Benefits of Massage Therapy
Whether your back hurts from gardening in the yard, you’re stressed from work and your shoulders are so tight they are touching your ears, or your legs feel like they are going to fall off after training for that half marathon your buddies dared you to--whatever the reason, you need reprieve and results. Therapeutic massage is here to help. For centuries, different forms of massage have been used for self-care and the many health benefits that they induce. Massage therapy and bodywork nourishes the body and soul with calm, gentle touch. Stretching and nourishing the connective tissue to reduce pain, reducing stress, and helping signal the body’s own self-healing mechanisms are just a few ways massage can help heal the body. Read more below to find out more benefits.
How Massage Therapy helps you Heal:
Reduces Stress
Therapeutic massage can reduce stress by involving and balancing the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system. Studies have shown that massage can increase cardiac parasympathetic activity, resulting in lowered blood pressure and decreased heart rate, all signs that the body is responding to a reduction of stress1. It also reduces cortisol in the body. Cortisol is the fight-or-flight hormone, and when tested after massage via saliva test, cortisol is dramatically lower than the control group ,showing the stress reducing effects of massage2. In other words, when you leave, you’ll feel like you’re floating on a cloud, aka hella chill.
Orthopedic Pain and Rigid Muscles
Massage helps to stretch and nourish the muscles and connective tissues. This can be helpful for very tight or sore muscles. Massage helps to relieve the pain, move fluid and bring blood flow to the area, and decrease tightness. It helps to reduce soreness after exercise, helps prevent chronic tightness from improper body positioning, and can increase range of motion.3
Improves Sleep
By reducing cortisol and balancing the autonomic nervous system, therapeutic massage can also help improve sleep and reduce symptoms of insomnia. Many patients have said that they sleep better after receiving a massage and the severity of their insomnia decreases.4
Bolsters the Immune System
There is a direct correlation between chronic stress and pathologic immune response. By lowering stress levels, your immune system is able to regulate itself and perform its protective functions properly. In addition, therapeutic massage moves the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. The lymph in your body only cycles back if you move (ie. exercise or walking) or if you get it moved (ie. massage). Therefore, massage therapy benefits the immune system.
Aids in treating Digestive Disorders
One technique we offer is abdominal massage. This can be extremely beneficial in certain situations such as chronic constipation or dysbiosis. Abdominal massage can also be helpful for women’s health disorders including painful periods. Our digestive system is highly regulated based on our stress levels and by decreasing the stress levels, we see an impact on the digestive health.
Reduces Post Surgical Scarring & Pain
Healing from surgery can have its ups and downs. Generally speaking, and depending on the type of surgery, scars and post-surgical pain may be present. Therapeutic massage can help with softening hypertonic scarring and increasing sensation and circulation after surgery.
Sports Injuries
Sports can cause all types of injuries--torn ligaments, joint pain, muscle strains, and the list can go on. Massage therapy can benefit treating an injury after it happens and it can help prevent an injury from possibly taking place. By adding mechanical pressure, it can improve joint function and mobility, reduce muscle tension, and can improve circulation for better recovery.
Mental-emotional health
With massage we are moving away from a sympathetic response and moving into the parasympathetic state; we are able to regulate our nervous system and have improved mental-emotional health. As a modality, studies show that massage reduces stress and anxiety, can calm someone in an escalated emotional state, and be effective in improving our emotional state of being.
Areas of specialty vary with each practitioner. If you have any specific questions about whether massage therapy could benefit your health, please discuss any specifics with your provider.
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