The people’s quality life in this modern and dynamic world, depends largely on mental and physical health, which in turn is conditioned by a range of factors present in the environment, such as stress, pollution, diseases, the purchasing power, among other variables of social, economic, cultural, religious and political nature.
In this context, each person according to their possibilities must prioritize their health above all, paying attention to therapeutic alternatives and accessible to feel better, which will fill us with the energy and motivation necessary to undertake the activities of our daily life, and if on the physical plane we will look better, so what do we expect to resort to these alternatives.
In addition, the care of the body and our presence gives us benefits that go beyond the physical aspect, since it gives us more security and self-confidence, prepares us psychologically before life, impregnates us with positivism, motivation and well-being, it ups us self-esteem, makes us feel pleasant, satisfied with ourselves, so the search for options that achieve these effects must be activated every day of our lives, because we deserve it, because we must love, take care of and protect ourselves.
Consequently, we have the decision to use methods that make us feel and look better, and we must start looking for information such as the one we are presenting in this article, which aims to present natural alternatives that help them find a way to achieve that goal. Within these alternatives are massages of different types that not only alleviate ailments, but also affect our emotions and attitudes.
In this order of ideas, we should consider that generally, when we undergo a massage we think basically of the corporal benefit, but the effects of those massages go much further, reach our psyche, nourish our spirit, provide peace and tranquillity, and We experience changes in our attitude, and that is fundamental in everything we do in our lives.
Of course, the bodily benefits are important and it is very true that they make us look better, but the effect on our minds and spirits gives us security, peace and well-being, which others notice easily, and that is much more important than the appearance physical.
Therefore, we must decide to include massages in our frequent routines, since the manipulation of soft tissues represents an effective alternative of easy application and availability that seeks therapeutic, hygienic and / or sporting effects, becoming a fundamental tool in physiotherapy, either for the purpose of preparing or finalizing a therapy, eliminating or minimizing the pain and of course improving not only the appearance and attitude of the people, but in general aims to optimize the quality of life of the individual. We should point out that the term massage is derived from several words, for example it comes from the Arabic word “mass” which means to touch gently, to rub gently; from the Greek “massein” which means to knead or rub; from the Hebrew “mashech” which means to touch, to feel; and of the French “masser” whose meaning is to knead, rub, massage.
It can be seen that among the meanings of the words there are not many differences, because from remote times, massage was associated with healing and even magical properties, and through the use of hands a person makes movements in the patient’s body or affected.
On the other hand, the massages are easy to apply, presenting few contraindications and side effects, but it is advisable to have deep knowledge about the objectives of each type, the techniques and ways of applying them, establishing a climate of trust with the physiotherapist, promoting a relaxed atmosphere that benefits the emotional state of the person to whom it is applied.
Therefore, massages are very useful tools for the psychological and physiological well-being of people, which brings positive effects such as: a mechanical action on the tissues, warming, stimulation and development of the musculature, in addition to stimulating or calm the nervous system, relax and relax the muscles, improve psychological well-being, improve circulation, eliminate organic exudates, improve adhesions, make the tissues more flexible, producing a reflex action on the nervous system.
In this sense, there are many types of massage through which various manoeuvres are applied that differ in relation to their technique, physiological and psychological effects, indications and contraindications, which must be explained in detail to people seeking specialized help. However, some massages can be applied to themselves or by a relative or friend, to complement the work done by the physiotherapists. For this reason, we present below a series of therapeutic massages that can achieve truly wonderful effects on their bodies and minds:
Let’s start mentioning reflexology, which is a discipline that considers the energy points of the body as basic elements to treat certain ailments and / or affectations that provide relief, physical and mental wellbeing, generally observing changes in the attitude of people, after to attend several sessions, which makes them feel good mood, motivated, calm and relaxed.
It is common to observe that people resort to this type of massage when they are in extreme situations, when their minds and bodies no longer give, and they feel overwhelmed by physical discomforts and stress, and that is fine, but, should not be like that, we should take care of feeding our body and mind frequently and apply some type of massage without being stressed or sore. Even many people who have internalized the importance of these therapeutic alternatives.
Swedish massage is widely recognized and common, long since in the western world, which is applied strongly and vigorously on large areas of the body of the individual, acting mainly in the muscles. At the beginning of the Swedish massage, rubbing is applied directly and strongly, then continue with patting, followed by kneading and deep friction, which provide effective physiological effects, alleviating muscular ailments and tensions, in addition to relaxing contractures and producing relaxing effects.
On the other hand, we have the deep transverse massage or Cyriax, created by Dr. James Cyriax, and that is characterized by providing great results in the improvement of serious injuries, although it is generally very painful, due to the fact that tissue mobilizations are performed, selecting small injuries of tendons, ligaments or muscles that are located properly and that do not have an acute inflammation.
It is important to explain that this massage is considered as deep, since it is achieved through its application, reaching the subcutaneous connective tissue by means of a transverse swing of little amplitude with movements of the index fingers supported with the middle fingers, acting as direct way on the exact point of the injury, in order to recover normal mobility and recovery of the patient, who will feel the obvious benefits in the functioning of their body.
It should also be considered that the physiotherapist must be a specialist in anatomy and exploration, because the application of this technique is painful, and great care must be taken when performing the massages, taking care of the anatomy of the person and providing an effective and safe treatment.
Another highly applied massage is the lymphatic circulatory system, which is based on the treatment of the lymphatic system created by Vodder, which consists in evacuating excess fluid and metabolic waste through the lymphatic pathways by stimulating the contraction of vessels and lymph nodes lymphatics.
Thus, by means of muscular movements, the lipids are transported and toxic waste accumulated in the tissues is excreted through the bloodstream. In this way, with the application of muscular movements, the lymph is transported, working the lower extremities and the abdomen, as well as the left dorsal side of the body, in order to form a channel known as “quilo cistern” which It is the main lymphatic vessel of the body or thoracic duct.
In this way, this type of massage stimulates the lymph nodes that produce lymphocytes or white blood cells, which in turn produce antibodies, which is why the immune system of the individual is improved and strengthened, and therefore protected in against many diseases, which of course provides not only physical but also psychological benefits.
Finally, we will make mention of relaxing massages, in whose application soft and shallow movements are used, sliding the fingers on various areas of the body, in order to calm and of course relax the person. In this way, the physiotherapist must move his hands at a slower pace than the one used in other types of massages, applying gentle pressure on certain points, as specialists in reflexology do.
A relaxing massage is usually applied on the back, arms, legs, feet, face and head, managing to activate different points and stimulating the sensory nerve endings in the skin, which are the ones that transmit the messages through the nervous system and make the Brain releases endorphins, which are the body’s natural analgesics, which create a sense of well-being and cause deep relaxation by stimulating the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, sometimes called the “rest and digestion system”. On the other hand, this state of well-being increases the security of the person, looking better and with a positive attitude, in addition they make the blood pressure and the heart rate decrease, while the blood circulation and the digestive activity increase, originating a stimulation of the system lymphatic that takes care of waste products of the body, providing health, skin improvements, among other benefits.
ALFA