Yes or No to Massage?

The origins of massage go back centuries. The laying on of hands has been around debatably for longer than history has been recorded. I am certain that the natural physiological effect of pain relief and the very inbuilt, natural desire to rub, touch or massage the body when in pain or distress will have ensured that such practices will likely have been in existence for many centuries.

Today massage is big business. As a form of therapy it is used by many practitioners as either their sole tool or as part of their armoury. This may be to treat and heal or simply to relax, rejuvenate or pleasure. There are many forms of massage that have developed and practitioners will undoubtedly claim benefits for their own specific practices in preference to others.

There are also many training courses and schools of learning to accomodate the willing students of massage.

So where am I in all of this? As a practisiing Physical Therapist masaage has and still does contribute a great deal to my array of frequently used techniques. It has played a significant role in my professional life for the majority of its being. At college we were taught it and taught it well may I add by some quality practitioners. We were monitored, assessed and had to pass an examination involving all the techniques. We had to know all of the dangers and contra-indications too.

So is it a worthwhile practice? In my opinion, yes it is. It creates definite and measurable physiological effects that have both immediate and longer lasting benefits. That does not mean to say that it is a cure for all ills. That it certainly is not.

It is a range of techniques that is available to learn and like many things is relatively simple to learn but to learn to know how and when to use it and use it well for optimum effect is a skill that comes with experience. Put yourself in the hands of a skilled practitioner and you will know what I mean.

Some therapists I know consider massage a waste of time and refuse to entertain it as a valid technique. Massage is a tool to be used and just like a hammer is the wrong tool to use to cut a piece of wood so massage is better used to treat certain conditions than others.

In the mean time I will continue laying my hands on to my clients and let them feel the benefits of what I consider to be the ultimate tool. For if I had to choose just one thing to work with I would readily ditch every other modality at my disposal as long as I could keep using my hands. For not only do they allow me to create an effect on a body part, they tell me what is going on. As a feedback mechanism there is nothing that compares.

So I think it is a 'yes' for massage. Unless of course you know better.

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Rob is a successful International Chartered Physical Therapist. He has been a lecturer, researcher and therapist for over two decades. His rich experience of International and Premiership Football underpins his specialist knowledge of sports medicine. There is a wealth of insight and experience of all such matters on his website at www.the-rehabilitation-room.com

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