Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Spring 2001)
TOPIC: Massage therapy gains popularity, credibility
 
by chryss cada

There's at least one healthcare treatment that people are more than willing to undergo. 

Massage therapy is gaining popularity and credibility as its healing qualities are being discovered by patients and recognized by the medical profession.

Twice as many adult Americans report receiving one or more massages from a massage therapist in the past year (16 percent) as did in 1997, according to a survey conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation and commissioned by the American Massage Therapy Association.
Of those massages, almost one third of adults say that medical reasons were their motivation. 

Locally that percentage might be even higher, according to Tasha Mankin, a massage therapist with Fort Collins' Healing Arts Institute. 

"I'd say it's roughly half for medical reasons and half for stress reduction," Mankin says of why people seek massage. "But since stress is the number one killer in our country, all massage is really a medical treatment."

Claims of massage's medical benefits are starting to be recognized by the medical community itself. 

An increasing number of research studies show massage reduces heart rate, lowers blood pressure, increases blood circulation and lymph flow, relaxes muscles, improves range of motion and increases endorphins—the body’s natural pain killer. Among the conditions massage therapy is used to treat are arthritis, asthma, Carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic and acute pain and circulatory problems. 

More than half of primary care physicians and family practitioners said in a national survey conducted by the State University of New York at Syracuse that they would encourage their patients to pursue therapeutic massage as a treatment.

Need a massage therapist?

types of massage

Cranio-sacral—is a technique for finding and correcting cerebral and spinal imbalances or blockages that may cause sensory, motor or intellectual dysfunction.

Deep tissue—releases the chronic patterns of tension in the body through slow strokes and deep finger pressure on the contracted areas, either following or going across the grain of muscles, tendons and fascia. It is called deep tissue, because it also focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue.

Myofascial release—is a form of body work that is manipulative in nature and seeks to rebalance the body by releasing tension in the fascia. Long, stretching strokes are utilized to release muscular tension.

Reflexology—is based around a system of points in the hands and feet thought to correspond, or "reflex," to all areas of the body.

Rosen method—utilizes gentle touch and verbal communication to help clients to release suppressed emotions and subsequently muscular tension in some instances.

Shiatsu and acupressure—are Oriental-based systems of finger-pressure which treat special points along acupuncture "meridians" (the invisible channels of energy flow in the body).

Sports massage—massage therapy focusing on muscle systems relevant to a particular sport.

Swedish massage—a system of long strokes, kneading and friction techniques on the more superficial layers of the muscles, combined with active and passive movements of the joints.

Tapotement—is executed with cupped hands, fingers or the edge of the hand with short, alternating taps to the client.
Trigger point therapy (also known as myotherapy or neuromuscular therapy)—applies concentrated finger pressure to "trigger points" (painful irritated areas in muscles) to break cycles of spasm and pain.

Source: American Massage Therapy Association

To become a certified massage therapist, practitioners must receive a minimum of 500 hours of classroom instruction and pass a comprehensive written exam. Colorado is not among the 29 states that regulate massage. 

In perhaps the ultimate sign of gaining validity, more insurance companies are picking up the tab for therapeutic massage. (In Fort Collins that tab averages between $50 to $75 for an hour massage.) While only 11 percent of HMOs covered massage in a 1998 - 99 survey by Landmark Healthcare, 30 percent say they plan to add coverage by 2002. 

Locally, coverage of massage by insurance companies appears to be steadily increasing. 

"More physicians are recommending massage and more insurance companies are covering it," Mankin says. "The word is getting out about the medical benefits of massage and how good it can feel to take care of yourself."