What Are The Benefits of Massage Therapy?
When thinking of massage therapy thoughts of relaxation, healing and pampering may immediately come to mind. A wonderful benefit absolutely, however, massage therapy can offer so much more to our overall health and wellbeing.
Massage is one of the oldest healing traditions, dating back to India, 3000 BCE. Massage therapy was considered a sacred system of natural healing, used by Hindus in Ayurveda Medicine to relieve pain, heal injuries, and even prevent and cure illnesses.
Today massage therapy is often used alongside modern medicine, as a combined treatment plan to support in the healing of many medical conditions and ailments.
Benefits of massage therapy include:
- Increased relaxations and stress-relief
- Reduced pain and muscle tension & soreness
- Improved circulation
- Lowered heart rate and blood pressure
- Increased energy
- Improved immune function
Relaxation and Stress Relief
The most common reason people initially seek massage therapy treatment is the undoubted benefit of stress relief and a sense of relaxation. Evidence suggests that massage therapy may lower cortisol levels, a key stress hormone our bodies produce.
Muscle Pain and Soreness
Massage therapy helps soothe sore and inflamed muscles by increasing blood flow and improving circulation to the area. Studies have shown that massage therapy can be as effective as other methods in the treatment of chronic back pain.
This increase in blood flow to the inflamed muscles, may also encourage healing and shorten recovery time according to a 2015 study published in Musculoskeletal Medicine. This can be particularly useful in those patients looking to avoid pharmaceutical pain relief options for chronic pain.
Improved Circulation
This ability to improve blood flow and circulation in specific areas of the body is not just beneficial in treating chronic pain, by warming the area due to increased circulation and releasing hormones such as endorphins and serotonin that lessen pain.
Improved circulation has been also found to be very beneficial in prenatal massages. Increased circulation can help reduce swelling of the legs, a common pregnancy symptom and aid in improving your quality of sleep.
Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
High heart rate and increased blood pressure in adults are a growing concern that we are all aware of, especially as we continue to age. Massage therapy has been shown to lower systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure.
This is accomplished through mechanically activating muscular tissue, tendons and fascias which “indirectly regulates the tonus of the autonomic nervous system”. While more studies need to be completed, it is suggested massage therapy may be beneficial as a complementary therapy in those who face increased blood pressure issues.
Increased Energy
While massage therapy does not directly increase the energy levels within our cells the overall benefits of your massage, may leave you feeling more energetic, less fatigued and fully rejuvenated.
This can be due to reduced pain, better sleep habits, the release of hormones such as endorphins and serotonin, or the reduction of symptoms caused by chronic health conditions such as sciatica, migraines, arthritis and fibromyalgia. Leaving you feeling better physically and emotionally, you may experience an increased level of energy.
Improved Immune Function
While massage is known to decrease inflammation within the body, recent studies have shown that weekly massage therapy sessions can increase your number of white blood cells. Which play a vital role in our body’s ability to fight disease and keep our immune systems active.
The increase in hormones like endorphins and serotonin, along with the decrease in cortisol levels found after a massage therapy session lower overall stress levels within the body, allowing our body to better fight infection.
While more scientific research is required to confirm, some studies have shown massage therapy to also be helpful for treating a wide range of other conditions.
According to the Mayo Clinic, this includes conditions such as:
- Anxiety
- Digestive issues
- Fibromyalgia
- Headaches
- Lower back pain
- Myofascial pain
- Nerve Pain
- Soft tissues injuries
- Sports injuries
- Stress-related insomnia
- Upper back and neck pain
Massage therapy can be a powerful tool in taking charge of your health and wellness, whether you have a specific health concern or looking to achieve stress relief.
While the benefits of massage therapy are not guaranteed, we are certain you will leave your massage therapy session feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.
At Balance Massage and Wellness in Calgary, we are dedicated to sharing the benefits of massage and are eager to answer any questions you may have and create a custom treatment plan for your goals.
