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What exactly are
the benefits of receiving massage or bodywork treatments? Useful for all of
the conditions listed below and more,
massage can:
• Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
• Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten
maternity hospital stays.
• Ease medication dependence.
• Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body’s natural defense
system.
• Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
• Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous
workouts.
• Improve the condition of the body’s largest organ—the skin.
• Increase joint flexibility.
• Lessen depression and anxiety.
• Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.
• Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving
circulation.
• Reduce post surgery adhesions and swelling.
• Reduce spasms and cramping.
• Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.
• Release endorphins—the body’s natural painkiller.
• Relieve migraine pain. |
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 There’s no
denying the power of bodywork. Regardless of the adjectives we assign to it
(pampering, rejuvenating, therapeutic) or the reasons we seek it out (a
luxurious treat, stress relief, pain management), massage therapy can be a
powerful ally in your healthcare regimen. The incredible benefits of massage
are doubly powerful if taken in regular “doses.” Professionals at the Touch
Research Institute at the University of Miami explain the more massage you
get, the greater benefits you reap. Here’s why:
Experts estimate that upwards of ninety percent of disease is stress
related. And perhaps
nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. While
eliminating anxiety and pressure altogether in this fast-paced world may be
idealistic, massage can, without a doubt, help manage stress. This
translates into:
• Decreased anxiety.
• Enhanced sleep quality.
• Greater energy.
• Improved concentration.
• Increased circulation.
• Reduced fatigue.
Furthermore, clients often report a sense of perspective and clarity after
receiving a massage. The emotional balance bodywork provides can often be
just as vital and valuable as the more tangible physical benefits. |
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 Here’s the beauty of
bodywork: its benefits are compounded when massage is utilized as a frequent
therapy. The more you get, the more it does. Taking part in this form of
regularly-scheduled self-care can play a huge part in how healthy you’ll be
and how youthful you’ll remain with each passing year. Budgeting time and
money for bodywork at consistent intervals is truly an investment in your
health. And remember: just because
massage feels like a pampering treat doesn’t mean it is any less
therapeutic. Consider massage appointments a necessary piece of your health
and wellness plan, and work with your practitioner to establish a treatment
schedule that best meets your needs. |
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In response to massage,
specific physiological and chemical changes cascade throughout he
body, with profound effects. Research shows that with massage:
• Arthritis sufferers note fewer aches and less stiffness and pain.
• Asthmatic children show better pulmonary function and increased peak air
flow.
• Burn injury patients report reduced pain, itching, and anxiety.
• High blood pressure patients demonstrate lower diastolic blood pressure,
anxiety, and
stress hormones.
• Premenstrual syndrome sufferers have decreased water retention and
cramping.
• Preterm infants have improved weight gain.
Research continues to show the enormous
benefits of touch—which range from treating chronic diseases, neurological
disorders, and injuries, to alleviating the tensions of modern lifestyles.
Consequently, the medical community is actively embracing bodywork, and
massage is becoming an integral part of hospice care and neonatal intensive
care units. Many hospitals are also incorporating on-site massage
practitioners and even spas to treat post surgery or pain patients as part
of the recovery process. |
