Massage

Massage by Austen and Matt

A massage is the manipulation, by hand or with an instrument, of soft body tissue. Massage therapy may be done to aid circulation, to stimulate nerves, to relax the muscles, or even to move the joints.

Claim #1: It uses relevant techniques, lubricants and movements according to the client’s needs and response. This leads to the healing process, which begins at the cellular level aiding soft tissues in repairing, restoring functional integrity and adapting back to health.

Claim #2:

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Polarity therapy is based on "balancing the life energy that moves through every part of the body ... and ... moves in currents, or channels within and around the body." Polarity therapy "attempts to eliminate blockages in these channels which can cause imbalance and illness." The theory is that "if the body's currents are balanced, the person relaxes and is able to heal more efficiently"======

Claim #3:

**Single Dose Effects** **•Pain relief:** Relief from pain due to [|musculoskeletal] injuries and other causes is cited as a major benefit of massage. [|Acupressure] or pressure point massage may be more beneficial than classic Swedish massage in relieving [|back pain]. However, a meta-study conducted by scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign failed to find a statistically significant reduction in pain immediately following treatment. **•State anxiety:** Massage has been shown to reduce state [|anxiety], a transient measure of anxiety in a given situation. **•Blood pressure and heart rate:** Massage has been shown to temporarily reduce blood pressure and heart rate. **Multiple Dose Effects** **•Pain relief:** When combined with education and exercises, massage might help sub-acute, chronic, non-specific [|low back pain]. [58] Furthermore, massage has been shown to reduce pain experienced in the days or weeks after treatment. **•Trait anxiety:** Massage has been shown to reduce trait [|anxiety]; a person's general susceptibility to anxiety. **•Depression:** Massage has been shown to reduce subclinical [|depression]. **Neuromuscular Effects** Massage has been shown to reduce neuromuscular excitability by measuring changes in the [|Hoffman's reflex] (H-reflex) amplitude. A decrease in peak-to-peak H-reflex amplitude suggests a decrease in motoneuron excitability.Others explain, "H-reflex is considered to be the electrical analogue of the stretch reflex...and the reduction" is due to a decrease in spinal reflex excitability. Field (2007) confirms that the inhibitory effects are due to deep tissue receptors and not superficial cutaneous receptors, as there was no decrease in H-reflex when looking at light fingertip pressure massage. It has been noted that "the receptors activated during massage are specific to the muscle being massaged", as other muscles did not produce a decrease in H-reflex amplitude.
 * =====allergies=====
 * =====anxiety=====
 * =====arthritis (both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis)=====
 * =====asthma and bronchitis=====
 * =====carpal tunnel syndrome=====
 * =====chronic and temporary pain=====
 * =====circulatory problems=====
 * =====depression=====
 * =====digestive disorders, including spastic colon, constipation, and diarrhea=====
 * =====headache, especially when due to muscle tension=====
 * =====insomnia=====
 * =====myofascial pain (a condition of the tissue connecting the muscles)=====
 * =====reduced range of motion=====
 * =====sinusitis=====
 * =====sports injuries, including pulled or strained muscles and sprained ligaments=====
 * =====stress=====
 * =====temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ)=====
 * =====toxin removal=====