Massage Therapy Overview

Therapeutic massage, manipulating body tissue with the hands, heals muscles and promotes better circulation. First used over 3,000 years ago by the Chinese, massage therapy was a mainstay among other ancient cultures, including the Greeks, Japanese, Egyptians, Romans and Arabs. A Swedish gymnastics instructor, Per Henrik Ling, developed modern massage therapy in the early 19th century. The Swedish method combined exercise with massage to treat joint and muscle pain. In the 1850s, George and Charles Taylor, two brothers who studied massage in Sweden, brought this method to the U.S. Today it is a common treatment technique.

Three types of hand movements are used by massage therapists. Stroking, which can be light or hard, is meant to relax muscles and improve circulation. Compression—including kneading, squeezing and friction—stretches muscles and tendons to facilitate movement. Percussion, repeatedly striking the massage point with the sides of the hands, improves circulation. Massage therapy is effective for patients who suffer a range of conditions from arthritis to paralysis. It is often used to relieve pain and reduce swelling.

Find a Massage Therapist in Boston, MA that can help with…

Active Release Techniques (ART) (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Addiction in Boston, MA Adolescents in Boston, MA Adults in Boston, MA Alexander Technique (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Allergies in Boston, MA Aquatic Massage Therapy (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Arthritis in Boston, MA Asthma in Boston, MA Auto/Work/Sports Injuries in Boston, MA Back and Disc Problems in Boston, MA Birthing in Boston, MA Blood Pressure in Boston, MA Bowen Technique (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Breathing/Lungs in Boston, MA Breema (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Cancer/Oncology in Boston, MA Chair Massage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Children in Boston, MA Chinese Tui Na Massage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Chinese Zhi Ya Massage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Cholesterol in Boston, MA Chronic Fatigue in Boston, MA Colds, Cough and Flu in Boston, MA Cosmetic Acupuncture in Boston, MA Cranio-Sacral Therapy (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Deep Connective Tissue Massage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Deep Muscle Therapy (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Depression/Anxiety in Boston, MA Dermatology in Boston, MA Diabetes in Boston, MA Diet and Nutrition in Boston, MA Digestion or Intestine in Boston, MA Eating Disorders in Boston, MA Elders in Boston, MA Emotional Wellbeing in Boston, MA Esalen Tissue Work (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Eyes in Boston, MA Facial Rejuvenation in Boston, MA Feet in Boston, MA Feldenkrais (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Fibromyalgia in Boston, MA Foot or Sole Massage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA HIV/AIDS in Boston, MA Headache/Migraine in Boston, MA Hearing/Speech in Boston, MA Heart in Boston, MA Immune Diseases/Disorders in Boston, MA

Infertility in Boston, MA Integrative Manual Therapy (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Joint Mobilization (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Kinesiology (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA La Stone Therapy (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Lomilomi - Traditional Hawaiian Massage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA MA-URI Massage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Manual Lymph Drainage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Muscle Aches, Sprains and Strains in Boston, MA Muscle Energy Technique (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Myofascial Trigger Point Release (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Myoskeletal Alignment Technique (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Neck and Shoulder Pain in Boston, MA Neuromuscular Integration and Structural Alignment (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Neuromuscular Therapy (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA On-site Massage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Orthopedics in Boston, MA Osteoporosis in Boston, MA Pain Management in Boston, MA Pediatric/Healthy Kids in Boston, MA Pregnancy in Boston, MA Prenatal/Pregnancy Massage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Scalp Massage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Sexual Dysfunction in Boston, MA Shiatsu/Acupressure (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Skin Problems/Dermatology in Boston, MA Sleep/Insomnia in Boston, MA Smoking in Boston, MA Spinal Problems in Boston, MA Sports Massage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Sports Medicine in Boston, MA Stone Massage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Strain/Counter Strain (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Stress in Boston, MA Structural Muscular Balancing (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Swedish Massage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Thai Massage (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Trigger (or Myodysneuric) Point Therapy (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Urology in Boston, MA Watsu (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA Weight Management in Boston, MA Wellness/Healing/Prevention in Boston, MA Women's Health/ObGyn in Boston, MA Yeast in Boston, MA Zero Balancing (Massage Therapist) in Boston, MA

Find a Massage Therapist in Boston, MA taking this insurance…

1199SEIU Insurance in Boston, MA AMERIGROUP Insurance in Boston, MA APS Healthcare Insurance in Boston, MA Aetna Insurance in Boston, MA Alliance Insurance in Boston, MA AmeriHealth Insurance in Boston, MA Beech Street Insurance in Boston, MA Behavioral Health Systems Insurance in Boston, MA BlueCross and/or BlueShield Insurance in Boston, MA CCN Insurance in Boston, MA CHIPA/College Health Insurance in Boston, MA Cascade Health Insurance in Boston, MA Ceridian Insurance in Boston, MA ChoiceCare Insurance in Boston, MA Cigna Insurance in Boston, MA ComPsych Insurance in Boston, MA Corphealth Insurance in Boston, MA Coventry Insurance in Boston, MA First Choice Health Insurance in Boston, MA First Health Insurance in Boston, MA GHI/Group Health Incorporated Insurance in Boston, MA Great-West Insurance in Boston, MA Guardian Insurance in Boston, MA HFN Insurance in Boston, MA HIP/Health Insurance Plan of New York Insurance in Boston, MA Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Insurance in Boston, MA Health Net Insurance in Boston, MA Holman Group Insurance in Boston, MA Horizon Healthcare Insurance in Boston, MA Humana Insurance in Boston, MA Integrated Health Plan Insurance in Boston, MA Interplan Insurance in Boston, MA

Kaiser Insurance in Boston, MA LifeWise Insurance in Boston, MA MAMSI Insurance in Boston, MA MHN/Managed Health Network Insurance in Boston, MA Magellan Behavioral Health Insurance in Boston, MA MagnaCare Insurance in Boston, MA Medica Insurance in Boston, MA Medicaid Insurance in Boston, MA Medical Mutual Insurance in Boston, MA Medicare Insurance in Boston, MA Multiplan Insurance in Boston, MA NCPPO Insurance in Boston, MA ODS Insurance in Boston, MA Oxford Insurance in Boston, MA PHCS/Private Health Care Systems Insurance in Boston, MA PPOM Insurance in Boston, MA PacifiCare Insurance in Boston, MA PacificSource Insurance in Boston, MA PreferredOne Insurance in Boston, MA Providence Insurance in Boston, MA Sloans Lake Insurance in Boston, MA TRICARE Insurance in Boston, MA TriWest Insurance in Boston, MA Tufts Insurance in Boston, MA UniCare Insurance in Boston, MA Uniform Insurance in Boston, MA United Insurance in Boston, MA VMC Insurance in Boston, MA ValueOptions Insurance in Boston, MA WellPoint Insurance in Boston, MA

Find a Massage Therapist in Boston, MA speaking…

American Sign Language Language in Boston, MA Arabic Language in Boston, MA Armenian Language in Boston, MA Bosnian Language in Boston, MA Cantonese Language in Boston, MA Croatian Language in Boston, MA Farsi (Persian) Language in Boston, MA Filipino (Tagalog) Language in Boston, MA French Language in Boston, MA German Language in Boston, MA Greek Language in Boston, MA Gujarati Language in Boston, MA Hebrew Language in Boston, MA Hindi Language in Boston, MA Italian Language in Boston, MA Japanese Language in Boston, MA Korean Language in Boston, MA

Mandarin (Chinese) Language in Boston, MA Polish Language in Boston, MA Portuguese Language in Boston, MA Punjabi Language in Boston, MA Romanian Language in Boston, MA Russian Language in Boston, MA Serbian Language in Boston, MA Singales Language in Boston, MA Spanish Language in Boston, MA Swedish Language in Boston, MA Turkish Language in Boston, MA Ukrainian Language in Boston, MA Urdu Language in Boston, MA Vietnamese Language in Boston, MA Yiddish Language in Boston, MA