ailments.
Per Henrik Ling is credited for the development of Swedish massage in the 19th century. He put together a program of active and passive movements for the treatment of disease and used many positions and movements of Swedish gymnastics. He taught this technique to medical doctors from throughout Europe, and by his death in the mid 19th century, his technique had gained worldwide recognition.
Since this time, many have researched the benefits of massage and have developed new methods and techniques. Dr. Janet Travell is renown for her work on myofascial pain and trigger points. Eunice Ingham developed the therapy known as reflexology. Ida Rolf's techniques came to be known as Rolfing. Dr. Delores Krieger created the therapeutic touch approach. Other modalities to have developed out of massage are bioenergetics by Alexander Lowen, polarity therapy by Dr. Randolph Stone, connective tissue massage by Elizabeth Dicke, and manual lymphatic drainage by Dr. Emil Vodder.
The increasing popularity of massage in the last few decades has been, in part, due to the realization that there are many chronic diseases which are not responding to treatment by conventional western medicine. Massage is one of the non-invasive approaches that have proven to be effective for many ailments. So wonderful and numerous are the effects of massage that it is being considered as a possible nursing intervention for people with a variety of ailments and diseases of both the body and mind.
Massage can impart physiological, psychological and emotional or spiritual effects. Physiologically, it exerts many effects on the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems. Massage can improve circulation. It does so most dramatically by increasing venous return to the heart. This can decrease heart rate, respiratory rate and increase cardiac output (the volume of blood pumped out of the heart per beat). Lymphatic circulation can be increased and edema or swelling in extremities can be decreased. Red blood cell count can also be temporarily increased. Massage can also increase nutrition to tissues, encourage retention of specific elements necessary for tissue repair (nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, etc.), prevent build-up of toxins, increase elimination of fluids and waste products, and improve digestion, assimilation, and metabolism in general. Muscles in spasm can be relaxed and general muscle tone can be improved. A reduction in pain, a reduction in inflammation and swelling of joints and reduction of healing time can also be achieved. Massage can be used to stretch connective tissue and help minimize the formation of adhesions and fibrosis in injured tissue. Circulation and nutrition of joints can be improved. Massage can also help keep skin healthy and pliable, enhance breathing, relieve congestion, and stimulate or relax the nervous system.
Psychologically, massage can relieve stress, anxiety, and tension. It can help calm a hyperactive or agitated person. Massage has been shown to promote the release of endorphins by the brain to relieve pain and also promote a feeling of well being. It can elevate the mood of a depressed or grieving person and improve job performance and morale. It can also help people get in touch with their own body.
In Massage Therapy: Theory and Practice, Jean E. Loving presents the emotional or spiritual effects of massage. These effects can be quite profound. Loving explains that these are more a part of certain branches of massage than of Swedish massage itself. However, the effects that I have experienced in practice are that massage elevates the spirit, calms the worried mind, puts person in touch with self, helps create a state of heightened awareness or meditative state, and shares the intent to heal between the client and therapist.
Ontario and British Columbia are quickly becoming the model for therapeutic massage education and training in North America. Students in Ontario must pass a 2,200-hour course approved by the CMTO. They then must pass written and practical exams set out by the College. Once a candidate has passed the board examinations and registered with the CMTO, he/she can begin to practice massage in Ontario as an RMT (registered massage therapist). To keep current, RMTs in Ontario and many other provinces and states are required to obtain a certain number of continuing education units every period (three years in Ontario). These are units awarded to RMTs that have successfully completed a course or seminar in a massage or health related subject that has been approved by the governing body of the particular province or state (in Ontario it is the CMTO).
