What is Medical Massage Therapy?

Medical massage is outcome-based massage that consists of the application of specific treatment protocol targeted to a specific problem(s) the patient presents with a diagnosis and are administered after a thorough assessment/evaluation by the medical massage therapist with specific GOAL being the basis for treatment.

While spa massage may relax you and temporarily relieve stress, medical massage will provide tangible results. For instance, elimination of headaches, TMJ, or sciatica pain. Furthermore, medical massage aids in management or complete elimination of chronic low back pain, golfer’s or tennis’ elbow, and plantar fasciitis. Arthritis pain is greatly reduced by medical massage therapy. I have treated people with autoimmune conditions (MS, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.), fibromyalgia, constipation, and female problems which responds very well to the treatment protocols.

As a massage therapist, I was always driven to end human pain and suffering, and medical massage therapy has given me the tools to do so! Please watch the video “Why I Love Medical Massage?” filmed back in 2016 when I was attending The Science of Massage Institute” (SOMI) to learn life changing type of massage therapy.
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The reasons why medical massage therapy WORKS:

1. Medical massage integrates 10 major methods united by one basic principle. All of them have gone through years of experimental and clinical studies in many countries including the USA, and they have proven their ability to deliver stable clinical results. Their authors were physicians and physical therapists who had initial intention to help people. The 10 major methods are segment-reflex massage, connective tissue massage, periosteal massage, neuromuscular therapy, muscle energy technique, myofascial release, Cyriax’s procedure, stretching massage, lymph drainage massage and Rolfing;

2. Medical massage utilizes not only local, but reflex mechanism of massage therapy. Local effect of massage therapy is pain relief, peripheral arterial vasodilation, stimulation of venous and lymph drainage, stimulation of local metabolism and controlled local inflammation to facilitate tissue healing. However, the reflex mechanism of massage therapy is even greater! When the person has visceral or somatic pathology, they form reflex zones in the skin, muscles, connective tissue, and periosteum. For example, the patient with hepatic disorders frequently feels pain and different sensory abnormalities (e.g. numbness, tingling) in the skin on the right side of the thoracic cage and the right shoulder. Chronic irritation of the brachial plexus by the tensed anterior scalene muscle ultimately will cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Likewise, chronic low back tension contributes to sciatica pain and plantar fasciitis. The problem is that reflex zones send signals to the nervous system, worsen the pathology, and generate pain on their own. Reflex zones must be eliminated!
Medical massage therapist works on the areas of the body innervated by same segment of the spinal cord by finding and eliminating reflex zones. It breaks the vicious cycle of pain and leads to healing.

3. The foundation of medical massage is therapeutic massage techniques which utilized friction techniques developed in Finland, kneading techniques developed in Russia, French lymphatic pumping, passive stretching that comes from the USA, and myofascial work originated in Austria and Germany.

4. Medical massage restores balance between sympathetic (stress) and parasympathetic (rest-digest-repair-reproduce) nervous systems. Modern medicine sees an imbalance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems as an initial trigger of major chronic disorders. Practices like meditation, mindfulness, deep breathing, and massage therapy restore that balance.

At Bliss Therapy, we don’t accept health insurance. We work with health savings account and accept all types of payment methods. Also, we offer flexible and convenient payment system where you can purchase 12 sessions of medical massage at discounted rate. Learn more by clicking on the button below.

References:

1. Koopman FA, Stoof SP, Straub RH, Van Maanen MA, Vervoordeldonk MJ, Tak PP. Restoring the balance of the autonomic nervous system as an innovative approach to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Mol Med. 2011;17(9-10):937‐948. doi:10.2119/molmed.2011.00065 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3188868/
2. “Reflex Mechanisms of Massage Therapy. Part I” retrieved from https://www.massagetoday.com/articles/10331/Reflex-Mechanisms-of-Massage-Therapy-Part-I
3. Turchaninov, Ross. Medical Massage. Volume I. 2nd edition. Aesculapus Books, 2006

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