MikeLigalig.com

By Honor Blanco Cabie

Grace, a young woman in her 20s, is among massage therapists who visit monthly a tension-filled news organization, whose management has religiously scheduled a free four-hour massage session, on official time, monthly for its rank-and-file employees.

Elsewhere in the metropolis, litigation lawyer Amador lies face down on a massage bed while his tired muscles are given the workout by a young therapist while his wife has her re-bonding schedule in a nearby saloon.

In an upscale subdivision east of the capital, Rosanna, a recently retired high school guidance counselor, gets her weekend massage session – a full 60 minutes at what she calls very affordable price – from the hands of Aling Vicky who has been in the business for nearly 40 years after her husband died when she was in her early 30s.

Aling Vicky, although she has had no formal training in massage therapy, echoes what her formally educated counterparts have repeatedly said: that massage, among others, is a stress buster and lessens depression and anxiety.

Grace, sought out by many in the news organization for her silken but firm touch and hold, adds massage therapy can also relieve migraine pain, increase blood circulation, reduce fatigue and enhance sleep.

Beneficiaries of this activity in the city say there are other benefits they have derived from the one-hour session each week, which they say is good enough for the price they pay – including some hefty tip if they enjoy the session.

Some massage therapists refer to studies funded by the National Institutes of Health in the United States which have found massage to be beneficial in improving weight gain in HIV-exposed infants and facilitating recovery in patients who underwent abdominal surgery.

At the University of Miami School of Medicine's Touch Research Institute, researchers have found massage is helpful in decreasing blood pressure in people with hypertension, alleviating pain in migraine sufferers and improving alertness and performance in office workers.

Other therapists say an increasing number of research studies show massage reduces heart rate, lowers blood pressure, increases blood circulation and lymph flow, relaxes muscles, improves range of motion, and increases endorphins (enhancing medical treatment).

Although therapeutic massage does not increase muscle strength, it can stimulate weak, inactive muscles and, thus, partially compensate for the lack of exercise and inactivity resulting from illness or injury. It also can hasten and lead to a more complete recovery from exercise or injury.

Some massage therapists say research has verified that:

* Office workers massaged regularly were more alert, performed better and were less stressed than those who weren't massaged.

* Massage therapy decreased the effects of anxiety, tension, depression, pain, and itching in burn patients.

* Abdominal surgery patients recovered more quickly after massage.

* Premature infants who were massaged gained more weight and fared better than those who weren't.

* Autistic children showed less erratic behavior after massage therapy.

Other massage therapists say massage can also alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion; assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays; ease medication dependence; enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body's natural defense system; exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles; and increase joint flexibility.

According to them, massage can also lessen depression and anxiety; promote tissue regeneration; reduce scar tissue and stretch marks; pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs; and improve blood circulation.

They add that massage can also reduce post-surgery adhesions and swelling; reduce spasms and cramping; relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles; and release endorphins – the amino acids that work as the body's natural painkiller.

Some sources in the health care industry claim massage therapy, also called by other names as stress reliever or pain manager, can be a powerful ally in a compulsive worker’s healthcare regimen.

They say up to 90 percent of contracted disease is stress-related, adding high stress can contribute to faster aging, internally and externally.

Massage, they say, can doubtless help manage stress which translates into decreased anxiety, enhanced sleep quality, improved mental concentration, increased blood circulation, greater physical and mental energy and reduced debility or burnout.

Some of those who suffer from arthritis and have undergone massage therapy – like Wenceslao and Anselmo – claim feeling some physiological and chemical changes cascading throughout their bodies, with esoteric effects.

Some researches have shown that with massage, arthritis sufferers have noted lesser aches and less stiffness and pain; asthmatic children have shown better pulmonary function and increased peak air flow.

Burn injury patients have themselves reported reduced pain, itching, and anxiety while high blood pressure patients have demonstrated lower diastolic blood pressure, anxiety, and stress hormones.

Premenstrual syndrome sufferers have decreased water retention and cramping while pre-term infants have improved weight gain, according to these researches.

Other researches say massage therapy has been effective in helping alleviate the tensions of modern lifestyles.

At the same time, many hospitals are also incorporating on-site massage practitioners and even spas to treat post-surgery or pain patients as part of the recovery process.

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