# Some massage info



## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

This is some massage info from a massage teacher/therapist I know, just fyi for the info.Massage and IBSby T.J. Ford, B.S., L.M.TSwedish massage is an excellent way to deal with the stresses that are caused by having a chronic condition such as IBS. As the body remains in a stressed condition over a long period of time, different chemicals can affect your overall health and well-being. Massage therapy has been shown to increase circulation of blood and nutrients, as well as "good" chemicals such as serotonin. And what better way to de-stress than with a massage? Also, the pain and discomfort that IBS can cause can result in the muscles of the body tightening up against the pain. This results in more discomfort from those tense muscles. Some muscles can get so tense that they cause pain in other areas of the body; specialized techniques such as trigger point therapy can help deal with those painful areas. Finally, Swedish massage strokes applied to the abdomen can help with constipation and irregular bowel function, by increasing circulation and nutrition to the digestive organs and helping to relax tight abdominal muscles.Craniosacral therapy and IBSCraniosacral therapy is a gentle yet profound type of massage that helps to balance the body's central nervous system. The fluid that bathes our brain and spinal cord, called cerebrospinal fluid, must be able to move freely within the body. However, restrictions in the body caused by pain, injuries, or stress can affect this flow, and in turn can affect the whole body. Specifically in the case of IBS, a particular nerve called the vagus nerve runs from the base of the brain down to the gut region. It may be that pressure on this nerve from some of these craniosacral restrictions may be a factor in IBS. Research has shown craniosacral therapy to be effective in treating colic in young children. The massage is done with the client fully clothed and lying on their back, and takes about an hour. Many people report a sense of deep relaxation during the treatment. Often significant relief can be felt after the first session, but many people wish to continue treatments until they reach their optimal level of health.


----------



## trbell (Nov 1, 2000)

seem like some pretty good information. is there any research on this. I've had good and bad results from massagebut it does seem like it would work pretty much like biofeedback and hypnosis? tom


----------



## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Hypnosis, really works quite differently then massage or biofeedback, except they both can relax the body and bodily systems.However, massage can be an excelllent management tool and I have incorporated it into my management when I can, although I have not lately. There are also some extremely useful pressure points and self massage you can learn to help yourself, but massage is an excellent thing in general and has many applications where it is very useful in IBS.This teacher has a masters degree in physiology and is an excellent speaker at my support groups also.


----------



## trbell (Nov 1, 2000)

what do you mean when you say it really works quite differently?tom


----------



## carolauren (Mar 14, 2002)

I might add that craniosacral therapy is very different from massage (I have training in both)in that it involves very subtle (I mean VERY) manipulation of the fascial structures of the brain and spinal cord. As such it has very broad application in many conditions involving the nervous system. Many massage therapists incorporate some CS techniques in their work. Personally, because if someone doesn't know what they're doing they can really screw you up, I will only allow someone extensively trained in CS therapy to do it on me.


----------



## allinknots (Jun 29, 1999)

This all sounds very interesting to me, I guess because Im going to be starting school Thursday to be a licienced massage therapist. I VERY MUCH believe in massage and its benifits!!!!!! I try to have massages regularly.


----------



## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Tom, what do you mean what do I mean. LOLHT works on the subconcious and has different modes of action then biofeedback and massage.HT uses the subconcious and is a natural state of the human experience, biofeedback uses the concious thoughts and massage is massage, more a body manipulation technique for results.Gasgirl, thats cool your trained in it.







I agree a person needs to know what they are doing. Allinknots, that great your going to train in it, the classes themselves will help you understand and learn some more about different systems and the effects they can have on the body. very cool and good luck with the training.


----------



## trbell (Nov 1, 2000)

bloatlady, what you said about somebody experienced is very important in any of these things..eric, you're kind of opening up a big question here. Where is the subconscious located? they used to think of it as under the consciouness which would mean in the body. It really doesn't seem to have a location, unless it's in the body, which might make sense of the mind/body stuff.actaually biofeedback is unconscious in the sense that the person is not aware of it, or unconscious. biofeedback came from Pavlov's work but how hypnosis works is actually comtroversial, I think. tom


----------

