We like to educate our patients that massage is not just a luxury, but it is essential to a healthy, well-functioning body. Massage is a centuries old healing art that involves the human touch, which has all but become extinct in our modern medical culture.
In fact, many studies have demonstrated the value of human touch with reference to growth and development. How are a pond, play dough and the human body alike? It becomes stagnant, allowing other debris to get caught in it and slime to build up. This stagnation becomes a great environment for other undesirables to invade it's waters as well. Here is another analogy: think of play dough if it sits out for a while. A hard crust forms on the outside that does not allow the play dough to move well, or be formed into various shapes.
However, when it is picked up and kneaded, it becomes soft and pliable again. The human body is similar to the pond and play dough in the fact that it needs to move and be moved. This is where massage comes into play: it allows the body's muscles to be released and fluidity to be restored.
When stress is encountered, the body will take it on and move it around. Have you ever felt muscle pain in one area then a few days later it was goneβ¦.
The body is trying to ease the stress until it is released. If stress is not released it affects the entire operation and can be the underlying cause of chronic problems.
