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Massage therapy offers holistic remedy to common ailments |
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Tuesday, 15 April 2008 |
 Licensed massage therapist Caroline Briggs of the Neuromuscular Massage Center & Day Spa relaxes back pressure points for Amy F. Johnston. Photo by Alisha Park
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by JULIA HARR
Lifestyles Reporter
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a four-part series on alternative health care practices available in the High Country.
Tired, achy muscles, sore joints, muscle tension?
Reaching for the Tylenol bottle could relieve the symptoms; making an appointment with
a massage therapist could relieve the problem.
“Far beyond simply ‘feeling good,’ massage has an impressive range of therapeutic effects and benefits, many of which have been documented in research studies conducted in the U.S., Europe and Asia,” said Caroline Briggs, a licensed massage and body work therapist at the Neuromuscular Massage Center and Day Spa.
College
students could really benefit from massages around the neck region as
they are especially good for anyone who spends time on a computer or
studying, Briggs said.
Briggs sees some students from Appalachian State University and also
athletes from the university with pain from sports-related injuries.
Massage can remove metabolic waste products resulting from exercise or
inactivity, allowing more oxygen and nutrients to reach the cells and
tissues, Briggs said.
“Often times just massaging the area that hurts won’t fix the problem -
it only puts a band-aid on it,” Briggs said. “For example, back pain is
often caused by hip imbalance and a back massage will only temporarily
fix the problem.”
 Johnston, an ASU graduate, is three weeks from graduating in massage therapy from Caldwell Community College. Photo by Alisha Park
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“The benefits of massage vary a degree from person to person,” Briggs
said. “Most people walk out the door saying, ‘I didn’t realize I could
feel this good.’”
Briggs first got into massage as a result of some body work she had
done as well as stories told by a family member practicing massage
therapy.
“I was so intrigued and surprised by the benefits that I started
exploring and decided it was what I wanted to do,” she said. “If you
follow your interest, you’ll end up in the right field.”
Sarah A. Dunlap, a senior music education major, also takes classes
from Caldwell Community College in the massage therapy school.
“I started getting massages with my mom,” she said. “I’m just a
touchy-feely person and thought this would be a good thing to do on the
side while teaching.”
She said when she finishes her education and completes the necessary
tests, she will be a licensed massage and body work therapist.
“Massage is so relaxing,” she said. “If everyone got a massage once a week, the world would be a lot less stressed.”
Dunlap said she feels strongly about the benefits of massage and she
really enjoys helping people through her work with student athletics
and faculty on Appalachian’s campus.
Dunlap and Briggs both say they are grateful society’s perception of massage is changing.
 Photo by Alisha Park
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“I don’t think it’s viewed as something dirty anymore; it has become a
very professional practice,” Dunlap said. “Now massage is more
respected and used more often as a means of health care. Some insurance
companies have started covering it on their plans.”
Briggs says while massage therapy is covered by insurance in some states, it’s mostly not covered in North Carolina.
In Florida massage therapy is immediately recommended for people
involved in car accidents, as it is one of the most cost effect means
of treating ailments like whiplash, Briggs said.
“We are definitely considered an adjunct to the medical field; doctors,
dentists and chiropractors all refer people to massage therapy for
extend treatment,” Briggs said.
The national government expects the need for massage therapist to
increase, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by
the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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