Acupuncture & Massage Blog

The psychological and physiological state of individuals experiencing tension headache improves within 24 hours after receiving a 30-minute massage, according to a new University of Granada study. Tension headaches have an increasing rate of incidence among the population. This disorder causes disabling pain and is usually treated with analgesics that relieve symptoms temporarily. One of [...]

Massage has become a main component of athletics, from sports medicine centers to college team training. Sports massage prepares athletes for optimal performance, reduces muscle tension and swelling and increases energy. Sports massage can alleviate minor tissue injuries and lesions due to overuse or overextension which occur during strenuous physical activity and can result in [...]

Massage can reduce stress, increase production of endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers), improve blood circulation, reduce blood pressure, and slow heart rate—all benefits that can contribute to heart health. Massage therapy on a regular basis can reduce occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias, which cause the heart to pump less efficiently, and can decrease both diastolic and [...]

Shiatsu massage is a form of Oriental massage therapy, shiatsu is based on Japanese massage therapy traditions and integrates Chinese medicine theory and practice with Western physiology and anatomy. Shiatsu combines assisted-stretching techniques and acupressure to restore qi, or energy balance, in the body. The shiatsu practitioner applies pressure to specific points to promote energy [...]

Therapeutic Massage In Health Care One of the oldest healing arts, massage therapy has been used over a time span of some 3000 years to treat and cure a wide range of common ailments and health conditions. Therapeutic massage effectively treats: • Lower back and neck pain. • Sprains and muscular strains. • Fatigue and [...]

Many people experiencing back pain utilize massage therapy for pain management. Back pain often affects the lower back and can become a physical and psychological burden. “The cause of back pain is not always immediately clear,” says Peter Sawicki, director of the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care. “But back pain usually [...]

Individuals receiving massage show an improvement in symptoms of anxiety in as little as 10 massage sessions, according to a new study appearing in the journal Depression and Anxiety. The improvement in symptoms is comparable to the improvement produced by psychotherapy and medications, or both. The benefits of massage may be due to a generalized [...]

Millions of individuals are all too familiar with pain. There can be countless trips to the doctor or chiropractor, pain medications and the difficulty of making it through the day while enduring pain. Massage therapy can relieve the pain of arthritis, muscle strain, tendonitis, and other acute and chronic pain conditions. A recent survey by [...]

Recent data from the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) indicates greater public and medical acceptance of the value of massage and increasing consumer usage of massage therapy. • AMTA estimates that in 2009, massage therapy was a $16-20 billion industry. • Between July 2008 and July 2009, nearly 48 million individuals (22 percent) had a [...]

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment for massage therapists is expected to increase 20 percent from 2006 to 2106, faster than average for all occupations. Key points about the current massage therapy industry: • Massage therapists schedule an average of 41 massages per month and charge an average of $63 for an hour [...]