Sherry Miller, an accomplished painter of tropical third world subjects and New Media expert, describes the following: “Working as a creative artist is a way of transforming input into meaningful behavior or meaningful visions, and the massage therapy process complements the creative act. Experiences enter our bodies and, unless we have the healthy processes in place to transform these events and sensory impressions into meaningful and positive parts of life, the experiences get stored in our flesh–in our cells. Eventually the effort of ‘Carrying’ these cellular loads wears us down and we become ill. Massage therapy works directly on those cells to stimulate them and their membranes, making an opportunity for the stored memories to be released into the ether. [Via massage therapy] we often experience the release as pain. The ‘Pain’ works its way up from our inner organs to our outer organs and extremities such as skin, arms and legs, and then escapes (italics mine).”

Performing artist and choreographer, Hallie Wanamaker, simply reports this: “Massage therapy has enabled me to move more freely and to dissipate the unaesthetic, uncomfortable tension I had developed around my neck and shoulders.”

It is in the athletic world that Massage therapy has made its biggest comeback. An official element of any complete health care team, massage therapists today participate in big and small sports events, including the NYC Marathon, the Olympic Games, and the Davis Cup. In 1996, practically no serious athlete trains without regular MT sessions. But in 1984, when Olympic Skater Judy Blumberg was training for the Sarajevo Games, she observed: “A new dimension has been added to my training ever since I started a program of regular massage therapy. European ice–dancers use massage all the time. And for good reason.”

Unlike performing artists, visual artists typically do not pay much attention to prevention and conditioning and do not see themselves as athletes. But from the standpoint of a professional massage therapist, visual artists too are athletes in the sense that, dedicated to the perfection of their work and the honing of their craft, their daily routine consists of countless repetitive, often straining motions which can lead to health conditions and injuries similar to those of athletes! Many visual artists suffer from back and neck pain, knee, shoulder, and wrist problems. Even tennis elbows! And like Sherry Miller, they usually respond extremely well to Massage therapy, which offers pain and stress relief without side effects. Sculptors, a growing class of visual artists who use MT, often appreciate the similarity between such bodymind health work and their own sculpting work, and computer artists, the biggest fans of massage arts, are always amazed at how such low–tech discipline has become the perfect remedy to their high–tech, fast–track artistic lifestyle.

Many massage therapists themselves have a strong artistic background with a liberal arts education. But with Massage therapy becoming more and more popular, a strong commercial interest (what else is new?) has been developing in which massage therapists are being forced away from the art of massage therapy into an assembly–line¾ mode of work in store fronts, locker–rooms and beauty salons, where MT is used to sell other products and services. When you’re ready for your first Massage therapy experience, your money will be better spent in the office of a qualified massage therapist, someone who has been trained in and continues to be dedicated to the art of MT, focusing on you, not on the tip, not on the next body tossed onto their massage table, nor to some beauty or health product they’re trying to sell. Depending on experience, geographical location, and reputation, a typical professional–quality session is between $50.00 – $200.00 (including the house visit). And many massage therapists offer a sliding scale to accommodate the less prosperous among us. When you call a massage therapist for your first appointment, you can briefly describe your situation, ask some questions, and get a feel about the level of professionalism. Before the first session, you will have a brief intake interview, which allows your massage therapist to begin to relate to you and develop the meaningful caring which is essential to focusing on your bodymind needs and performing this healing art in a client–centered manner. After all, artistic and intuitive as massage therapy may be, the scientific and professional goal of the session must always be there for your getting your money’s worth and for your greater well–being. Ideally, an over–all atmosphere of trust, comfort, attention, patience, acceptance, flexibilty, disclosure, and cooperation must prevail for the therapy to be most effective. When it does, both client and massage therapist are highly rewarded. And these rewards get only better with time.

Source: www.spas.about.com