What is Massage Therapy?

Massage therapy is one of the best know means of manipulating the body with the hands and other tools in a manner that relieves tension, exercises muscles and provides therapeutic stimulation to the body. This brief explanation is by no means all inclusive or respective of the many different types of massage therapy techniques, formulas, formats and the like that are used today in countries around the world.

No one knows exactly when people began using massage therapy or where the origins of massage therapy came from. As far back as ancient Egyptian times, there are indications that various oils were used by physicians to provide therapeutic and medicinal massage therapy to those who needed it. Since that time, practices and procedures in massage therapy have continue to advance to include a wide array of different types of massage therapies and perhaps even more types of practitioners who offer massage therapy from a variety of locations.

Today there are far more massage therapy methods than one might imagine. In the past massage therapy was often thought of as being for those who were in pain or discomfort and who needed massage therapy as a remedy for those problems. This is no longer the case and massage therapy can be for almost any reason imaginable. While the therapy is still often used to relieve discomfort associated with stress, this is by no means the limit of what can be done in massage therapy.

Massage therapy is now available for headaches, backaches, tension, stress and many more problems that can be work related and associated with every day exertion. It is important to understand that not all massage therapy is certified or professional. Some methods are exploratory and have not been evaluated or endorsed by health professionals. These are often considered alternative massage therapy methods, even if they are not advertised as such.

When you are searching for massage therapy, if you want to ensure that you are receiving your massage therapy from a certified professional, look for their certification on the wall or don’t be afraid to ask if they are state or board certified. This ensures, as a minimum, that they have met the requirements to offer basic massage therapy. If certification is not an issue, there are lots of massage therapists available today who can offer you a variety of different types of massages.

The names of various massage therapy techniques may differ from place to place so you don’t expect to find the same named massage everywhere. Additionally, because many massage therapy techniques are specialized and require intensive training beyond certification, the best way to know you’re getting the massage therapy you want is to ask for a detailed explanation on what a particular massage therapy consists of. That way, you will know if your masseuse will be using hot rocks or acupuncture or electrolysis or some of other tool that will help you to experience the best massage therapy you have ever had.

• home
• massage therapy schools
• featured schools
• massage therapy types
• career resources