Definition of Massage
A prominent textbook defined massage therapy as “professional, structured therapeutic touch”, and an authoritative osteopathic medical text elaborated on this, defining massage as “therapeutic friction, striking, and kneading of the body”. Massage has also been defined by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) as “manipulation of the body's muscle and connective tissues to enhance the physical functioning of those tissues, and promote relaxation and well-being”. In practice, as applied to clients, massage has been termed “an action energy focused outside the body that has the ability to exert power
which is received and internalized”. Massage has been described further as an effective counter stimulus method especially for the nonpharmacological control of pain. An influential best-practices symposium held in 2010 debated a variety of discrete definitions, concluding by consensus that, besides being characteristically multidimensional, massage therapy consists of the application of massage and non-hands-on components, including health promotion and education messages, for self-care and health maintenance; therapy, as well as outcomes, can be influenced by: therapeutic relationships and communication; the therapist's education, skill level, and experience; and the therapeutic setting.
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