| Massages and massage therapies have been | | | | treatments. A majority of doctors, however, still |
| practiced as a reliable form of holistic medicine for | | | | do not offer in-house massage services. |
| thousands of years and yet in the western world, | | | | Another key reason for the slow adoption of |
| it is still misunderstood and viewed with skepticism | | | | massage practices is individuals who have been |
| by a large amount of people. Even though | | | | raised in the U.S. and other countries have been |
| western medicine has been grudgingly slow to | | | | programmed from a very young age to keep |
| acknowledge the very real advantages massage | | | | hands and feet to themselves. Oddly enough, the |
| can contribute to a person's health, there still is | | | | habit of physical contact needs to be relearned by |
| some perceived mysticism surrounding the | | | | the professional medical community in order to |
| practice of massage. The reason for the delay in | | | | diagnose and treat almost every type of condition |
| adopting massage as a bonafide treatment for a | | | | or malady. While the art of massage may not |
| plethora of conditions is due to several main | | | | necessarily be considered mainstream medicine in |
| factors. | | | | the U.S. by any means, clients or patients also |
| What people have seen in the movies and on | | | | need to relearn that physical contact through |
| television is partly responsible for this | | | | massage is not inappropriate and physical contact |
| misunderstanding and hesitancy. Another cause is | | | | is not always conveying intimacy. |
| just simply the lack of experience with legitimate | | | | Many individuals are apprehensive regarding |
| massage and the preconceived notion that all | | | | doctor's office visits and it can be this same |
| massage is taboo. Perhaps the largest contributor | | | | apprehension which is felt the first several times |
| to the delay of widespread acceptance has been | | | | an individual attends massage therapy |
| because there is still much which modern science | | | | appointments. Apprehension is a normal response |
| and medicine does not yet understand regarding | | | | of everyone to a new or unfamiliar experience |
| the human body and the remarkable inherent | | | | and should not be allowed to prevent or delay |
| healing abilities the body possesses. | | | | any beneficial holistic therapies. Much like with the |
| More and more physicians are coming around to | | | | patient - doctor relationship, it is important to |
| the realization that western medicine and patients | | | | discuss any reservations and concerns with the |
| can benefit by combining the modern science of | | | | professional masseur or masseuse before any |
| medicine with the ancient art of massage. Many | | | | therapy has begun in order to alleviate any |
| doctors have even begun to offer in-house | | | | misunderstandings and maximize the benefits of |
| massage therapies perhaps with the goal of | | | | massage therapy. |
| maintaining greater control over patient's | | | | |