The Benefits of Massage

Human beings are tactile creatures; not only do we crave touch, we need it in order to survive and thrive. Massage as a healing practice has been around for thousands of years. Virtually every culture on Earth uses massage in some form or another to facilitate the healing process. In our Western culture, massage is often considered a luxury: a once-a-year treat for special occasions or the ultimate in pampering. But is it so much more than that!

As we re-discover massage therapy, it is becoming an accepted treatment option in physical rehabilitation and medical doctors are finding it to be a useful tool in managing chronic conditions such as arthritis, high blood pressure, depression and more. In addition to finding massage therapists in spas, you may also discover them working in conjunction with chiropractors, physical therapists, and even your local hospital.

Massage can:
·    Help alleviate pain
·    Help expectant mothers shorten and ease labor
·    Stimulate the body’s lymph system, increasing immunity
·    Increase joint flexibility
·    Lessen stress, depression and anxiety
·    Reduce and relieve migraine pain
·    Improve circulation
·    Relax and soften tired, over-used muscles

Today’s Western culture is built on stress. We are always rushing to work, to school, to here, to there. We have short deadlines that require us to work long hours, and what little vacation we take we find ourselves checking in with the office. The human body was designed to deal with short bursts of stress in order to get us out of immediate danger. This is called the “fight or flight” mode. Our modern society keeps up in a near-constant state of fighting or fleeing, and our bodies simply cannot handle it. So many of our illness and diseases are directly related to the fact our bodies are over-taxed. Massage helps bring us from “fight or flight” to “rest and digest.” It gives our bodies time to reset and heal so they are better equipped to handle what life throws at us.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of massage, the American Massage Therapy Association has an informative Research page that can give you more information and statistics.

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Sources:
  http://muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/harlow.htm
  http://www.massagetherapy.com/learnmore/benefits.php
  http://www.massagetherapy.com/articles/index.php/article_id/796/The-Visible-Effects-of-Stress