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 San Francisco, CA that can help with…

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

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

Find a Massage Therapist in San Francisco, CA taking this insurance…

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

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

Find a Massage Therapist in San Francisco, CA speaking…

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

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