Medical Applications of Massage
Are there any indications (recognized by reputable doctors) for massage
therapy? I've been reading some highly technical books on massage, and
much of what they say looks like quackery.
As I described earlier in the "Colonics" thread, one recurring theme
in massage is the technique of "deep abdominal massage", in which the
masseur is attempting to massage the intestine. This is based on the theory
that deposits of undigested cooking.net">food adhere to the inside of the intestine and
putrify, releasing poisons which cause various disease syndromes. By
massaging the intestine, it is alleged that these deposits can be
loosened up and passed out.
Another technique which I am skeptical about is the notion of kneading
the {*filter*} from the periphery into the body. Apparently, it is a standard
massage technique to knead the flesh from the extremities toward the heart,
the idea being to empty the {*filter*} lazily flowing through the muscles
so it can be recharged in the heart and lungs.
The latter technique concerns me because it seems to me this could cause
a sudden large increase in {*filter*} pressure, perhaps causing a heart attack
or busting a {*filter*} vessel. On the other hand, I tried the technique on
myself and it seemed to work. My leg "fell asleep" because I'd been
sitting on it in a wrong way, so I kneaded the {*filter*} out of the leg, and
the pins-and-needles sensation was gone almost immediately. Normally,
it takes several minutes to get rid of that (which can be slightly
hastened by hopping around on the affected leg, if you don't mind looking
like an idiot).
