Tuesday, May 12, 1998
Unpretzeling America
RELAXATION: A procedure known since ancient times, massages can
fulfill a fundamental need for human contact
By Trina Enriquez
Daily Bruin Contributor
Say you’ve spent the past few hours bent over textbooks. You
have midterms tomorrow, but right now you feel as wonderful as a
pretzel being untwisted.
Sitting up somewhat stiffly, you groan. Your neck is sore, your
shoulders ache and your back pops as you move. Wouldn’t a massage
feel great right about now?
"When you get a pre-exam massage, you’re more relaxed and
therefore more creative so you think better on a test," said Will
Green, president of the International Massage Association
(IMA).
The truth is, massage has long been recognized in both Eastern
and Western cultures for its health benefits. It also fulfills a
fundamental need for human touch.
"Our society has become touch-averse," said Elliot Greene,
former national president of the American Massage Therapy
Association (AMTA). "That’s a shame because touch is essential to
health and life."
Operating on that premise, massage incorporates physical, mental
and emotional healing through the hands-on manipulation of soft
bodily tissues.
According to Greene, massage stimulates the flow of lymph, a
fluid that carries wastes and impurities away from tissues. It
relies on muscle contractions for movement through the body.
Consequently, he says, inactive people fail to stimulate lymph
flow. On the other hand, vigorous activity can produce more waste
than lymph can carry away.
Athletes know well the relief of a massage after a hard workout.
By increasing lymph flow, the soreness caused by the build-up of
lactic acid in the muscles is massaged away. Increased endorphin
production stimulated by massage aids in natural painkilling.
Massage therapy also lessens the effects of fatigue brought on
by stress.
Researchers estimate that 80 to 90 percent of illnesses
(including ulcers, headaches and hypertension) are stress-related.
Stress causes the release of hormones that shrink blood vessels,
which hinders the function of body processes. This doesn’t bode
well for college students, for whom stress is a daily specter.
Therapeutic massage, however, counteracts the negative effects
of stress by relaxing muscles. The consequent increase in blood
circulation allows vital oxygen and nutrients to reach tissues more
quickly as well.
The health benefits of massage have been documented as far back
as 4000 B.C., where references to massage are found in ancient
Chinese medical texts.
Massage is the core of the Ayurvedic system of medicine
practiced in India. Ancient Greeks and Romans employed massage in
their healing practices at gymnasiums, spas and baths. Julius
Caesar apparently had a massage a day in order to relieve
neuralgia.
Today, the popularity of therapeutic massage is growing due to
public interest in maintaining fitness.
At the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami
Medical School, studies have shown that massage breaks in place of
coffee breaks increase alertness in adult office workers.
HIV-positive patients showed improved immune system function after
receiving five massages a week.
Perhaps the most important healing element in massage is its
very use of touch. At the turn of the century, infant deaths in
American orphanages were chronic. Dr. Fritz Talbot questioned why,
and he traveled to European orphanages in order to unearth their
methods of keeping infant mortality rates down.
At the Children’s Clinic in Dusseldorf, Germany, Talbot
encountered Old Anna, a cleaning woman who carried the infants with
her wherever she went. She held them constantly, and they survived.
Her practice testified to the importance of the loving touch in
survival – and touch, of course, is the main medium of massage.
TRI psychologist Tiffany Field tells UCLA fitness instructor
Susan Smith Jones that America suffers from an epidemic of skin
hunger and speaks of a "dose of touch" as if it were a vitamin. In
Jones’ book, "Choose Radiant Health and Happiness," Field worries
that growing concerns about abuse and sexual harassment deprives
Americans of touch.
"Massage is an excellent way to become comfortable being touched
by another person," Jones states. "This may sound elementary, (but)
for many of us, being touched in a nonsexual, caring fashion is not
an accepted part of our daily lives."
In order to experience the benefits of massage, people may
either be massaged by a professional therapist or travel the
do-it-yourself route.
Greene views self-massage as a drawback, essentially because it
tenses the very muscles trying to be relaxed. However, he concedes,
it’s better than nothing.
Greene is also a bit leery of non-professionals massaging at
home. "People can do it, but it’s hard to go on a paragraph or two
from a book. To be more effective, you need someone to teach you
and give you feedback."
Of course, he laughs, "if you’re getting a good response from
your partner, that’s one thing you can rely on."
Professional massage therapists typically provide hour-long
services for prices ranging from $35 to $75. Professionals should
be certified in Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, or graduates of
training programs approved by the Commission on Massage Therapy
Accreditation (COMTA).
Sessions are conducted with the client comfort in mind.
Sometimes clients may be fully clothed; more often, clients lie on
a padded table with a towel draped over the part of the body not
being massaged, in order to preserve modesty.
Massage therapy may not be appropriate for people with certain
forms of cancer and skin conditions; cardiac or circulatory
problems; infectious diseases; or inflamed tissues. If in doubt,
consult a physician before receiving massage.
Otherwise, an experienced therapist can tell whether or not a
massage is permissible.
If you decide to go the do-it-yourself route, Jones advises
looking into classes offered at the local hospitals, YMCA or
community centers. Otherwise, you can learn techniques through
books. Jones recommends "Bodywork," by Thomas Claire.
The one thing to remember is to discontinue doing anything that
hurts.
Dimming the lights, ensuring that the room is neither too hot
nor too cold, playing soft music and using aromatherapy oils
further induces the relaxation of the person being massaged.
During the session, more time may be spent on those areas which
are most tense. With knots or especially hard places, Greene
recommends making circular movements into that spot with your
fingers and thumbs, occasionally applying direct pressure with the
thumbs for about 30 seconds until it softens.
To reap the full benefits of massage, it should become routine.
A full massage once a month to once a week would be sufficient.
More affluent individuals receive one every day.
While you may have not have the time or money to indulge in a
daily full massage, ten minutes can prove to be very beneficial.
Initially, you may feel squeamish or ticklish at being massaged,
yet studies have shown that a short massage is much more effective
than a nap in aiding muscle recovery.
Mental and emotional benefits follow the physical release
resulting from a good massage. "American culture has become so
pressured and overstimulated that people have a lot of problems
with stress," Greene said. "When people receive a massage, it’s
like a mental vacation. It gives them a chance to be in a space
that’s not so overstimulated."
Massage therapy often serves as a way for people to bring their
minds back to the present and away from their problems, because it
feels so good. "By getting a massage, your mind gets to relax,
too," said Green.
Giving a massage may prove to be just as advantageous, though,
in that it creates a nurturing bond between two people, be they
siblings or in-laws, lovers or friends.
"Very few things in life can feel this good and do so much for
you," said Jones. "Massage gives you energy and refreshment. At the
same time, it calms your nerves and makes you glow with a good
feeling."