Therapeutic massage

Sabine Schrör is a freelance writer for the medical team. She studied business administration and public relations in Cologne. As a freelance editor, she has been at home in a wide variety of industries for more than 15 years. Health is one of her favorite subjects.

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A wide range of ailments can be successfully treated with a massage, from pinching in the back to sore shoulders to lymphedema. In contrast to wellness massages, which are used for pure relaxation, therapeutic massages are among the remedies. They are used as part of physical therapy to specifically treat health problems. Read everything about therapeutic massage, types of massage and find out when a massage is not recommended.

What is a therapeutic massage?

A therapeutic massage is a procedure for the treatment of various health complaints and illnesses. Its effectiveness has been scientifically proven, which is why it is one of the recognized remedies and is paid for by health insurances - provided it has been prescribed by a doctor.

Unlike wellness massages, therapeutic massages may only be carried out by specialists. D, in addition to doctors, this includes in particular physiotherapists, trained masseurs and medical lifeguards.

According to the catalog of remedies, therapeutic massage is one of the measures of physical therapy. With the help of combined massage techniques, the therapist directly stimulates the skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscles, tendons and connective tissue together with the associated nerves, blood and lymph vessels. Internal organs can also be influenced indirectly.

Basic massage movements include, for example, stroking, kneading, knocking and rubbing. The aim of therapeutic massage is always to induce a physical reaction through manual stimulation and thus to activate or support the healing process.

When do you use therapeutic massage?

Tension in the muscles, for example in the shoulder or back area, and the associated pain can be treated well with a therapeutic massage. But there are other symptoms that respond to this form of treatment, for example:

• Fluid build-up in the tissue (lymphedema)
• Constipation (constipation)
• Scarring
• Chronic pain

How is the therapeutic massage used?

If the doctor finds that massage is the most suitable form of therapy, he will issue an initial prescription. This usually comprises between six and ten applications. Once the treatment has been completed, it is checked whether a follow-up prescription with additional massage units is necessary or whether the symptoms have subsided.

The massage therapy itself is carried out by physiotherapists, trained masseurs or medical pool attendants. But what massages are there? Depending on the symptoms, different forms can be used.

Classic massage therapy (KMT massage)

The therapist works on the muscles of the entire body or individual regions (partial massage) with the help of proven grip techniques such as stroking, kneading, knocking and rubbing. The classic massage is used to loosen muscles, relieve tension, stimulate the drainage of tissue fluid and relieve pain.

Connective tissue massage

This type of massage works on the connective and fatty tissue located directly under the skin. The therapist works it specifically with special massage techniques to loosen the tissue and loosen any adhesions. The connective tissue massage has a reflex effect, i.e. it influences the functionality of various internal organs - depending on which part of the body it is used.

Its effectiveness in functional disorders such as shortness of breath, coughing, spasms of the bronchial muscles and the gastrointestinal tract has been proven. In addition, the connective tissue massage can stimulate the peripheral arterial blood flow and positively influence the vegetative nervous system.

Lymphatic drainage

Lymphatic drainage can be used to remove congested tissue fluid (lymphedema). The therapist stimulates the lymph vessels with circular movements in order to stimulate the removal of the lymph fluid. The arms, legs, face or neck are usually treated, as lymphedema usually forms in these areas. After the manual treatment, the treated part of the body is wrapped (compression therapy) so that edema cannot recur.

Lymph drainage is often used for chronic lymphedema, varicose veins as a result of chronic venous insufficiency and postoperative swellings. It can also supplement the basic therapy, for example in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome, formerly M. Sudeck), swelling after hemiparesis, as well as stroke and headache.

For more information on lymphatic drainage, see the Lymphatic Drainage article.

Colon massage

Colon massage (colon: Greek for bowel) is a good way to treat or prevent chronic intestinal complaints such as constipation and flatulence. The aim is to activate the bowel function and thus stimulate digestion. For this purpose, certain points of the lower abdomen around the large intestine are stimulated with gentle pressure and stroking movements in the direction of the rectum.

Periosteal massage

With a periosteal massage, the periosteum is stimulated with pressure. The massage follows a certain technique: the therapist massages the bone with pressure through the tissue above it. The periosteal massage is a naturopathic procedure and can be used as a supplementary measure to help with bone injuries.

It also has a reflective effect by improving the functionality of internal organs. This type of massage is used, for example, for osteoarthritis, stomach ulcers, dizziness, migraines, kidney and biliary colic, chest pain and tight chest.

Underwater massage

With this type of massage, the patient sits in a tub filled with warm water. The therapist treats the patient's entire body or individual areas with a water hose. The water pressure can be varied. If the therapist works with very high pressure, one speaks of an underwater pressure jet massage.

The water or underwater pressure jet massage is suitable for the treatment of various complaints. The focus is on tension, adhesions and scarring in muscles and tissue. Because the underwater massage stimulates the metabolism and promotes the removal of accumulated tissue fluid. This massage can also lower blood pressure.

When is a therapeutic massage not suitable?

As with most forms of therapy, there are also contraindications for therapeutic massage for which this procedure must not be used. These include, for example:

• acute musculoskeletal injuries
• fresh tears in muscles
• Bone injuries and fractures up to 6th week
• fresh scars
• acute thrombosis
• Skin infections such as eczema
• Varicose veins
• Severe osteoporosis
• Taking medication to prevent blood clotting (anticoagulation)
• febrile illnesses
• Infectious diseases
• High-risk pregnancies

What do I have to consider before and after a therapeutic massage?

One should not consume large meals before a massage. This is especially true if the massage is performed in the prone position. After the massage, it is good to rest a little to intensify the massage effect. It is also advisable to drink plenty of water after the massage (water, tea or fruit spritzers) so that congested tissue fluid is diluted and can drain away more easily. If you follow these tips, you can optimally benefit from a massage for treating a wide variety of complaints.

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