Physical benefits of Massage
For most patients, massage therapy is an important part of specific medical treatment plans to help them return to daily activities. For example, massage therapy is helpful after joint replacement surgery or injury.
Physical benefits of massage include:
Improved circulation
Decreased muscle stiffness
Decreased joint inflammation
Better quality of sleep
Quicker recovery between workouts
Improved flexibility
Less pain and soreness
Strengthened immune response
Mental benefits
Massage also has many mental health benefits. Even people who are focused on the physical benefits say they feel less stressed after getting a massage.
Other mental benefits include:
Lower stress levels
Improved relaxation
Improved mood
Decreased anxiety
More energy
Increase feeling of wellness
After a massage
It's common to feel relaxed, tired or even sore after a massage. This is because your muscles are being worked by the massage therapist. After a massage, it may feel like you completed a workout. It is possible to experience a headache or nausea after a massage. I will always advise you drink plenty of water to help flush out the toxins following your massage.
Some people think that massage must hurt to help. But a massage doesn't need to be painful to be effective.
If your massage therapist is pushing too hard, ask for lighter pressure. Occasionally you may have a sensitive spot in a muscle that feels like a knot. It's likely to be uncomfortable while your massage therapist works it out. But if it becomes painful, let me know.
Sure massage, it can help you relax — but massage therapy can do much more than that.
1. It can counteract all that sitting you do
Most individuals are dealing with some kind of postural stress. More often than not that stress tends to manifest in the shoulders and neck. But desk workers, beware. More advanced forms of postural stress show up as pain or weakness in the low back and glutes caused by prolonged periods of sitting.
And considering the benefits of massage therapy a quite unexpected, luckily, massage can counteract the imbalance caused from sitting. This means you can keep your desk job as long, as you schedule a regular massage.
2. It eases muscle pain
Got sore muscles? Massage therapy can help. Massage increases and improves circulation. Just like rubbing your elbow when you knock it on a table helps to relieve the pain..
3. It soothes anxiety and depression
Human touch, in a context that is safe, friendly and professional, can be incredibly therapeutic and relaxing.
And, a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, found that patients who were depressed and anxious were much more relaxed and happy, and had reduced stress levels after massage.
4. It improves sleep
Not only do benefits of massage encourage a restful sleep, it also helps those who can’t otherwise comfortably rest. Massage promotes relaxation and sleep in those undergoing chemo or radiation therapy. Also, massages help infants sleep more, cry less and be less stressed.
5. It boosts immunity
A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that massage boosts patients’ white blood cell count, which plays a large role in defending the body from disease.
6. It relieves headaches
Next time a headache hits, try booking a massage. Massage decreases frequency and severity of tension headaches. Research from Granada University in Spain found that a single session of massage therapy immediately effects perceived pain in patients with chronic tension headaches.
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