The Healthy Touch November 2006

by Jacqueline Irwin, with Maggie Anthony
Images by R. Byrne

A writer is occasionally forced to conduct research before beginning a project. I was assigned to write this article on massage techniques, and as part of that research the magazine was to provide an hour and a half complimentary massage. There wasn’t a moment of procrastination on my part in accepting the assignment.

Maggie Anthony, a Certified Massage Therapist, gave me the most exquisite hour and a half massage! She performed a combination of Swedish massage and Deep Tissue techniques. She has seemingly magical hands that were wonderful at finding and alleviating my tight spots and the areas where I was carrying tension. The experience really helped me to understand the relaxing, healing benefits of this wonderful indulgence.

Down From the Skies and Up to the Table
Maggie formerly worked as a flight attendant for American Airlines. She always had a desire to do something beneficial for people, but serving, soothing, and comforting passengers on a crowded airliner wasn’t what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. The job of a flight attendant often proved to be hectic and fast paced. After the birth of her daughter, she decided to pursue her true passion, which was to become a massage therapist.

The prospect appealed to her because it gave her the opportunity of working for herself, setting her own schedule, and providing a service for her clients that in most cases they really loved and appreciated. Maggie enjoys the fact that her clients typically finish her sessions happy and relaxed. Their responses differ remarkably from those of some passengers disembarking from her flights when she was a cabin attendant — with feelings of hostility and even rage that her extra bags of free peanuts and friendly smiles couldn’t help with.

Maggie received her Swedish and Deep Tissue certifications two years ago through the McKinnon Institute in Oakland. The school provided the intimate atmosphere she found beneficial for honing her skills as a massage therapist. In addition, Maggie has set her sights on going to Thailand to become certified in the Thai massage traditions that have roots going back thousands of years. Maggie wants to go to the place it originated to learn firsthand the techniques that have been developed and refined over those long centuries.

Massage Around the World and Down the Centuries
Massage may be the oldest and simplest form of medical care. Through the ages massage has been practiced by just about every culture on the planet. Egyptian tomb paintings, for example, show people being massaged. I can imagine they needed it after stacking the stones for all those pyramids!

In Eastern cultures, massage has been practiced continually since ancient times. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, a Chinese book from 2700 B.C., recommends “breathing exercises, massage of skin and flesh, and exercises of hands and feet” as treatment for paralysis, chills, and fever.

Greek and Roman physicians recommended massage as an effective method of relieving pain. Certainly, the first Olympiads benefited from the healing powers of massage.

Below are a number of modalities of massage and explanations to help guide you in finding the right practitioner to perform the right massage for you.

• Swedish massage is the classic form of western massage. It is done on a massage table with lotion or oil and incorporates long, flowing, relaxing, rhythmic strokes. These strokes help the body to circulate fluids such as blood and lymph. It is often used in combination with other bodywork styles, which tend to make each practitioner’s style unique. This modality is best for relaxing and pampering.
• Acupressure is based on concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is an ancient form of bodywork that seeks to balance the flow of energy in the body. The practitioner holds acupressure points in particular sequences, or “flows,” in order to promote the free flow and balancing of the body, mind, and spirit. It is considered extremely safe, relaxing, and beneficial for maintaining good health.
• Craniosacral massage uses very gentle touch to massage the bones, membranes, and fluids that support and bathe the skull and spinal column. The movement, or pulse of the cerebrospinal fluid is used as a guide for balancing the physical and energetic body.
• Thai massage is performed on the floor through clothing and without oils. It involves a combination of gentle rocking and stretching, acupressure with rhythmic compressions, and stretches along ten of the most important “sen”(the body’s energy lines). The practitioner uses their hands, thumbs, elbows, and feet to facilitate limbering and opening of the joints.
• Shiatsu, a Japanese word for ‘finger pressure,’ incorporates pressure using the fingers, thumbs, palms, knees, forearms, elbows, and feet and is applied to areas of energy lines to promote good health by stimulating the body’s energy flow. It is usually performed on a padded mat on the floor and begins with stretching and then direct pressure is applied.
• Deep tissue massage uses slower strokes with direct pressure applied across the grain of the muscles to release chronic muscle tension. It is an invigorating experience and is useful in detecting stiff or painful areas. The practitioner slowly works into the deep layers of musculature.
• Sports massage usually consists of a blend of techniques, often times Swedish and Shiatsu. It is performed before athletic events to prepare the athlete for peak performance, or after performances to alleviate fatigue, relieve swelling, reduce muscle tension, promote flexibility, and to prevent injuries.

There are many other types of massage. In fact, the free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, lists no fewer than 28 different massage types, from Barefoot Deep Tissue to Trigger Point Therapy. Some of these seem strange to the initiated. Stone Massage, for example, involves placing a heavy stone, sometimes heated, upon key places in a body as a way of increasing the flow of energy in the body in order to promote healing and wellness.

Some boutique massage centers are offering Stone Massage. The Native Americans who lived in our area during John Marsh’s time practiced Stone massage. The spa at the new Trilogy development is planning to revive Stone Massage, and offer this as one of their services.

Rediscovery and Extending Massage
Massage lost some of its status in our society through the unsavory reputation created by “massage parlors.” Also, during the 1930s breakthroughs in medical technology and pharmacology eclipsed massage as physiotherapists began to favor electrical instruments over manual methods of stimulating the tissues. It’s hard to imagine anyone thinking electroshock therapy more beneficial than massage!

In the 1980s there was a move away from drug therapies for both pets and horses involved in racing and show events. Pet massage techniques were developed. Petting with a Purpose is a massage discipline that involves very light strokes, generally in the direction of the hair, moving in the direction of head to tail, and back to belly. It has been demonstrated that animals can receive some of the same benefits as people through massage.

Massage is currently used in intensive care units, for children, the elderly, and for babies in incubators. Massage is a recommended treatment for patients with cancer, AIDS, and for people recovering from heart attacks or strokes. Most American hospices make available some kind of massage therapy, and it is frequently offered in health centers, drug treatment clinics, and pain clinics.

There are many documented benefits of massage depending upon the type of massage administered. Massage enhances muscle tone and range of motion. It reduces inflammation and swelling in the joints, thereby alleviating pain. It promotes the healing process by increasing the flow of nutrients to muscles, and aids in carrying away excessive fluids and toxins. Massage releases tension and relaxes muscles. It stimulates circulation by defrosting frozen muscles, releasing endorphins—the body’s natural painkillers. And massage helps to maintain the whole body in better physical condition.

Massage can be an indulgent, therapeutic, or a combination of both. Maggie recommends massage as a form of maintenance: a way of taking care of yourself. She believes that people who don’t have a physical need for a massage still can benefit from the experience. Therapeutic massage awakens the body. Massaging a knot in your back, for example, draws the body’s attention to the spot, and then the body can begin to heal itself.

If for no other purpose, lying quietly on a table while being massaged provides a wonderful opportunity for meditating, listening to the body, and allowing the cares of the day to slip away for a short time into oblivion. Massage provides a short time-out amidst the go, go, go and the rush, rush, rush of our busy lives. We could all slow down and listen to our bodies a little.

If you schedule a massage with a certified therapist, Maggie advises you to communicate with the therapist regarding your expectations.

What you do after a massage is important. Try to plan to do nothing afterwards so that you can revel in the moment and soak in the healing benefits. After a massage it is not unusual for some muscle soreness to be present. Maggie recommends taking an Epsom salt bath and staying as relaxed as possible. Light stretching is also therapeutic.

Even if you don’t receive the therapeutic touch of a massage therapist you can always treat yourself to a rubdown of areas you can reach on your own body. Or give a loved-one a massage. Couples can benefit from the healing power of touch. Try giving a head or neck massage, or a relaxing foot massage to the one you love.

It’s human nature to want to be touched in a healthy way. All it takes is a little time, thought, relaxing background music, and maybe some lotion or oil, and you’re on your way to making someone’s day a little brighter. Or schedule a time with a massage therapist and rejuvenate your body, mind, and soul. °

Maggie Anthony can be reached at 925-890-1715 or at healinghandz@comcast.net.