Centuries of science and experimentation surround the healing power of touch, and today the field of therapeutic massage and bodywork accomplishes a tremendous range of treatments. True, massage is typically considered helpful for ailments involving the muscles and other structural components of the body, but there is a huge range of problems massage can be used to treat or soothe beyond back pain. Massage can enrich or improve most people’s lives in some way–here are a few unconventional benefits of massage therapy to consider:
Improves Circulation
Massage improves blood flow throughout the tissue and to organs. A 2014 study from the University of Illinois showed that massage has a systemic vascular response on the body, improving circulation for up to 72 hours!
Accelerates Detoxification
Your lymphatic system is constantly working hard, and you can help it out with a therapeutic massage! Your lymph system filters all the waste, toxins, and possible dangers in your body through a series of vessels that carry the contaminated fluid to the lymph nodes to be be purified. Massage can help move the drainage of your lymph towards the nodes, helping your body detox more quickly.
Helps Combat Anxiety and Depression
Massage therapy can help ease many mental and emotional problems by lowering the patient’s level of cortisol, a stress hormone linked to anxiety and depression disorders, by up to 30 percent. When cortisol drops, serotonin rises–patients typically experience an average boost of 28 percent in their serotonin levels after a 60 minute massage, improving their mood in the short and long term.
Improves Sleep
Further, serotonin production is crucial for the production of melatonin, a neurotransmitter that helps you feel sleepy and makes your sleep more restful and restorative. Massage assists the production of serotonin and therefore melatonin, and can fight insomnia and improve sleep quality.
Increases Immunity
If everyone at work has a nasty cold, maybe you should go in for a massage. Massage has been shown to increase levels of white blood cells and lymphocytes, which defend the body from disease or infection.
If you’re interested in any of the many benefits of therapeutic massage, contact us today! We offer on-site professional massage, as well as a host of other informational and service-based resources to help you and your family be your healthiest–naturally!
Schedule Your Appointment Today