Massage for Health
Having a soothing massage is often enough to help you leave your cares behind, unwind from a busy lifestyle, and relieve muscular tension associated with stress. Yet it’s worth knowing that the benefits of massage go further than this.
The connection between mind and body is now well known, and too much stress can bring on physical conditions such as headaches, digestive disorders, fibromyalgia, insomnia, and joint pain to name just a few. Regular massage can help relieve these stress related conditions, along with painful non-stress associated disorders such as arthritis or sports injuries. The term ‘massage therapy’ encompasses an array of different types and techniques, ranging from the popular ‘swedish massage’ to finger pressure ‘shiatsu massage,’ through to skilled deep tissue massage. This type of massage in particular, has been found to be most effective in treating painful and difficult to treat conditions such as osteoarthritis. In fact, a 2005 study in Consumer Reports magazine, found that 34,000 people rated deep tissue massage as more effective in relieving the pain of osteoarthritis than physical therapy, exercise, prescription medications, chiropractic, acupuncture, or over-the-counter drugs.
Yet whatever type of massage you opt for, or whatever your condition, massage therapy can only benefit your body. It will relieve joint or muscle pain, reduce blood pressure and lower heart rate, stimulate the release of the ‘feel good hormones’ endorphins, improve circulation and posture, strengthen the immune system, and generally promote well being. And you can’t say better than that!