Physical and Mental Health Benefits of Massage
Many people know that regular massages are excellent ways to promote relaxation and to help with muscle soreness. But did you know that massage therapy can also have a positive effect on your mental health too? That’s right, many physical and mental health problems are positively impacted by massage including stress, anxiety, depression, immune function, and more!
What is Massage Therapy?
Massages are an incredibly rewarding part of anyone’s wellness or preventative care routine. They help promote healing in the body through a range of circular, lengthening, and kneading rubbing along the soft tissues in the body. This can include focus on the different muscles, connective tissues, tendons, ligaments, or joints.
There are many types of massage. All of them focus on a different aspect of healing or relaxation and use slightly varied techniques. A registered massage therapist knows how to use these different techniques in tandem to help heal different ailments. To learn more about the different types of massage and their unique benefits, visit our services page.
Because there are so many different types of massages, it’s key to choose the right one for your ailment. The right massage can help:
Relieve Stress
Stress is an unavoidable part of modern life and there are many ways our body responds to stress. For some people, stress causes physical pain as well as mental distress. They can experience muscle and joint soreness, tension headaches, and inflammation as a result of stress. This is typically caused by a build up the hormone cortisol. Massage therapy helps reduce stress by promoting relaxation, relieving muscle tension, and stimulating the nervous system to produce more ‘feel good’ hormones.
Alleviate Anxiety and Depression
Anxiety and depression are fast becoming the most common mental health condition people face today. Both of these are caused by an imbalance of hormones in the body. Similar to stress, massage therapy helps reduce anxiety and depression by promoting the stimulation of ‘feel good’ hormones in the body.
Helps Prevent Injury
Massages are an excellent way for you to relieve your everyday aches and pains and to help with muscle tension and soreness. But you can also use massage as an effective way to prevent injuries. Massages help improve blood flow, remove muscle tension, and even help improve flexibility. More than that, a massage from a registered massage therapist can help you identify and protect problem areas.
Many people suffer from aches and pains but rather than doing something about the pain they simply work through it. If you continue to strain an already sore or damaged part of your body you are more likely to cause injury. A massage therapist can help you identify and react to potential issues to prevent further or future injury.
Promotes Healing Following an Injury
Massage isn’t just a great way to prevent injury, it will also help you heal following injury or even surgery. Different injuries or surgeries can alter the way your muscles and joints move. Massage is fast becoming a preferred method to help people regain their full range of motion post injury or post surgery. The American Massage Therapy Association finds that many people will deal with “post-surgical pain, scarring, and other common physical and emotional issues.” These can be alleviated with the help of regular massages.
Aids Those with Insomnia
Lack of sleep can have a profound effect on both your mental and physical health. When you can’t sleep your muscles become sore, you can’t focus, and you’re irritable. Many of us have a hard time falling asleep because we are stressed and tense. Fortunately, a relaxing massage can help alleviate any muscle tension and promote relaxation. Once you’ve finished you’re going to be relaxed in mind and body, helping you fall asleep
Lower Blood Pressure and Promote Circulation
While not specifically mental health, massage can also benefit your blood pressure by reducing your heart rate. In a clinical trial a group of people received a Swedish massage three times a week for a total of ten sessions. Researchers found that this caused a significant reduction in blood pressure in the days following the massages. Elevated blood pressure is the cause and symptom of many physical and health conditions.
Massage benefits many areas of both your physical and mental health. If you want to focus on any of these, or other mental health conditions speak with your massage therapist. They can help create a treatment plan specifically to promote your wellness in all areas of your life. At Therapeutic, massage therapists are ready to begin helping you feel your best mentally and physically. Give us a call to get started!
