The connection between living a healthy life and managing stress has been established. In a busy world, both our physical and mental well-being can suffer as a result of chronic stress. A study by the University of South Carolina found that individuals who received regular massages experienced significantly positive changes in anxiety, depression, positive well-being, vitality, general health and perceived stress.

Massage therapy boosts the body’s immune system and allows the body to unwind. When experiencing true relaxation, it is possible for us to recognize the indicators of stress in our lives and to manage them before they do damage to our bodies. It increases energy levels and vitality, enabling us to lead healthier and less-stressful lives.

Benefits:

• Increases Endorphins
• Lowers Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
• Relaxes Muscles
• Increases Positive Mental Outlook/Attitude
• Decreases Perceived Stress

Pain can cause us to have poor posture, which often leads to more pain in a vicious circle. Sitting at a desk, working on a computer, driving a vehicle, or sitting and standing for extended periods of time can create areas of pain and tension in the body, distorting our posture and movement.

Massage therapy helps to release physical and emotional tensions, loosening and relaxing muscles to reposition the body in a healthy way. Joints will have greater freedom and pressure points are relieved as circulation is enhanced throughout the tissue of the body. Once that pain is relieved and joint movement is increased, body posture is improved which helps to alleviate future pain and stiffness.

Benefits:

• Relaxes and Loosens Muscles
• Increases Joint Freedom
• Relieves Pressure Points
• Enhances Circulation in Tissue

The circulatory system moves both blood and lymphatic fluids throughout the body. As the fluids flow, they deliver essential nutrients to cells in the body to help fight disease and stabilize temperature and pH. Poor circulation can lead to the pooling of fluid in extremities (like the feet and toes), cold hands and feet, fatigue and achiness. The gentle pressure of massage helps to move blood through congested areas and allows new blood to move in. It also helps flush lactic acid away from the muscles, relieving achiness and moves lymphatic fluids to carry metabolic waste away from muscles and internal organs. Regular leg massage can help in the prevention of varicose veins.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the narrowness of your arteries. Often there are no symptoms to indicate hypertension and it can affect both men and women at any age. According to the Mayo clinic, in 90 to 95 percent of cases there is no identifiable cause but a healthy, active lifestyle can help to lower blood pressure. Massage eases muscle tension to enable greater mobility and promote relaxation to reduce stress levels and consequently help control both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Benefits:

• Enhances Blood Flow
• Lowers Blood Pressure
• Eases Congestion in the Circulatory System
• Relieves Achiness from Lactic Acid Buildup
• Moves Metabolic Waste Away from Muscles and Internal Organs
• Increases Mobility
• Promotes Relaxation for Stress-Reduction

All too many people live with pain in their lives on a daily basis. Massage therapy can ease both chronic and acute pain on multiple levels. Starting from the external, outer mechanism of the pain and moving in to the primary root cause, massage therapy use a holistic approach to increase awareness of the body and ease pain. The outer pain is reduced with easing muscle tension while activating nerve receptor signals to temporarily block chronic pain signals from reaching the brain. In the process, endorphins (the body’s natural pain killers) are released into the brain and nervous system.

Massage therapy has been shown to decrease fibromyalgia pain and facilitate better sleep. A gentle massage that also incorporates gentle stretching and relaxation can help to raise natural chemicals in the body to reduce pain and fatigue. Individuals dealing with arthritis can also find relief through massage therapy, as shown in a 2006 Yale study. It can help to reduce swelling and inflammation in the joints and help to improve quality of life.

Benefits:

• Increases Circulation
• Increases Flexibility and Mobility
• Decreases Pain and Inflammation
• Decreases Anxiety
• Enhances Sleep Quality
• Reduces Fatigue
• Improves Concentration
• Releases Endorphins for a Natural Pain Killer

Buildup of lactic acid and other metabolic waste creates stiffness in muscles. Tissue hardening decreases flexibility and increases the chance for injury. Massage therapy increases the flow of blood and lymphatic fluids throughout the body to carry away lactic acid and metabolic waste, carrying nutrient filled oxygen rich blood to aid in muscle recovery and decrease muscle injury and fatigue. Improved tissue elasticity from the movement of fluids increases flexibility and range of motion.

While stretching helps to lengthen muscles, massage therapy works on muscles, ligaments, tendons, connective tissue and joints which results in the stretching of the sheath and fascia which connect all around the muscle and reduces tension and pressure build-up. This helps both with sports-related injuries and stiffness as well as the stiffness that is often a result of aging. Additionally, massage therapy can assist in recovery from injuries by breaking down and reducing scar tissue, decreasing the change of re-injury.

Benefits:

• Increases Blood and Lymphatic Flow
• Reduces Muscle Cramps and Spasms
• Relieves Myofascial Trigger Points and Neuromuscular Trigger Points
• Reduces Adhesions and Enhances Collagen Remodeling During Healing Cycle
• Decreases Muscle Recovery Time
• Reduces Pain from Joint Stiffness
• Can Enhance Athletic Performance
• Helps Prevent Injuries

Massage therapy aids in relaxation, stress-relief and can ease tension carried in the muscles of the neck, shoulders, and head. Not only does massage ease muscle tension, but the therapy increases blood flow to the affected areas. With 45 million Americans suffering from chronic headaches, a 1996 study by the Association for Health Services Research found the cost of migraines alone to be overwhelming. Only 1 in 5 sufferers typically seek medical help but time off work and reduced productivity brought the cost of migraines in the US to over $14 billion a year.

Regular massage therapy can help a person to manage stress and maintain a level of relaxation to reduce the chance of headaches. Additionally, massage can reduce muscle spasms and ease trigger points when a headache is already in progress.

Benefits:

• Increases Blood Flow
• Eases Muscle and Trigger Point Tension
• Decreases Occurences of Headaches and Distress Symptoms
• Enhances Sleep Quality
• Boosts Serotonin Levels to Help Regulate Mood, Appetite and Sleep

Frequent and regular massage sessions have been proven in multiple studies to boost levels of natural killer cells that fight viral and cancer cells within the body. These killer and helper cells are used to gauge the body’s ability to fight off infections and diseases and the increase was shown across various age groups, correlating to the regularity of massage given to participants in the studies.

In addition to raising levels of killer and helper cells, massage was shown in studies to lower cortisol levels. Cortisol is a natural, necessary body hormone but an excessive amount of cortisol in the body has a negative effect on the immune system, weakening it. Whether you have a compromised immune system or simply wish to ward off seasonal viruses, massage therapy can help you to be a healthier you!

Benefits:

• Increases Natural Killer and Helper Cell Counts
• Decreases Cortisol Levels
• Assists in Fighting Bacteria and Infections
• Increases Blood Flow to Carry Nutrients Throughout the Body

Physical rehabilitation after an operation or injury is focused on regaining strength and flexibility. Coupled with massage therapy, which moves blood through affected tissue and helps to break down scar tissue, even greater effects can be obtained. Increased circulation brings more oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to tissue and organs and massage relaxes muscles and helps joints to become more flexible and healthy.

A Department of Veterans Affairs study concluded that patients whose post-operative care included massage reported decreases in pain intensity, pain unpleasantness and anxiety compared with patients whose post-operative care lacked massage. The physical and psychological benefits work together to increase a person’s sense of well-being as well as aid in rehabilitation.

Benefits:

• Increases Circulation
• Eases Muscle Tension
• Assists in Breaking Down Scar Tissue
• Decreases Pain Intensity, Unpleasantness and Anxiety
• Promotes Relaxation and a Sense of Well-Being

Human contact is essential from birth and throughout life. Massage therapy provides direct contact through touch and can make a person feel cared for. Whether a person has a physical disability, eating disorder or terminal illness, the calm, reassuring and nonjudgmental touch of massage can help to increase feelings of self-worth and foster acceptance of the body as it is.

While the physical benefits of massage include increased flexibility and the easing of pain, the emotional and psychological benefits are a sense of well-being and an increase of serotonin and dopamine, the positive hormones.

Benefits:

• Increases Serotonin and Dopamine Levels
• Fosters Self-Acceptance
• Provides Connection to Another Person
• Lowers Cortisol Levels
• Conveys Caring