Relieves Stress – One of the primary reason people seek massage therapy is to help manage their stress levels. Massage therapy stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, the “rest-and-digest” response, lowering your heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels in the body. This allows for rest, relaxation, and healing.
Lowers Blood Pressure – High blood pressure can lead to numerous health problems. Good nutrition, regular exercise, and massage therapy are all ways to naturally lower blood pressure, thereby decreasing risk of disease.
Improves Heart Health – If you have high levels of stress in your life, you may be at greater risk for developing heart conditions. Massage has a positive effect on heart health, as it reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and promotes relaxation.
Improves Sleep Quality – Lack of quality sleep impacts daily life activities, work productivity, and overall quality of life. Relaxation is an essential component of good sleep, and massage is one of the best ways to reach a state of deep relaxation.
Supports the Immune System – Stress, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, and poor nutrition all contribute to weakened immunity. Massage therapy is an effective way to support your immune sytem, since it decreases stress, promotes relaxation, and improves sleep quality.
Relieves Pain – Another common reason people seek massage therapy is for pain relief. According to recent research published in the Journal of Pain, millions of Americans experience chronic pain at levels that disrupt their daily life and work activities. Massage therapy provides a relatively safe and effective way to reduce or manage pain symptoms.
- Muscle Pain – Massage therapy helps to release taut fibrous bands of muscle tissue, often referred to as trigger points. Massage also helps lengthen chronically shortened muscles, improving posture and movement patterns.
- Nerve Pain – Tight, contracted muscles can impinge nerves, causing pain, numbness, and tingling sensations. Massage therapy releases muscle tension, decreasing nerve pain.
Prevents Injury – Massage therapy releases tension, allowing muscles and joints to move more freely, which can prevent injury from occurring.
Relieves Soreness Caused by Exercise, Injury, or Surgery – Exercise, while good for you, can leave your muscles feeling tired and sore. Injury can cause muscles to tense protectively around the injured area as well as in other areas of the body in a compensatory manner. Injuries and surgery can leave scar tissue, disrupting the functions of fascia, nerves and muscle tissue in the body. Massage therapy improves circulation which helps to relieve pain caused by exercise, injury, or surgery by supporting the body’s natural processes that bring nutrients to the tissues and remove metabolic wastes.
Regular massage therapy is an effective treatment for reducing stress and easing pain. Massage can be a powerful tool to help you take charge of your well-being.