How Can Massage Be Medically Beneficial?

Massage therapy helps you relax, re-align and rejuvenate. There are many positive aspects to receiving massage therapy on an ongoing basis, and with the busy lives we lead, we can all benefit from a little stress-management. The experienced, professional therapists at North Shore Remedial Massage provide exceptional care and will design an effective customized massage treatment to address your individual needs.

More people are turning to therapeutic massage treatment to provide relaxation, relieve tension associated with the daily stresses of their busy lives, or simply to help maintain good health and achieve a balanced lifestyle. Oh, and let's not forget how great it feels to be treated by a professional massage therapist.

There are so many healthy benefits to receiving massage therapy on a regular basis:

• Relieves Stress
• Encourages Relaxation
• Improves Posture
• Improves Circulation
• Relaxes Muscles
• Improves Flexibility and Range of Motion
• Relieves Tension-Related Headaches
• Strengthens the Immune System
• Improves Rehabilitation after Injury

Recent scientific research also proves that massage therapy strengthens immune system, decreases stress levels and reduces recovery time in many medical conditions including:

• Allergies
• Depression and Anxiety
• Arthritis
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Asthma and Bronchitis
• Circulatory Problems
• Insomnia
• Sports Injuries
• Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ)
• Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Musculo-Skeletal Disorders

Massage Therapy Relieves Stress

Stress management is a key component for anyone striving to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Massage therapy has been proven to be one of the most effective methods for achieving stress relief. Research studies show massage therapy actually boosts the body's immune system, which can become compromised from extended periods of stress.

Enrolling in a reputable massage therapy program leads to significantly increased energy levels, the reduction of nagging pains, and the improvement of our overall physical and mental performance.

Massage Therapy Encourages Relaxation

In today’s fast-paced world, our busy lifestyles can take a toll on our physical and mental well being. Allowing our bodies to relax and unwind is now more important than ever.

A therapeutic massage session provides the ultimate experience in relaxation. The lasting effects of massage can range from promoting relaxed states of mental alertness to enhancing our capacity for calm and creative thinking.

Through massage therapy, we become more aware of our daily stress levels. This allows us to recognize what true relaxation feels like so we can more easily recreate it for ourselves, before stress becomes chronic and damaging. Having this relief from stress increases our energy levels and vitality, as well as enhances our ability to cope with and enjoy our daily lives.

Massage Therapy Improves Posture

Allowing the body to reinforce healthy and natural movements can be one of the most beneficial aspects of massage therapy. Many aches and pains are due to poor posture. Whether we are driving, working at a desk, or even just standing still, poor posture can contribute to a number of physical aches and pains. Over time, these habits can cause increased body stress and breakdown.

With a consistent program of massage therapy, the painful points in muscles are loosened and relaxed, joints have greater freedom, and pressure points are relieved. This allows the body to position itself in a healthy and natural posture, therefore avoiding the movements and positions developed over time as a reaction to the pain.

Massage Therapy Improves Circulation

The long term effects of massage therapy are much more than just skin deep. Better circulation is part of the chain reaction that happens in the body as a result of receiving massage therapy on a regular basis.

A person with poor circulation can suffer from a variety of discomforts including pooling of the fluid in the extremities (like the toes), cold hands and feet, fatigue, and achiness created by an accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. Good circulation brings damaged, tense muscles the oxygen rich blood they need to heal.

Massage facilitates circulation because the pressure created by the massage technique actually moves blood through the congested areas. The release of this same pressure causes new blood to flow in. The squeezing and pulling also flushes lactic acid from the muscles and improves the circulation of the lymph fluid which carries metabolic waste away from muscles and internal organs, resulting in lower blood pressure and improved body function.

Improved circulation is just one more benefit of massage therapy. Combined with a balanced diet and regular exercise, massage can be the key to leading a healthier lifestyle.

Massage Therapy Relaxes Muscles

Not only do tense muscles cause knots and pain in their respective areas in the body, they can create a chain reaction that spreads, making the ability to reduce pain nearly impossible.

Massage plays an important role in training the body how to relax. Not only will massage therapy help relax internal muscles through deep tissue techniques; it can also help individuals become aware of their daily stress levels. Once the body recognizes what true relaxation feels like, the mind can then easily recreate it before stress becomes chronic and damaging. Having this relief from stress can enhance our ability to cope with and enjoy life.

With deep tissue massage, the massage therapist focuses on deeper tissue structures with intense pressure to release chronic muscle tension and ultimately relax the body.

Massage Therapy Improves Flexibility

As we age, our joints tighten and we lose the range of motion we once enjoyed in our youth. One of the main reasons we become less flexible as we get older has to do with certain changes that take place in our connective tissues. As we age, our bodies gradually loose fluid and dehydrate.

Massage therapy is an effective treatment for increasing and maintaining flexibility and motion. By working on muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, and joints, massage can stimulate the production and retention of our bodies' natural lubricants between the connective tissue fibers, making stretching and movement easier, and keeping the body flexible.

Massage Therapy Relieves Headaches

Massage has two roles when it comes to treating migraines and tension related headaches. In a proactive role, massage treatments are performed on a regular basis to help the body maintain an optimal level of relaxation and stress-relief. This approach reduces the chances of migraine attacks and tension headaches significantly by relaxing muscle spasms and trigger points. In a comfort role, massage is done to ease the pressure brought on during a migraine or tension related headache. By focusing on the neck, shoulders, and head, massage can decrease the pain and discomfort brought on by migraine or tension headache.

A recent study showed that people who got a massage on a regular basis experienced fewer migraines and slept better. Regular massage also increases serotonin levels. Serotonin is hormone that affects our mood, sleep and appetite.

Massage Therapy Strengthens the Immune System

Regular therapeutic massage sessions provide significant benefits beyond the immediate relaxation we enjoy. People who experience high levels of stress tend to get sick more than others. Combine stress with lack of sleep and poor nutrition, and our body’s ability to naturally protect itself against bacteria and infection is greatly reduced.

Numerous studies have indicated that massage can increase the immune system’s cytotoxic capacity (the activity level of the body’s natural "killer cells") and decrease the number of T-cells, which improves the body’s immune functioning overall.

Massage Therapy Improves Rehabilitation after Injury

Rehabilitating any injury can be a tiring and frustrating process. While the main goal of physical rehabilitation is to increase strength and flexibility, it often ends before the area has been returned to its full pre-injury state.

Massage plays an important role as a supplement to standard rehabilitation procedures. By increasing circulation and relaxing muscles, massage helps the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs. This allows the rehabilitating areas to become more flexible and heal at an accelerated rate.

Massage therapy is also used to aid in pain management as the injury is nursed back to full strength. By committing to a continual massage program, one can accelerate the healing process after injuries are sustained.

© North Shore Remedial Massage 2008