Massage Therapy with Dee Hiatt,
LMT
203-377-1262
Touch: The Fundamental Medicine
| National Institutes of Health |
Touch is the fundamental medicine of massage therapy. While massage methods can be described in terms
of a series of techniques to be performed, it is important to understand that touch is not used solely in
a mechanistic way in massage therapy; there is also an artistic component.
Because massage therapy usually involves applying touch with some degree of pressure, the massage therapist must use touch with sensitivity to determine the optimal amount of pressure appropriate for each person. Touch used with sensitivity also allows the massage therapist to receive useful information about the body, such as locating areas of muscle tension and other soft tissue problems. Because touch is also a form of communication, sensitive touch can convey a sense of caring – which is an essential element in the therapeutic relationship – to the person receiving the massage. |