| The History of Massage: Massage is a "hands-on" therapy in which muscles and other soft tissues of the body are manipulated to improve health and well-being. Varieties of massage range from gentle stroking and kneading of muscles and other soft tissues to deeper manual techniques. Massage has been practiced as a healing therapy for centuries in nearly every culture around the world. It helps relieve muscle tension, reduce stress, and evoke feelings of calmness. Although massage affects the body as a whole, it particularly influences the activity of the musculoskeletal, circulatory, lymphatic, and nervous systems. The use of massage for healing purposes dates back 4,000 years in Chinese medical literature and continues to be an important aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) today. A contemporary form of massage known as Swedish massage was introduced to the United States in the 1850s. By the end of the 19th century, a significant number of American doctors were practicing this manual technique and the nation's first massage therapy clinics opened its doors to the public. In the early 20th century, the rise of technology and prescription drugs began to overshadow massage therapy. For the next several decades, massage remained dormant and only a few therapists continued to practice the "ancient" technique. During the 1970s, however, both the general public as well as the medical profession began to take notice of alternative medicine and mind-body therapies. Massage Therapy Today: Massage is a holistic therapy that reduces the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, increases blood circulation and lymph flow, relaxes muscles, improves range of motion, and increases endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. Consumers spend $2 billion to $4 billion a year on visits to massage therapists, according to an American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) analysis of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1993. A national survey conducted by the State University of New York at Syracuse found 54 percent of primary care physicians and family practitioners said they would encourage their patients to pursue massage therapy as a treatment, and a third of those said that they were willing to refer patients to a massage therapist. The American Massage Therapy Association's membership has increased nearly four-fold in the past decade, to more than 28,000. |
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