Massage is one of the oldest healing traditions. Many cultures – including the Ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese and Indians – utilised the therapeutic properties of massage and used it to treat a variety of ailments.
Modern studies have shown regular massage support the immune system function and decrease stress-related hormones, that can lower immunity, which can be beneficial to your overall health. Researchers found that students who were stressed about an upcoming exam, had better immune system function and less anxiety when they received a massage. Women suffering from symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), such as irritability, headaches and anxiety, felt relief from regular massage sessions.
Massage is greatly beneficial for pain management. Pain gives you a signal – our body uses pain to tell us that it needs special attention and action is required. If ignored, the pressure point of the pain trigger can cause lockups, where our body tries to isolate areas from further problems, which can lead to more serious issues such as long-term immobility and degenerative diseases. Massage promotes healing and relieves muscular tension and immobility from problem areas. It rejuvenates sore muscles, lubricates and mobilises tight and locked up joints, breaking down and eliminating toxins, enhancing oxygenation of the brain and relaxing the nervous system and mind.
Massage helps eliminate harmful stress hormones (cortisol), and raise mood-elevating brain chemicals (serotonin) and dopamine levels, resulting in reduced stress, anxiety and depression. Clients who suffer from Insomnia are associated with a lack of serotonin.
Overall massage therapy promotes health across the entire body, either for medical or relaxation/stress reduction, or just pampering, feel good and special indulgence reasons.
Physical benefits of massage therapy:
- Relieve headache and migraine
- Relieve muscular tension, cramps, tight and stiff joint
- Relieve pain and discomfort on neck, shoulder, lower back, knee and leg.
- Reduce pain and discomfort including arthritis, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow and oedema
- Speed up recovery of injured soft tissue, such as muscles, tendons and ligaments.
- Relieve overuse injuries; carpal tunnel syndrome & tennis elbow.
- Increase muscle strength
- Increase blood circulation and lymph flow
- Strengthen immune system by increasing-disease fighting white blood cell
- Calm the nervous system
- Improve heart rate and blood pressure
- Reduce PMS symptoms including bloating, mood swings, water retention and pain
- Improve posture
- Increase joint mobility and flexibility
- Reduce sciatica pain – especially caused by a muscle spasm.
- Reduce discomfort during pregnancy
- Reduce inflammation or swelling
- Assist in relaxing the respiratory muscles, massage can improve lung capacity
- Assist the sports athlete with common sports injuries and help overworked muscles recover quickly and enhance athlete performance
- Assist in rehabilitation in post-operative
Mental and emotional benefits of massage therapy:
- Assist in stress management
- Assist in managing anxiety and depression
- Helps to ease mental distress that is caused by being in pain
- Provides a calming effect which assist in improving sleep patterns
- Improve mood and self confidence
- Increased alertness and ability to concentrate or focus
- Increase energy
- Produce feeling relaxation/special indulgence.