Body work (alternative medicine)

In alternative medicine, body work refers to any treatment which involves some form of touching or physical manipulation. It is another name for massage therapy. It refers to massages or the application of pressure or vibration to the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, and joints. It involves applying pressure or vibration to the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, and joints.

Body Work

This article is part of the branches of CAM series.

CAM Classifications

NCCAM:

Manipulative Methods

Modality:

Professionalized

Culture:

Western/Eastern


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A survey released in May 2004 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine focused on who used (CAM), what was used, and why it was used in the United States by adults age 18 years and over during 2002. According to this recent survey, Body work, or massage therapy, was the 6th most commonly used CAM therapy (5.0%) in the United States during 2002 ([1] table 1 on page 8) when all use of prayer was excluded. Consistent with previous studies, this study found that the majority of individuals (i.e., 54.9%) used CAM in conjunction with conventional medicine ( page 6).

Massage is applied to parts of the body or successively to the whole body, to heal injury, relieve psychological stress, manage pain, improve circulation and relieve tension.

The massage session

Most massage techniques involve the client being treated lying down on a massage table or in a massage chair. There are a few exceptions: see Thai massage, below, for an example.

Due to the necessary body contacts between the practitioner and the client or patient, care is taken to avoid inadvertent sexual arousal. Although the massage subject is generally unclothed, their body is "draped" with towels or sheets. This also helps keep the subject warm. Areas of the body such as the areas around the groin and intimate parts of the body are normally not touched at all in therapeutic massage.

The treatment normally starts with the client face down for the first part of the session, and they then roll over (hidden by the towels) for the second part of the session, which is carried out face up.

Types of massage

There are well over 150 different types of massage therapy. Various styles of massage have developed from a number of sources.

Chinese Zhi Ya massage (指壓)

Chinese massage based on acupressure. It is similar to Tui Na massage except more on pinching and pressing at acupressure points.

Shiatsu (指圧)

Japanese massage based on acupressure. It is uncertain whether it originated from Chinese Zhi Ya.

Ancient Thai Massage

Also known as passive/assisted yoga or Thai bodywork, it is usually soothing because of its emphasis on stretching and loosening the body. It is also known as Ancient massage because its roots go back far into history, originating in India and then becoming popular in Thailand.

The patient changes into pajamas and lays on a firm mattress on the floor. (It can be done solo or in a group of a dozen or so patients in the same large room.) The practitioner leans on the patient's body using the forearm to apply firm rhythmic pressure to almost every square inch of the patient body. No oil is applied except sometimes to the patient's palms and soles. A full course of Thai massage lasts anywhere from one to two hours including pulling fingers, toes, ears etc., cracking the knuckles, walking on the patient's back, arching the patient's back in a rolling action etc. There is a standard procedure and rhythm to the massage. Sometimes in a large group massage, the practitioners do the procedures in unison.

Thai massage is a tourist attraction in Thailand and the practitioners are usually women.

In some establishments, they sit inside a room with a large display window, so clients can pick the girl they like by the number tag on them. Some say the young and pretty women usually give a poor massage because of lack of experience. A full massage in Thailand costs around US$17 (in 2001) depending on exchange rate and location (it may cost ten times more inside a five star hotel).

MA-URI massage

MA-URI is a new form of massage introduced by Hemi Hoani Fox in 1990, who cites as its roots Hawaiian Lomi-Lomi Nui dance, claiming increased so-called energy flow within the body and mind. Focus is internal, upon breathing, intent, and concentration. Claimed benefits include mental and physical health.

Study and advocation is primarily carried out at the MA-URI Institute, headed by Hemi and Katja Fox. It is currently difficult to find practitioners, though this may change as it grows more popular.