Bodywork: TLC or therapy? - Natural Remedies - includes related article on the different types of massage

Vegetarian Times, April, 1997 by Randi Hutter Epstein

EVERYBODY NEEDS

KNEADING

Asked who should seek out bodywork, Summers replies, "Everybody can use it. If you have any stiffness, pain, rigidity, tension or stress in your body, or want to prevent these problems, you can benefit from bodywork." Adds Leonard Jaffe, M.D., a Springfield, N.J.-based orthopedic surgeon and a team physician for the New Jersey Devils, a professional ice hockey team, "Massage therapy should be part of the comprehensive picture in the care of any athlete, but it has great benefits for ordinary people too, not only physical but hormonal ones. It probably stimulates the release of beneficial hormones, either by relaxation, hormonal changes or reducing stress."

Rubbing a muscle won't replace surgery for broken bones or drugs for heart disease, but research is beginning to sleuth out the biological benefits of bodywork. In much the same way that a balanced diet and regular exercise gives you a sense of well-being, a weekly massage appears to offer similar benefits, even for people who are not seeking treatment for specific ailments. The evidence suggests that kneading sore muscles or pressing on so-called trigger points releases a cascade of chemical reactions in the body that speeds healing and relaxation.

"My guess is that massage mechanically forces your muscles to relax, and once you do that, your brain does the same," says Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., and author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers (W.H. Freeman, 1994). Massage, he says, may work much the way tranquilizers, such as Valium, work -- by loosening tense muscles. Typically, when you are emotionally stressed, the brain sends signals to the body that prompt muscles to contract. You feel tha tension, mentally and physically. Massage relaxes tense muscles, thereby sending signals to the brain for it to relax too. The upshot is that the brain stops sending out stress hormones to mobilize the body.

GETTING RUBBED THE

RIGHT WAY

Bonnie Crellin, a New York City therapist, advises prospective patients to make sure their therapist is a licensed practitioner. Licensure, which is required in almost every state, usually means the therapist has taken at least 500 hours of training approved by one of the national (or international) massage therapy associations such as the Association of Bodywork and Massage Professionals ([800] 458-2267) or the American Massage Therapy Association ([847] 864-0123). Also, says Crellin, you should choose a therapist who has a relaxing, quiet work environment. Serenity is key. Massage in your home can be effective if you are not disturbed by the phone or children. In-home massages tend to be pricier because therapists charge for their time and travel expenses. Choose a therapist who seems willing to listen to you rather than one who goes through his or her paces mechanically, says Crellin, adding, "Your best bet is to rely on word-of-mouth." Typical sessions last one to one and a half hours. Increasingly popular workplace "chair" massages, for which one need not change out of clothes, are effective in reducing anxiety levels and last only fifteen minutes.