Massage Therapy For Physical Health and Emotional Well-Being

By Emily Farmer, LMT

Massage is the application of manipulating soft tissues in the body. It not only has relaxation benefits but can also help reduce pain, reduce inflammation, decrease muscle soreness, improve circulation, and create more energy and awareness, among many other benefits. Massage is an old healing tradition mainly coming from Greek, Indian, Egyptian and many Chinese practices where their societies were convinced that massage therapy can help alleviate a variety of ailments.

Massage therapy is the practice of kneading and manipulating a person’s muscles and body to improve their overall well-being. Massage therapists apply pressure to the muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia (a connective tissue over the muscles). They manipulate these muscles by using a wide variety of modalities, which include deep tissue, myofascial release, craniosacral, Swedish massage, reflexology, hot stone, etc.

Not only can massage therapy help improve physical health but it also improves emotional well-being by reducing stress and anxiety. It is important to tailor each massage to whatever best fits the client’s needs, be it to create some calm or help alleviate an acute injury or chronic pain.