Massage is the manipulation of soft tissue structures of the body to promote health and wellness and to prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasm and stress. During massage therapy, a practitioner applies manual techniques to positively affect the health and well-being of the client.
Massage is a time-honored philosophy.
People of the ancient Mediterranean civilizations understood the benefits of massage, and after bathing and exercise they included a full body massage. Massage therapy improves function of the circulatory, lymphatic, muscular, skeletal and nervous systems. The direct effect of rhythmically applied manual pressure and movement used in massage can dramatically increase the rate of blood flow and the movement of lymph. The individual cells of the body are dependent on an abundant supply of blood and lymph because they carry nutrients and oxygen throughout the body. Massage also has a direct psychological affect.