However, there are many misconceptions about massage therapy. One of
the biggest is that massage therapists just give you a good “rub down” and
you leave feeling better than when you came in. I hope that the latter
part of this statement is true. But massage therapy is much more. Massage
therapists are highly educated, trained professionals using specific
techniques for specific problems.
Currently, massage therapy training is a three-year program that
includes academics of anatomy, physiology and pathology of all cells,
tissues, organs and organ systems in the body. These courses are
complemented by the clinical anatomy, clinical assessment and practical
treatment courses required. Also, treating the public in an up-and-running
massage therapy and hydrotherapy clinic in order to get real-life
experience is part of the education in B.C. Exams, both written and
practical, must be successfully completed through the governing College of
Massage Therapists of B.C. along with continuing education
requirements.
So now that you know what education background we have, what can
massage therapy do for you? This question, of course, has different
answers from person to person. Yet, from infancy to old age, we can all
benefit from massage therapy.
Infant massage is something that can be taught to new parents for help
with problems like irritability, indigestion, colic and, above all, to
create a closer bond between parents and child. Mothers can use massage
therapy to alleviate both pre- and post-partum aches and pains.
At the other end of the age spectrum, the elderly patients I have
treated have found a decrease in arthritic pain, along with an increase in
movement. They’ve also experienced more restful sleeping patterns. An
important aspect of treating some elderly – and some not-so-elderly –
people is adding a positive, healing form of human touch to their lives.
This paramount in the healing process for some.
For those of us who do not fit any of the above situations, conditions
such as sprains and strains, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, whiplash,
degenerative disc disease, multiple sclerosis and many, many more are all
treatable through massage therapy.
Massage therapists will assess the patient’s problem, both specifically
and holistically, before the hands-on treatment begins. Another part of
massage therapy is patient education – teaching the patient about their
body and injuries, preventing further injury and explaining homecare
exercises or stretching programs appropriate to their healing process.
Massage therapy can be an exceptional form of rehabilitation. I hope
this will encourage you to find out more about how it can become a part of
your life.
