Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Massage |
MassageNoun1. Kneading and rubbing parts of the body to increase circulation and promote relaxation. Verb1. Usually for medicinal or relaxation purposes. 2. Give a massage to; "She massaged his sore back". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "massage" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Computing | Massage vt. [common] Vague term used to describe `smooth' transformations of a data set into a different form, esp. transformations that do not lose information. Connotes less pain than munch or crunch. "He wrote a program that massages X bitmap files into GIF format." Compare slurp. Source: Jargon File. |
19th Century Satire | A touch, with intent to rub it in. Source: Foolish Dictionary, 1904. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Massage is applying pressure or vibration to a part of the body, or successively to the whole body; objectives may be the good feeling, and/or to heal injury, improve circulation and relieve tension in the muscles or skin.Due to the body contacts between the practitioner and the client or patient, some massage parlors provide more sexually oriented services (see erotic massage). It is not always obvious in advance whether a massage parlor provides authentic non-sexual massage by licensed practitioners or is actually a front for erotic massage or prostitution. However, establishments which offer erotic massage services usually provide hints at the services offered using a variety of innuendos, such as "VIP massage" or "full service". These innuendos are noticeable by their absence at establishments providing only therapeutic massage. This article is about non-sexual massage.
Where massage is used for its physical and psychological benefits, it may be termed remedial massage therapy. See manipulative therapy.
The massage session
Most massage techniques involve the client being treated lying down on a massage table. There are a few exceptions: see Thai massage, below, for an example.
Due to the necessary body contacts between the practitioner and the client or patient, care is taken to avoid inadvertent sexual arousal. Although the massage subject is generally unclothed, their body is "draped" with towels or sheets. This also helps keep the subject warm. Areas of the body such as the areas around the groin and intimate parts of the body are normally not touched at all in therapeutic massage.
The treatment normally starts with the client face down for the first part of the session, and they then roll over (hidden by the towels) for the second part of the session, which is carried out face up.
Types of massage
There are well over 150 different types of massage therapy. Various styles of massage originated from different countries.
Swedish massage
This style utilizes long, flowing strokes. Pressure is mainly applied on the skin level. The main purpose is for relaxation by pushing around or kneading the muscle groups. Oil, cream, or lotion is applied on the skin to reduce friction and allow smooth pushing and pulling of the tissues.
Trigger point therapy
A trigger point is an area of a muscle that refers pain sensations to other parts of the body. Trigger Point Therapy applies pressure to these points leading to immediate release of tension and improved muscular functioning. This work is based upon the trigger point research and manuals of Dr. Janet Travell.
Sometimes this work is incorporated into other styles of massage therapy such as neuromuscular therapy (NMT).
Deep tissue massage
Pressure is applied on the muscles in order to reach deep muscle groups. It is allegedly effective for sport injury. The drawback is the surface pain afterwards resulted from pressing the skin too hard. Usually only a minimal amount of lubricant is used on the skin.
Chinese Tui Na massage (推拿)
Chinese massage (按摩) that is similar to Zhi Ya, but more on pushing, pulling and kneading the muscle.
Chinese Zhi Ya massage (指壓)
Chinese massage based on acupressure. It is similar to Tui Na massage except more on pinching and pressing at acupressure points.
Shiatsu (指圧)
Japanese massage based on acupressure. It is uncertain whether it originated from Chinese Zhi Ya.
Scalp massage
In some barber shops in Hong Kong, scalp massage often lasts 30 minutes to 45 minutes during shampooing of the hair.
Sole or Foot massage (also known as Reflexology)
This is generally practiced by the Chinese, as some believe that each spot on the sole of the foot corresponds to an internal organ. The theory supposes that an ailment of an internal organ will be associated with the nerve ending on the sole of the foot.
Before the massage, the patient's feet are soaked for about ten minutes in a foot bath, typically a dark colored of hot water and Chinese herbs. The massage therapist uses liberal amounts of medicated cream, to moisturize the foot and to provide lubrication. The knuckles on the therapist's hand are usually used to provide a hard and smooth implement for the massage.. As pressure is applied to the sole, theory holds that a healthy patient should not feel any strong pain. Painful spots, reflexolgists believe, reflect illnesses of other parts of the body. The practitioner rubs and massages the painful spots to break down rough spots and accumulated crystals and increase circulation.
The ailments are healed when the sore spots of the sole are treated and removed by massage. Based on this theory, some shoe liners are made with pressure points to stimulate the soles of the feet to promote better health of the overall body. The nature of these "crystals" has yet to be elucidated or demonstrated scientifically. Regardless of the actual correlation of reflexology to internal organs, many enjoy it for the mix of stimlulation and relaxation.
Ancient Thai Massage
This is often called passive or assisted yoga and is usually soothing because of its emphasis on stretching and loosening the body. It is also known as Ancient massage because its roots go back far into history, originating in India and then becoming popular in Thailand.
The patient changes into pajamas and lays on a firm mattress on the floor. (It can be done solo or in a group of a dozen or so patients in the same large room.) The practitioner leans on the patient's body using the forearm to apply firm rhythmic pressure to almost every square inch of the patient body. No oil is applied except sometimes to the patient's palms and soles. A full course of Thai massage lasts anywhere from one to two hours including pulling fingers, toes, ears etc., cracking the knuckles, walking on the patient's back, arching the patient's back in a rolling action etc. There is a standard procedure and rhythm to the massage. Sometimes in a large group massage, the practitioners do the procedures in unison.
Thai massage is a tourist attraction in Thailand and the practitioners are usually women.
In some establishments, they sit inside a room with a large display window, so clients can pick the girl they like by the number tag on them. Some say the young and pretty women usually give a poor massage because of lack of experience. A full massage in Thailand costs around US$17 (in 2001) depending on exchange rate and location (it may cost ten times more inside a five star hotel).
Message therapist organizations
The AMTA
The AMTA is the largest professional organization of massage therapists in the United States, although there are other professional organizations.
The NCBTMB
The NCTMB is the only national certifying group of massage therapists. This is the test that professional massage therapists take in the US even if their states don't offer licensure, in an effort to demonstrate their knowledge. Over 25 U.S. states currently use it as a requirement for their state license as well.
See also
- Acupressure
- Reflexology
- Shampoo
- Shiatsu
External links
- http://www.ncbtmb.com/ the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork website
- http://www.amtamassage.org/ the American Massage Therapy Association website
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Massage."
Synonyms: MassageSynonyms: knead (v), rub down (v). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Friction | Noun: friction, attrition; rubbing, abrasion, scraping. Verb: confrication, detrition, contrition, affriction, abrasion, arrosion, limature, frication, rub; elbow grease; rosin; massage; roughness . |
Touch | Noun: touch; tact, taction, tactility; feeling; palpation, palpability; contrectation; manipulation; massage. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Massage |
| English words defined with "massage": cardiac resuscitation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR ♦ facial ♦ Jacuzzi ♦ kiss of life ♦ manipulate, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation ♦ petrissage, physiatrics, physical therapy, physiotherapy ♦ seduce, Swedish massage ♦ tapotement, Turkish bath ♦ vibrator. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "massage": complementary and alternative medicine ♦ patting inunction, PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT, physical therapy assistant, physical therapy technicia, physiotherapis, pincement ♦ Santa Maria. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "massage": Masseur. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Massage" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses. Danish (massage), Dutch (massage), French (massage, rub, rubbing), German (massage), Swedish (massage). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | You ever have massage by Chinese girl before (Rush Hour 2; writing credit: Jeff Nathanson) Um, I suggest a vigorous chest massage, and if that doesn't work, uh, mouth-to-mouth (Superman; writing credit: Jerry Siegel; Joe Shuster) Except the fighting evil part, but even then I prefer a nice foot massage. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer; writing credit: Doreen Spicer) You look a bit tired I think you should go upstairs and give me a massage. (The Fast and the Furious; writing credit: Gary Scott Thompson) Got your milk too. Can I just massage your thighs while you eat (Animal House; writing credit: Harold Ramis; Douglas Kenney) | |
Lyrics | When your tense didn't give a massage (You Should've Told Me; performing artist: Kelly Price) Have a massage, get a sip and then I'm ready (One Of Those Days; performing artist: Whitney Houston; writing credit: Kevin Briggs, Patrice Stewart, Dwight Reynolds, Ernest Isley, Marvin Isley, Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley, Christopher Jasper, Warren Zevon & David Lindell) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Massage (1973) Mme. Olga's Massage Parlor (1965) Uranus: Self Anal Massage for Men (1998) Massage (1995) Ultimate Sensual Massage (1991) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
References | |||
Books |
| ||
Periodicals |
| ||
Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
| ||
High Tech |
| ||
Consumer Goods | |||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Base Hospital No. 9. Chateauroux, France : Massage department. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |  | U.S. Army, Fletcher General Hospital, Cambridge, Ohio. : Wounded soldier receiving heat massage and muscle therapy. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |
 | U.S. American National Red Cross Hospital No.1, Paris, France. : Patient (Mr. Maurice) receiving massage. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |  | Massage du ventre avec les pieds... / G. Devy. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |
 | Emile's Beauty Shop, 82 N. Village Ave., Rockville Centre, Long Island. Massage room. Credit: Library of Congress. | ||
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Massage and application of cold compresses may provide temporary relief. (references) | |
Massage therapists manipulate the soft tissues of the body to normalize those tissues. (references) | ||
Some of the primary Ayurvedic treatments include diet, exercise, meditation, herbs, massage, exposure to sunlight, and controlled breathing. (references) | ||
Business | According to media reports, 80 percent of Beijing's massage parlors offer sexual services. (references) | |
In 1996 the Beijing municipal government announced a crackdown on massage parlors in the capital. (references) | ||
Unsafe working conditions are rampant among the saunas, massage houses, and hostess bars that have sprung up in numbers in large cities. (references) | ||
Children | Peru | Among those who do, many have been channeled into occupations traditionally assumed to be "suitable" for persons with disabilities, such as telephone switchboard operation and massage, in the case of the blind. (references) |
Human Rights | Bangladesh | They stated that, as they were being taken to the police station, they saw Julhash lying on the road with several policemen pouring water on his head and trying to massage his body with oil, presumably in an effort to prevent his death after severely beating him. (references) |
Bangladesh | The other gamblers stated that as they were being taken to the police station, they saw Julhash lying on the road with several policemen pouring water on his head and trying to massage his body with oil, presumably in an effort to prevent his death after severely beating him. (references) | |
Political Economy | PHILIPPINES | Sectors covered include explosives, firearms, military hardware, massage clinics, and gambling. (references) |
Trade | Vietnam | Special consumption taxes also apply for services such as dancing, massage, karaoke, casino, jackpot machine games, certain betting activities and golf. (references) |
Women | Nicaragua | In Managua most prostitutes work on the streets, clandestinely in nightclubs and bars, or offer sexual services in massage parlors. (references) |
Worker Rights | Sweden | Once in Sweden, victims are isolated and intimidated by traffickers, and work as prostitutes in hotels, restaurants, massage parlors, or private apartments. (references) |
Palau | The foreign workers most likely to be abused are those who work under contracts and earn between $100 and $300 a month as domestic helpers, construction workers, farmers, waitresses, beauticians, and hostesses in karaoke bars and massage parlors. (references) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Massage" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 76.04% of the time. "Massage" is used about 479 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 76.04% | 365 | 14,817 |
| Lexical Verb (infinitive) | 13.13% | 63 | 42,364 |
| Lexical Verb (base form) | 10.63% | 51 | 47,619 |
| Noun (proper) | 0.21% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Total | 100.00% | 479 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "massage": Auric massage technique ♦ Auricular massage ♦ Barefoot shiatsu massage ♦ Biodynamic massage ♦ BodyMind Massage ♦ cardiac massage ♦ Chakra Energy Massage ♦ Chinese Qigong massage ♦ Esalen massage ♦ Five Minute Massage ♦ Foot Reflexology Massage ♦ Head reflex massage ♦ heart massage ♦ Heartwood massage ♦ Huna Kane Temple Massage ♦ Integrative Massage ♦ Knife massage ♦ Kriya Massage ♦ Massage aromatherapy ♦ massage parlor ♦ massage thoroughly ♦ Rhythmical Massage ♦ scalp massage ♦ Sexual Energy Massage ♦ swedish massage ♦ Swedish Massage Therapy ♦ Thai Massage. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "massage": Massage-Reflex, massage-room. | |
Ending with "massage": self-massage. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
massage | 8,178 | nude massage | 233 |
massage therapy | 2,161 | sexual massage | 229 |
massage table | 1,080 | massage product | 226 |
sensual massage | 1,047 | thai massage | 222 |
massage chair | 1,032 | massage san diego | 217 |
prostate massage | 810 | swedish massage | 212 |
massage parlor | 808 | massage las vegas | 212 |
massage oil | 720 | full body massage | 198 |
massage therapist | 695 | tantric massage | 196 |
massage therapy school | 688 | dallas massage | 187 |
erotic massage | 672 | sports massage | 184 |
massage school | 594 | massage los angeles | 180 |
foot massage | 486 | male massage | 176 |
atlanta massage | 453 | gay massage | 173 |
massage technique | 374 | body massage | 170 |
massage toronto | 356 | tantra massage | 162 |
massage equipment | 340 | asian massage parlor | 158 |
massage supply | 305 | clipart massage | 156 |
massage chicago | 267 | chair massage | 155 |
portable massage table | 250 | houston massage | 153 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "massage"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | masazh (beating), fërkoj (burnish, caress, pet, rasp, rub, rub down, shine), fërkim (caress, embrocation, fondling, friction, rub, rubbing, scouring, traction, unction), bëj masazh (knead). (various references) | |
Arabic | تمسيد (rub, rubbing, stroke), تدليك, دلك (knead, rubdown). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | масажирам (knead), масаж. (various references) | |
Chinese | 按摩 . (various references) | |
Czech | masírovat, masáž (rub). (various references) | |
Danish | massage. (various references) | |
Dutch | massage, masseren. (various references) | |
Esperanto | masaĝo, masaĝi. (various references) | |
Farsi | ماساژدادن , ماساژ, مشتمال دادن , مشت ومال (Rubdown). (various references) | |
Finnish | hieronta (rubbing), hieroa (grate, rub). (various references) | |
French | massage, masser. (various references) | |
Frisian | massaazje. (various references) | |
German | Massage, massieren (knead, mass, to massage). (various references) | |
Greek | μασάζ (facial, rubdown). (various references) | |
Hebrew | משיש" (touching), מס'', לעסות (knead, press, squeeze), עסוי (extraction, kneading, pressing, rubdown, squeezing). (various references) | |
Hungarian | masszírozás, masszázs. (various references) | |
Indonesian | pijat. (various references) | |
Italian | massaggio (rub). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | マゼラン雲 (mac, machismo, Macintosh, Madagascar, madam killer, madame, Magellanic Clouds, maggeoli, mash, mashed potato, masochism, masochist, mass, massive attack, mat, matador, match, match play, match point, match pomp, matching, material, maternity dress, -matic, matinee, Matterhorn, McCarthy, McCarthyism, McCulloch, muckraker, mug, mushroom, mux), 按摩 (masseur), 揉み療治 . (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | マッサージ , あ"ま (masseur), もみりょうじ. (various references) | |
Korean | 안마. (various references) | |
Malay | urut. (various references) | |
Manx | teaystey. (various references) | |
Papiamen | masashi. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | assagemay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | massagem (rubbing, shampoo). (various references) | |
Romanian | masaj (rubber, shampoo), fricţiona (embrocate, knead, rub), fricţie, face un masaj. (various references) | |
Russian | массажировать, массаж (beating), массировать массаж, массировать (knead, mass). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | masirati (annoy), masaža. (various references) | |
Spanish | masaje (rubdown), masajear, amasadura (kneading). (various references) | |
Swedish | massage. (various references) | |
Turkish | masaj yapmak (knead, rub, rub down), masaj (rubdown), ovmak (knead, rub, rub down, scour, scour away, scour off, scrub). (various references) | |
Turkmen | massaA (r), owkalamak (work up). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | масажувати (knead, shampoo), масаж (beating). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | sự xoa bóp. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | confricantes, massa. (various references) |
| Arabic | 500-Modern | massa. (various references) |
| Portugese | 1100-Modern | amassar. (various references) |
| French | 1500-Modern | massage. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "massage": massaged, massager, massagers, massages. (additional references) | |
| |
"Massage" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: assage, Eadsige, Maasgau, Maestag, maisug, Maqsako, Masae, Masage, masagge, masasage, Masbate, Masegne, massa, massag, Massane, Massanga, Masseme, Massika, massuge, Mastsarge, Mazag, meaasge, meassage, meesage, mesage, Mesago, Mesdag, mesnage, messag, messageq, messagi, messege, messige, messuge, misgave, misstage, Mossadew, nyassae. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "massage" (pronounced musÄ"zh) |
| 3 | -s Ä" zh | corsage, dressage. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-a-e-g-m-s-s" | |
-1 letter: megass. | |
-2 letters: agmas, amass, gamas, games, gases, mages, massa, masse, mesas, sagas, sages, seams. | |
-3 letters: agas, ages, agma, amas, asea, gaes, gama, game, gams, gems, maes, mage, mags, mass, megs, mesa, mess, saga, sage, sags, same, seam, seas, segs. | |
-4 letters: aas, aga, age, ama, ass, ems, ess, gae, gam, gas, gem, mae, mag, mas. | |
-5 letters: aa. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-a-e-g-m-s-s" | |
+1 letter: gamashes, massaged, massager, massages. | |
+2 letters: almagests, embassage, magnesias, massagers, megastars, sagamores, smallages, smaragdes. | |
+3 letters: assemblage, embassages, glassmaker, manageress, manganeses, mismanages, plasmagels, stratagems. | |
+4 letters: anisogamies, assemblages, assuagement, glassmakers, magistrates, megaparsecs, mispackages, plasmagenes, sexagesimal, shaggymanes, smaragdites, stalagmites, submanagers. | |
+5 letters: assemblagist, assuagements, embarrassing, ergastoplasm, gamesmanship, glutaminases, grandmasters, magistracies, manageresses, managerships, megaloblasts, miscarriages, mismarriages, plasmogamies, reassemblage, scapegoatism, scattergrams, sexagesimals. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Quotations: Non-fiction | 9. Usage Frequency 10. Expressions 11. Expressions: Internet 12. Translations: Modern | 13. Translations: Ancient 14. Derivations 15. Rhymes 16. Anagrams | 17. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
