There is a constant rise of temperature after the treatment, and there should be a rapid improvement in the tone and reaction of the whole muscular system.
The usual fault in giving massage is that too much is given at one time; the maximum effect on a part is obtained in five minutes. Another mistake is to employ too heavy a hand. A patient should never feel bruised or exhausted after the treatment; there should be simply a pleasant lassitude and feeling of drowsiness.
While massage is not essential for the health, it aids materially in maintaining good health, but, in order to be efficient, a skilful masseuse is necessary, as a considerable amount of manipulative skill is essential, which can only be acquired by proper training. Massage, especially when taken in connection with the Turkish bath, is most valuable to remove weariness of nerves and muscles, as well as slight aches and pains.
The Balance and Carriage of the Body.—The erect position of the body is maintained through the exertion of more or less muscular force. The base of the erect human body is the soles of the feet; the smaller the base, the more danger of a fall. The base is the smallest when one stands on the toes.
The way in which the spinal column is carried by the pelvis determines the way in which the whole body is carried. An erect and graceful carriage in standing and walking is not only desirable from an esthetic point of view, but it is most essential to good health. Without a proper development of the chest, it is impossible to secure a normal development of the lungs and vigor of the heart.
It is upon the erectness, suppleness, and strength of the spinal column that most of the power and grace of the body depend. In the proper carriage the natural lines of the spinal column form a graceful and undulating line, and the body stands erect without any particular effort.
The curves of the spinal column are of great value in protecting the brain, as they weaken the force of any shock, which may be caused by striking the bones of the feet.
Common Defects in the Carriage of the Body.—Owing to the common faulty position of school children at their desks, the sedentary occupations of women, and their lack of physical training, curvature of the spine is very common. A stooping carriage is the most common. The head is bent forward, the chest is sunken, the back is round, the shoulder-blades hang outward, the inner edges standing out like wings, and the abdomen is protuberant. The muscles are poorly developed and are weak and flabby.
This stooping carriage interferes with the freedom in breathing, and prevents the proper development of the upper part of the chest and lungs. Hence, it predisposes to lung diseases and tuberculosis, a weak heart, poor circulation, shortness of breath, inability to take proper exercise, and thinness of the blood (anemia).
Spinal Curvatures.—The spinal column is normally directly in the middle of the back; any deviation of this column to either side is abnormal, and the lungs become cramped in a small and non-distensible bony cage. This spinal curvature is most apt to take place in young girls or in adult women after a severe illness, when the muscles of the back have become particularly flabby, and, while still in this condition, improper attitudes are assumed at the desk or other sedentary occupations.