Massage therapy is based on three principles;

• Firstly that the body is affected by its parts,
• Secondly shortened muscle tissues do not work, and
• Thirdly that the soft tissues of the body respond to touch.

Massage therapists believe that the person is a whole organism and everything is connected and related, therefore the whole body reacts when parts of it are affected. For example a person with a sprained ankle will favour the injured leg, causing muscles in the hip and lower back to tighten. This in turn, can cause an imbalance in the back affecting the neck muscles, which can then cause a headache. Just treating the neck muscles will not alleviate the problem.