An ancient practice now supported by modern medical and psychological research. Volume 20 of the Secrets of a Healthy Society series examines massage therapy across its history, methods, and documented effects on pain, anxiety, and sleep.
Secrets of a Healthy Society — Volume 20
Massage Therapy: Healing Touch for Body and Soul
A practice rooted in ancient tradition and increasingly supported by modern medical and psychological research. Prof. Seyed-Moayed Alavian examines massage therapy seriously — its history and methods, its documented effects on chronic pain, anxiety, and sleep, and its place within a health system.
Publisher
Publication date
July 20, 2025
Print length
293 pages
Language
English
Format
Kindle edition
Series
Secrets of a Healthy Society, Volume 20
Audience
General readers, therapists, and health policymakers
Get the book
Published by Brieflands and available worldwide as a Kindle edition on Amazon. For institutional orders, bulk copies, or translation rights, contact the publisher directly.
About this book
In a stressful world, health has stopped meaning simply the absence of illness; it describes a balance between body, mind, and the way we live. Massage therapy is among the more effective tools for reaching that balance — a practice with deep traditional roots that modern medical and psychological research has increasingly validated.
Massage is more than a pleasant hour. Research has examined its role in relieving chronic pain, improving organ function, reducing anxiety, improving sleep quality, and supporting general health.
This volume takes a scientific and practical approach across several dimensions: the history of the practice, the range of methods, and the physiological, psychological, and social effects. Alongside the analysis, accounts from clients and professional therapists give the field a human face, and the book discusses the challenges and opportunities of integrating massage therapy into the healthcare system.
Its closing aim is a policy one: to encourage a considered reassessment of how health systems treat complementary, evidence-based therapies.
What the book covers
History and traditions
Where the practice comes from, and how different traditions shaped it.
Methods and techniques
The main varieties of massage and what each is intended to achieve.
Physiological effects
Documented effects on chronic pain, circulation, and organ function.
Psychological effects
What the research reports on anxiety, mood, and sleep quality.
Voices from practice
Accounts from clients and professional therapists working in the field.
Health policy
The case for integrating evidence-based complementary therapies into the system.
Note. This book is health education and does not present massage as a replacement for medical diagnosis or treatment. Massage is not appropriate in every situation — it should be avoided or modified in cases of deep vein thrombosis, bleeding disorders, active infection, recent fractures, and some cancers — so check with your clinician first if you have a medical condition, and use a qualified, properly trained practitioner.