| I tend to view massage therapy independently of | | | | Native Americans highly valued not just the |
| broadercategories of therapy, healing or other | | | | therapeutic, butalso the actual healing value of |
| restorative practicesor systems. I am inclined to do | | | | massage. Hippocrates himselfis quoted as stating that |
| this because I am cautiousabout allowing massage to | | | | "anyone wishing to study medicinemust master the |
| be classified as a traditionaltherapy versus an | | | | art of massage." |
| alternative therapy. | | | | But with the advent of the industrial age and the |
| There are many practitioners who cringe when they | | | | developmentof modern scientific inquiry, massage |
| see massagetherapy lumped in with "alternative" | | | | was relegated to the listof unenlightened, |
| practices such as acupuncture, chiropractic or | | | | unsophisticated medical practices. In myopinion, |
| naturopathic health. To some these smack of | | | | however, to dismiss the medicinal and |
| quackery, fakery or, in some cases, lunacy. I believe | | | | restorativebenefits of massage was to dismiss the |
| that this aversion to association with alternative | | | | wisdom of the Ancients. |
| medical practices is extreme but I concede that a | | | | The lack of modern scientific diagnostic techniques |
| massage therapy purist could develop such a phobia. | | | | and theinability to examine the physical being at the |
| On the other hand, more open-minded massage | | | | cellular level, forcedthe earliest physicians to take a |
| therapists abhorassociating massage exclusively with | | | | macro view of the person sincea micro view was |
| clinical practices such asphysical therapy or other | | | | unavailable. That macro view and the |
| forms of rehabilitation. There is someresentment | | | | knowledgegarnered through the ages is still the |
| towards the incorporation of massage therapy | | | | essence of the practice ofthe ancient art of |
| intotraditional medicine only because they feel that | | | | massage. |
| massage may beviewed as simply a procedure. This | | | | That is not to say that the more clinical modern |
| view strikes me as a bitvindictive but given the | | | | approach tomassage is without merit. On the |
| historical view of the mainstream medicalindustry | | | | contrary, contemporaryresearch has validated many |
| towards the alternative medical community, | | | | of the formerly unsubstantiatedclaims of alternative |
| somebitterness can be expected. | | | | practitioners. Scientific studies haveconfirmed the |
| I would hate to see massage go the way of today's | | | | effectiveness of massage in alleviating |
| politicswhich attempt to label every political view as | | | | somedepressive symptoms, altering the immune |
| either liberal orconservative. Massage therapy is | | | | system,controlling pain and reducing stress. As stress |
| neither traditional noralternative. Frankly, traditional | | | | is identifiedas the precipitator of so many medical |
| medicine is, in actuality,an "alternative" to massage | | | | problems, physiciansare less reluctant to recommend |
| when viewed in an historicalcontext. | | | | massage as part of anoverall regime to address |
| The first documented description of massage as a | | | | certain conditions. |
| technique ortherapy dates back to 3,000 B.C. in China. | | | | So I echo the plea of Rodney King when he asked, |
| The Chinesebelieved that all illness was due to an | | | | "Can't weall just get along?" Massage does not need |
| imbalance of "Qi" within thebody. The inequitable | | | | the blessing of themedical establishment to claim its |
| distribution of this "life force" or "life energy" was | | | | place among the healing arts,thank you. Nor is it the |
| blamed for all ailments and this philosophy was | | | | exclusive therapeutic domain of thealternative |
| absorbed and incorporated by Japanese Buddhist | | | | community. I am comfortable with claims |
| monks into Japanese massage techniques. This | | | | thatmassage can benefit the whole person and I |
| eventually evolved into the unique Japanese massage | | | | welcome therecognition of the scientific examiners |
| therapy called Shiatsu or "finger pressure." | | | | who methodically studythe benefits of touch for |
| At the same time, similar approaches were evolving | | | | healing. But I intend to plant myselffirmly in the middle |
| in India,eventually becoming the practice of Ayurvedic | | | | and surrender to no particular ideology ofmassage |
| medicine, orthe "arts of life," which also utilized | | | | therapy. I endorse massage for what it does. |
| massage as aninstrumental healing methodology. | | | | Article written by Terry McDermott. |
| Greeks, Romans and even | | | | |