The use of touch to promote a sense of physical and emotional well being is one of the oldest of all natural therapies. Massage employs many different strokes that can stimulate or relax muscles, improve circulation and encourage healing of a wide variety of complaints. Massage Therapy techniques can be used in conjunction with aromatherapy to achieve a broad range of therapeutic benefits.

Touch is one of the most basic of the senses, experienced even by babies still in the uterus. Chinese doctors have made use of this knowledge for thousands of years. In China, massage is part of the system of traditional medicine that also includes acupuncture. The doctors of ancient Greece and Rome recommended massage, but the therapy disappeared from the West during the middle Ages. Massage Therapy techniques became popular again largely due to the work of a Swede, Per Henrik Ling, who developed Swedish movement treatment, also known as Swedish massage in the early part of the 19th century.

A healing experience

An effective massage depends on the sense of ease endangered by comfortable surroundings and trust in the masseur, as well as the technical expertise with which the strokes are carried out. After the massage, you will either relaxed or full of energy. Your muscles may be a little stiff for a while afterwards, especially if they have been causing you pain.

Using Massage Therapy Techniques at home

Massage therapy techniques are easy to perform. You can do some types on yourself, for example, on the hands, arms, legs and shoulders. However, the result is generally better if you perform the massage on someone else and vice versa.

The only equipment you need to perform a massage is your hands. The kind of massage table used by a professional is helpful, but not necessary. The person can lie on a mattress or the floor, covering it with foam or a thick blanket and a large towel. When you are working on the shoulders, the person should sit on a stool and lean forwards onto the back of an armchair.

Support

You need to know some of the massage therapy techniques while doing it on your own. Depending on which part of the body you are working on, you may have to provide some additional support. If you are massaging someone’s back and he or she is lying face down, place a pillow under the head and a rolled towel under the knees. If you are massaging the calves, support the ankles with a pillow. If you are working on the fronts of the legs, place a pillow under the knees. If you are massaging the back and shoulders of someone lying face down, put a pillow under the chest.

Oil and Lotion

For massaging many different kinds of oils are needed to perform the correct massage therapy techniques. One of the best for general use is sweet almond oil, but you can also use any cream that is not highly scented and is not absorbed into the skin too quickly. If the person you are massaging has very oily skin, use powder or cornstarch instead of oil.

So use the right massage therapy technique and regulate the flow of energy in you.