Dr. Rajeev Sharma - Massage For Good Health

The word massage is derived from Greek language, signifying to knead, to press. It consists basically of palpation, rubbing and kneading. It is the scientific manipulation of the soft tissues of the body.

Massage or the operation of healing hands had great importance in the ancient history of the world; perhaps there may not be much science and technology. But ancient Indian surgeons studied the art of massage from the famous medical books of Charak, Ashtanga Hridaya and Sushruta Samhita. Most of the orthopaedic injuries were cured in Kerala by massage or by the operation of healing hands; though its science and technology were not developed. Even now there are some massage experts who press with their healing hands on particular nerves and muscles of the patients and they get great relief.

Ancient warriors and soldiers had to undergo massage during their training, because massage helped them to bend and mould their limbs. Massage has an important place for healthy and well-built body.

Celsus, a Roman physician, at the beginning of Christian era advised that friction should be used several times a day in the sun and found that chronic pains in the head were relieved by rubbing the head itself and that paralysed limbs were strengthened by being rubbed.

To take bath after oil massage was a common custom in Turkey and Kerala. By simple massage one can keep his body ever young. By massage, the whole body, the skin muscles, the veins, the arteries, the lymphatics and moreover the whole nervous system is benefited. To assist our sick and ailing friends, massage is one of the methods by which flow of blood and lymph may be quickened, the functions of the skin improved and nutrition increased.

Mainly there are three kinds of massage.

1. Active Movement: Delicacy or firmness of touch as the need arises with oil or talcum powder or even with simple healing hands on muscles and nerves. It is called effleurage.
2. Passive Movement: Delicate or firm strokes according to the condition of the patient is called passive movement. The direction of the stroke should, traditionally, be upward, towards the heart and in the course of the blood vessels and lymphatics. Its technical name is stroking.
3. Resistive Movement: Picking up the smaller muscles between the thumb and the forefingers and so manipulate them that they gain new vitality. It is known as persuasive treatment or petrissage or kneading. Thus the history of massage shows the development of its art and science.