What Is Massage Therapy?

Massage therapy is the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body to gain a therapeutic response. Soft tissue includes muscles, skin and connective tissue, tendons, ligaments and membranes. Techniques such as moving or static pressure, kneading, squeezing, etc., are applied to the muscular structure and soft tissues of the body with the therapists hands or other part of the body such forearms, elbows or feet.

Swedish massage is currently the most common form of therapy practiced; however, massage therapists may use a variety of therapies and techniques, depending on your needs, including hydrotherapy (water therapy with hot packs or ice, etc.) and remedial and postural exercise recommendations.

Massage therapy is a method to help alleviate the soft tissue discomfort often associated with everyday and occupational stresses, muscular over-use and many chronic pain syndromes. It can also greatly reduce the development of painful muscular patterning, if employed early enough after accidents involving trauma and injury.