There’s nothing better than a good massage to alleviate stress and relieve muscle pain. Not only for general relief, massage therapy is beneficial for those suffering from specific health issues and diseases such as cancer, digestive problems, and heart diseases among others.
What is Massage Therapy?
Massage therapy involves techniques, movements and pressing different pressure points to manipulate soft tissues and muscles in the body with an aim to relieve stress and tension and reducing different pains and aches.
Benefits of Regular Massage Therapy
Reduces Anxiety and Stress – A good massage has a soothing effect on your nervous system. Our nervous system is of two types- Sympathetic nervous system and Parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the’ fight and flight’ response system in stressful situations while the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for our day-to-day responses that leads to a feeling of calm and relaxes the body. A massage increases the parasympathetic response, thus relieving stress.
Reduces Aches and Muscle Tension – A massage is very useful in treating back pain, knee pain, neck pain, and headache. Although the results may be short-term, research has shown that a 60-minute daily massage has much better results.
Improves Immunity – Studies show that regular massage helps increase white blood cells in your body, that are responsible for fighting infections. This results in a boost in the overall immunity of the body.
Improves Sleep Quality – Regular massage increases levels of dopamine, serotonin and neurotransmitters that significantly stabilizes our mood. It also helps decrease cortisol (the stress hormone) and thus helps one get sound sleep and wake up fresh.
Reduces Symptoms of Fibromyalgia – Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness that causes fatigue and joint pain. Regular massage helps reduce these symptoms significantly.
Conclusion
Consult a professional massage therapist for any specific health issue as they use a combination of techniques that will work best for you. These massages will not only help relieve pain but also address many other concerns.
