The benefits of massage

Massage has been around for many years and has recently increased in demand all around the world, but what exactly does massage do and what benefits come from getting a massage? That is what I hope to answer for you here today, but before we get into that I will first answer a major question: What is massage?

Massage therapy is the manual manipulation of the soft tissues of the body for the purpose of establishing and maintaining good health and promoting wellness. There are over eighty different methods of massage and bodywork from all over the world. Massage has been around for thousands of years, with cave paintings dating back to approximately fifteen thousand BC (15000 BC) and has been practiced in all regions of the globe! So now that you know what massage is. What exactly are the proven benefits of massage?

According to studies that have been done, massage causes two major types of effects, physiologic effects and psychological effects. Physiologic effect the body functions. Psychological effects affect the mind and emotions. So, what systems of the body does massage affect?

Massage works with every system in the human body including the circulatory system, digestive system, endocrine system, integumentary system, lymphatic system, muscular system, nervous system, reproductive system, respiratory system, skeletal system, urinary system, and even your energy system or chi system. What does each of these systems do?

Well, in short, the circulatory system deals with blood flow and how it goes through the body. The digestive system is how we eat and what happens to the food we eat and how we expel the food after digestion. The endocrine system controls the hormones and chemicals in the body. The integumentary system is our skin. The lymphatic system is our immune system and deals with the sinuses. Our muscular system controls our muscles and how we move. The nervous system sends and receives information from to and from our brain and the rest of our body. The reproductive system is how we reproduce. The respiratory system controls our breath. Our skeletal system is our bones and how they are both created and destroyed. Our urinary system is the release of urine and the nutrients that go into creating and storing it and the energy system involves the movement or flow of chi, as well as how we process energy and release it. But,what exactly does massage do for the individual?

Massage is shown to increase blood flow and blood oxidation levels, increase surface tissue temperatures of areas worked on, increase platelet count and decrease heart rate and blood pressure. It is also good for your immune system and improves lymphatic drainage, reduces edema, promotes increases in lymphocyte levels and promotes immune health and function through combined physiologic and psychological effects.

Massage also decreases tension within the muscle-tendon and neural response and increases the response in muscle healing while increasing your range of motion. Massage is even able to reduce headaches, back pain, and neck pain. Massage reduces scar tissue formation and increases scar tissue strength to aid in tendon healing. But what if you don’t have much pain?

Well, massage is also proven to increase serotonin and dopamine, improve sleep, decrease stress, depression, and anxiety and increase relaxation while influencing brain wave activity which improves cognitive and memory functioning by activating a parasympathetic response.

Massage is used in many different settings and has many different modalities that may also be able to help you with things like therapeutic touch, cranial-sacral work, reflexology, sports massage and so on and so forth. So, whether it is just to relax or if it is to reduce pain. Why not reach for the peace in the chaotic world around you and go get a massage today?