The Benefits of Massage Therapy
Full body massages don’t always get the love they deserve. For some people, getting a massage is the only thing that keeps them from having a mental breakdown, and for others, it’s essentially paying for another person to rub your back or step on it. A massage can make you feel like an entirely new person after a week of problems and tensions at work, but the list of other benefits that you can get by getting at least an hour of a good rubdown is not usually talked about. So we talked to various massage specialists and asked them: what are the benefits of getting a proper massage that we don’t already know of?
Here are what they had to say.
It gets rid of postural stress:
Have you ever wondered how a simple massage rejuvenates your body? It’s because of postural stress from sitting down for long periods of time. Postural stress will usually manifest in the shoulder and/or the neck, which is why you often feel a “knot” or heaviness in those areas when you have been working long hours. However, it can also be felt in the lower back area when it’s gotten to the more advanced stages.
But don’t panic – a quick massage can counteract the negative effects of prolonged periods of sitting down, just be sure to have it regularly.
It’s an alternative treatment for chronic back pain:
If you are suffering from chronic back pain and there seems to be no treatment or medication that works for you, try getting into massage therapy. Studies show that massages can improve blood circulation, which is why a regular massage can help with chronic pain anywhere in the body.
It gets rid of constipation:
According to research, massage therapy can ease constipation better than laxatives. In one study, a number of people who suffer from constipation were divided into two groups. One group was given laxatives and the other was given regular massages over the course of eight weeks. After that, the group that received massage therapy happily reported that they were no longer having trouble with constipation.
It improves your quality of sleep:
Everyone knows that getting a massage can help you fall asleep, but what you don’t know is that it also helps improve your quality of sleep. If you are having trouble getting sound sleep at night, massages can help you with that. According to research, babies who regularly receive massages sleep more and cry less. If it works on infants who barely sleep at night, who’s to say it won’t work for you?
It soothes depression:
A massage is known to boost relaxation, which can greatly reduce stress levels. Stress is one of the many possible triggers of depression and anxiety, among other mental illnesses. Furthermore, a friendly human touch is always a good idea when helping our loved ones who are struggling.
It boosts your immunity:
This is one benefit that we had never heard of before writing this article, and we’re sure you’re as surprised as we were – in a good way. One study has shown that massage therapy improves immune function even for someone who has HIV, since it boosts the white blood cell count, which is significant in fighting off infections.
It gets rid of muscle soreness after an intense workout:
Are you suffering from soreness after your intense workouts at the gym? Get a quick massage on the muscle you are aching from. It boosts circulation and helps your muscles recover so much faster.
It lowers your blood pressure:
Massages have been reported to lower one’s blood pressure and keep it down in patients with hypertension for up to 72 hours afterwards.