Massage can touch numerous aspects of life

Massage therapist Rezakkah Norins, who owns Nurture Massage and Spa in Brighton, sees everyone from infants to cancer patients. Above, she gives a Swedish massage to her daughter, Jennifer Barden, a regular client. (Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff)

Steven St. Hilaire, an Arlington plumber, is a longtime tradesman used to the physical demands of long days of hard work, installing and repairing pipes and fixtures. And when chronic aches and pains in his back, hips, and shoulders continued to plague him, he began seeing a massage therapist.

"It helps relax me as well," says St. Hilaire, who has just begun treatment, but adds that it's already helping with the tendonitis in his hips.

Massage therapy is an increasingly accepted form of complementary and alternative medicine, especially as research continues to show the benefits of the human touch on everything from musculoskeletal conditions to the tensions of modern life. According to the American Massage Therapy Association, an industry association and certifying agency, almost a quarter of adult Americans had a massage in the past year.

"Massage can help stress relief and health maintenance; it increases circulation, boosts the immune system, and provides overall physical enhancement," says Mary Beth Braun, past president of the organization.

When seeking a massage therapist, consumers should do their research.

Massage therapists typically have 500 hours of education from an accredited institution and have passed a national certification test. In Massachusetts and many other states, they need a state license.

Massage therapy is offered not only in practitioner's offices, but at spas, health clubs, hotels, hospitals, and workplaces.

The length of a massage can vary; on average, a one-hour massage costs $60. Most clients pay out of pocket, but some insurance reimbursement is provided by workers' compensation or accident rehabilitation. Many health insurance plans provide a 20 to 25 percent discount when services are provided within a network of approved massage providers.

A typical session lasts 60 to 90 minutes, with a first meeting used to evaluate any special requirements.

Short sessions may employ upper-body chair massages, but most massages are done with the client fully draped, except for the area being worked on, and lying on a table.

Depending on the type of massage, deep-tissue pressure or light strokes help relax the body and work on certain muscles. "Sometimes there are results in the first treatment; other times it takes longer. But either way, we try to give people their quality of life back," says Braun.

Lauren Byrne and her husband, Rich Lamphear, of Arlington regularly visit massage therapist Rezakkah Norins of Brighton.

Byrne goes for relief from migraine headaches; Lamphear is seeking overall relaxation.

"I leave feeling much better," says Byrne, who has tried other kinds of therapies, but finds that her deep-tissue massages are very effective for pain management.

There are as many as 250 massage modalities available, ranging from Swedish massage (long strokes, kneading, and friction) to reflexology (applying pressure to specific points on the feet).

Norins notes that she sees everyone from infants to cancer patients. "I synthesize different techniques in a personal approach to what's best for each person," she says.