Massage Therapy

The leading cause of long term disability in the United States is stroke, and one American dies from stroke about every four minutes. Stroke by definition is the sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen. The main types of stoke are hemorrhagic, ischemic, and a transient ischemic attack. Hemorrhagic stroke is broken in to two types, and the most common is the intracerebral hemorrhage, when an artery in the brain bursts flooding the brain with blood. The second and less common subarachnoid hemorrhage, when bleeding occurs in the area between the brain and the thin tissue that covers it. An ischemic stroke and a transient ischemic attack are both caused by a blockage in the artery that supplies oxygen rich blood to the brain, these are the most common types of stroke. With a transient ischemic attack, the blood flow is only blocked for a short amount of time, usually thought of as a warning for future stroke. Although strokes do not discriminate the major risk factors are high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, smoking, age, gender, ethnicity, family history, and arteriovenous malformations. About eighty percent of stokes can be prevented by adapting a healthy lifestyle.
Massage therapy can be very beneficial for stroke rehabilitation with prior approval from their healthcare provider. The main focus for stroke patients is to relieve anxiety, increase blood flow, and promote relaxation. My client suffered from a minor ischemic stroke in early 2013, she was on the phone having a conversation one minute, …show more content…
Improving circulation, lowering stress, and blood pressure are all imperative to the prevention of future stroke, especially in people who have already had a stroke as they are four times more likely. With the knowledge I gained from this special population I feel I can help more people be aware of the benefits of massage