massage therapy
A massage is the manipulation, by hand or
with an instrument, of soft body tissue. Massage therapy may be done to aid
circulation, to stimulate nerves, to relax the muscles, or even to move the
joints. As Stephen
Barrett, M.D. says: Ordinary massage and the legitimate
practice of massage therapy should not be categorized as quackery. Massage can help people
relax, relieve aching muscles, and temporarily lift a person's mood. However,
many therapists make claims that go far beyond what massage can accomplish.
And even worse, massage therapy schools, publications, and professional groups
are an integral part of the deception. Massage therapy is often a massage plus a metaphysical explanation about
some sort of energy or
"structure" being balanced, unblocked, transferred, harmonized,
tuned up, or aligned. A massage is usually relaxing and usually
feels good. Most of us, however, could not explain the physical and
physiological mechanisms causing the relaxation and pleasure. Most of us
probably suspect it has something to do with the enjoyment of being touched
by another person, and with the physical movement of muscles and other body
parts. Some massage therapists claim to
understand the metaphysical reasons for the uplifting and relaxing effect of
massage. Their explanations vary. Karen Khamashta
uses Ortho-Bionomy, Polarity therapy, and reflexology. Ortho-Bionomy
works by contacting the body's "trigger points."
According to this theory, when a trigger point is contacted, you
"immediately relieve pain and restore the body's natural balance and
rhythm" (The Davis Enterprise, January 10, 1993, pp. C-1 and
C-3). Reflexology works by allegedly unblocking
the 7,200 nerve endings in each foot so that they can respond to all of the
glands, organs and other parts of the body and improve the blood supply as
well. This supposedly helps the body reach a "balanced state." This
must require some very sensitive fingertips, indeed. (A Zen koan: How many fingertips does it take to cover one
foot?) Polarity
therapy is based on
"balancing the life energy that moves through every part of the body ...
and ... moves in currents, or channels within and around the body."
Polarity therapy "attempts to eliminate blockages in these channels
which can cause imbalance and illness." The theory is that "if the
body's currents are balanced, the person relaxes and is able to heal more
efficiently" (ibid.). Massage therapist Christy Freidrich says, "A lot of what I do is to try to
help people with their structural balance. Over a period of time, people end
up learning more about structure and how it works" (ibid.). These massage therapists sound as if they
have as their goal something similar to therapeutic
"touch"--restoring harmony and balance to one's life energy.
The massage therapist uses "palpation
for assessment of ... energy blockages," while the therapeutic touch
practitioner allegedly manipulates the energy in your aura. Massage therapists who are certified by
the National Certification Board for
Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) must take 500 hours of
education classes and pass an examination. They must know some basic anatomy
and physiology, as well as some first-aid. Despite the emphasis on balancing
energy, none of the practice questions provided by the NCBTMB involve
metaphysics. The
American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) claims that Research shows
[massage] reduces the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, increases blood
circulation and lymph flow, relaxes muscles, improves range of motion, and
increases endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. Therapeutic massage
enhances medical treatment and helps people feel less anxious and stressed,
relaxed yet more alert. They don't mention who did the research
and where one might verify these claims, but perhaps the answer can be found
in their Journal.
AMTA doesn't mention that these effects are likely to be temporary or that
similar results might be achieved by meditating, walking, exercising, having
sex, or reading a good book, not necessarily in that order. (For a list of
scientific articles on the effects of massage, see IntelliHealth.) AMTA also claims that therapeutic massage
"can help" with ·
allergies ·
anxiety ·
arthritis
(both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis) ·
asthma and
bronchitis ·
carpal tunnel
syndrome ·
chronic and
temporary pain ·
circulatory
problems ·
depression ·
digestive
disorders, including spastic colon, constipation, and diarrhea ·
headache,
especially when due to muscle tension ·
insomnia ·
myofascial pain (a
condition of the tissue connecting the muscles) ·
reduced range
of motion ·
sinusitis ·
sports
injuries, including pulled or strained muscles and sprained ligaments ·
stress ·
temporomandibular joint
dysfunction (TMJ) Something that "can help" with
so many disorders and dysfunctions should be very popular. According to the
AMTA, Americans spend from $2 billion to $4 billion per year on massage
therapy. However, "can help with" is an empty claim, and those with
serious medical problems such as cardiac problems, depression, or sinusitis
would do well to consult a physician. As Dr.
Barrett notes: "There is no evidence-based reason to believe that
massage can influence the course of any disease." Making claims that
massage therapists are qualified to treat medical conditions such as
allergies, infectious diseases, phlebitis, and the like, seems like quackery. This has not stopped the
profession from expanding to the point where even dogs and horses can get
a healing massage. One of the more popular animal therapies is "Tellington Touch," the creation of animal quacker
Linda Tellington-Jones,
who offers holistic treatment
for pets. So, when looking for a good massage
therapist I'd suggest you avoid the ones that identify themselves with some
sort of metaphysical quackery or New Age energy manipulation. See also aromatherapy,
craniosacral
therapy, ear candling, reiki and Rolfing. further reading
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