Canadian Massage Therapist Alliance
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Benefits of Massage
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Studies & Reviews of Massage Therapy
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The CMTA is a nationwide organization composed of provincial professional associations that promote the art, science and philosophy of massage therapy for the betterment of health care in Canada.
The membership in CMTA consists of massage therapy associations with representation of almost 5,000 massage therapists from nine Provinces and one Territory.
The Benefits of Massage Therapy
How often do we hear comments such as, "Oh! My aching back," "Gee, I woke up with a stiff neck," or "I threw my back out"? The human body was built to move, to be mobile, to be ready for action--so why do so many people experience aches, stiffness or inflexibility?
A look at our environment can provide many of the answers. Each day we are faced with many physical challenges--as office workers holding arms over a keyboard, as construction workers hammering repeatedly, or as bus drivers sitting for long periods with insufficient support. Work stations are often built to accommodate equipment, not different body shapes and sizes. Society demands performance, but workers don't get the needed warm-up time before activities. Deadlines, traffic, air quality and many other factors lead to physical and mental stresses that eventually become evident as physical pain.
Massage therapy seeks to address some of these symptoms. While there seems to be universal agreement that massage "feels good," it also offers many specific benefits. The therapeutic use of massage affects all systems of the body, most particularly circulatory (blood and lymph), muscular, fascial and nervous systems. Massage therapy is also effective in the control of pain (chronic or acute), in stress reduction and in creating a sense of relaxation and well-being.
Historical and current research documents the diverse physiological effects of massage, many of which are due to the movement of the therapist's hands over the body, physically stretching the muscles, encouraging circulation, inhibiting muscle spasm, and sedating or stimulating the nerves to ease pain or promote function as necessary.
Many effects are equally preventive in nature. When muscles are loose and circulation is sufficient, the result is better health and less chance of injury or dysfunction. Some other effects are not well understood, such as decreased anxiety following treatment. Some physical and psychological effects may be due to the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers.
A massage therapist focuses on the normalization of soft tissues affected by stress, injury, and illness through the use of manual techniques that improve circulation, enhance muscular relaxation, relieve pain, reduce stress, enhance immune function, or promote health and well-being. Massage therapists specialize in the use and application of therapeutic massage techniques.
What Conditions May be Helped by Therapeutic Massage?
An increasing number of research studies show massage reduces heart rate, lowers blood pressure, increases blood circulation and lymph flow, relaxes muscles, improves range of motion, and increases endorphins (enhancing medical treatment). Although therapeutic massage does not increase muscle strength, it can stimulate weak, inactive muscles and, thus, partially compensate for the lack of exercise and inactivity resulting from illness or injury. It also can hasten and lead to a more complete recovery from exercise or injury.
People with the following conditions have reported that therapeutic massage has lessened or relieved many of their symptoms.
Arthritis · Asthma · Carpal tunnel syndrome · Chronic & Acute Pain · Circulatory Problems · Gastrointestinal Disorders · Headache · Immune Function Disorders · Insomnia · Myofascial pain · Premature infants · Reduced Range of Motion · Sports Injuries · Stress · Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Dysfunction