Most of us have had to deal with strained or stiff muscles, whether it was from playing sports, waking up with a stiff neck, or even dealing with a stressful personal crisis. This discomfort is usually caused by stress and injury to soft tissue (such as our muscles, nerves, and tendons), and can result in diminished flexibility, loss of soft tissue pliability, and chronic pain. Fortunately, therapeutic massage can help relieve these problems.
Massage has been used for centuries as a therapeutic form of pain relief. Stressed-out managers and injured athletes regularly visit massage therapists to lie on a massage table and have their muscles pushed, pulled, and kneaded. But you don’t have to be suffering from a painful sports injury to appreciate the benefits of a good massage. Massage is also used as a regular treatment to promote general good health.
Massage therapists manipulate a person’s skin with their hands to relax and exercise muscles and soft tissue and to soothe nerves. Therapists give back, neck, shoulder, foot, or full body massages, depending on the client’s needs. They work with both able bodied and permanently disabled people, helping them to manage and reduce pain and stress.
During a client’s first visit, the massage therapist takes a medical history, does an assessment, and discusses a treatment plan with the client. Then the appropriate massage treatment is carried out. Most treatments consist of hands-on therapy with the additional use of heat, cold, light, water, or other complementary equipment. Massage therapists may also consult with physiotherapists, chiropractors, doctors, and psychologists to develop treatment plans for clients.
Clients (or patients) of massage therapists include people with a variety of problems. For example, some may be suffering from insomnia, depression, or tension headaches. Others get treatment for whiplash, tendonitis, or sports injuries. Massage therapists also see people who have respiratory conditions such as asthma, or who have hypertension or high blood pressure. They often treat people with special needs, such as athletes, expectant mothers, infants, and the elderly.
Therapists are trained in a variety of different techniques. However, some choose to specialize. For example, they may choose only to practice cranial sacral, neuromuscular, or lymphatic drainage therapy. These techniques are introduced in the foundation training, but usually require additional training to use in actual therapy.
NOC Code: 3235