The benefits of massage
There are different types of massage : sports, anti-stress, decontracting, therapeutic, lymphatic drainage, modeling, shiatsu, tuinà, ayurvedic, Thai, with oils, massaging stones and many others.
Any therapy that involves contact, pressure and light or deep manipulation of skin, joints and tissues is part of the vast practice of massage.
The benefits of massage, regardless of the particular technique applied, can be so generalized:
> Effects on the superficial circulation : almost all the massages involve a touch of the skin, more or less marked.
The action on the skin of hand movements has draining and elimination of toxins : regardless of the type of massage, even if a strictly draining technique is not applied, the action of improving the superficial circulation has benefits on blood circulation and lymphatic, improving the well-being of the skin and eliminating swelling and edema;
> effects on connective tissue and muscles : the benefits of massage are not only superficial, but also profound. The connective tissue acquires, through the manipulation performed with the massage, greater flexibility. The same goes for the muscles: the massage allows you to relax the contracted muscles, and tone the less used ones;
> effects on the nervous system : contact, when accompanied by trust and respect, transmits a sedative and relaxing effect to the central nervous system through the skin. This allows you to re-harmonize the production of hormones, especially when you are in situations of emotional, physical or mental overload, allowing the body to react better and recover its balance;
> various therapeutic effects : there are many types of massage aimed at solving specific pathologies. Especially traditional massages, such as those related to Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, are used to treat diseases. The same applies to reflex massages, used to stimulate the organs without acting directly on them;
> effects on the functioning of the organs : the body is a whole, the skin is linked to the underlying layer of muscles and tissues, as it is to the central nervous system, and also to the deep organs. Acting on the skin and on the muscles through massage also stimulates the functioning of the organs, even when there is no direct action on the anatomical areas that are the seat of the organs themselves. All the more reason that some precise massages on the abdomen act by toning or decongesting the internal organs, such as the stomach, liver and intestines;
> emotional and psychological effects : contact is important in the sphere of any living being. Through the experience of contact, behaviors and personalities are formed. This dimension, so distorted by culture and society, is just as important as the care of the physical and mental part.
The quality of the contact in the massage is very important, and also determines the quality of the results obtained, on all levels. This is why it is important to rely on the hands of qualified operators, and carefully choose both the type of massage and the type of massager.
