The different types of massages across time and cultures

Published on : 09 July 20214 min reading time

Massage is also called massage therapy. This notion includes a set of techniques that aim to relax, improve blood circulation, and eliminate toxins… This healing method comes from very old traditions and customs.

The origins of the massage technique

Although these bodily frictions have only very recently been named, this practice has been perpetrated by many civilizations before it became the means of relaxation that we know in our contemporary society. Massage is one of the oldest therapeutic practices known to man.

The term “massage” comes from:

  • from the Greek “massein” which means “to press lightly”
  • of the Hebrew “mashesh” which means “to feel”
  • and Arabic “mass” which translates into the verb knead

Texts dating back more than 3,000 years from China, India or Persia refer to it, which means that massage is often considered as a practice imported from the Far East, but it is now finding more and more people interested in it within the West.

Indeed, the Greeks and Romans used this method before and after sport (gymnasiums, palaces and gladiator games) but also in the field of medicine with certain treatments such as relieving neuralgia and migraines but also to treat various disorders.

What are the benefits of massage therapy?

The benefits of massage no longer need to be proven to those who have fallen prey to it; they provide physical and psychological well-being by acting directly on the skin by toning it, tendons, muscles, ligaments and sometimes also on the acupuncture meridians. Today, high-performance acupuncture devices are designed using a laser. They also help to reduce stress and tensions in daily life causing fatigue and numbness.

Skin contact stimulates the brain and produces endorphins, and it eliminates toxins from the body due to muscle relaxation of the brain and blood activation.

Now adopted as an integral part of some rehabilitation programs, massage therapy has developed over time as a codified science, being the reason why the practice of massage is increasingly diversified according to the culture and care we seek.

Massage devices have been designed to improve the massage technique for individuals wishing to massage at home. These massage devices can be used easily and you will enjoy a real professional massage at home!

According to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, a new regulation has been approved concerning the authorization of persons who do not have the title of masseur-physiotherapist to simply bring well-being to the person by massaging them. Professionals and beauticians alike can now practice non-therapeutic massages.

The profession of masseur-physiotherapist is refocused on its role; rehabilitation and therapeutic massage. A new professional title will be added to the National Register of Professional Certifications as: practitioner in bodily well-being technique.

The massage method consists in manipulating the skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments. However, not everyone can get a massage.

People with illnesses such as hemophilia cannot use this method. Massage can cause muscle injuries due to the small number of platelets that clot the blood. Injuries such as cuts, wounds, rashes are not welcome since these areas are very sensitive to touch. Massage is not recommended for people with diabetes, heart disease or bone problems. A person with a fever cannot perform this practice because their body temperature will increase.

In addition to illnesses, it is not advisable to have a massage after a meal. The body is in full digestion. During the first few months of pregnancy, pressure on the legs should be avoided.

In this article, we will approach a number of massages in a non-exhaustive way, the aim being to discover different ways of doing things according to cultures and needs, with always a single objective however; well-being.

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