Complementary Health Practioners
Q & A Session

 

Practioners in Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, were asked a series of questions about their particular practice or therapy. The following are all of the answers provided by Beth MacKenzie, Massage Therapist.

Massage is the oldest form of physical medicine known to man and can be traced back to the early Chinese medical manuscripts around 400BC. Massage is simply the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body - the muscles, tendons and ligaments. A massage therapist's hands are his or her most important tool, through which he not only treats the patient but also detects physical and emotional problems. Today, massage therapy is one of the fastest growing forces in the field of health care.

Massage works through the various body systems in one of two ways, a mechanical action and a reflex action. Moving the muscles and soft tissues of the body using pressure and stretching movement, thereby cleansing them of acids and deposits, creates a mechanical action. This mechanical action breaks up fibrous tissue and loosens stiff joints.

A reflex is created when treatment of one part of the body affects another part of the body, much like pressing a light switch on a wall to turn on a light in the center of the room. Just like this electric connection, so too are different parts of the body connected to each other not just by flesh and bone, by nerve pathways, or flows of energy known as 'meridians'. So, by using reflex action, some therapists will treat a patient's stomach complaint by massaging the arms, and will alleviate pain in the legs by massaging the lower back.

Beth MacKenzie practices in Charlottetown, PEI.

Answers from Massage Therapist Beth MacKenzie

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