Need some relief? How about an Indian Head Massage?

I recently performed a massage that consisted solely of massaging the scalp, hands, and feet.  For a few reasons, this specific client decided to opt out of the full-body experience during this session.  Instead of becoming worried - "Oh, how am I to fit in one full hour on just the scalp, hands, and feet," I became ecstatic.  This was a chance to really dig in there and spend some time on these lovely areas of tension release.

Upon finishing the session, I started thinking more about scalp massage... about how some people will pay for a massage of just this one technique.  And how it could be a convenient and healing technique for those not wanting a full-body experience.  Since I indulged in the history of a type of hand and foot massage last week (Reflexology), I decided I'd do some research into a modality based strictly on the massage of the head.  One style that focuses on this - and one that I have over and over again heard so much about - is "Indian Head Massage," or "Ayurvedic Head Massage."

So, what the heck is it?  Well, first of all, it has a long & rich history.  Evidence of the employment (and enjoyment!) of head massage can be found in Ayurvedic texts from about 4,000 years ago (Ayurveda is India's system of traditional medicine, dating back to the second millennium BCE.  It is arguably the world's oldest form of medicine and is still used extensively as a primary medicine and as a complementary or alternative medicine).  One of the traditional names of Indian head massage is shiroabhyanga, but it has also been seen (in the West especially) under the moniker Champi or Champissage.  Shiroabhyanga is often and traditionally used by women as a massage on either other women or on children to both work the person's energy systems (in Ayurveda these are called chakras) and to nourish the skin of the scalp and hair.

Champi is the form of an Indian head massage found more commonly for men in barbershops.  Equally as energizing and nourishing, this form of massage was used as the precedent for the modern version of Indian head massage that may be familiar to many of us (that's quite a relative meaning of "many," ahem).  Narendra Mehta, an osteopath and massage therapist, created and trademarked "Champissage" (based on the root word Champi) and brought Indian head massage to the West.  Mehta, having studied physiotherapy in England, was disappointed to see that most Western-style massages did not include the head or scalp.  In 1978 he decided to return to India in order to research the benefits of head massage.  Not only did he do this, but he developed a more comprehensive massage that included the shoulders and neck, traditional oils, massage of face and ears, chakra balancing, and scalp massage.  "Champissage" was born.  There is even a center devoted solely to this modernized version of an ancient healing art-form, the London Centre of Indian Champissage International.

Not only in England was Indian head massage to gain popularity, but in the the rest of Europe, the U.S. and Canada as well.  Mehta (via Massage Magazine) outlines a good example of how a version of Champissage is done (and felt!):


"The skillful placing of the therapist's hands on the upper three chakras - vishuddha, governing the throat region and its associated organs; ajna, the third-eye point, located on the forehead; and sahasrara the master chakra associated with the pineal plexus and found at the crown of one's head, combined with visual and auditory stimuli, allow the client's innate healing energy to rebalance and harmony to prevail," explains Mehta. "If a client is feeling a little sluggish mentally, I find that working with the crown chakra and the third-eye chakra simultaneously will enable them to feel more alert and able to release pent-up emotions."
Mehta's champissage treatment begins with massage of the upper back, shoulders, upper arms and neck to melt fatigue. This is followed by a scalp massage, which is a series of integrated techniques.

One of these, the windscreen-wiper technique, is designed to stimulate the scalp, improving blood circulation. The therapist places his hand over one ear, with the fingers splayed out over the forehead. Using the ball of the other hand, a light rubbing movement is carried out on that side of the head. It is then repeated on the opposite side.

The next technique is whole-hand friction. When supporting the head with one hand, the therapist applies firm pressure with the fingertips and heel of the other hand, moving the scalp up and down. This nourishes the hair from the roots and drains away tension.

Other techniques, such as ruffling, stroking, plucking and tapping the scalp and hair, prove to be profoundly relaxing. The techniques are performed in sequence, though a therapist may choose to spend more time on certain moves if this is likely to benefit the client. The massage then proceeds to the temples, which are rubbed in a firm, circular motion to relieve eyestrain and tension headaches."


After getting an Indian head massage, many people report feeling as though they just had a full-body massage.  Not only is there better mobility in the entire upper body, but Ayurvedic (chakra) energy points, in addition to circulatory and lymphatic points, have been stimulated.  This provides for better blood circulation of the head and aides in lymphatic draining. 

When balancing the chakras in Indian head massage, certain techniques are used specifically to release stagnant energy.  For example, the heel of the hand is used and rotated counterclockwise along the shoulder girdle of the seated client and moved down and in between the spine and scapula.  This "inverted L" shape of the hand is then rotated clockwise and brought back up the way it came.  This technique, repeated & repeated, is know as a way to release and spread "prana" or "life force, vital energy."

In addition to stimulating energy work, it is also shown that Indian head massages promote hair health and growth (stimulating the sebaceous glands), are excellent for depression and anxiety, promote calmness and peacefulness, improve memory and concentration, aid in digestion and elimination of waste materials, and relieve eyestrain, headaches, insomnia and sinusitis.

This is not to mention the ability of Indian head massage to relieve muscular tension from the shoulder and upper chest/back on up to the occiput, the scalp (the occipitofrontalis), and the muscles of the face.  Most of us, due to the occupations, habits & and stresses of the 21st Century, have more than enough tension in these areas.  Indian head massage can help break-down muscular adhesions in these areas, remove said tensions, and aide in reeducating the postural movement of the neck, head and upper back.

Finally, the oils used in Indian head massages (sesame, sweet almond, and olive) can have many benefits.  Besides balancing the doshas (the bodily humors of Ayurveda that make up one's constitution), these oils can strengthen and nourish hair, increase sebum production which conditions the hair, and clean out pores.  Add in some essential oils (bergamot, rose, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, rosemary, etc.) and the experience can truly be heavenly!!

What, exactly, is Reflexology?

Many people wonder, as I had in the past: What exactly IS Reflexology?  Is it just a fancy name for a foot or hand massage?  Does it have something to do with our reflexes? (a la, testing our reflexes with a hammer to the knee, as doctors have done to us since we were kids).  Well, yes.  Yes to both questions.  But, as we'll see, its more complicated... and more simple... than that.

We can link the modern practice of reflexology all the way back to Ivan Pavlov, the famous (and infamous) Nobel prize-winning physician.  His work linking external stimuli to brain patterning helped create the idea that organ illnesses could be rooted in misguided information being sent to the brain.  Changing or interrupting this misguided information via external stimuli (hot, cold, touch or even psychological reinforcements) could then retrain the illness out of the organ.

These ideas of Pavlov and his contemporaries were specifically honed into a practice called "reflexology" with American physiotherapist Eunice Ingham (1940s).  She believed that the body's organs were in ways related to specific areas on the hands and the feet.  Therefore, by interrupting or changing information being sent from the hands and feet to various organs, he could in fact change the health of that organ.

Interestingly, Ingham's ideas have ancient precedents.  The evidence of foot massage-work has been found in both the Physician's Tomb in Egypt (2300 B.C.) and the Physician's Temple at Nara, Japan (690 A.D.).  The ancient Indian medical practice of Ayurveda (one that is still used today by millions) practices a stimulation on pressure points called Marma points.  In addition to being all over the entire body, these points are specifically found on the hands and feet.  When strongly palpated, these hand & feet locations are believed to stimulate flow of energy to various organs and throughout the body as a whole.  The now quite popular Eastern healing called acupuncture (the East Asian manifestation of Ayurveda's Marma Point Therapy) is a form of wellness also related to points on the hands and feet (and everywhere else!) that can directly correspond to energy flow to an organ or a part of the body.

But, this article is not talking about Ayurveda or Acupuncture.  We are discussing reflexology - a system based in Western medicine's history.  (Ingham was actually based in America).  Once his research matured, he released a book on the practice.  His book, and then its 1970s child, Helping Yourself with Foot Reflexology, by Mildred Carter, truly pushed reflexology to the mainstream.  (Well, the relative mainstream - those interested in alternative, complementary & self-healing therapies).  Additionally, Dr. William H. Fitzgerald's and Eunice Ingram's ideas on "zone therapy" (certain "zones" of the body having direct correlations to organs or other parts of the body) furthermore fleshed-out what was to eventually be practiced as the healing art of Reflexology.

In its practice then, what is this healing art all about?  The "reflex-part" has been talked about, now the "fancy foot & hand massage" part has to be explained.  In Reflexology, the feet and hands are seen as miniature outlines representing the entire body.  Therefore, areas on the foot/hand directly correspond to areas on the larger body.  Using a foot as an example: the toes represent various spots on the head; the heart and chest are around the ball of the foot; the liver, pancreas, and kidney are in the arch of the foot; and the low back and intestines are toward the heel, etc.

In a session, the practitioner will assess the hands/feet while asking the client questions about organ and body health.  Then, the reflexologist will stimulate parts of the hands/feet to find areas of tenderness and tension, warm the hands/feet up with some general massage, and, finally, put directed pressure on points in the hands & feet to help allay symptoms related to specific body zones and promote relaxation and wellness.

People find this type of massage beneficial for:

• Stress and stress-related conditions
  
• Tension headaches
  
• Digestive disorders
  
• Arthritis
  
• Insomnia
  
• Hormonal imbalances
  
• Sports injuries
  
• Menstrual disorders, such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
  
• Digestive problems, such as constipation
  
• Back pain

(http://altmedicine.about.com/od/therapiesfromrtoz/a/Reflexology.htm)


Additionally,  as I have mentioned, Reflexology is popular as an alternative therapy, as a therapy to be used in complement with Western medicine, as a palliative or post-op care, AND as complementary care for cancer patients.  Reflexology has also been proven to sooth tense and tired hands and feet, promote blood circulation and lymph flow, promote deep relaxation, reduce pain, and create a general sense of health and well-being.

Sounds pretty nice to me.  And, don't worry if you have ticklish feet!  The firm pressure used by a Reflexologist usually bypasses feelings of ticklishness - and gets right to the meat of the matter - sweet, sweet relief!!!

A Great Article, Highlighting Massage Therapy's Many Benefits, from the Wall Street Journal

Don't Call It Pampering: Massage Wants to Be Medicine

By ANDREA PETERSEN

While massage may have developed a reputation as a decadent treat for people who love pampering, new studies are showing it has a wide variety of tangible health benefits.
Research over the past couple of years has found that massage therapy boosts immune function in women with breast cancer, improves symptoms in children with asthma, and increases grip strength in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Giving massages to the littlest patients, premature babies, helped in the crucial task of gaining weight.

 
 

Is massage just for pampering or does it have true biological effects? A recent study showed muscles rebounded better if massaged after exercising to exhaustion. Andrea Petersen on Lunch Break has details on Lunch Break.

The benefits go beyond feelings of relaxation and wellness that people may recognize after a massage. The American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society now include massage as one of their recommendations for treating low back pain, according to guidelines published in 2007.
New research is also starting to reveal just what happens in the body after a massage. While there have long been theories about how massage works—from releasing toxins to improving circulation—those have been fairly nebulous, with little hard evidence. Now, one study, for example, found that a single, 45-minute massage led to a small reduction in the level of cortisol, a stress hormone, in the blood, a decrease in cytokine proteins related to inflammation and allergic reactions, and a boost in white blood cells that fight infection.

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There's been a surge of scientific interest in massage. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health, is currently spending $2.7 million on massage research, up from $1.5 million in 2002. The Massage Therapy Foundation, a nonprofit organization that funds massage research, held its first scientific conference in 2005. The third conference will be in Boston next year.
The research is being driven, in part, by massage therapy's popularity. About 8.3% of American adults used massage in 2007, up from 5% in 2002, according to a National Health Statistics report that surveyed 23,393 adults in 2007 and 31,044 adults in 2002, the latest such data available. Massage was expected to be a $10 billion to $11 billion industry in 2011 in the U.S., according to estimates by the American Massage Therapy Association, a nonprofit professional organization.
"There is emerging evidence that [massage] can make contributions in treating things like pain, where conventional medicine doesn't have all the answers," said Jack Killen, NCCAM's deputy director.
The massage therapy field hopes that the growing body of research will lead to greater insurance coverage for its treatments. Washington is the only state that requires insurers to cover massage therapy.

 

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About 8.3% of American adults used massage in 2007, up from 5% in 2002, according to a National Health Statistics report.

Elsewhere, private insurers generally provide very limited coverage for massage. WellPoint, WLP -0.98% for example, doesn't include massage as a standard benefit in most of its plans, but employers can purchase alternative medicine coverage as an add on, said spokeswoman Kristin E. Binns. Aetna AET -1.22% doesn't cover massage therapy as a standard benefit but offers members discounts on massage visits with practitioners who are part of an affiliated network of alternative medicine providers. Providers such as chiropractors or physical therapists, whose visits are often covered, sometimes use massage as part of their treatment.
Massage therapists charge an average of about $59 for a one-hour session, according to the American Massage Therapy Association. Treatments at posh urban spas, however, can easily cost at least three times that amount.
Most of the research is being done on Swedish massage, the most widely-available type of massage in the U.S. It is a full-body massage, often using oil or lotion, that includes a variety of strokes, including "effleurage" (gliding movements over the skin), "petrissage" (kneading pressure) and "tapotement" (rhythmic tapping).

Research Findings

• A full-body massage boosted immune function and lowered heart rate and blood pressure in women with breast cancer undergoing radiation treatment, a 2009 study of 30 participants found.
• Children given 20-minute massages by their parents every night for five weeks plus standard asthma treatment had significantly improved lung function compared with those in standard care, a 2011 study of 60 children found.
• A 10-minute massage upped mitochondria production, and reduced proteins associated with inflammation in muscles that had been exercised to exhaustion, a small study last month found.

Another common type of massage, so-called deep tissue, tends to be more targeted to problem muscles and includes techniques such as acupressure, trigger-point work (which focuses on little knots of muscle) and "deep transverse friction" where the therapist moves back and forth over muscle fibers to break up scar tissue.
Massage is already widely used to treat osteoarthritis, for which other treatments have concerning side effects. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2006 showed that full-body Swedish massage greatly improved symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee. Patients who had massages twice weekly for four weeks and once a week for an additional four weeks had less pain and stiffness and better range of motion than those who didn't get massages. They were also able to walk a 50-foot path more quickly.
"If [massage] works then it should become part of the conventionally recommended interventions for this condition and if it doesn't work we should let [patients] know so they don't waste their time and money," says Adam Perlman, the lead author of the study and the executive director of Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, N.C.
Scientists are also studying massage in healthy people.
In a small study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine last month, a 10-minute massage promoted muscle recovery after exercise. In the study, 11 young men exercised to exhaustion and then received a massage in one leg. Muscle biopsies were taken in both quad muscles before exercise, after the massage and 2½ hours later.
The short massage boosted the production of mitochondria, the energy factory of the cell, among other effects. "We've shown this is something that has a biological effect," says Mark Tarnopolsky, a co-author of the study and a professor of pediatrics and medicine at McMaster University Medical Center in Hamilton, Ontario.
A 2010 study with 53 participants comparing the effects of one 45-minute Swedish massage to light touch, found that people who got a massage had a large decrease in arginine-vasopressin, a hormone that normally increases with stress and aggressive behavior, and slightly lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in their blood after the session. There was also a decrease in cytokine proteins related to inflammation and allergic reactions.
Mark Hyman Rapaport, the lead author of the study and the chairman of psychiatry and behavioral science at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, says he began studying massage because, "My wife liked massages and I wasn't quite sure why. I thought of it as an extravagance, a luxury for only people who are very rich and who pamper themselves." Now, Dr. Rapaport says he gets a massage at least once a month. His group is now studying massage as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder.

Knead to Know Tips

• How can you make sure you get a good massage? Most states regulate massage and require therapists to be licensed. This usually requires a minimum number of hours of training and an exam. There is also national certification. Members of the American Massage Therapy Association must have 500 hours of training.
• Ask how many massages a therapist gives a day—and make sure you're not the 10th or even the seventh. 'It takes a lot of physical exertion to deliver a therapeutic massage,' says Ken Morris, spa director at Canyon Ranch, a health resort in Tucson, Ariz. Canyon Ranch limits its therapists to six massages in a day.
Write to Andrea Petersen at andrea.petersen@wsj.com