Benefits of Massage & Medical Massage

Massage can treat a variety of conditions:

Leg & Knee Pain, Fibromyalgia, Muscle Spasm, Tendonitis, Repetitive Strain Injuries, Disc Bulge Pain, Disc Herniation Pain, Pinched Nerve Pain, Headaches, Migraines, TMJ, Neck Pain, Rotator Cuff / Shoulder Pain, Back Pain, Tennis Elbow / Golf Elbow, Sciatica Pain (Buttock & Leg), Bursitis

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The Benefits Of Massage
What exactly are the benefits of receiving massage or bodywork treatments? Useful for all of the conditions listed below and more, massage can:

 

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• Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.

• Alleviate pain and improve range of motion.

• Ease medication dependence.

• Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body's natural defense system.

• Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.

• Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.

• Improve the condition of the body's largest organ—the skin.

• Increase joint flexibility.

• Lessen depression and anxiety.

• Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.

• Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improvingcirculation.

• Reduce postsurgery adhesions and swelling.

• Reduce spasms and cramping.

• Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.

• Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body's natural painkiller.

• Relieve migraine pain.

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A Powerful Ally
There's no denying the power of bodywork. Regardless of the adjectives we assign to it (pampering, rejuvenating, therapeutic) or the reasons we seek it out (a luxurious treat, stress relief, pain management), massage therapy can be a powerful ally in your healthcare regimen.  Experts estimate that upwards of ninety percent of disease is stress related. And perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. While eliminating anxiety and pressure altogether in this fast-paced world may be idealistic, massage can, without a doubt, help manage stress. This translates into:

 

• Decreased anxiety.

• Enhanced sleep quality.

• Greater energy.

• Improved concentration.

• Increased circulation.

• Reduced fatigue.

• Arthritis sufferers note fewer aches and less stiffness and pain.

• Asthmatic children show better pulmonary function and increased peak air flow.

• Burn injury patients report reduced pain, itching, and anxiety.

• High blood pressure patients demonstrate lower diastolic blood pressure, anxiety, and stress hormones.

• Premenstrual syndrome sufferers have decreased water retention and cramping.

• Preterm infants have improved weight gain.

Research continues to show the enormous benefits of touch—which range from treating chronic diseases, neurological disorders, and injuries, to alleviating the tensions of modern lifestyles. Consequently, the medical community is actively embracing bodywork, and massage is becoming an integral part of hospice care and neonatal intensive care units. Many hospitals are also incorporating on-site massage practitioners and even spas to treat postsurgery or pain patients as part of the recovery process.

Increase the Benefits with Frequent Visits
Getting a massage can do you a world of good. And getting massage frequently can do even more. This is the beauty of bodywork. Taking part in this form of regularly scheduled self-care can play a huge part in how healthy you'll be and how youthful you'll remain with each passing year. Budgeting time and money for bodywork at consistent intervals is truly an investment in your health. And remember: just because massage feels like a pampering treat doesn't mean it is any less therapeutic. Consider massage appointments a necessary piece of your health and wellness plan, and work with your practitioner to establish a treatment schedule that best meets your needs.

Review the clinical research studies examining the benefits of massage.

Review massage information from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health

 

Benefits of medical massage therapy

The specific benefit of medical massage therapy depends on the condition that is being treated. However, benefits of the therapy can include:

* Releasing sore and tight muscles that can cause a lack of blood supply to soft tissues and hypersensitivity to touch; known as Ischemia

* Relieving nerve entrapment and compression

* Deactivating Myofascial trigger points

* Decreasing pain and inflammation

* Improving circulation and alleviating stress

* Aiding digestion

* Improving flexibility and range of motion

* Calming the nervous system

* Improving coordination and posture

* Helping prevent future chronic pain conditions

Effectiveness of medical massage therapy

Medical massage has been shown to be highly effective at reducing cases of future chronic pain conditions by dealing effectively with the base cause of the problem. Current studies have shown that the vast majority of pain in chronic conditions, over 80%, comes from soft tissue injuries and over 74% is directly related to trigger points. As well as eliminating the base cause of the pain and helping the individual to live a less painful existence, medical massage therapy is very cost effective. Less time is spent away from work or having to deal with the side effects of pain reducing drugs.

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