To many, massage therapy is both a science and an art.  The therapy is a science in that there are certain techniques that bring about different results.  As an art, it is the way these techniques are executed so that those results are perfected and work every time they are applied.

What It Is

Massage therapy is a way to aid the process of healing of an internal injury, usually dealing with the relief of stress in muscles around the body.  This is made possible by the application of structured pressure, tension, and motion to different parts of the body.  The practice of massage therapy is now more existent in professional settings, as you might see different sorts of massage therapy in places like spas. 

What It Heals

Although it has been contested many times, massage therapy is believed to have helped speed up the healing process for many physical ailments.  Particularly, it helps one to relieve pain, relieve psychological stress, and improves circulation of the blood.  One accepted fact is that it helps people to relax.

Communication

About the one thing that makes massage therapy work is good communication.  One who receives a massage must be able to let the masseur know where the pain is felt and where he or she would like to be massaged.  The client and masseur must also decide what kind of massage is best to be applied so this takes a little time for discussion.  Professionally, the process would be like this: type of treatment expected, intention of the massage, areas to be massaged and avoided, amount of pressure that will be comfortable, preferred techniques and how they affect the body; basically this is what is called informed consent.

There are many different kinds of massage therapy and almost all of them require that the client or the one receiving the massage be disrobed.  However there are exceptions like when using techniques such as Acupressure, Shiatsu, Tui Na, or Thai Massage.  These techniques do not include a lot of application of certain topical lotions or oils.  Since only pressure is applied, a patient who takes advantage of these techniques does not have to disrobe.  Of course, in many countries like the United States, the client is required to drape himself or herself in order to maintain a boundary that does not make the massage therapy almost obscene and inappropriate.

Massage therapy has been developed over the years and can be something that is applied to different parts of the body or the whole body itself.  The most common massage therapy is a full body massage and involves pressure that is applied to almost all parts of the body including the head, torso, legs and feet.  Massage therapy has become so popular in many parts of the world that there have been various techniques developed by various masseurs of various nations.  Some of the most popular include the Thai massage, Swedish massage, the stone massage (that includes the use of heated rocks applied along areas of the back near the spine), and the Shiatsu.