If you were thinking about getting a massage in the near future, now may be the time to schedule an appointment.
The benefits of massage therapy are something University Health Services massage therapist Andrew Rohn professes every day. Rohn graduated from the National Holistic Institute in Berkeley, Calif., and has been practicing massage therapy for 11 years.
'The two big reasons why people come to receive massages is that they are one, stressed out, and two, have built up tension in their body as a result of the stress,' Rohn said.
Students are excellent massage therapy candidates for several reasons Rohn said. Irregular sleep patterns, long hours spent over a book or computer screen and general stress all contribute to tension in the body. Many of these common complaints by students can easily be corrected by massage therapy, he said.
But massage therapy is a form of alternative medicine becoming increasingly recognized for its medical efficacy by doctors and patients with various ailments. On average in recent years, Americans have visited massage therapists 114 million times per year. According to a 2000 survey by Group Health Cooperative, 74 percent of medical professionals said they believed massage therapy was always or usually effective for the purpose it was prescribed.
Daniel Resnick, a neurosurgeon at the UW Hospital, said he believed in massage as part of an overall physical therapy program.
'Massage therapy, like heat or ultrasound treatments, seems to make patients feel better so that they can participate more fully in standard physical therapy,' he said.
But perhaps the largest physical benefit from massage is the way in which the therapy increases circulation in blood vessels and lymph nodes Rohn said. The increased lymph flow rate speeds up healing of chronic pain in muscles and also aids the body's ability to fight sickness. Massage also enables muscles to recover from fatigue after exercise, and internal organs benefit from the increased blood flow stimulated by massage. Studies have also shown massage therapy alleviated pain and anxiety in cancer patients. People who often suffer from frequent headaches may also find relief from massage therapy.
But people with more common physical ailments make up the majority of patients Rohn sees.
'Minor injuries, such as sprains and strains to muscles and tendons, can often create bigger problems when people favor the injury, exaggerating the problem even more. Massage can often stop the situation before it becomes worse,' Rohn said.
Although some benefits of massage therapy are only being realized now, the therapy is not a new concept.
The origins of massage methods date back almost 3,000 years to ancient traditional medicines practiced by the Chinese and Indians. The Shiatsu massage system, which uses finger-pressure along different points in the body, can be traced back to these ancient Eastern methods. Massage therapy was introduced to Western culture by the Greeks and Romans, where massages were a staple at the public baths. Contemporary massages are generally known as Swedish massages. This method, which was developed by the 19th century Swedish athlete Peter Henrik Link, uses a system of long strokes, combined with active and passive movements of the joints.
Rohn uses a mixture of methods, but mostly incorporates Swedish massage techniques into his sessions.
'I think the biggest benefit [of massage therapy] is mental, it gets people's minds focused and more in touch with their physical body,' Rohn said.
Another point of interest for students considering massage is the relatively inexpensive therapy available at UW-Madison. Patients can set up a 50-minute appointment at University Health Services for $30. The current national price for an hour-long session is $40 to $85, depending on type of treatment, location and practitioner.
The massage itself can either focus in on a specific area of the body or work on the whole body, depending upon a patient's preferences.
But no matter what the patient decides, the application of the massage is an art in action, combining components of strength with elements of peaceful relaxation. A massage therapist must not only know the various skills required, but also possess a passion for what they do.
'I really believe in the benefits of massage therapy,\ Rohn said. ""It's something everyone can benefit from.'
