The Science and Art of Massage
Articles
Human Touch May Have Some Healing Properties
Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY
Sept. 29, 2008
A new study from researchers in Utah finds that a warm touch the non-sexual, supportive kind tempers stress and blood pressure, adding to a growing body of research on how emotions affect health.
The study of 34 young married couples ages 20 to 39 by researchers at Brigham Young University in Provo and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City found that massage and other supportive and caring touch lower stress hormones and blood pressure, particularly among men, while also enhancing oxytocin, a hormone thought to calm and counter stress. The findings will be published in the Oct. 14 issue of the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
How Massage Eases Menopausal Symptoms
A part of the normal aging process in women, menopause comes with many physical and emotional symptoms. While much of massage therapys benefits lie in a nurturing touch, discover how the appropriate application of certain bodywork methods can therapeutically ease the challenges of this monumental life change.
by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.
Menopause is a normal aging process, occurring naturally in 25 percent of women by age 47; 50 percent by age 50; 75 percent by age 52; and 95 percent by age 55. However, menopause can occur at earlier ages as a consequence of chemotherapy, hysterectomy or other medical interventions. Although menopause is official when a woman has not menstruated for 12 consecutive months, the discomforts accompanying menopause typically begin well before this point.
Massage therapy has the unique ability to improve many of the symptoms of menopause without the side effects of western medicines pharmaceutical solutions.
While many consider menopause to be a right of passage, each woman must cope with its physical and emotional manifestations. Massage Therapists are in an ideal position to listen to their clients during this change, present relevant facts they have learned and offer a supportive and nurturing touch. Bodywork has the potential to cause a release of good-feeling endorphins, alleviate headaches, reduce stress, help regulate the bodys fluid balance and re-balance hormone levels. Several styles of massage therapy provide significant therapeutic value to counter menopauses hormonal shift:
· Swedish Massage Research has demonstrated that the more stress in a womans life, the more severe her menopausal symptoms. This modalitys relaxation qualities make it a top choice to include for a menopausal client.
· Reflexology Some of the points used in foot reflexology may help restore hormonal balance: kidney, adrenal gland, pituitary, brain, uterus, thyroid, heart and liver.
· Acupressure Traditional Chinese Medicine views menopause as a natural decline in Kidney and Spleen energies. Acupressure to tonify these meridians can bring the client back into hormonal balance. Additionally, working on the liver meridian will enhance overall energetic flow, thus reducing stress.
While various types of alternative treatments can support a woman through her menopausal transition, few cover as many aspects of health as massage therapy. The easing of stress, reduction in fluid imbalance and the balancing of hormones as a result of regular, nurturing, massage sessions can make this natural process a positive and powerful experience
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