Massage therapy has been used as a tool to improve health and all around well being for thousands of years, in many different cultures. In fact it was even mentioned by the “father of modern medicine” Hippocrates way back in the 4^th century BC. At the time he wrote “The physician must be acquainted with many things, and assuredly with rubbing.”

There are no risks or side effects associated with massage therapy treatment, and it is used to alleviate and improve all kinds of medical conditions. Although there are many different techniques, all massage therapy involves the manipulation of both the soft tissues and the muscles, and the result is almost immediately relaxing.

Once considered a decidedly “alternative” form of medicine (strange considering how long it has been in use) massage is now being embraced into conventional medicine as an adjunct to medication and other treatment plans, and is especially effective for those who suffer from chronic pain. In fact, if prescribed by a treating physician to address specific health issues many insurance companies will now pay for a patient to receive a course of massage therapy administered by a licensed provider.

One of the most commonly utilized massage techniques is the Swedish method. This is a gentle and marvelously relaxing treatment and the perfect place for those who have never had a massage before to begin. Massage therapists make use of various oils and makes use of firm and even pressure to work any area of the body.

A little more uncomfortable than a classic Swedish massage, but often better for achieving pain relief is the deep tissue massage. While the techniques used are similar to the Swedish ones a firmer, deeper pressure is applied by the masseuse to try to work out “knots” in various areas of the body. To be most effective several deep tissue massage session should be combined with gentle stretching and posture improvement exercises.

Finding a great masseuse can be tricky. The American Massage Therapy Association licenses its members so that the public can be assured that their masseuse has had a minimum of five hundred hours of classroom education and has been bound to adhere to a code of conduct that is as strict as that that other medical professionals such as surgeons and general practitioners are held to.

Being comfortable with the masseuse is of course of utmost importance, as it is a rather intimate treatment. A person undergoing a massage should never be afraid to speak up if they are disturbed by a certain technique. People have all different “comfort levels” and a good massage practitioner will be happy to adjust their techniques according to a patient’s personal preferences.

Some people are nervous about receiving a massage treatment because they believe it will involve a level of nudity that they are uncomfortable with. This does not have to be the case though, as one can request that the masseuse use the “draping technique”, which means that the patient can be covered by a sheet or robe with only the specific area of the body that is being worked on exposed.