Massage Benefits

Benefits of Massage Therapy

  There are many benefits to regular massage therapy – the most known are stress reduction, relaxation and pain management.

According to a story released by AMTA in October 2007, 30% of all people who received a massage in the last five years did so for medical reasons, compared to 22% for relaxation purposes and 13% for a simple indulgence. Those who sought massage therapy for medical reasons said that massage helped with pain management, injury recovery, soreness, general wellness and control of headaches or migraines.  Nearly one in five people participating in the AMTA-sponsored survey said they discussed massage therapy with their doctors or healthcare providers. 58% of those who discussed it with their doctors said their doctors had either “strongly recommended” or “encouraged” the use of massage. A scholarly review of scientific studies published in the July 2007 issue of Evidence Based Complementary Medicine has shown that professional massage therapy can be more effective than some other therapies in managing certain types of pain, particularly lower back pain, shoulder complaints and headaches.

To read the rest of the survey findings, here is the link to the AMTA website: http://www.amtamassage.org/media/consumersurvey_factsheet.html

  Here are some of the benefits of massage you may not be aware of:

·                     Boosts the immune response

·                     Compliments most medical treatments

·                     Decreases stress and anxiety levels

·                     Enhances sleep quality

·                     Injured tissue heals faster

·                     Improves digestion

·                     Increase range of motion and promotes greater joint flexibility

·                     Lowers blood pressure

·                     Increases oxygen intake due to deeper and easier breathing

·                     Increases circulation

·                     Flushes harmful toxins from the body

  Massage is also beneficial for the treatment of the following conditions:

• Arthritis

• Fibromyalgia

• TMJ Disorder

• Migraines

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• Carpal Tunnel

• Plantar Fasciitis

• Stress, Tension, Aches and Pains

  Skilled therapeutic touch may be one of the most cost-effective means of preventive health care available today — a valuable tool in a time of skyrocketing health care costs — Darren Buford, Managing Editor, Massage & Bodywork magazine.