People are designed for touch. The healing power held within the massage is being reborn in western worlds. Unwind, let go of tension, restore balance, and recapture health.

Massage therapists are trained to use their hands to manipulate the body's muscles promoting increased circulation, stress reduction and relief from muscle tension. It also promotes a feeling of wholeness and well-being. Massage can be a wonderful and nurturing option to choose as part of your healing process.

The practice of massage has been used for thousands of years. Here are some of the benefits:

• dilates the blood vessels, improving the circulation and relieving congestion throughout the body
• increases the number of red blood cells, especially in cases of anemia
• acts as a "mechanical cleanser," stimulating lymph circulation and hastening the elimination of wastes and toxic debris
• relaxes muscle spasm and relieves tension
• increases blood supply and nutrition to muscles without adding to their load of toxic lactic acid produced through voluntary muscle contraction, thus helps to prevent buildup of harmful "fatigue" products resulting from strenuous exercise or injury
• improves muscle tone and helps prevent or delay muscular atrophy resulting from forced inactivity and can compensate, in part, for lack of exercise and muscular contraction in persons who, because of injury, illness or age, are forced to remain inactive - in these cases, massage helps return venous blood to the heart and so eases the strain on this vital organ
• may have a sedative, stimulating or even exhausting effect on the nervous system depending on the type and length of massage treatment given
• by improving the general circulation, massage increases nutrition of the tissues and it is accompanied or followed by an increased interchange of substances between the blood and tissue cells, heightening tissue metabolism
• increases the excretion (via the kidneys) of fluids and waste products of protein metabolism, inorganic phosphorus and salt in normal individuals
• encourages the retention of nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur necessary for tissue repair in persons convalescing from bone fractures
• stretches connective tissue, improves its circulation and nutrition and so breaks down or prevents the formation of adhesions and reduces the danger of fibrosis
• improves the circulation and nutrition of joints and hastens the elimination of harmful deposits - helps lessen inflammation and swelling in joints and so alleviates pain
• helps to reduce edema (or dropsy) of the extremities and disperses the edema following injury to ligaments and tendons, lessens pain and facilitates movement.

Most importantly . . . Massage makes you feel good!

Massage also has proved to have profound effect on children as well as adults. Premature infants, who were massaged, for example, gained weight and were released from the hospital sooner than those who were not massaged. Autistic children showed less erratic behavior after massage. Other ailments that have responded to massage include chronic fatigue syndrome, osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraine, and sciatica.

Word of caution - Avoid massage if you have a high fever, inflammation, infection, phlebitis, thrombosis, jaundice, or an infectious skin condition. Do not have massage on an open wound or burn or at the site of a recent injury. Wait 24 hours before having massage on a strain or sprain. If you have a chronic condition, such as arthritis, cancer, or heart disease, talk with your doctor before having massage therapy. If you are pregnant, be sure to tell your massage therapist and consult your doctor, as massage at certain sites on the body may induce labor.