by J. Marie Ruen

Created on: June 23, 2009   Last Updated: July 01, 2009

Experts, professionals, and patients agree: massage isn't just about pampering yourself. It's about improving and protecting your health.

Doctors, hospitals, and medical insurance companies are beginning to recognize massage therapy - a popular treat for relaxation at spas and resorts - as a legitimate treatment and preventative measure for injuries, some sicknesses and diseases, and stress-related health problems.

From everyday aches to the crippling pain that comes with severe injuries, patients increasingly turn to massage as an alternative or supplement to medication.

"Working those knots out relieves pressure on my ruptured disks," said Julie Tate, a bartender who has lived for seven years with a back injury. She credits weekly massage therapy sessions for making her pain bearable despite a physically demanding job.

"Massage isn't just about back pain," said Ashley Greer, a therapeutic massage student at Heritage College in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She named repetitive-use injuries, fallen arches, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines, sinus headaches, high blood pressure, and fibromyalgia as other conditions that are highly responsive to massage therapy.

Greer additionally stressed that massage therapists are not qualified to diagnose any of these conditions - only to give treatment.

Michael Jamison, massage therapist, EFT practitioner and owner of Back to Basics Professional Massage Therapy in Tulsa added other conditions that one might not at first consider using massage to treat, such as slow development in infants, asthma, diabetes, and cancer.

All of the therapists interviewed pointed to stress relief as the primary advantage of using massage in addition to conventional medical treatment. Patients experience relief from pain, eased tension, and a break from worrying about their condition.

"Many a doctor will tell you that stress is our enemy. Stress is an underlying cause to most health issues," Jamison said. Massage therapy uses what Jamison calls "compassionate touch" to stimulate the nervous system and help a patient's stressed and sick body to better cope with their illness or injury.

Tate agreed. "Mentally it allows you to detach from reality for a moment, and it can help you escape from every-day mental clutter for the duration of the session, allowing you to look at the rest of the day a little more clearly."

Stress relief also makes massage a valuable tool in treating mental illness. Tate additionally suffers from bipolar disorder. "Being

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