“I just feel so relaxed and calm all the time.” Says someone who isn’t you.
In fact, a whopping 75 percent of American adults report feeling moderate to high levels of stress in the last month alone!
With numbers like this, it’s likely that you have felt stressed recently and someone may have mentioned going to see a massage therapist.
Can a massage really relieve stress? Let’s find out and check out a host of other benefits of massage as well.
As you might imagine, visiting a massage therapist is excellent for reducing muscle tension. The physical act of manipulating the muscles and body tissues can loosen tight areas and relax the muscles.
If muscle tension is a primary concern, your massage therapist will choose deep tissue massage or Swedish massage to fully address the problem. They may also work with you on learning breathing techniques that will also help reduce tension and relieve stress.
Manipulating the muscles has another great effect, it can help get the blood flowing a little better. Blood flow is vital to your body’s processes. Among other things, it brings life-giving oxygen to all your cells.
Exercise is excellent for stimulating blood flow by getting the heart pumping and encouraging circulation. Being sedentary does the opposite. Sitting for long periods with poor posture can also cut off or reduce blood flow to certain organs or parts of the body.
The blood will still flow because your heart is pumping, but it won’t move around very vigorously. The movements of massage can help move the blood through your tissues and invigorate your cells.
It might even make you feel good enough to exercise, which will make you feel even better!
Your cardiovascular system has a pump, the heart, that ensures blood is always flowing. So even if it isn’t working well, it’s still working.
The lymphatic system, on the other hand, doesn’t benefit from its own pump. Instead, it relies on muscle movements to push lymph fluids through the system.
What is important about the lymphatic system?
The fluid carries toxins and waste out of the body. It doesn’t need a pump because you won’t die if it isn’t flowing, unlike with the blood. However, you won’t feel too good if the system is sluggish and toxins are building up.
Massaging the muscles helps push lymph fluid through the system, carrying toxins and waste out of the body.
Try to do the splits when you’re stiff and cold. It probably won’t work out too well for you.
Warm, relaxed muscles can stretch farther and do so with far less risk of tearing. Massage movements naturally create warmth, relaxing the muscles and relieving tension as we’ve already mentioned. This all works together to make your muscles more flexible.
Some athletes even turn to massage as a way to stay in top condition and keep improving. Releasing muscle tension helps muscles to be more relaxed and flexible.
Plus, better blood flow and lymphatic system movement help the body function better, contributing to better performance.
Massage can also help improve some kinds of pain, even chronic conditions. Improving blood flow, releasing muscle tension, easing pressure on your joints, and other benefits of massage all contribute.
Regular massage can even be effective as a pain management treatment for some people in place of medication. Definitely check into seeing a massage therapist if you’re trying to avoid taking opiates or other strong medication for pain.
It won’t be effective for all conditions and it may not provide complete relief, but reducing your dependence on medication, even a little, is helpful.
Having a hard time getting to sleep at night? The relaxing benefits of massage can help your body settle down and prepare itself for sleep.
What if you sleep all night, but don’t feel refreshed in the morning? This means that you’re not getting good quality sleep. Muscle tension, stress, anxiety, and other factors can contribute to this problem.
As we’ve already seen, massage therapy helps reduce those symptoms. Thus, it can help to promote a better night’s sleep as well.
We started out by mentioning that massage is good for stress relief. Multiple studies on the topic are finding mixed results. However, there does seem to be a link between regular massage and stress relief.
It probably has to do with many of the benefits that we’ve already mentioned. Reducing muscle tension and improving the body’s function can help reduce the impact of stress.
Of course, massage can’t make the cause of the stress go away, a likely reason for mixed results in studies. But it can be an effective method of managing that stress so it isn’t overwhelming.
Overall, reducing stress helps improve both your physical and mental health. Stress causes or exacerbates many problems including depression, anxiety, headaches, low libido, high blood pressure, and the list goes on.
In other words, if you want to feel better you should look for ways to feel less stressed.
Ready to try out getting a massage? Even if the benefits are underwhelming, what do you have to lose? An hour of time spend pampering yourself?
Looking for a massage therapist near you? We have several convenient locations in Richmond Hill, Peace River, and Grand Prairie. Contact us today to schedule your first appointment.
Still not sure if massage or physiotherapy treatment will help in your case? Sign up for one of our free taster sessions. This does not substitute for a clinical evaluation but does show you how our methods can help improve your symptoms.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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