The Message Of Massage

Ebony, July, 2000 by Kelly Starling

Once considered naughty, the therapy is now mainstream

THE stress of finals had Kimberly Cummings gnarled into knots. Her shoulders ached. Her muscles were taut. The former Clark Atlanta University student went to the salon planning to treat herself to only a hair-do, but when she saw a special including a free 30-minute massage, she decided to indulge.

"I was nervous about what they would do," says the 29-year-old coordinator of special projects for Chicago's Department of Aviation. "It seemed awkward being in a room with a stranger without your clothes. But she covered me with a sheet and only exposed one part of my body at a time. It was very relaxing. I loved it."

Cummings says the room was fragrant and lit with candles. Soothing music enveloped her as she disrobed and lay across the table. The masseuse entered the room when Cummings was ready and put her right at ease. "I felt like the stress just poured away from my body," she says. "I kept that peaceful feeling thr about two to three days. The after-effects were wonderful. I felt really good."

Like an increasing number of Black women and men, Cummings has made getting a therapeutic massage a regular comfort though she admits the cost, which averages from $35 to $60 for an hour-long experience, prohibits her from catering to her whims more than a few times a year. "It has become part of my routine," she says. "Like getting my hair done and getting my nails done, massage is a treat for me."

Unlike the seamy image created by massage parlors of years gone by, experts say massage is gaining respect as an authentic relief for physical and mental strain. Superstar athletes like Michael Jordan have used massage to work out tired muscles. Employers are incorporating massage into their wellness plans. Everyday people are relying on massage to escape the strains of the world.

"The image of massage has changed dramatically," says Elliot Greene, a Silver Spring, Md.-based massage therapist who has been in the industry for more than 27 years. "It has gone from something of questionable value to something more mainstream. People understand that massage therapy has legitimate and significant health benefits. They don't think of it as a luxury anymore. People know it's a great remedy for stress."

Sheila Rashid, an aesthetician at Visionaries, a Black-owned, full-service salon and day-spa in Chicago, says relieving stress is probably the No. 1 reason why her clients seek a massage. "A lot of people carry the weight of the world internally," says the masseuse and registered nurse. "It affects the energy and the body."

Rashid says it used to be mostly women who sought massage. Today, she sees more men coming for treatment. Some have strained their muscles through sports. Others hope to steal away from the working world. Still others just want the calming effects of the atmosphere she creates. Massage takes you to another world, she says.

Jensie Grigsby of Des Moines, Iowa, has been to that place. She had her first massage last summer. "There were soft, earth sounds," says the direct-marketing specialist who spends most of her working day on the computer. "They had chimes. The masseuse used a lot of fragrant oils. I fell asleep because I was so relaxed. She told me to get off the table real slowly. I stepped down and it was like I had lost control of my body. I couldn't feel anything. It was like I was walking on clouds."

Nearly 20 percent of Americans reported receiving massages in the past five years, according to 1997 data from the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). The number continues to grow as people learn the benefits of massage which include:

* Flushing toxins and waste from your body

* Creating healthier skin and better muscle tone

* Reducing stress

* Feeling refreshed and relaxed

* Improving blood circulation

* Aiding recovery from sprains and strains

Massage is also gaining credence in the medical world as an effective drugless therapy. "There's more and more scientific research that has come out to show the effectiveness of massage therapy," says masseur Greene. "As doctors become more familiar with it and patients talk about it, it's becoming a requested treatment."

Greene says common disorders such as headaches, insomnia, constipation, carpal tunnel syndrome and minor aches and pains may respond to massage therapy. The popularity of massage is part of a larger wave of interest in holistic healing. Rather than seek invasive remedies, people are searching for natural pain-relievers such as massage, which has been around for millenniums.

"For thousands of years and across the globe, most cultures have realized the healing power of touch," says Dr. Elaine Ferguson, a Chicago physician. "Fortunately, research now confirms massage, by inducing deep relaxation, does improve the immune system, lower the blood pressure and improve lung, cardiac and neurologic function."

Philomena Queen, a licensed massage therapist and instructor at the Potomac Massage Training Institute (PMTI) in Washington, D.C., says the number of African-Americans seeking training in massage therapy continues to rise. In 1990, just 2 percent of the school's students was Black, she says. Today, African-Americans make up about a third of the school population.