Watsu Massage Therapy
One of the most misunderstood conditions by most people is that of massage therapy. It is a shame because it would seem a simple technique like the massage provided by a masseuse would be quite easy to learn. Folks assume then that anybody should be able to learn how to give a great massage to another human being. However, learning to give or get a massage isn't too easy and there are numerous skills required to be prosperous in this area.
Watsu is probably the first non-traditional water bodywork style in the western world. It's used now by practitioners of chiropractic and other forms of Complementary and Alternative Medicine as a means of treatment for muscle and nervous system disorders, stress and injury. It can also be used by family and friends just like massage with warm water and total unconditional love and support of the patient.
Like many things, watsu is only going to work if it is received regularly. There's a great deal of difference between regular massage therapy and receiving a classic Japanese aqua bodywork. There are three important elements involved with getting a massage treatment: the massage itself, the atmosphere and the receiver. If any one of those elements is missing, then the result will be quite poor.
Watsu can only work on the muscles and tissues that are being worked on. Therefore, if the entire body is not being treated, then it is ineffective. While I give a massage to clients, I make sure I start with the major part of their body - the neck and back. I then proceed to work my way to the feet and then the lower limbs and then finally towards the upper body. I then repeat the procedure with the warm water flowing gently in my hands as I massage every area of the client's body one at a time.
The reason that I emphasize the entire body is as there are differences between traditional Japanese massage and water. Watsu is more concerned with stimulating the superficial muscles and soft tissues of the neck and back area while traditional Japanese treatments work deeply into the muscle layers to take care of the condition of a patient's whole body. This is why you can barely find a therapist practicing this form of treatment in the West today.
Another large difference between watsu and aqua therapy is that water uses both physical and mental procedures. Aquatic bodywork on the other hand uses warm water massage combined with stretching and friction massage. Although there's often some quantity of hand pressure in a water therapy session, it's normally applied by means of both hands and the fingers only. With aqua therapy, on the other hand, the therapist just applies physical pressure through the use of his or her hands.
Besides using various hand pressure methods, aquatic bodywork often incorporates the use of various massage strokes and methods. These include: Shiatsu (a finger-pressure Check out the post right here type treatment ), Usui (an open palm stroke), Hanga (a palm to palm stroke), Hapy (a slow and circular motion ), and Paneer (a thrusting motion). It is common for therapists to combine these techniques with other types of therapy like touch and foam massage, Swedish massage or other kinds of deep tissue massage.
Although I think water is far superior to regular massage in regards to providing therapeutic benefits to a patient, many individuals don't like the idea of having to'bear' the pain. To this day, I have yet to meet a regular massage customer who enjoys having to endure a rigorous session of shiatsu. In addition to the fact that most individuals aren't comfortable with the idea of having their whole body massaged while they are seated, I also feel that most people would prefer the privacy of receiving a regular massage rather than have their whole bodywork, especially if the massage session takes longer than expected. For this reason, most cats therapists will advise their patients to get a massage therapist who is willing to offer you a warm compress to employ during a therapy session. My experience with watsu within the past several years has been that hot compresses provide the most relief and healing to my customers.