More Than Just Stress Relief: The Most Surprising Benefits of Massage
When people get anxious or really stressed out, one of the things they do to relax and wind down is to get a good body massage. All the rubbing and muscle kneading tends to help soothe and calm the muscles which tend to tense up when you’re stressed and anxious. As a result, massage therapy has been greatly associated with psychological ailments as of late.
However, studies show that a good massage can do more for your health than many would expect. What are these other health benefits that you might want to take advantage of? Here are a few examples:
Massages can help with pain management.
If you’ll think about it, it’s both expected and surprising to learn that massage therapy can help with pain management. Surprising because some people find the process in itself quite painful. Expected because it does help relieve sore spots and relax tense muscles so it might really do something for pain.
Studies suggest, however, that there are several ways how massages can help with pain management. Aside from easing anxiety which is known to intensify pain sensations, they’re also said to help “close the pain gates”.
Research says that by massaging certain body parts, competing nerve fibers are stimulated which can then prevent the transmission of pain messages to the brain. It basically tricks the body not to send the signals to the brain for it to interpret pain sensations as what they are. Because of this, you won’t really feel pain after a body massage.
With this, massage therapy is recommended to those who suffer from chronic pain illnesses like arthritis, disc problems, and fibromyalgia. It’s also said to be helpful with PMS and the pains that come with the condition.
Another way how massage works as a pain reliever is through its ability to reduce muscular inflammation. By applying the right amount of pressure on sore muscles, it can help it loosen up and relax for quicker healing. This is also the very reason why massage therapy is essential when recovering from exercise.
Massages can help you look younger.
Those who are looking for the fountain of youth might not look farther than their favorite masseuse. It might be hard to believe for some but facial massages are said to help make you look youthful. Some even go as far as promising to help you look up to ten years younger!
While the said claim sounds quite preposterous, experts say that massages might really be able to help you look younger than your age. How? Since massages stimulate blood circulation, it helps get more blood flow to the surface of your skin.
This helps the skin to work as it used to before aging affected its elasticity. As a result, it plumps the skin and livens up dull complexion which helps give you a youthful glow.
Massages are said to help side effects of cancer treatments.
It might seem like cancer and massage are worlds apart but considering the close link the latter has on pain relief and stress, it’s easy to see how the two are connected. Since cancer treatments typically come with nausea, pain, stress, and depression, massage therapy can easily help patients manage the discomfort the strenuous process causes.
One study shows that massage therapy helps reduce the symptoms and side effects of cancer treatments. Because of this, it’s believed that regular massage sessions will help improve a patient’s quality of life while struggling with the treatment process.
Massages can help lung function of kids with asthma.
Studies also found out that massage therapy can prove to be beneficial for young children with asthma. The technique is actually used traditionally in China and has been scientifically studied for effectiveness by Chinese researchers.
According to their findings, the right massage techniques help relax vital respiratory muscles which then allows the lungs to open up more freely. It also helps improve pulmonary function which lessens the effect of the condition. Some experts also say that because massage therapy helps fight stress, it also helps prevent asthma attacks.
Massage Therapy and Stress
Stress might not seem like much at first glance but it really has a large negative impact on your health. This is why it’s crucial that you find ways to deal with and fight against it in order to keep yourself in top shape.
Massage therapy is one of the best ways to deal with stress. And with all of the other benefits it comes with, it’s definitely worth a shot. However, make sure to only trust reliable experts when getting a massage, like the folks at Massage Envy. As massages also come with risks, you should never compromise your safety when there are perfectly capable experts ready to help you out.
