Classic massage – most of us have experienced it, but as it turns out, not many know what it is about and what it really gives us. See why it is worth using and what properties it has!
Classical massage has been known for thousands of years. Its origins can be found in China. It was used for therapeutic purposes – instinctively performed pressure on the body often helped in various ailments. In addition, massage relaxes and helps to de-stress. No wonder that nowadays it is one of the most popular and frequently performed treatments and can be found in all SPA salons.
The first mention of classical massage appeared in the book “The Cong-Fou of the Tao-Tse”. It is known that it was born in China. Hippocrates himself also spoke of “friction” as a healing method
It is interesting, however, that this treatment has not been forgotten over the years thanks to the Catholic Church. Well, people associated with it, priests or nuns, often used massage to cure or relieve the pain of people who were under their care. Swedish doctor Per Henrik Ling and Johan Mazeger from the Netherlands contributed to the development of massage
In classical massage, various techniques are used, which are now very carefully developed. Nothing happens by chance. At the beginning of the treatment, stroking is always performed, which involves applying the whole hand to the patient’s body. The precise touch of the masseur is slow and with constant pressure, which can also be done with the knuckle of the thumb, the fingertips or the dorsal side of the hand. Stroking can be very gentle, of medium strength, or quite strong and powerful
After stroking comes the time for rubbing. This is an important healing element, especially for sprains, contusions or adhesions. The idea is to rub the tissue being massaged. The masseur uses slow circular movements. He can do it in a spiral (rotating motion) or locally.
Next, it is time for squeezing. This technique is used not only in classical massage, but also in sports massage or lymphatic drainage. The masseur massages the selected part of the body with constant pressure
Kneading lasts the longest, often it is even 40% of the whole treatment. During this time the masseur grabs the muscle and tries to pull it away from the bone part, many people compare this activity to kneading dough. This is to improve the flexibility of the muscle
Then comes the vigorous patting. The massage therapist applies very vigorous strokes to the tissue, which has both a stimulating and relaxing effect on the patient. It is not suitable for children or elderly people. In order to activate smooth muscles, striated muscles and muscle fibers, vibrations are also performed. This activity additionally accelerates the burning of matter
One of the techniques of classical massage is also vibration, which consists in introducing muscles into a gentle, trembling movement. Here we have both a high amplitude of vibrations and low frequency. Then the masseur spreads his fingers wide on the patient’s body and vigorously moves them from side to side, without pulling his hands away.
During the treatment you can also not miss rolling, that is kneading, rubbing and stroking at the same time. This activity perfectly relaxes and stimulates
Classical massage perfectly stimulates the lymphatic and circulatory systems. It also influences the nervous system – it relaxes and calms the patient. In addition, it also speeds up digestion, increases muscle flexibility and improves joint mobility. The key is also how it influences our psyche – it is worth knowing that it supports the secretion of serotonin, i.e. a hormone of happiness. Therefore, after the treatment the patient has a better mood and more desire to act.
Is it necessary to prepare the body before classic massage? There are no special recommendations here, although it is good to give up hard to digest foods 1.5-2 hours before the procedure. You should also ask if it is possible to take a shower in the place where you will be massaged, if not – it is good to do it at home. You do not need to take any towels with you, they should be provided by the masseur, but you should also ask about it to avoid possible surprises.
Photo: Toa Heftiba/unsplash.com
