"Health is more than the absence of illness. Health is the presence of energy, joy, and relaxation. Regular therapeutic massage contributes to overall health and wellness." (cited from a South Carolina massage school).

The people of ancient Mediterranean civilizations knew the importance of this message! After bathing and exercise, they included a full body massage.

To understand how massage affects the body as a whole, some of the physiological and psychological effects of massage need to be briefly examined.

Massage and Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) are known to increase the circulation of blood and flow of lymphatic fluids. For the whole body to be healthy, the sum of its parts - the cells - must be healthy. The individual cells of the body are dependent on an abundant supply of blood and lymph because these fluids supply nutrients and oxygen and carry away wastes and toxins. Subsequently, it is easy to understand why circulation and therefore massage are very important to our health. Massage is also important to the psychological health of an individual as it animates the tactile sense, and brings people into the here and now and away from tension generated by constant preoccupation with problems.

In addition, massage affects all muscles throughout the body. Massage can help loosen contracted, shortened muscles and can stimulate weak, flaccid muscles. This muscle "balancing" can help posture and promote more efficient movement. A writer for the Chicago Tribune stated once: "Massage is to the human body what tune-up is to a car."

My health maintenance massage is based on Swedish Massage , which currently represents the western "standard" for massage. Commonly known as "therapeutic massage," it represents a general massage system that focuses on increasing circulation and promoting relaxation. I often combine Swedish Massage with Reflex Zone Therapy. The use of MLD to aid the movement of lymphatic fluid depends on each individual case.