Aromatherapy Massage for the Skeletal System

Using aromatherapy for skeletal system massage

The skeletal system comprises all the bones of the skeleton. The skeleton provides an upright structure for the body, and the hard bones protect the soft, vital organs within the body. Although massage does not directly affect the bones, there is an indirect effect on the skeletal system because it releases tension in the muscles that hold the skeleton together.

There are several important reasons to learn where the major hones and muscles are located. For example, you do not want to confuse a very tense muscle in spasm (which can feel almost as hard as bone) with a bone itself. Deep massage is not done directly over bones, because this can feel painful and unpleasant. Therefore some familiarity with where the major bones are situated helps to prevent confusing muscles and bones.

Wherever two different bones in the body meet, a joint occurs. The muscles, tendons and ligaments that hold the bones in position allow movement at the joints. This means, for example, that we can bend down by using the hip and knee joints. These joints (called synovial joints) are the most mobile in the body and include the elbow and ankle joints. Synovial joints secrete synovial fluid, a lubricant that permits easy movement of the joint, preventing excessive wear and tear.

The discs of cartilage that lie between the individual spinal vertebrae allow limited flexible movement and are known as cartilaginous joints. The cartilage is tough and gristly, and acts to protect the spinal column inside the vertebrae (and the vertebrae themselves) from the shock of movements such as running and jumping.

How aromatherapy massage can help the skeletal system

• Massage around the joints is valuable, because the muscles holding the bones together there do a lot of work. However, care must be taken not to press down on the bones themselves - only on the muscle connections. This is best demonstrated by the way we massage the spine: the massage strokes are all done on the surrounding muscles up the sides of the spine, and not on the vertebrae themselves.