What is massage?

Massage has been used for over three thousand years as a form of healing and to alleviate the symptoms of a wide variety of pathologies and joint or muscle dysfunctions. The word massage comes from Arabic "mass" (to touch) and the therapy uses a variety of physical techniques, mainly with the hands.

Techniques and style of massage are selected for the condition presented and for the outcome you want — whether to relieve pain, increase energy levels or feel relaxed — or even all of these at once. Massage may be called remedial or therapeutic, deep tissue or energy balancing — the result is that you feel better, hurt less and are less prone to injury.

The Way Beyond combines massage techniques from a variety of sources for best effect including Tui Na (part of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Indonesian massage and ischaemic pressure for releasing myofascial trigger points.

Tui Na

Tui Na is deep tissue therapeutic massage which is an integral part of traditional medicine practised in China today and becoming increasingly popular in the West. Its techniques and gentle manipulations release muscular tension in acute or chronic conditions, and so are highly effective for back pain, sciatica, sports injuries and all musculoskeletal stiffness and pain.

Tui Na also balances energy and life force for improved well-being, aiding physical and mental relaxation.

Why massage?

Muscle tension accounts for 85% of pain complaints so the primary purpose of massage is usually to release and lengthen muscle fibres, and stimulate muscle to increase neurological function. It also uses gentle carefully controlled movement and manipulation to increase the range of motion in restricted joints.

The manipulation of soft tissue affects receptors located in muscle, tendon and joints which invigorates the healing process and increases circulation in the blood and lymphatic systems. Stimulating the receptors can also break the pain cycle by reprogramming nerve 'firings' that have become habitual.

Myofascial trigger points are 'knots' in muscle fibre that occur when the fibres are not releasing. Many people's muscles are perpetually slightly contracted, never fully relaxing, which is an unhealthy state because any movement could be the 'last straw' which flicks an overtaxed muscle into spasm. This is why so very many incidences of sudden acute back pain arise from seemingly trivial instances, such as "I just sneezed and there was an agonising pain in my lower back", or "I stumbled slightly, and it felt like I'd been stabbed", or "All I did was lift a bag of shopping into the car!"; even a deep breath might trigger a spasm in an overloaded muscle.

Massage has many physical benefits:

  • physically relaxs the body
  • reduces chronic pain
  • relieves tired and aching muscles
  • stretches connective tissues
  • relieves cramps and muscle spasms
  • increases flexibility and range of motion
  • decreases muscular deterioration
  • speeds recovery from injuries and illness
  • reduces tension headaches
  • reduces swelling
  • improves posture
  • improves muscle tone
  • increases tissue metabolism
  • calms the nervous system
  • lowers blood pressure
  • reduces heart rate
  • slows respiration
  • improves skin tone
  • increases blood and lymph circulation
  • speeds the removal of metabolic waste
  • increases red blood cell counts
  • stimulates release of endorphins
  • strengthens immune system