Let’s take a look at the massage therapist’s office. Usually, this is a spacious, light room, which contains a special couch or table; a set of massage devices — from mechanical massagers to electric massage apparatus and other massage devices; a wardrobe where clean sheets and towels, oil, cream, talcum powder are kept; hours — hourglass or procedural; stopwatch; first aid kit. All these are the most necessary things, without which massage is impossible.
And, nevertheless, the main tools of the massage therapist are his hands. Medical massage is therapeutic, which means that you need to clearly know how and for how long you need to massage, and what the patient should do after the procedure. The doctor will tell you about all this before starting the course.
On average, a medical massage session lasts from 3 to 60 or 90 minutes, depending on whether you are massaging one muscle group or the whole body, daily or every other day, as the doctor prescribes. The duration of the session depends on the age of the patient, the nature of the disease, the general condition of the body, but the first few sessions, when the body adapts, are usually a little shorter in duration. The massage course is at least 5 sessions, maximum — 20-25. Medical massage at NJ includes standard techniques that have become classic over time. These are the familiar stroking, rubbing, kneading, vibration, which are usually complemented by hardware action. The degree of exposure and the number of repetitions of each of them is determined by the doctor.
What medical massage treats: indications and contraindications
The range of application of massage as a means of combating disease is very wide. Judge for yourself: medical massage is used in the treatment of back diseases, angina pectoris, hypertension, some heart diseases, gastritis, even with pains of unknown origin, bruises and sprains, massage is often prescribed. Naturally, the methodology for each disease is different, moreover, you always need to take into account the stage and period of the disease. That is why a massage therapist must know human anatomy and physiology, the causes of diseases, must be able to determine the effectiveness of treatment.
However, medical massage cannot be considered a panacea for all diseases. Like any method or medicine, it has a number of contraindications. Among them — such as: blood diseases, aortic aneurysm, tumors, colds, high fever or acute inflammation of the blood vessels, thrombosis. The list of contraindications is quite extensive, but you should not be afraid of this: many of them, such as acute respiratory infections, refer to “temporary” conditions of the body, and after recovery, you may well undergo a course of medical massage.
Medical massage and consequences
In addition to the therapeutic effect, medical massage, as you might guess, also affects other body systems: after all, the massage therapist’s hands act not only on the diseased organ. The effect of massage is most clearly manifested on the skin: thanks to the increased blood supply, venous stasis disappears, metabolic processes are accelerated, both in the skin tissues and in the body. You yourself will notice: the skin will become smooth and elastic. The massage also affects the nervous system: after it you will feel younger: fatigue will disappear, a feeling of pleasant warmth will appear, pain will decrease or disappear.
Medical massage improves the performance of muscles, while increasing their elasticity. The blood supply to the joints improves, moreover, deposits are absorbed under the action of massage. Due to the blood supply, the work of the heart also improves. At the same time, massage helps to accelerate the flow of lymph — as you know, the lymphatic system serves as a kind of «barrier» on the path of pathogenic bacteria, which means that massage has a preventive effect. Thus, even if you have chosen medical massage as a method of treatment, be prepared for the fact that you will change for the better — both externally and internally.
