The responsibility of the Massage Therapist: To relieve tight muscles, breakup adhesions that lingered for long periods of time or just to alleviate stress.

• Massage dilates or opens up blood vessels, improving the circulation and relieving congestion.
• Massage increases the number of red blood cells, especially in cases of anemia.
• Massage acts as a "mechanical cleanser" pushing along lymph and hastening the elimination of wastes and toxic debris.
• Massage increases the blood supply and nutrition to muscles without adding to their load of toxic lactic acid produced through voluntary muscle contraction.
• Massage helps to overcome harmful "fatigue" products resulting from strenuous exercise or injury.
• Massage relaxes muscle spasm and relieves tension.
• Massage improves muscle tone and helps prevent or delay muscular atrophy resulting from forced inactivity.
• Massage can compensate, at least in part, for lack of exercise and muscular contraction in persons who because of injury, illness, or age are forced to remain inactive. In these cases, massage helps return venous blood to the heart and so eases the strain on this vital organ.
• Massage helps eliminate edema (swelling) of the extremities.
• Massage may have a sedative or stimulating effect on the nervous system depending on the type and length of massage treatment.
• According to some authorities, massage may burst the fat capsule in subcutaneous tissue so the fat exudes and becomes absorbed. In this way, massage combined with a balanced low fat diet can be an aid to weight control.
• Massage increases the excretion of fluids along with nitrogen, inorganic phosphorous and salt via the kidneys.
• Massage stretches connective tissue, improves the circulation and nutrition of the tissue, breaks down or prevents the formation of adhesions and reduces the danger of fibrosis.
• Massage improves the circulation and nutrition to joints. It helps lessen inflammation and swelling in joints and in turn alleviates pain.
• Massage disperses the edema following injury to ligaments and tendons, lessens pain and facilitates movement.
• Massage encourages the retention of nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur necessary for tissue repair in persons convalescing from bone fractures.