Definition of Therapeutic Massage

Massage is a technique ancestral and is based on the use of the hands to get some kind of benefit bodily. Its scopes of app are very diverse: in the world of aesthetics, the sport or medicine. One of the most appreciated modalities is therapeutic massage.

General characteristics

Its main function is to relieve pain and discomfort from the body. For its application in the body, a whole series of techniques based on friction, rubbing, kneading and mechanical movements are used. Likewise, they are used procedures non-manual as a complement (for example, the use of infrared rays to heat an area). The professional The physiotherapist is dedicated to this activity, who uses a wide variety of therapeutic methods (sacral cranial therapy, osteopathy, biodynamics, reflexology and others).

Therapeutic massage is highly effective in the field of rehabilitation. Thus, a doctor can prescribe a series of therapeutic sessions to people who have suffered some kind of fractures, muscle injuries or back ailments. The purpose of massage in these cases is to restore functional mobility, improve circulation, and reduce or eliminate pain.

Therapeutic massage is part of the routine of many athletes, both professionals and amateurs. Athletes resort to physiotherapy to prevent injuries and recover the body after competition. In this sense, it must be taken into account that the continued practice of a sport implies physiological wear and tear and a whole series of typical injuries associated that must be treated using therapeutic physiotherapy techniques (tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, muscle overload, tendonitis and a long etc).

Massage-based therapies have benefits that go beyond the physiological or mechanical, as they also provide psychological benefits (for example, to improve the self-esteem or to improve the perception of one's own body).

Little known applications of therapeutic massage

In addition to the most common applications (those related to medicine and sports), therapeutic massage can be used in other circumstances. It is useful to activate circulation in pregnant women. In recent years, massage for therapeutic purposes has been used in animals, especially pets that have undergone surgical interventions. And the list of uses could continue: to combat facial paralysis, for babies, for disorders sleep or to combat addictions.

Although therapeutic massage has a close relationship with traditional medicine, it should not be forgotten that medicine Alternative also places great importance on massage as therapy (a concrete example would be Ayurveda therapy massage).

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