Many people think of massage as a luxury but massage therapy is beneficial across the healthcare spectrum from mental health to athletic performance to healing after an injury or surgery. Here are 10 reasons you should consider adding massage to your health journey.
- Pain reduction. Massage can reduce acute and chronic joint pain (Just ask someone with arthritis or sciatica.)
- Reduce stress. A massage can help lower daily stress and can help with other related conditions, such as high blood pressure. If you lead a busy stressful life, incorporate massage into your routine and you’ll quickly feel a difference.
- Headache relief. A massage can help reduce tension headaches, mitigate migraine pain, and prevent future headaches.
- Increase flexibility. A massage improves tissue elasticity. Without a massage joints and tendons will feel stiff and are more prone to injuries. (If you forget to stretch before exercising, you’ll know this is true.)
- Improve sleep. Massage can relax your body and mind, which can help you get some much-needed sleep. Give it a try if you have insomnia or irregular sleep patterns.
- Boost immunity. Regular sessions will increase the production of killer T cells, which help our body combat viruses.
- Sharpen focus. A good massage will lower your heart rate and slow your nervous system down, allowing you to focus and pay attention better than before. People diagnosed with ADHD can also benefit from massage therapy.
- Enhance athletic performance. A massage can increase the healing and recovery of muscles, tendons, and joints.
- Reduce depression and anxiety. Massage is a mood stabilizer. Gentle touch can release balancing hormones in your body, including serotonin (the happy chemical)
- Lessen post-operative pain. After surgery, massage ensures better blood and oxygen flow, helping the body heal faster. Studies show that massage not only helps you deal with pain but also helps reduce pain.
Live Life To The Fullest
Living a full and productive life has its perks but it can also come with a few drawbacks, like poor posture, muscle pain and increased stress, fortunately there are all things that massage therapy can successfully address.
When you are in between your whole body massage sessions, here are a few places in your body that you can easily self massage:
- Face: This feels good if you have a tension headache or simply feel stressed. Use your fingertips to lightly draw little circles along your hairline, cheekbones, above your eyebrows, and where your jaw connects, Gently rub your earlobes between your fingertips.
- Hands & Forearms: Relax one arm, palm up, on top of your thigh. Push the heel of your other palm slowly along the forearm in the direction of your wrist. Use enough pressure to feel some heat. Do the same thing across your open palm all the way down toward your fingertips, and again over the mound of your thumb. Repeat a few times, and switch hands.
- Neck & Shoulders: Slouching forward over a computer or phone can make shoulder and neck muscles tight. Relax and drop your shoulders so they’re not hunched up by your ears, and slowly tuck your chin to your chest to stretch your neck. Place two or three fingertips on the back of your neck where your neck and shoulders meet. Press firmly and hold, releasing when the muscle feels more relaxed. Roll your shoulders forward and back slowly. Repeat if needed.
- Lower Back: Place a tennis ball on the floor and lie on it or position it between your back and the wall. Move your body slowly up and down and side to side so that the ball massages any areas of muscle tightness (avoid your spine to prevent injury). Press hard enough to squish the ball a little but not so hard that you’re feeling pain. Just a few minutes of rolling is sufficient. You don’t want to overdo it and aggravate already irritated tissues.
As you can see, massage therapy is an essential part of your health care and it is easy to incorporate into your life:). Whenever you feel sore or need to de-stress, give yourself some TLC with these mini massages,
When you need a whole body massage, reach out and I am happy to help you to stay pain free and able to live your life to its fullest!
Christy Wilkins
Massate Therapist
