In This Chapter
■The history and physiological benefits of
massage
■A survey of types of massage
■Massage techniques you can try yourself.11 Massage
11 Massage.
Massage therapy, the scientific manipulation of the soft tissues of the
body, is a healing art, an act of physical caring, and a way of commu-
nicating without words. The goal of massage therapy is to achieve or
increase health and well-being and to help the body heal itself.
Although massage therapists may hold general views of health and
well-being, massage therapy has no specific theoretical framework or
diagnostic system of disease.