Free Essay Example Dedicated to Massage

Origins of Massage

Massage originated thousands of years ago with the first massage therapy treatment being recorded in China and Egypt. In the two nations, the societies believed that massage had medical benefits. For instance, the Hindus used the art of healing touch in the practice of Ayurvedic medicine (Ping-Chung, 2017). The first written records of massage therapy were recorded between 1500 and 500 BCE in India. Also, records of Egyptians using BCE have also been excavated in ancient Egyptian Tombs. Chinese also used massage therapy in 2700 BCE and its usage was recorded in the first Chinese text to be authored at the time, which was known as The Yellow Emperor's Classic Book of Internal Medicine (Curran, Locum & Glasgow, 2008).

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Development of Different Forms of Massage

The first form of massage originated with the Hippocrates around fourth century BC. Later, Ancient Greeks adopted the massage techniques from the Hippocrates and improved them into different styles. At the time, the Greeks used the rub up method of massage. Ultimately in 1895, a renowned author by the name John Harvey Kellogg published a book titled Art of Massage, which provided the foundation of the different forms of massage that exist today (Beck, 2016). Some forms of massages that exist today include Thai, pregnancy, deep tissue, aromatherapy, Swedish, Shiatsu, hot stone and reflexology therapies.

Market Analysis to Ascertain the Popularity, Scope, and Availability of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Such a market analysis is important in collecting essential healthcare data. It is imperative to analyze data collected from the market analysis, so as to ascertain the preference of different forms of treatments among varying demographics in the market. That is based on the effectiveness of different forms of treatment that are employed in the healthcare facilities.

Definition of Complementary, Alternative and Allopathic Medicine

Complementary medicines are health care practices used alongside standard medical treatment and they include treatments such as the Chinese medicine, homeopathy as well as naturopathy. On the other hand, alternative medicines include medical treatments that are employed instead of traditional/mainstream therapies like acupuncture and oriental practices. Allopathic medicine is a medical practice that treats diseases using remedies like drugs and surgery so as to overcome the effects of ailments.

Concepts and Differences of Complementary, Alternative and Allopathic Medicine

The concept of complementary medicine entails the use of alternative therapies such as special diets to treat ailments or health conditions like cancer. That is instead of using contemporary treatments like radiation, surgery or chemotherapy among others. Contrary, alternative medicine is used together with modern medicine and they involve the use of treatments like diet therapy, aromatherapy, and biofeedback among others. Lastly, the two forms of medicine are different from allopathic medicine, which entails using practices that fight diseases using remedies that produce effects that are incompatible with those of the ailment being treated.

The Importance of Government Guidelines In Relation To Education, Training and Regulation of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Government guidelines in relation to education, training, and regulation of complementary and alternative medicine are important because they provide a standardized and validated way of administering varying medical practices to patients. Subsequently, this aids in ensuring that only the best medical practices are used for all forms of treatment both at home and in all clinical facilities. Moreover, this aids in the attainment of improved healthcare outcomes in patients.

Training and Career Pathways in the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Field

Some of the training and career pathways in complementary medicine include taking a focus as a Reiki, biofeedback, yoga, and chiropractor practitioners. In addition, in complementary medicine, heath care practitioners can also chose a career as a kinesiology specialist or a movement therapy instructor. On the other hand, the training and career pathway in the field of alternative medicine include being a holistic skin care and esthetician practitioners among others.

Identifying Related Sectors In Terms Of Further Career Progression

Lastly, it is important to identify related sectors in the medicine-related fields as part of career progression. That is because today, most ailments have evolved with new strains of virus and bacteria that require improved forms of medicine to be treated. As such, healthcare practitioners with more knowledge from other sectors related to medicine can be in a better position to combat such transformed ailments and health conditions. Subsequently, this aids in averting an elevated number of deaths that would otherwise be attained from such evolved medical conditions.

References

Beck, M. F. (2016). Theory & Practice of Therapeutic Massage (6, illustrated ed.). Boston: Cengage Learning.

Curran, J., Locum, G.P., & Glasgow (2008). The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 336(7647), 777.

Ping-chung, L. (2017). From Ayurveda To Chinese Medicine. Singapore: World Scientific.