7 Medical Benefits of Massage

Scented candles and dim lighting are probably what you think massage therapy is all about. It sounds like the sort of thing that you would order for yourself if you had the time and money to spend most of your life at a fancy resort, right? Well, the truth is that massage therapy can be an incredibly practical tool that helps athletes, the aged, and anybody else to experience a fuller life directly linked to its benefits. If you’re curious what those might be, then you’ve come to the right place.

Improved Circulation

A massage helps to loosen up and soften tissue in specific areas, and this helps to increase blood flow to those areas. What’s the big deal about improving your circulation? For the aging, improved circulation helps your skin maintain its youthful look, and for the athlete it can mean faster repair time for damaged tissue often experienced during an intense training session.

Better Sleep

The improved circulation, as well as the calming effects of massage therapy, can help you get a better night’s sleep. Nothing makes you feel more relaxed than after someone’s kneaded the knots out of your muscles for an hour.

Counteracts Posture Problems

For individuals who sit and work in an office environment all day long, they muscle discomfort or fatigue especially on their back. The chances are good those feelings are rooted in reality since sitting for such long periods of time really isn’t good for the human body. Fortunately, massage can help work out any muscles that have been negatively affected by the improper all-day posture.

Decreases Muscle Pain

It may sound counterintuitive, but when you have muscle pain after a big game or the toughest run of your marathon career, a quality massage can help work out the buildup of lactic acid inside your sore muscles, giving you a satisfying relief after the job is done and leading to better muscle repair.

Boosts Immunity

It’s believed that the combination of other factors related to massage therapy can also help to boost your immune system. There is a strong agreement that it has to do with improved circulation, but it’s believed that massage can help specifically by increasing your white blood cell count, which means your body is that much more ready to take on infections when they happen.

Lessens Anxiety & Depression

The soothing sensation that a massage can give, as well as the improved physical state, can have a positive effect on your mental health. It’s commonly understood that physical and mental health are linked, and this is true even when it comes to massage and the physical benefits that it provides.

Relieves Headaches

If you get stress headaches, it is very likely you have tried several different ways to get rid of them. As is often the case, you may have had less than stellar results from your efforts. Once again, the combined benefits of massage therapy in helping to relieve stress and improve circulation can result in helping to relieve headaches as well.