Benefits of Regular Massage
How often do you lie down in a warm room with a blanket and soft music? The hectic pace and harsh expectations of our culture push us out of our bodies. We must make a conscious effort to reclaim our birthright of a whole and integrated being – body, mind and spirit.
The benefits of massage are cumulative and are enhanced by receiving massage on a regular basis, such as weekly, twice a month, or monthly, as often as the schedule and budget allow.
Studies have shown that massage at regular intervals is more beneficial to your overall health than receiving them only when you are in pain. As well, you will experience pain less often if you receive regular massage.
From birth, humans have the need for contact and nurturing. This need has come to be recognized as a basic need for the continued health and well-being of all humans, not just infants and children. Regular massage fulfills this need while providing a retreat from the “real world”.
Massage, like exercise, does more for you if you engage in it regularly. Even a monthly treatment can help maintain general health, and decrease the frequency that pain is felt.
Having your significant other rub your back is sweet, but nothing compares to the hands of a pro. A good massage therapist can make you feel like a new person.
Regular Massage and Muscle Pain/Discomfort
When afflicted with pain, even the simplest tasks can become huge challenges. Every muscle and nerve in the body is connected in some way. When you have a sore back or tight neck, or when you are constantly straining your eyes, the ripple effect can travel throughout the body, causing pain in places that you would not suspect could be affected.
Regular massage is especially effective for aches and pains (like low-back pain). It relaxes tight muscles, joints and ligaments, relieves muscle tension and stiffness, increases the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the muscles (and other tissues), which speeds recovery time, and releases endorphins – the body’s natural painkillers – and returns the body to a natural state of wellness.
Tight, sore muscles can throw off the body’s balance. Before long, muscles that were not initially an issue, begin to tense as they compensate for other parts of the body. This chain reaction spreads throughout the body, creating poor posture. Regular massage addresses the problem immediately, easing muscles and enabling the body to maintain a healthy posture.
Regular massage also increases flexibility and range of motion, allowing you to do the things that may now be restricted. It can also reduce the frequency of painful cramps and spasms if received on a regular basis.
Regular Massage and Injuries
By stimulating the skin and muscles, and increasing blood flow, regular massage promotes tissue regeneration and reduced scar tissue and stretch marks. If received in the early stages of an injury, it dramatically speeds healing time.
It can also be very effective in reducing pain associated with injuries (see above), and in reducing swelling and edema.
Regular Massage and Sleep
Massage promotes better sleep, as it increases delta waves in the brain (those associated with deep sleep). That is why it is so easy to drift off, while on the massage table. Regular massage can have major improvements in sleep patterns, by allowing the body and mind to relax more completely.
Regular Massage and the Immune System
Massage therapy helps ward off illness by boosting your body’s “natural killer cells”. These cells are the immune system’s first defense against invading illness.
Cortisol (the stress hormone) destroys natural killer cells. That is why you are more likely to catch a cold, when experiencing high levels of stress. Massage is proven to decrease levels of cortisol, and in turn, gives your immune system a boost!
These effects can even been seen in individuals with highly compromised immune systems, such as cancer patients.Massage also increases lymphatic flow, which speeds removal of wastes such as bacteria, viruses and toxins from the body. Increasing lymphatic flow aid the body in maintaining its natural defense system.
Regular Massage and Circulation
Massage is proven to reduce stress and improve blood flow. Increasing blood flow, increases the amount of oxygen and nutrients to the body, which aids in healing, and improved health of the entire body.
Increasing circulation improves blood flow, which enables the heart to pump the same amount of blood with less effort, which can lead to improved heart health.
Stress is a major contributor to high blood pressure, which can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure and/or kidney failure. Since regular massage decreases stress, by doing so, it also helps to decrease blood pressure.
Regular Massage and Respiratory Conditions
Regular massage can have a great impact on conditions such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma. It relaxes the muscles that restrict breathing, making it easier to take a deep breath, reduces mucus build up in the respiratory tract, and teaches deep breathing.
Regular Massage and Physical Stress
Whether it’s tight deadlines, relationship problems or a flat tire, we all face stressful situations everyday. It’s easy for the day’s stresses to add up, causing the mind to race and the muscles to tense. Regular massage puts both the mind and body at ease, reduces tight muscles, enables restorative relaxation, and helps the mind and body maintain a healthy state of well-being.
Short-term and long-term stress triggers changes in the body, which increases the likelihood of getting sick, raising the risk of serious conditions like heart disease and can make the problems we already have worse.
Regular Massage and Emotional Stress
In today’s fast-paced world, it is becoming very difficult to indulge in quiet reflection. Regular massage enables the mind to calm and slow down, which in turn, improves mood and feelings of well-being.
Massage has also been proven to improve the mind’s ability to monitor stress signals and respond appropriately, enhancing the capacity for calm thinking and creativity.
Regular Massage and Anxiety/Depression
Massage reduces cortisol (the stress hormone) and increases serotonin and dopamine, which leads to decreases stress, anxiety and depression. The feelings of well-being you acquire after receiving a massage also play a major role in the decrease of feelings of anxiety and depression.
Regular Massage and Self-Esteem
Because massage involves direct contact with another person through touch, it can make you feel cared for. That special attention can improve self-image, especially in people with physical disabilities and terminal illness.
Other Effects of Regular Massage
Receiving regular massage increases skin health by increasing circulation, sloughing off dead skin cells, improving the tone of the skin, and encouraging cell regeneration. This makes skin look and feel healthier!
Massage has been linked to improved attention and concentration and boosts in alertness.
Regular massage may also reduce symptoms of PMS, such as pain, water retention and mood swings.
Massage therapy can also reduce withdrawal symptoms in adults who are trying to quit smoking.