Massage therapy dates back thousands of years, allowing massage therapists time to perfect their skills, increase their knowledge and enhance the whole experience for the massage recipient.

The long history of massage therapy has also allowed for researchers to identify the many health benefits of massage therapy. Now, besides the obvious benefits of massage – stress relief, relaxation, muscle tension relief – there are some pretty magnificent health benefits you can experience through massage therapy.

Massage therapy can help to decrease blood pressure, increase blood circulation and improve your range of motion. One major health benefit of massage therapy is the alleviation of pain, from athletes to those suffering from migraine headaches. Massage therapy can help to speed up the recovery process if you’ve had an injury, and massage can cause a release of endorphins – the body’s natural pain killer. Even if you’re experiencing discomfort during pregnancy, massage therapy can provide some pretty significant pain relief.

Reduced cramping, improved posture, increased joint flexibility; these are all health benefits of massage therapy. And while massage therapy is a physical treatment, there are also plenty of mental benefits of massage. Massage promotes mental alertness, relieves mental stress, reduces anxiety, improves motor skills and fosters a feeling of total well-being. And is it really surprising that a relaxing massage promotes deeper and easier breathing? Not only that, but this benefit of massage plays a part in enhancing the health and nourishment of your skin!

The following article from massagetherapy.com covers the basic benefits of massage therapy, and a few more massage benefits that we haven’t already identified. We invite you to learn more about the health – both physical and mental – benefits of massage therapy and how massage can help you feel and be your very best!

The Benefits Of Massage

What exactly are the benefits of receiving massage or bodywork treatments? Useful for all of the conditions listed below and more, massage can:

• Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
• Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.
• Ease medication dependence.
• Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body’s natural defense system.
• Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
• Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.
• Improve the condition of the body’s largest organ—the skin.
• Increase joint flexibility.
• Lessen depression and anxiety.
• Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.
• Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.
• Reduce post-surgery adhesions and swelling.
• Reduce spasms and cramping.
• Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.
• Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body’s natural painkiller.
• Relieve migraine pain.

A Powerful Ally

There’s no denying the power of bodywork. Regardless of the adjectives we assign to it (pampering, rejuvenating, therapeutic) or the reasons we seek it out (a luxurious treat, stress relief, pain management), massage therapy can be a powerful ally in your healthcare regimen.

Experts estimate that upwards of ninety percent of disease is stress related. And perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. While eliminating anxiety and pressure altogether in this fast-paced world may be idealistic, massage can, without a doubt, help manage stress. This translates into:

• Decreased anxiety.
• Enhanced sleep quality.
• Greater energy.
• Improved concentration.
• Increased circulation.
• Reduced fatigue.

Furthermore, clients often report a sense of perspective and clarity after receiving a massage. The emotional balance bodywork provides can often be just as vital and valuable as the more tangible physical benefits.

Profound Effects

In response to massage, specific physiological and chemical changes cascade throughout the body, with profound effects. Research shows that with massage:

• Arthritis sufferers note fewer aches and less stiffness and pain.
• Asthmatic children show better pulmonary function and increased peak air flow.
• Burn injury patients report reduced pain, itching, and anxiety.
• High blood pressure patients demonstrate lower diastolic blood pressure, anxiety, and stress hormones.
• Premenstrual syndrome sufferers have decreased water retention and cramping.
• Preterm infants have improved weight gain.

Research continues to show the enormous benefits of touch—which range from treating chronic diseases, neurological disorders, and injuries, to alleviating the tensions of modern lifestyles. Consequently, the medical community is actively embracing bodywork, and massage is becoming an integral part of hospice care and neonatal intensive care units. Many hospitals are also incorporating on-site massage practitioners and even spas to treat post-surgery or pain patients as part of the recovery process.

Increase the Benefits with Frequent Visits

Getting a massage can do you a world of good. And getting massage frequently can do even more. This is the beauty of bodywork. Taking part in this form of regularly scheduled self-care can play a huge part in how healthy you’ll be and how youthful you’ll remain with each passing year. Budgeting time and money for bodywork at consistent intervals is truly an investment in your health. And remember: just because massage feels like a pampering treat doesn’t mean it is any less therapeutic. Consider massage appointments a necessary piece of your health and wellness plan, and work with your practitioner to establish a treatment schedule that best meets your needs.

Massage is generally a very safe practice and has few serious risks – as long as it’s performed by a trained massage therapist. When you choose a massage therapist, only choose an expert. This will ensure you’re experiencing the health benefits of massage without being exposed to any additional risks. If you have any questions about whether or not massage therapy is right for you, you should speak to your doctor first. Please feel free to call the experts at the Spa at Richard Francis if you have any questions about how massage therapy can benefit you. We would love to walk you through the benefits of massage therapy specific to your situation.

You can also browse the massage treatments we offer at The Spa. In your quest for overall wellness and pain-free living, consider massage therapy as one of your options. There are many massage benefits that could help your body feel great, make your skin look beautiful, and help you achieve a better overall quality of life!