Is Massage Therapy Just for Relaxation?

Did you know that Massage Therapy has multiple benefits beyond relaxation and loosening tight muscles? Have you ever wondered what else can be treated with Massage Therapy?

Other than the obvious scenarios such as injuries, stress and muscle tension, there is actually a lot more to Massage Therapy than you may think. Let’s discuss a few of those situations as well as some benefits of massage that you wouldn’t expect.

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3 Unexpected Benefits of Massage Therapy:

• Boosts immune system

• Studies show that massage increases the activity of white blood cells which are cells that are responsible for defending the body against infectious disease and foreign invaders.

• Certain types of massage also boost your lymphatic system which is responsible for filtering and flushing toxins out of your blood (more on that later).

• Regulates sleep

• Studies show that through an increase in sleep hormones and a decrease in stress hormones, massage can help your sleep cycle regulate. This happens through the release of serotonin, also known as the “happy chemical”, which helps combat stress.

• Serotonin also releases a hormone called Melatonin, also known as the “sleep hormone”, which makes you feel tired and regulates your sleep patterns.

• Improves circulation

• Massage helps circulation simply through the pressure being applied by the techniques themselves which pushes blood through congested areas.

• Massage also releases a chemical called Histamine which helps increase the diameter of your blood vessels and decreases your blood pressure as a result.

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3 Unexpected Problems Treated by Massage:

• Diabetes

• Diabetes is a condition that involves blood sugar levels that are either too high or too low which can cause a variety of problems, some even fatal such as strokes, heart attacks and kidney failure. People with diabetes have problems with a hormone called insulin which helps you absorb glucose (sugar) into your blood which helps give you cells energy. For some, they will need to inject insulin into themselves.

• Studies show that massage helps regulate blood glucose levels and that when an insulin injection site is massaged, it can increase the effectiveness of the insulin.

• Headaches

• A lot of headaches are due to tension in the muscles in the neck and upper shoulders. When there is a lot of tension, there is referral pain from knots within the muscles that shoot into the head. Not only that but the tighter the muscles are, the more restriction there is on the blood vessels which decreases the amount of blood/oxygen getting to the brain.

• Stress also contributes to headaches and massage also decreases the stress hormone called Cortisol.

• Lymphedema

• This condition is when there is excessive swelling in one or more of your limbs. It is usually a result of the removal or dysfunction of lymph nodes due to cancer. Your lymphatic system is responsible for filtering and flushing out toxins from your blood.

• Lymphatic Drainage Massage is a massage technique that can boost your lymphatic system by promoting drainage of your lymph nodes through gentle directional pressure. Lymph nodes are sacs that hold lymph fluid which contains the toxins filtered from your blood.