The Physical Benefits of Massage Therapy

There are many physical benefits to massage therapy. Massage therapy's rhythmic
movements and applied pressure help increase one's blood circulation. It also helps

blood vessels to expand, allowing more blood to pass through them. In addition to
increased blood circulation, massage therapy works to increase lymph (a white

substance that carries the body's toxins away) flow. Since lymph, unlike blood, does not
move on its own, it must be stimulated through muscle movement, or exercise and
massage. The increased flow of blood and lymph has a positive effect on the body's cells,

which contribute to a person's overall health. More blood means more oxygen and more
lymph means less waste and toxins.

Massage can be particularly important when a person is involved in an exercise regimen
or participates in a sport on a regular basis. When muscles are being used more often,

there is an increase in certain acids that build up in the tissue if the muscles do not get
the oxygen they need. If these acids remain in the muscle tissue, cramping, soreness,
and fatigue generally follow. Massage can help to drain the muscle tissues of these

acids and thus help muscles recover more quickly.

Another important aspect of overall health is good nutrition. Giving the body the proper
vitamins and nutrients will help it function properly. Massage therapy can increase the

benefits of good nutrition by helping the nutrients reach their destination: the cells. As
mentioned, massage expands the blood vessels, which increases circulation. By having
a clear and open path, nutrients have an easier time finding the cells that work to keep

the body healthy.

The Psychological Benefits of Massage Therapy

In addition to physical benefits, there are many psychological, or mental, benefits to
massage therapy. The most obvious benefit is stress relief. Stress affects everyone,
young and old alike. Frustrations can build in many aspects of a person's life, whether

it be job, family, friends, or school. Stress prompts the release of certain hormones that
cause blood vessels to shrink. The shrinking of blood vessels results in poor circulation,

which can greatly harm a person's overall health. Research has indicated that stress is
a main cause of certain illnesses, such as migraine headaches, depression, high blood
pressure, constipation, and other digestive disorders. Massage therapy can help to

reduce the risk of these illnesses. Massage therapy also helps people release repressed,
or built-up, emotions, which can result in an overall sense of relaxation and peace.

THE BENEFITS OF MASSAGE FOR BABIES

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REFLEXOLOGY

Reflexology

is a type of body therapy that involves applying pressure to certain points,

referred to as reflex points, on the foot. Many people seek

reflexology

for relaxation and

to improve their health and well-being. It is thought that by pressing points on the feet,
impulses are sent through pathways to certain areas of the body, increasing energy and

health in those areas. During treatments, patients may even feel tingling sensations in
the parts of the body to which the impulses are being sent.

Reflexology

is thought to

help anxiety, asthma and allergies, chronic pain, diarrhea and constipation, high blood

pressure, migraine headaches, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), skin problems, and
stress.

The Roots of

Reflexology

Reflexology

is approximately as old as acupuncture, which has been around for the

past five thousand years. Like acupuncture,

reflexology

has its roots in China, but

evidence has been found indicating that

reflexology

was also used in Egypt as far back

as 2330 B.C.

Reflexology

was first developed in the United States by William

Fitzgerald, M.D., in 1913. Fitzgerald had begun to realize that his patients would feel

less pain when pressure was applied to certain areas of the body, such as the hands or
feet, before surgery. Deciding to research this further, Fitzgerald conducted some

experiments and concluded that pressing points on certain areas of the body produced
beneficial effects in other areas of the body. Fitzgerald called this "zone therapy."

Physiotherapist Eunice Ingham further developed Fitzgerald's zone therapy into the
practice that is known today as

reflexology

. During the 1930s, Ingham used zone

therapy and concluded that applying pressure to the feet yields the best results to the
body. She also asserted that it is better to vary the amount of pressure applied and that
greater benefits than just pain relief occurred from applying pressure to the feet.

Ingham then mapped out the reflex points on the feet to be pressed and the specific
areas of the body that relate to the points on the feet. Thus

reflexology

was officially

born in the United States.

OTHER MAPS TO THE BODY

Reflexology

pressure points

Reflexology

charts show the areas of the foot that should

be pressed in order to affect certain organs. (Electronic
Illustrators Group. Reproduced by permission of Gale

Group.)

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How Does

Reflexology

Work?

Students of

reflexology

are trained to know the correct points to press on the foot.

They may refer to foot

reflexology

charts that show which areas of the foot should be

pressed and which organs will be affected if a certain area of the foot is pressed. The
reflex points on the feet are located on the bottom as well as the top and sides of the

feet. Reflexologists are taught that pressing points on the right foot affects organs on
the right side of the body and pressing points on the left foot affects organs on the left
side of the body. They also learn that different points on a foot relate to different organs

in the body. For example, if a reflexologist presses an area just below the three middle
toes, the eyes and ears may be affected, and if the tips of the big toes are pressed, the
head and brain are affected. Sending impulses to these areas is thought to allow the

organs to perform better and thus contribute to healing or maintaining the health of the
body.

According to reflexologists, other benefits of

reflexology

include the reduction of lactic

acid in the feet. Lactic acid is a waste product produced from using muscles and too

much of it can cause problems, such as stiffness. Reflexologists also believe there are
tiny calcium crystals that build up at the nerve endings of the feet and cause problems

in energy flow. They claim

reflexology

helps to break up these crystals and restore

healthy energy flow.

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