Benefits of Amma Massage Therapy

Origin: Amma Massage is a very ancient therapeutic form of massage which is more than 5000 years old. It has its foundation in traditional Chinese medicine. Amma is actually a very old Chinese word, which means ‘push-pull’ (am-ma). It has been adapted as Amma Massage Therapy, and is practiced in China, Japan, as well as in the West, one such place being Bethesda.

Principles: According to ancient Chinese medicine, Qi or Chi, is the life force flowing through our entire body. When this flow is interrupted or blocked for any reason, the person suffers from some ailment or disease. The aim of Amma Massage is to remove these blockages by applying pressure at specific points (just like in acupuncture), in order to re-start the smooth flow of chi, so that the person becomes healthy again.

Benefits: Amma Massage Therapy has proved beneficial in preventing and treating diabetes, arthritis, sprains, hypertension, chronic fatigue, gastrointestinal and circulatory ailments, neuromuscular disorders, respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, as well as auto-immune diseases such as scleroderma. It also benefits those with back pain, headaches, insomnia, irritable bowel, edema, while being effective in cases of infertility and for reducing stress and anxiety. It also helps to build and fortify the immune system and so results in a reduction of health problems.

Some massage therapists also claim that they have used these techniques effectively in cancer treatment.

Many hospitals also provide Amma Therapy as an additional holistic treatment along with allopathic treatment.

Principles: Amma Massage therapists use a combination of stroking, stretching, kneading, vibrating, pressing and tapping on the 361 pressure points of the body in order to remove the blockages and restart the free flow of chi. While the therapist relies mainly on the strength and sensitivity of their hands, in some case they may also use their elbows, arms, feet and knees for the massage.

Diagnosis: A good practitioner will carry out a thorough assessment to diagnose the specific ailment. They will enquire as to what the patient likes or dislikes, diet, bowel movement. They will feel the pulse, observe complexion, and even the smell and color of the tongue.

After the diagnosis is over, the patient changes into loose clothing and undergoes a massage session of approximately one hour.

Amma massage goes beyond mere massage - the therapist also makes various dietary and nutritional recommendations, along with exercise requirements.

Bethesda in Washington DC offers certified and licensed professionals, with massages tailored for each individual.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, March 19th, 2009 at 5:23 am and is filed under Massage Therapy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Benefits of Baby Massage

In Asia, the benefits of baby massage have been recognized for thousands of years. Sometimes a maid is employed for this purpose, but now, more and more mothers, and fathers too, prefer to do it themselves. Every day a time is set aside for the infant to be gently with oil.

Bonding: First and foremost, massaging helps to increase bonding between parent and baby. Bonding is not an automatic process; it is created day after day, and the best way is interaction through this non-verbal language of touch, which is one of the major senses. This also sets up a channel of body communication, and many experts feel that babies who have been massaged since birth have better communication skills. As the mother spends time massaging her baby, both get to know each other better.

Relaxation: Baby massage benefits also include a feeling of relaxation, not just for the baby, but also for the parent. Although we may think that a baby’s life is the ultimate in relaxation, the transition from a warm, dark and tranquil womb to an outside world full of light and sound can be quite stressful. Massage helps to relax the muscles, and when done on a regular basis, ensures restful and longer sleep at night. Blood pressure and heart rate too slow down and stabilize with a massage, helping the baby to relax. Stroking and touching also releases a feel-good chemical called oxytocin, which benefits and de-stresses the parent as well as the baby.

Stimulation: Another infant massage benefit is that it also provides stimulation for the baby. While certain muscles need to be relaxed, there are some muscles which need to be stimulated for better performance. Some babies have poor circulatory systems and their hands and feet are always cold. A few minutes of gentle massage helps to increase blood flow, warm them up and make them more comfortable.

Better digestion: Massage also benefits the baby by stimulating their digestive system. A gentle massage encourages the expulsion of colicky gas and can provide immense relief.

Relief from pain is another benefit of baby massage. Other than colic pains, there can be other pains which parents could be unaware of and massage provides relief from these.

Weight gain: Baby massage has also been known to result not only in resistance to disease, but also in weight gain and is thus especially beneficial for pre-term or underweight infants.

Tags: baby massage benefits, benefits of baby massage, benefits of infant massage, infant massage benefits, the benefits of infant massage

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 19th, 2009 at 5:30 am and is filed under Massage Therapy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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