Originally Featured in "The Island Packet"

Bette Davis said, "Growing old ain’t for sissies." Those bodily aches and pains that make aging a misery, respond wonderfully to the healing touch of massage. But that is only the beginning of the story about the health properties of massage.

Massage, a natural therapy, is an effective way to reduce and/or alleviate muscular aches and pain. Muscle tightness, known as spasms, are the primary source of chronic, physical pain not associated with trauma. To better understand the role muscles play in causing bodily pain, it is important to understand why and how we hurt.

Muscles do not hurt.  Nerves are the pain messengers, sending signals to the brain to alert the mind that there is a problem.  When a nerve becomes irritated by tight muscles, the nerve heats up. (the early surgeons felt the heat radiating from the irritated nerve and called the condition inflamed.)
This alerts the brain that there is a problem in a part of the body by producing pain.  

Medical massage works by stretching the muscles to restore them to their original length and width.  This takes the pressure off the nerve, allowing it to cool down.  Consequently, the problem is resolved and the pain messages are discontinued. 

These principals are a simplified explanation of the  anatomy of pain. Understanding these principles will shed light on the role of massage in alleviating physical pain.

Natural healing methods are more time consuming and take a greater commitment then many people are willing to make. Why take the time and bother when a person can just pop a pain pill, and feel relief?  The answer is simple.  Pain is not the problem.  Pain is a SYMPTOM alerting the mind to the fact that THERE IS A PROBLEM.  Removing the pain without addressing the problem only masks the true nature of the problem.  Often when medication alone is used, there comes a time when that problem overcomes the medication’s ability to stop the pain. As time passes, what may have started as an easily treated condition can become a complex, more serious problem, with a much more difficult treatment prognosis.

It is important to clarify that massage works best in conjunction with the diversity of medical and health offerings. Good massage therapists are trained to recognize their limits, and ONLY treat conditions within their range of competency. When client' need help beyond the expertise massage therapy offers, then it is their duty to refer those people to the proper therapist or physician.

Massage is a conservative, and minimally invasive therapy, that can produce wonderful results with people who suffer from chronic muscular pain, and more. Massage has shown beneficial results with a broad range of problems including fibromyalgia, low back pain, arthritis, and bursitis.  Other conditions that have responded positively to massage include fatigue, high blood pressure, diabetes, and immunity suppression. Sickness is not the only realm where massage is gaining popularity.  Infant massage and massage for pregnant women are examples of rapidly growing health therapies.

Massage is gaining respect in the medical community in this country. Many physicians are beginning to understand and prescribe massage for their patients.  Even the US government  has recognized the importance of natural therapies by forming the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a component of the National Institutes of

Health.  For example, locally, the use of oxygen in high concentrations, (hyperbarics), is now being offered as therapy for a wide range of ailments, and one cannot find anything more natural than oxygen.

So, is massage a luxury, self-indulgent pampering, or a therapy that treats a wide range of medical problems? The answer is simple. Yes.

Jan Rose Kasmir is a graduate of the New York College of Health professionals, with over 25 years of experience. She provides in-home service and in-office service. Hilton Head Massage Therapy is located at 6 Office Way, Suite 908, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928, and can be reached at 843-683-2273.