Massage Therapy is the use of touch, pressure, and/or manipulation to achieve what outcomes?

• A. Use of touch, pressure, and/or manipulation to ease pain or tension and reduce stress.
• B. Use of herbal supplements to cure diseases.
• C. A surgical procedure for musculoskeletal pain.
• D. A diagnostic imaging technique.

Answer: (A)

Massage therapy uses touch, pressure, and manipulation of soft tissues to promote relaxation, ease muscle tension, and reduce pain and stress. Through these manual techniques, it can increase blood flow, help muscles relax, and trigger the body’s relaxation responses, which often lowers perceived pain and helps calm the mind. It is not about using herbs to cure diseases, not a surgical procedure, and not an imaging technique, so the primary outcomes are relief of pain or tension and a reduction in stress.