Esalen massage: learn the healing power of touch from the renowned body workers of Esalen Institute - includes related information

A Flurry of New Findings

Not many people need convincing that massage feels good. But just how therapeutic is it physically and mentally? Some new research emerged this past year regarding the healing power of touch. Benefits such as reducing stress hormones and boosting immune responses are placing a new light on massage, an ancient practice enjoyed in cultures around the world. What has the massage community most excited these days is how the public is embracing these new findings, moving massage to the forefront of complementary health care techniques.

Funding from the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health supported studies that discovered the following:

* Abdominal surgery patients recovered more quickly after massage.

* Premature infants who were massaged gained weight almost 47% faster than those who weren't.

* Cancer patients who had massage therapy while undergoing bone marrow transplants were much less anxious and fatigued.

Other studies supported by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) revealed a significant decrease in anxiety and respiratory rates among medical school students who were massaged just before an exam. They also showed a significant increase in white blood cells and natural killer cell activity, suggesting a benefit to the immune system. This same immune system enhancement was proven to be beneficial for people with HIV and AIDS.

The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine noted how blood pressure dropped in people with hypertension, pain was reduced in migraine sufferers, and alertness and performance improved in office workers.

In fact, the benefit of massage in lowering job stress has many corporations considering a twice-weekly, 15-minute massage break in the office instead of the typical caffeine fix. A group of 26 employees who opted for the massage break were compared to a control group who were told to just close their eyes and relax. Upon electro-encephalogram (EEG) measurement, the massage recipients had better alpha and beta wave correspondence showing greater alertness than the non-massaged group. They also had lower amounts of stress hormones in their saliva. But what was most amazing was that the massaged workers completed math problems in half the time as normal and with half the errors they had before they were massaged. As for the control group, their math skills showed no improvement or declined.

What else does massage help? A wide range of medical conditions such as allergies, headache, myofacial pain, sinusitis, sports injuries, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, stress-related diseases and anxiety.

Do You Need a Licensed Massage Therapist?

Only 25 states require massage therapists to be licensed, certified or registered. According to the AMTA, many more states are working to pass legislation. For the most part, licensing varies so much from state to state that many practitioners feel state laws are no real indication of competency. A reliable way to check out the credentials of someone is to ask if they completed an accredited program and look at their diploma. The Commission on Massage Training Accreditation/Approval (COMTAA) requires a stringent study of 500 hours of classroom instruction in anatomy, physiology, massage therapy techniques, first aid and CPR. A good therapist also gets training in ethical conduct, practice standards and general competency.