The definition of massage according to Mosby’s Dictionary of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (c) 2005, Elsevier is: the application of diverse manual techniques of touch and stroking to muscles and soft tissue to achieve relaxation and to improve the client’s well-being. In other words, the primary function of massage is to promote relaxation. Bodywork on the other hand is defined in two ways by the same source. First, it is defined as: a collection of techniques for restoring health and balance to the entire person by working through the body. Secondly, it is defined as: to apply any number and combination of the therapeutic touch paradigms that have been developed. To once again paraphrase, bodywork is the application of one or more systematized methods of manipulating the body to promote health.
Why this emphasis on definitions? Because it is important to get what you really want. If you are looking for a comforting experience that leaves you relaxed then massage is what you should be seeking. However, if you are experiencing pain, whether chronic or acute or are looking to improve your function, then it is bodywork to which you should turn. Here at Muscular Solutions I am proud to have created a system of bodywork I call Manual Medicine. I have combined the best of Muscular Therapy and other soft tissue disciplines, Physical Therapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathic ideas with an eye towards Eastern medicine to create a new paradigm for restoring the body back to balance and health and thereby eliminate pain and improve function. Now here is the real secret: By restoring the body back to balance an incredibly deep sense of relaxation occurs that often last far longer than from a therapeutic massage alone. In effect, by receiving a session of treatment at Muscular Solutions, you are getting the best of both worlds and nothing could be better than that.
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