Hilot: An Alternative Medicine Massage

Alternative medicine has risen with such great ferocity that many forms of alternative medicine treatments have been brought to the spotlight. Among these is the alternative medicine massage treatment.

Massage is a great way to relax the body and knead away the stress and problems of the day. The more common reasons that people get an alternative medicine massage is to get rid of the kinks of the body and to feel refreshed afterwards.

The History of Hilot

Hilot as an alternative medicine massage originated from the Philippines. There are several varieties of this kind of alternative medicine massage. It has been an employed way of treating so many things from a cold to sprains and even dislocations. It is embedded in the culture of the land and there are up to this very day, a few people who practice this type of alternative medicine massage.

The mang-hihilot or masseuse tends to guard their secrets methods of kneading and herbs that this is now uncommon to get a person who is really good at it. Due to the close guarding of the trade secrets of the masseuse, they only teach their close relatives this art of alternative medicine massage in order to keep the line going. Hilot goes as far back as the 5th century in the tribes of the Filipino people. It is sad to note that there are no written facts or documents regarding the exact ways of this alternative medicine massage. What has been handed down from generation to generation of mang-hihilot contains variations added or subtracted by the current masseuse.

Uses Of This Alternative Medicine Massage

The hilot type of massage is often used to alleviate aches and pains due to overwork or stress. It is also common for a hilot masseuse to attend to a pregnant woman for her giving birth or to change the position of the baby. Other hilot massages also help to ease the pain of a sprain or a dislocation. These massages can be painful therefore the person giving the hilot usually asks the individual to chew on some leaves or to take a brew which can alleviate pain.

This form of alternative medicine massage is very effective especially for the stress related aches and pains. It is usually done with the accompaniment of virgin coconut oil to rub or knead at the muscles. After a hilot session, you are usually warned not to bathe for approximately twenty four hours.